Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL Test: How's the Wireless Gaming Headset Performing?

The Japanese company Audio-Technica is known and loved above all for its professional audio products. Recently, however, the manufacturer also ventured into the gaming sector. With the ATH-G1WL, Audio-Technica has introduced its first wireless gaming headset.

Audio-Technica’s ATH-G1WL, like most other wireless headsets, does not use RGB lighting, but the headset is also very restrained outside of RGB lighting. The slim design allows for a low weight. Gamers gamble for a long time, so the ATH-G1WL should convince with high comfort and clear sound. Will this succeed? Is it worth the price of over 200 euros? You’ll find out in this test report!

Scope of Delivery

The Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL comes with a comparatively small package for a premium headset. In addition to the headphones, the package also includes a detachable microphone, a micro-USB charging cable and the USB stick for the wireless connection. Unfortunately, it is not possible to operate the headset with a jack cable, so such a cable is missing.

Technical Details

Transceiver

Dimensions	50 x 15 x 10 mm (WxHxD)
Output	12.5 mW EIRP
Range	Line of sight – approx. 12 m
Frequency Band	2.404 GHz – 2.476 GHz
Modulation Method	AFH
Battery	DC 5 V (power supply via USB bus)
Transmission Band	20 to 24,000 Hz

Headphones

Type	Closed-back dynamic
Driver dimensions	45 mm
Frequency range	5 – 40,000 Hz
Sensitivity	101 dB/mW
Impedance	45 Ohm
Battery	DC 3.8 V lithium polymer battery (built-in)
Weight	Ca. 290 g (without microphone)
Accessories included	– Removable microphone – Charging cable (2.0 m/USB type A to micro USB type B) – 1 set of replaceable ear pads – Draft shield
Microphone type	Capacitor
Microphone Polar pattern	Hypercardioid
Microphone Frequency range	30 – 20.000 Hz
Microphone sensitivity	-43 dB (1V/Pa at 1 kHz)
Operating temperature	5 °C up to 40 °C
Charge duration	Ca. 7 hours

Design & Workmanship

The Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL is very reserved. There is no great lighting and the whole construction is very minimalist and light. Even the connecting cables are uncovered and long on the headband. So there’s no heavy headband cladding, the headband is simply made of aluminium and is padded in the right place. The headband is very resistant, but at the same time flexible.

The auricles, on the other hand, are made of high-quality, robust plastic, which also resists scratches and grease fingers well. On the outside of the ear cups there is a reflective blue ring, which is virtually the only optical highlight of the gaming headset.

The controls, the connector for the detachable microphone and the micro USB charging connector are located on the left earpiece. One could assume that the headset can also be used as headphones on the go due to the detachable microphone, but unfortunately this is not the case. You can only connect the ATH-G1WL with the USB dongle, Bluetooth or jack are not available.

We are satisfied with both the design and the impeccable workmanship, and would only like to see more connection options.

Wearing Comfort

Gaming headsets are usually worn for hours and must therefore be comfortable to wear. And the Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL is clearly one of the most comfortable gaming headsets!

The headset weighs only 290 grams, making it very light despite the wireless unit. Once you put it on, you can feel that you can wear the headset for hours.

The headband, which is padded with PU artificial leather on the upper side, can be adapted to your own head size. The grating is also visible on the inside, so you can easily adjust the headset to the same size again and again.

The ear cups are flexible and adapt to the curvature of the head. They are equipped with large and thick hybrid ear cushions, which have pretty PU leather on the outside and breathable velour fabric on the inside. The ears therefore fit easily into the ear pads and the breathable velour fabric prevents the ears from overheating even after hours of use.

Overall, the Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL’s wearing comfort is excellent and we can only recommend the headset in this respect.

Operation and Pairing

With a 2.4 GHz wireless connection, the Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL offers plug-and-play performance. Just plug the USB stick into your PC, turn on the headset and you’re ready to go. The connection is made automatically. The connection is absolutely stable and free of layers.

Unfortunately, Audio-Technica does not offer any other connection options such as Bluetooth or jack. The headset can therefore only be used via the wireless connection. However, it is possible to continue using the headset during the charging process.

The headset controls are located on the left earpiece. In addition to an on/off switch, there is also a rotary knob for the volume, a mute switch for the microphone and a button for monitoring (to hear yourself). The volume knob can also be pressed to switch from stereo to virtual surround sound.

When the mute switch is pressed, a sound is played, but unfortunately the ATH-G1WL does not provide visual feedback.

All buttons and switches are neatly accessible. Audio-Technica has also made sure that you can find your way around by feeling your way around. The buttons are designed differently or placed differently like the on/off switch. This is the same as the mute switch, but it has been placed on the other side of the microphone to avoid confusion.

However, we do not fully understand the decision to use a detachable microphone. This is certainly practical if the microphone should break down, but we think that a foldable microphone with an integrated mute switch might have been more useful, since the headset can only be used sensibly on a PC anyway.

Sound Quality

We are absolutely thrilled with the sound of the headset. It offers excellent sound with clear highs. The bass is also very pronounced, without exaggerating. Only the mids weaken a little, but are still hit very well.

The 45 mm drivers offer a large sound stage, which is excellent for locating opponents, even without the optionally activatable surround sound. This is actually not very pronounced, with other headsets you can hear a much bigger difference. The ATH-G1WL is not supposed to do that badly, because the sound is already impressive even without virtual surround sound.

The Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL is therefore not only suitable for gaming, but also for music and film dialogue. Too bad the headset doesn’t have more connectivity options.

Recording Quality

Most wireless headsets tend to have poor recording quality, but the Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL doesn’t feel that way. The gooseneck microphone is surprisingly good. It doesn’t rustle and gives a lot of detail. But listen for yourself:

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Battery Life

Audio-Technica specifies the battery life as 15 hours. This works well depending on how loud you use the headset. If the battery is empty, it can be recharged during operation. Unfortunately, this is not the case with every headset, which is why we mention it here as a positive aspect.

Conclusion of the Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL Review

Now let’s look at the overall picture of the headset. Audio-Technica delivers a compelling first wireless gaming headset. Both comfort and sound and recording quality are excellent.

I particularly like the fact that it is so light and yet robust. However, I also have a few points of criticism. For example, I don’t have an indicator whether the surround sound is active or not, or a small LED that lights up when the microphone is muted. A software would certainly have been nice, but it’s not necessary either.

In my opinion the ATH-G1WL is on a similar level to the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless. It doesn’t offer all the features the SteelSeries headset offers, but it does offer a more precise sound and a better microphone. I also like it better than the Sennheiser GSP 670, so I can only recommend the Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL.