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Drop + Koss GMR-54X-ISO Gaming Headset

$39

~~$60~~

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... / HEADPHONES / GAMING HEADSETS / DROP

Drop + Koss GMR-54X-ISO Gaming Headset

Name: Drop + Koss GMR-54X-ISO Gaming Headset
Brand: Drop
SKU: drop-x-koss-gmr-54x-iso-gaming-headset
Price: 39 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 3.328125 (320 reviews)

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Product Description

You don’t have to pay like the pros to play like the pros. Our latest collaboration with Koss is an audiophile-approved gaming headset with Drop-exclusive upgrades you won’t find anywhere else.

overview

details

story1

reviews320

photos63

q&a29

discussions151

Customer Reviews

3.3

(320 reviews)

(56)

(113)

(66)

(50)

(35)

57% would recommend to a friend

By Feature

Build Quality

3.0

(14)

Sound

4.4

(14)

Comfort

4.0

(14)

Music GenresPopular among reviewers

ActivitiesPopular among reviewers

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Sort by: Top Reviews

RJSmithy

Aug 7, 2019

Verified Buyer

Great headphone, very light

I wanted a uniform black high-end headphone without all the flashy lights you normally see. This delivered perfectly.

Recommends this product? Yes

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SilentSam

Aug 7, 2019

Verified Buyer

Great Sounding Headphones!

I love the design of these phones. As a larger head guy I find they hug my ears nicely without feeling like they are putting my head in a vice like some headphones. Removable mic and alternate short cord for using with my phone is a nice touch. Sound quality is great for the price. Love them!

(Edited)

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epony

Aug 8, 2019

Verified Buyer

Oodles of value for the money!

These really punch above the pre-sale price! I've been in the market for a new gaming headset when these had come along and I'm very happy I chose to wait for them! Lightweight, solidly built (except for the mic which feels a little flimsy), comfortable, isolate decently and the flexibility of 2 corded mics (4' inline, 8' boom) - this headset is simply above and beyond what anyone could or even should expect for less than $100, let alone sub-$50.

Recommends this product? Yes

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Lefibonacci

629

May 13, 2019

The first thing that I noticed upon trying this headset is how light they are - in a good way. They feel to be of high build quality for their price, with accompanying sound quality to match. With how light they are, I find that I am able to quickly forget that they’re there once I put them on. The adjustable headband pairs well with this, encouraging a quick and comfortable fit. Thanks to this and the muffs which completely engulf my ears, finding the ideal position can be done with ease. Not before three to four hours of use have passed do I begin to notice them more, and feel a slight bit of fatigue. In those hours, I usually binge watch some anime (okay, I binge watch a lot of One Piece!) or play some video games, and I am fully immersed. I will admit though, that the person near me in the same room has been able to pick out which anime I was watching based off of ambient sound - although I do tend to keep the audio quite loud. The most loud that I seem to enjoy this headset is at (according to my laptop and phone) around 55% of the maximum volume. I dared to crank the volume to 75% just once, and that was far too much for me; If you like your content to bump, I don’t think that you will have an issue with this headset. Gaming wise, this is easily the best headset that I have ever used at or near this price-point. The sound stage is undeniably impressive - so if you enjoy competitive shooter games or similar, you will have fun with these. When I spend many hours playing Black Ops IIII, I can’t help but notice the strong ability to present a directional awareness of explosions and footsteps that this headset is able to provide. I am equally impressed by the bright tones and deep bass that I can’t help but to indulge in when it comes to good ’ol Japanese City Pop music. Another awesome couple of features are the two detachable microphones; one in-line, the other is a boom. The in-line mic makes the transition from watching YouTube videos on my phone with great audio quality, to taking a casual phone call very seamless. Meanwhile, the boom mic is excellent for more serious conversations such as in a professional environment, or letting the opposing team know that they don’t stand a chance! Upon asking, each mic was reported by my listeners as relaying a clear and accurate transmission of my real life voice. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this headset to anybody that wants to significantly improve their listening experience while maintaining a good balance of quality product and a stable savings account. 5/5.

(Edited)

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BadSeedTech

271

May 14, 2019

The Drop x Koss GMR-54X-ISO is a lightweight, comfortable, and very capable gaming headset at a price that should embarrass a lot of the competition. Design This is the closed back version of this headphone and, in conjunction with Drop, brings out the already understated design in a black/midnight blue colorway - ditching the red accents of the original Koss version. The beauty part here is that no part of this headphone screams - or even says - “gamer”. You can go from the desk to around town without attracting any weird looks. Frame design is simple with a single plastic arc and a slim, padded suspension headband. Pads are pleather with a pretty premium feel and a light foam. Cups are D-shaped and have a just a little bit of swivel and a pretty healthy tilt range so you can get a good seal. Only warning here would be for people with taller heads: when that suspension headband reaches its max, you may have trouble getting that solid seal under your ears. Cables here are detachable and come with 2 flavors - a 4ft 3.5 to 3.5mm TRS with an inline mic suitable for mobile use. You also get an 8ft detachable boom mic that has inline mic mute and volume controls. Connection here is a standard 3.5 with no proprietary connection so you can upgrade to another external boom mic if you prefer. You’ll also have an included 3.5mm splitter as well. Mic Mic quality for the inline is passable for quick calls, nothing I’d use for gaming. Boom mic is passable for gaming - though a touch noisier than I’d like. Moreso than I remember from the original models I reviewed, though onboard mic-ins do have a tendency to be noisier than their USB counterparts. Its nice to the see the addition of inline volume controls. They are analog and largely forgettable in terms of quality but nice to have them nonetheless. Sadly, no revision to how the mic attaches to the headphone. It simply plugs in via the 3.5mm jack - there is nothing to prevent the boom arm from swiveling inside the jack. This was bothersome on the original GMR units and is here as well. Sound Quality As far as sound - this is classic Koss. They are arguably the masters of price versus performance. This is definitely a headphone first with the addition of the mic bringing it into the gaming arena. At 35 Ohms and 103 dB you can drive these with practically anything. Tested without a discreet amp - off the front case headers of onboard audio - they have great definition but overall tone is a bit stuffy. These are bottom heavy. Low-mid heavy specifically. This can prove a challenge in a bass-heavy game like Black Ops 4. For casual gamers - this will offer a very immersive experience. For competitive settings - I’d give it the ‘Scout Mode’ treatment in the eq - rolling off the lows and punching the highs. Musically these will get LOW as well - depending on how good of a seal you can manage these will tease into sub bass territory but never quite getting as low as something like a DT 770. Mids are very well defined. Its an interesting tuning for a gaming headset - not the usual v-shape. This comes across musically as well with vocals being a focal point. I feel like these struggle with separation between the mids and lows, though they execute at a higher level between the mids and highs. Highs never run the risk of being peaky or offensive. If anything they are pushed back slightly and again, slightly stuffy or flat. I don’t get air and I don’t get sparkle, but they do have an analytical detail and separation to them. Running these off the Magni 3 - it brought some energy to the mix but didn’t change the overall tonal quality for me. These can handle a serious amount of power/volume before they start to show distortion. The imaging is notably impressive - VERY much so at this price point. Was even able to detect some verticality at certain points which isn’t something a lot of sets do well. And while soundstage isn’t on par with the majority of my open-backs sets, it was surprisingly good for a closed back set. Again, maybe not as wide as a DT 770 but very capable. It would be great to see these offered in the open back variety, but the mix of imaging, definition, and soundstage make for a high performing gaming headset. Conclusion Overall, this headphone punches above its price point by a substantial margin. Its light enough at 192 grams on my scale to basically disappear on your head. There’s just enough clamping force to let the pads do their job, though they do get a touch warm for me around the two hour mark. Luckily, that's the only fatigue I experienced with these as the audio signature isn’t one that would cause you to need a break. They are easy enough to drive from any basic gaming pc, laptop, or console controller and the understated looks and optional 4ft cable makes them suitable for mobile use. You get features and cable options that you generally don't see at this price point. Mic is probably the weak point here and while the GMR-54X-ISO audio isn’t stunning, its surprisingly capable at $40 and certainly better than most “gaming” branded headsets hovering around the $80-$100 mark. Rating - 4/5 stars

*Disclaimer: This unit was provided to me in advance of release for the purposes of a review. Drop did not attempt to influence the review in any way nor did they have any advance access to the final review copy.

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Alfredo3001

May 18, 2019

BadSeedTechExcellent review. Are you going to make a video review? Fan of your YouTube channel.

kevin34ct

Dec 20, 2020

Verified Buyer

Very comfortable but plastic snapped.

I've owned the headset for 5 months and I'm very careful with my headset. The top band snapped perfectly straight in the middle. It's too bad since I loved this headset. The over the ear cushions were great and didn't cause ear fatigue like most headsets. The sound was good enough for me. I love music and gaming and the sound was fine to me. I don't need perfect sound. If I wanted that I'd pay for Bose or something in that range. I have a pair of Sony headphones that cost $20 that I bought 10 years ago and they have taken a beating, but they are still going strong. These however were well taken care of and broke when I picked them up today after 5 months. Update: 12/27/2020 from customer service rep Brett R "While I can certainly understand where you're coming from on this, our warranties do not cover accidental damage done to a product as mentioned. These headphones do not 'break in half' without excessive force being applied to them, since that is the case it would be determined that something not typical has occurred and is considered accidental damage. Since that is the case, we are not able to assist you further on this matter. I will now be closing this ticket, but I hope you have a good rest of your day. Best Regards, Brett" DO NOT ORDER THIS ITEM FROM DROP!!!!

(Edited)

Recommends this product? No

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retinator

Jan 2, 2021

kevin34ctThat's fairly disappointing. I'm sorry for your experience, but at the same time thank you for sharing.

kevin34ct

Jan 19, 2021

retinatorI filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and Drop refused to respond. I see on their site that Drop has an F rating. Will never do business with them again. I'll pay the extra money at Amazon because they'll bend over backwards to keep their customers.

Lex-DRL

Nov 12, 2022

Verified Buyer

Sadly, planned obsolescence

Paradoxically, this headset is THE BEST while also being being THE WORST I've ever had: On the one hand, it provides the best sound quality at the price. Period. Especially if you like bass, but like it to be deep and natural (hello, club/pop/alt-rock music, gaming and blockbuster movies) and not just sounding like a silly meme hardbass from a barrel. It's even better than just good. IMO, this model (and it's non-DROP predecessor) gives the best sound I ever tried: clear speech and yet really rich music. Not a perfectly flat frequency response, strictly speaking (which audio professionals like), but FLAT ENOUGH while giving that sound an extra "wow". HOWEVER! On the other hand, these headphones are intentionally DESIGNED to break approximatly after 3 to 6 months of use. I've bought 2 pairs previously and I've bought two more from here (drop.com). ALL of them broke. And not just broke, but broke in exactly the same way:

The headband breaks exactly at the middle and does it after approximately the same time of use: 3 months. It not just cracks, but snaps in two halves altogether. With no obvious foreshadowing of it. But be ready that it WILL break after 3 months. And the plastic is such, that it's INCREDIBLY hard to find a glue able to keep these halves together.
After it, the cable connecting two drivers slowly starts getting damaged, because the headband is designed in such a way that even if you manage to glue the parts back, you won't be able to align them perfectly. And when you don't, the glued halves act as plastic scissors slowly cutting the thin cable.
Then, some oily liquid starts dripping from the slit between plastic and soft parts of earcup. First time it happened to me, I thought it was my fault, and I'm the one who messed them with some grease without even noticing it. But then it happened with the second pair of the headphones, and the third, and the fourth. But it's actually something about how they're built. After about 4 months, you'll start noticing they leave thin oily stains on a table where you put them.
Finally, the main cable connecting headphones to the device will start getting damaged, too. Again, no matter how careful you are. It will. And, adding an insult to injury, while these cables are completely detachable and use standard headphone jack, there's no way to buy these specific cables separately (at least, the versions of them which come with DROP edition).

The saddest part is, the drivers themself stay perfectly fine all the time. But after about 3 to 6 months, be ready to throw the headphones away regardless. To me, they sound too good to be replaced with anything else (I tried quite an expensive Audio-Technica ATH-M50x and eventually gave them away, returning to this cheap KOSS model). So, I'll stick to them anyway. But you need to realize that these headphones aren't a one-time purchase. They're more like a consumable. You WILL change them one to two times a year, there's no workaround for it. They're designed that way. The best you can do is buy them in bundles of two. This way, you'll have at least 4 cables (2 of each type: for PC/phone) which will extend the headphones lifetime somewhat. And you'll have a spare pair for the moment the first one breaks. To KOSS or DROP representatives who might have their contact: why don't you make a slightly more expensive model which won't be designed to break? We are willing to pay more. We want that rich sound, but in a better casing. To everyone else: 5/5 for the best sound with 0/5 for the worst (even malicious) design. 2.5/5 as a result. Still recommend them, but with an ENORMOUS asterisk.

(Edited)

Recommends this product? Yes

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Nephlock

May 13, 2019

Construction The GMR-54X-ISO is primarily made from plastic but does include padding where you'd expect it, on the sling headband and the ear pads. Continued with their ultra lightweight design similar to their 545-AIR model, Koss has instead opted for a closed back design with the 54X. While open back is generally preferred these days, a closed back design still has its place for those that like the isolation it provides. The ear cups feature the same "D-Profile" ear cups as the aforementioned 545-AIR models, which is welcome. I found this shape helps limit the headphones from sliding around and makes them feel a bit more "snug" on my head, without having them need to be tight. Some may see this simple construction as a bit rudimentary, but it really keeps these headphones light weight, and definitely limited the fatigue I've found with wearing a headset for long sessions. Overall I would say that these headphones are very comfortable, with my only gripe being that the ear pads are not as breathable as I'd like. Packaged with the headphones are two microphone options, a detachable boom mic as well as an in-line mic. The detachable boom mic has a healthy 8' cord that allowed me to plug it into my PC at the far end of my desk, while the in-line mic is a more appropriate 4' for using with a controller or a phone. Also included is a cord splitter should you wish to use the boom mic in place of the in-line. While the boom mic is adjustable I wish that it had a bit more support than relying solely on the 3.5mm jack... Attaching in this way tends to loosen over time, and in turn makes the boom have trouble holding its position--Even just a small recession into port would prevent this. Ultimately not a deal-breaker, but it can be nuisance for those that like to keep their mics in a singular position. Attached to the boom cord is the inline mute and volume control--This is almost a necessity for gaming, and while this one feels a little cheap, ultimately it does its job well and doesn't get in the way.

Sound After spending some time using this headset accross gaming, music, and chat I can say that I'm impressed. The audio through the GMR-54X-ISO is excellent out of the box, and in my opinion punches well above their price point. It feels very well balanced, with the bass sounding appropriate and not overly loud like I've experienced in other headsets at this range.

Mic The mic is where I've hit my first major issue. With the audio in the drivers being such a surprise, I was hoping to get a similar surprise with the microphone. The capture audio is good, and comes through loud and clear, but sadly the microphone produced a small amount of background static when used. While talking this wasn't a huge deal, but due to background noise pickup it caused an intermittent hiss for those on the other side. The in line microphone had a tinny sound quality but the background static was much less pronounced. Conclusion Overall I think the GMR-54X-ISO are an excellent choice in a gaming headset, and offers a lot of bang for your buck in terms of quality and comfort. The microphone quality falls a bit short, but will still get the job done.

------ PROS + Audio quality + Lightweight + Affordable CONS - Mic quality 4/5 stars

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SuperScope96

290

Nov 24, 2020

Verified Buyer

The Headband WILL SNAP - I Still Love You, Koss

Koss has done it again - another great product with a fatal flaw that will flood their receiving department with incoming warranty repairs. This time, it's not the earcups falling off the headband (SP330), or the wire pulling out of its housing (many models), or glue prematurely failing (KDE250), but a headband that is either too thin or made of a plastic compound that needs to be re-engineered. After 3 months of careful use (as I've read the other cautionary reviews and took the utmost care in preventing stretching more than necessary), my headband snapped in half cleanly and completely through right in the center of the headband. I still remember the sinking feeling in my heart as I heard the snap - I had hoped for months that everyone's units were uncommon lemons, and that the review section of the item page was riddled with the agitated owners that spoke out, and not the "masses" that never had an issue. Now, for the headphone enthusiast/audio hobbyist that can reach over to their headphone tree and replace the pair temporarily, this isn't a tremendous issue, as I can just send them in for repair under the legendary Koss warranty, as I've done so countless times over the years. At this point, I'd love to write about how comfortable these headphones are, sporting the "D-cup" ear profile hearkening back to the Koss studio headphones of the '70s (Pro/4AAA), and how these carry the vocal-forward, wonderfully musical "Sound of Koss, " as opposed to whatever frequency tuning many "gaming" headsets have that sever the life from your music...However, when it comes to reviewing these headphones, which clearly occupy a budget niche for people who probably don't have spare PC/gaming headphones lying around, I can't recommend them, as having your main cans out of commission for a couple of weeks every quarter-year isn't acceptable at any price bracket. Until Koss redesign the headband, or re-engineer the material they're made out of, I'd have to warn you to look elsewhere, unfortunately.

Recommends this product? No

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