Afterglow LVL 3

The AFTERGLOW LVL3 is a wired stereo gaming headset manufactured by Performance Designed Products (PDP) Corporation in approximately 2016. The PS4 (Playstation 4) version usually came in a blue box, whilst the XBOX One in green box. These headsets consist of 40 mm high definition drivers with 15-Ω (approx) coils, and neodymium magnets.

Review

I recently managed to acquire a pre-used PS4 headset that required repair, and took the opportunity to take them apart for cleaning and repair. This headset has some good points going for it such as a robust plastic headband and cup design, and the noise-cancelling microphone at the end of an adjustable boom is also very useful. It has 1-m (approx) length flat cord terminated with 4-contact 3.5 mm jack plug. There is also an in-line volume control and a microphone mute switch. It of course goes without saying that if the microphone does not work, then check the mute switch first!

Usually when I get pre-used headphones, I find that the wire has broken, sometimes at the jack plug end, and sometimes at the cup end. However in this case the wire was fine and the problem was with the microphone not working. The in-line volume control enclosure also houses the microphone switch, and I noticed that the plastic lever within the switch had broken off leaving it in the OFF position. I simply used a pin to push the switch to the ON position so that the microphone could be used.

The sound quality in these headphones is good and anyone who loves bass will like them, however I thought the treble was just slightly above average. I tested them with my Walkman and the sound quality and definition was fine. Over time, these headphones will probably become a classic design as they are manufactured well with a neat construction. I liked these headphones and the only downside I could think of was in finding cheap and generic ear-pads, because these ones have a unique shape as you can see.

Price/eBay

The LVL3 is usually for sale on eBay and the price can vary depending upon condition. A brand new set would be approximately twenty pounds or thereabouts. A pre-used set that is in good mint condition could fetch less than half that, and a broken set that requires repairs to the wire approximately five pounds. Unfortunately, a set with burnt drivers would not be worth much, but still worth selling for parts.

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