Onikuma K6 gaming headset review: Lights and lots of padding for $30

Onikuma has a good range of gaming accessories, focusing mainly on gaming headsets, keyboard, and mice. The K6 gaming headset costs about $28 and looks quite impressive coming out of the box.

It's styled for gamers who like RGB lighting, but when it comes down to game time, how does it sound? And how well does the microphone work? I used this headset for about a week to find out what it's all about.

Pros:

  • Around-the-ear cups with plenty of padding.
  • RGB lighting.
  • Long cable.
  • Clear sound.
  • Multi-platform.

Cons:

  • Need an adapter for older Xbox One controllers.
  • Some mic looping if the sound is too high.
  • No clip on the inline remote.

What you'll love about the Onikuma K6 gaming headset

The Onikuma K6 seems like a sturdy set of headphones right out of the box, with a wide band that adjusts for length by about an inch on either side. The ear cups don't articulate to better hit the sides of your head straight on, but there's about an inch of pleather-coated padding on both ear cups that removes the need for extra moving parts.

I was concerned that these headphones would be too heavy to wear comfortably for long periods of time — I'm coming from a lightweight, bargain-bin headset — but I had no trouble gaming for hours on end. The padded cups are large enough to fit around my (big) ears so there's no pain there, and there's likewise plenty of padding on the bottom of the headband. The headset is just tight enough to not move around, removing the need for constant adjustments while you're playing.

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CategorySpec
Drivers50 mm
AudioStereo
Sensitivity108 dB +/- 3 dB
Speaker impedance32Ω
Speaker frequency range20 Hz to 20 KHz
Mic diameter60 mm
Mic sensitivity-38 dB +/- 3 dB
Mic frequency range100Hz to 16 KHz
ConnectionSplit 3.5 mm cable
USB-A

Some of the bulk that had me worried about weight comes from the LED lighting on the outside of the ear cups. There's a funky kind of turbine design in black and white that's always visible, but with the USB-A port plugged in and the mic enabled on the inline remote, you get an accent that switches between red, green, blue, purple, yellow and teal. It's a great addition for anyone who wants their gaming gear to light up, and you can always unplug the USB-A cable to go dark.

The headset has about an eight- or nine-foot braided cable that splits at the bottom for USB and 3.5 mm, and there's another splitter included in the box if you're using the headset with your PC (which requires mic-in and audio-in). As for consoles, you'll only get the extra lighting if you plug in with USB, which in a lot of cases isn't possible because you're hooked up to your controller. For those of you using the first-generation Xbox One controllers, a separate Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter is needed for full functionality.

The dual stereo speakers aren't going to match the sound from a headset that costs $100 and up, but for my purposes — non-competitive PC gaming, listening to podcasts, meetings — they worked without flaw. They get loud, they stay clear, and the rotating microphone can be put up when not in use. The thick padding around the cups also does a decent job of cutting out ambient sound around you, giving a nice immersive feeling while you're in a game.

What you'll hate about the Onikuma K6 gaming headset

For the price, there's not a lot to hate about the Onikuma K6, and there's really nothing I can't deal with. However, I do miss a clip on the inline remote, as it would take some of the weight off of the headset. The cable seems durable, but it is heavy, especially when you're standing.

The other issue I came across a couple of times was mic looping, where others in my party could hear my audio coming across the mic. This only happened when I had game sound cranked up, and moving the mic away from my face — it has a long flexible arm in addition to rotating up when not in use — also seemed to help the problem. The mic is sensitive enough that it will still pick up your voice even if it's not directly in front of your mouth.

Onikuma K6 gaming headset bottom line

Onikuma is offering a free replacement policy and a one-year money-back guarantee on its K6 headset, so there is definitely some confidence behind the product. For my own purposes, like general PC gaming, the headset is right on, though I could do with the LED lighting.

The cable is long enough — though a clip on the inline remote would be nice — and I get clear, loud sound from the speakers. The mic might pick up a bit of the audio coming out of the headset for an annoying loop when I have my sound up too high, but for the most part, it delivers my voice clearly to those I'm playing with. The best part, though, is that the padding and size of the ear cups mean I can keep the headset on longer than I really should.

Should you buy this gaming headset?

If you have $30 to spend on a device that truly looks like a gaming headset, and you have a couple of consoles and a PC lying around with which to use it, the option from Onikuma should certainly be considered.

4 out of 5

It will probably work best with a PC thanks to close proximity to a USB port for lights, but it will certainly work with second and third-gen Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers.

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Cale Hunt
Cale Hunt is a staff writer at Mobile Nations. He focuses mainly on PC, laptop, and accessory coverage, as well as the emerging world of VR. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user, and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech.