Epomaker GX1 Review: Open Back Gaming Headset for Streamers

Verdict: Who the GX1 Open Back Headset Is For

An open back gaming headset is a pair of headphones designed with perforated earcups that let air and sound pass through, creating a wider, more natural soundstage at the cost of noise isolation and increased audio leakage, which can improve long-session comfort for gamers and streamers compared with sealed, closed-back designs.

The Epomaker GX1 is a budget-friendly open back gaming headset that makes a clear trade: studio-like space and streaming audio comfort instead of isolation. Its wide soundstage and virtual 7.1 surround sound make it appealing for competitive players and content creators who want positional awareness without feeling sealed off. Triple connectivity via low-latency 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth and wired USB-C means it slots into PC, console and mobile setups with minimal friction. At 320 grams with breathable pads, it remains comfortable during long broadcasts and editing sessions. The cost of all this is zero passive noise isolation and noticeable sound leakage, plus software that is described as fairly basic. If you stream from a quiet room and care more about soundstage and comfort than isolation, it is an easy headset to recommend at its price bracket; if you need privacy or noise blocking, look elsewhere.

Design, Build and Comfort for Streaming Audio Comfort

The GX1’s defining choice is its open acoustic architecture: the earcups have rear grilles that let sound waves pass through instead of trapping them like closed headphones. This gives it a more audio-focused look than many flashy gaming cans, with matte surfaces, subtle branding and an electroplated outer finish that still leaves room for RGB lighting if you care about aesthetics. The build feels solid but not overbuilt, which matters when you are wearing a headset five or six hours at a time.

Comfort is clearly a priority. At 320 grams, the GX1 is light for a wireless gaming headset, and the adjustable headband offers seven distinct positions to dial in fit. Soft memory foam ear cushions and the breathable open-back design help keep heat and pressure in check over long sessions, making it well-suited to streaming audio comfort during extended broadcasts or editing marathons. The price you pay is that "you get zero passive noise isolation" and room noise comes straight through the cups, while your game audio leaks out into the environment. For shared spaces or noisy homes, that is a significant drawback; for solo streamers in controlled studios, it feels more like a feature than a flaw.

Sound Quality and Virtual Surround for Games and Content

Inside, the GX1 uses 50mm dynamic drivers with total harmonic distortion under 3%, aiming for detailed audio with clear highs, balanced mids and solid bass. These are paired with virtual 7.1 surround sound, turning the headset into a set of virtual surround sound headphones that can enhance positional cues in shooters and broaden the soundstage for films and music. The open-back design further widens that soundstage, making it easier to place footsteps, spell effects and environmental cues around you rather than inside your head.

In practice, the tuning targets a balanced profile rather than bass-heavy boom, which suits streamers who need to monitor their own voice, game audio and alerts at the same time. The detachable boom mic includes environmental noise cancellation that helps cut keyboard chatter and fan noise so teammates and viewers hear you clearly. Software support allows some EQ and surround tweaks, but it is described as basic, so audio tweakers may find it limited compared with premium virtual surround sound headphones that ship with advanced suites. For most streamers and everyday entertainment, though, the combination of strong 50mm drivers, surround features and a wide, open soundstage is impressive at this tier.

Triple Connectivity and Battery Life for Multi-Platform Streaming

The GX1’s triple-mode connectivity is one of its strongest selling points for multi-platform streaming. You get low-latency 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3 and wired USB-C in a single headset, with on-headset controls to switch between modes. That means you can run 2.4GHz on a PC for minimal delay, keep a Bluetooth link to your phone for chat apps, and still plug in via USB-C when you move to another device. PlayStation and Nintendo Switch support the wireless options, while Xbox use is limited to the wired USB-C connection, which may disappoint console-first players.

A 2,000mAh built-in battery powers up to 70 hours of use with RGB lighting off, dropping to about 30 hours with lighting on, and recharges to full in about three hours and twenty minutes. For streamers, that means you can get several long sessions between charges, especially if you disable the lights for practical use. In short, the GX1 behaves like a modern wireless gaming headset without demanding a premium budget: it provides dependable 2.4GHz performance, fallback Bluetooth for casual listening and a wired mode for maximum compatibility. The trade-offs are the lack of wireless Xbox support and the open-back leakage, but if your setup fits around those constraints, the flexibility here is excellent.

Specs: What You Get with the Epomaker GX1

For streamers comparing options, the GX1’s specification sheet spells out why it feels geared toward long-form content creation rather than short gaming bursts. The combination of open acoustics, long battery life and triple connectivity is rare at this budget level, and it lines up well with real-world streaming workflows. Below is a snapshot of its key specifications and features based on the manufacturer’s information.

Buy if / Skip if

• Buy the Epomaker GX1 if you stream or game for hours and want an open back gaming headset that feels airy instead of claustrophobic, with a wide soundstage that helps reduce fatigue during extended broadcasts.
• Skip the Epomaker GX1 if you need strong noise isolation or a quiet environment for others nearby, because its open-back design leaks audio and lets room noise in.
• Buy the Epomaker GX1 if you need triple connectivity to switch quickly between PC, console and mobile devices during multi-platform streaming without juggling multiple headsets.
• Skip the Epomaker GX1 if you mainly play on Xbox and want full wireless freedom, since that platform is limited to wired USB-C on this model.
• Buy the Epomaker GX1 if you want virtual surround sound headphones with 7.1 processing and 50mm drivers for positional cues in competitive games at a budget-friendly price point.
• Skip the Epomaker GX1 if you are an audio tweaker who needs advanced EQ and software features; its companion app is basic and may feel limiting.