Reviews You Can Rely On

Mpow EG3 Pro Review

While this is one of the least expensive options, it also earned one of the lowest scores we have seen so far
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Mpow EG3 Pro Review
Price:  $46 List
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Manufacturer:   Mpow
By David Wise and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Sep 15, 2020
49
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 40% 5.0
  • Audio - 30% 4.0
  • Microphone - 20% 6.0
  • Ease of Use - 10% 5.0

Our Verdict

While the Mpow EG3 Pro is one of the more affordable options, it also scored quite poorly overall in our tests. This model has a slightly above average microphone in our minds and delivered average results when it comes to comfort and audio quality. However, we found other models in a comparable price range that performed significantly better, making it very difficult for us to enthusiastically recommend purchasing this product.
REASONS TO BUY
Decent microphone
Inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Mediocre comfort
Not the best sound quality performance

Our Analysis and Test Results

We did like that this headset looks a little more sleek and stylish than some of its other budget counterparts in our opinion but it's hard to overlook it's fairly lackluster set of results.

Performance Comparison


mpow eg3 pro - while inexpensive, we weren't overly enamored with this product.
While inexpensive, we weren't overly enamored with this product.
Credit: Laura Casner

Comfort


Our initial round of testing looked at how comfortable it is to wear this headset, based on the opinions of our gaming judges. We looked at how it fit, how large the earcups are, and the materials each product is made of to determine score, with the Mpow EG3 Pro earning a 5 out of 10 for its middling performance.

We did like that this headset doesn't sit overly tight but we overall found the fit a little odd. This headset offers plenty of room for just about any set of ears, with ample ear cups. They have very comfortable padding and we didn't find them to get too hot after extended use.

mpow eg3 pro - this headset didn't do the best in our comfort tests.
This headset didn't do the best in our comfort tests.
Credit: Laura Casner

However, the suspended headband did give us a little cause for concern. It does sit very lightly on your head but we found this makes the ear cups bend out on the bottom slightly.

mpow eg3 pro - this product failed to impress with its mediocre audio results.
This product failed to impress with its mediocre audio results.
Credit: Laura Casner

Audio


Our next series of tests looked at the audio qualities of each headset, evaluating how they sounded with in-game noise, other player's voices, and the background soundtrack, as well as with some audio benchmarking tests. The Mpow EG3 Pro didn't give us the best set of results, earning a below average score.

This headset didn't deliver the best results in our positional tests, with our judges frequently misidentifying where vehicle sounds or gunshots were coming from. Team member's voices also didn't sound particularly amazing or realistic but were still very understandable.

mpow eg3 pro - one of our judges highly amused at how poor music can sound.
One of our judges highly amused at how poor music can sound.
Credit: Laura Casner

The closed-back ear cups cut down on external noise a bit but not by too much — maybe a 10%-15% reduction in volume at best. The slanted fit means the cups don't usually sit well around the bottom of most people's ear, letting in lots of external noise.

This headset also continued its negative performance in our benchmarking tests, showing a decent amount of parasitic buzz and a bit of driver mismatch. However, we did find that the Mpow did alright in our binaural test — surprising, given our judges difficulty in the location tests.

Music also sounded quite poorly, with the bass encroaching on the other tones. Vocals also sounded a bit muddled as well

mpow eg3 pro - the microphone does a good job of filtering out extraneous noises.
The microphone does a good job of filtering out extraneous noises.
Credit: Laura Casner

Microphone


Our next set of tests ranked and scored how well the Mpow and the other headsets picked up our voice and filtered out unwanted background noise. This headset did a little better, earning an above-average overall score.

However, this was mainly based on how well this product did at filtering out background sounds. This model almost never picked up any background sounds, like fans or a mechanical keyboard. It usually will even filter out background conversations, as long as it's happening about 15' away from you.

mpow eg3 pro - this headset made our voice sound very robotic and artificial to...
This headset made our voice sound very robotic and artificial to other players.
Credit: Laura Casner

Unfortunately, other players commented that this headset significantly garbled our voice, making it sound super flat and artificial — akin to an old pair of walkie-talkies.

mpow eg3 pro - this headset is about average when it comes to ease of use.
This headset is about average when it comes to ease of use.
Credit: Laura Casner

Ease of Use


Our last round of tests looked at how convenient and easy to use we found the Mpow EG3 Pro to be. We compared the interface and inline controls, if there were any tones produced for other players when you switched the microphone on or off, and if you could detach the mic or the audio cable. We also awarded points based on the length of the audio cable and if there is an option to enable a mic sidetone. The Mpow delivered some mediocre results, earning it a fairly lackluster score.

This gaming headset does have inline controls that allow you to mute and alter the volume. This switch is typically easy to use and makes a slight sound for other players whenever you use it. It also comes with an 8.75' cord that isn't detachable.

mpow eg3 pro - luckily, the microphone can usually filter out the sounds of...
Luckily, the microphone can usually filter out the sounds of snacking for other players.
Credit: Laura Casner

This product doesn't give you the option to enable a mic sidetone and the microphone can't be detached.

Value


While this headset is one of the least expensive options out there, we don't really think it's a great value. Other similarly priced products performed considerably better and we would strongly recommend them over the Mpow.

Conclusion


Overall, the Mpow failed to make much of an impact on us. It's a cheap headset that delivered such lackluster results that we are reluctant to recommend it even to anyone shopping on a tight budget.

David Wise and Austin Palmer