SADES has been around the block a few times when it comes to gaming peripherals, especially headsets. And they are not the kind of company to shy away from finding a new route around said block as they throw hours into research and development of their new products.
We were lucky enough to get one such new product from SADES to review. The Runner Wireless Headset.
The Runner is their first entry into the wireless category that also hosts two other competitors for SADES – the Warden I and the Carrier (current top of the line).
With the Runner being the first-in-line of the three, that does not mean that it’s lacking in any way.
Let’s take a closer look.
Design and Performance
At first glance, the Runner headset is not bad-looking at all.
The design team has opted for a traditional over-the-head look, with a padded headband and earcups and the signature SADES black and blue.
SADES opted to go for a detachable boom mic with the RUNNER, with the option of a foam windshield in the box. The mic itself is a thing of beauty as they have opted to use a design form that flows rather than your traditional mic on a stick look.
The headset itself is very comfortable to wear and is lightweight, 250g to be exact, so that extended use of the Runner, either through gaming or listening to music, is enjoyable and not an ache, both literally and physically.
The padding on the headband and earcups is self-adaptive as it molds to fit you, and is finished with PU leather. The adjustable headband allows anybody and everybody to get the fit of the Runner just right
All the controls you need are right on the earcups. With game/music mode and mute on the left cup, and volume and power on the right. Everything is compact and neatly placed. The mic boom also has an additional function button that, when plugged into the headset and connected to a phone, is a multi-function button that you can use to answer and hang up calls, as well as call up your phone’s assistant.
When it comes to performance, the Runner headset from SADES doesn’t back down. The 40mm drivers work hard to produce quality sound while not killing the battery. All sounds come through crisp and clear and changing between music and gaming mode is just a simple click of a button. The difference in these modes is in the preset EQ that SADES has done for us. Boosting up the bass in game mode to hear those footsteps and other essential audio cues, and then a more harmonious experience in music mode as it levels everything up and gives a nice rounded auditory experience.
There are multiple ways to connect to the SADES Runner, and with those, come mulitple things you can connect to.
The SADES Runner headset can be connected to wirelessly through Bluetooth 5.0 or through the wireless dongle. Both of these connections can be active at the same time as you can connect your phone through bluetooth and have the headset connected wirelessly to your PC, allowing you to take a call while gaming. Pressing the multifunction button on the mic boom will make the neccesary adjustments for you.
You can also connect to the headset with a 3.5mm wired connection. With this, you don’t even need to turn the headset on as I’ve spent hours on my Xbox with it connected like this.
As mentioned, with all these ways to connect, the options of what you can connect to are limitless as the SADES Runner headset is compatible with PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series S|X, Nintendo Switch and Lite, VR, mobile devices, as well as PCs and laptops.
The Runner headset boasts an impressive battery life of up to 25 hours while connecting to the headset via wireless dongle, and up to 30 hours while connected to it through Bluetooth. When this is drained, the headset can be quickly charged (2.5 hours) again through a USB-C cable.
For more technical information on the SADES Runner, see the table below.
My Experience
I was quite excited to receive the Runner from SADES as I’ve never actually used a wireless headset for gaming, and I must say, I was not disappointed.
Admittedly, I have used it more with the 3.5mm jack than in wireless mode (thanks to my Xbox and Elden Ring and Dawn of Ragnarok – reviews coming soon), but my overall opinion of the headset is that its a solid piece of gaming gear.
Everything came neatly packaged and easy to get to while ensuring that all the little bits that came with it were safe and secure during transit. And there are quite a few odds and sods that share the box with the Runner.
The headset doesn’t have any accompanying software to go with it but everything about is pretty much set up from the get-go and is plug and play, or connect and play because it’s wireless.
Connecting to the headset was simple enough. You either stick the wireless dongle into a free USB port or connect it via Bluetooth. Both are painless. With the dongle, there’s a little button that you have to click so that it can “broadcast” and then it finds the Runner and automatically connects, provided that the headset is in range of course. Via Bluetooth, you simply open up your device’s Bluetooth settings, search for a new device, and pair it with “SADES Runner.” Once connected, you’re good to go.
I’d hope that connecting via a 3.5mm audio cable is easy enough…
I did find that the size of the earcups around the 40mm drivers (which do work superbly) was a bit on the small side but, with that being said, after hours of continuous use, the soft padding that SADES has used on the Runner ensured comfort and no pain for my ears that rival the BFG, both in proportion and actual size.
I found that the sound coming through the headset was crisp and clear through all three of the various connection types and that I could easily settle in for a nice long Assassin’s Creed Valhalla session as the negligible weight of the Runner rested easily on my head, or while using the headset in my day to day living as a music headset.
Verdict
With the Runner wireless headset from SADES essentially being the entry-level of their wireless headset range, expectations of what you might experience may be below. But the Runner headset definitely holds its own in gaming and lifestyle use. And all this in a price bracket that shouldn’t have your bank’s fraud department phoning you to talk about suspicious spending.
Once again, a minor issue with SADES products is their availability in South Africa but plans are apparently being made for all of this.
Thank you to SADES for the opportunity to review this headset.
