JLab Daybreak Wireless Gaming Headset review

JLab is no stranger to providing quality audio hardware. In their pursuit to expand into the gaming peripherals market, it should come as no surprise that they’d include headsets as part of their product line. Is their Daybreak wireless headset a worthwhile investment or another body on the pyre in the pursuit of profits?

Daybreak is JLab’s premium gaming-focused line. Their gaming brand features three lineups: Nightfall, Midnight, and Daybreak, each a step up in terms of tech, quality, and yes, price point. I like how their marketing implies that more hardcore gamers play later and adjusted their product line accordingly. Where the Nightfall headset has a single 50mm driver, flip-up mic, and 70 hours of battery life, the Daybreak offers a detachable microphone, multiple ear cushion types out of the box, and DTS spatial audio.

I’m a big guy with a big head, and the journey to find a wireless gaming headset has been an adventure for me, but I think JLab may have solved my issues. Out of the box, JLab’s Daybreak headset is one of the most comfortable wireless headsets I’ve put on. Unlike other headsets I’ve tried, it doesn’t squeeze my head or feel uncomfortably small. Quite the opposite. The headband is wide, providing enough space to be comfortable without slipping.

The headband/body itself feels like it’s made of a high-quality plastic/polymer that’s sturdy while allowing some flexibility. This keeps the headset both stable and comfortable, even on larger heads. To my surprise, the headset itself is actually a single size with no points of adjustment to resize the headset itself. The sizing options come with the suspension headband, which offers three different settings. I’m now convinced this is the direction all headsets should go; make it big enough for everyone with reasonable options to improve the experience for a better fit. No reason to add potential points of failure for future wear and tear, either.

Before we get into the audio experience itself, I want to discuss some niceties the Daybreak headset features. First, out of the box it comes equipped with earcups made of PU Leather. These are comfortable and offer a good seal. If, like me, you find that leather doesn’t always breathe for those long sessions, you can swap for breathable mesh earcups that come in the box. The mesh earcups are my go-to, and the headset is wonderfully comfortable. Second, another nice thing about the headset is the ability to connect wirelessly via the 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle, via Bluetooth, or wired via a 3.5mm cable - a classic feature most manufacturers have set to the side that I still find useful. Wirelessly, you can choose to focus on the 2.4 GHz signal, Bluetooth, or split it so both are accessible simultaneously.

To adjust the volume, there’s a circular turn knob on the base of the headset’s right arm. On top of volume adjustment via rotation, you can also perform a series of functions by clicking the knob into the headset, like a PlayStation’s R3/L3 button. By default, a single click will Play/Pause, a double click will advance to the next track, and a triple click will go to the previous track. There’s a multi-function button that will activate Google/Siri with a double-click and swap equalization settings with a triple-click. All of this can be customized in their software suite, which we’ll discuss momentarily.

Getting into the listening experience itself, the Daybreak provides crisp, clear audio thanks to its dual driver setup. With a 50mm dynamic driver and a 20mm dynamic driver to support it, you get crystal-clear highs and deep, satisfying bass. The Daybreak also features DTS Spatial audio, so you’re immersed in the soundscape when it’s available. It’s easier to pinpoint the footsteps of that sneaky enemy in Call of Duty, and I could tell where creeping enemies and other players were in Mistfall Hunter. Whether you’re hard-wired into your device or up to 30 feet away over wireless, you’re guaranteed to enjoy the audio being pumped into your auditory canals.

If you like to play games with friends or smack-talk those noobs in your CoD lobby, the Daybreak comes with a detachable noise-canceling microphone and a quick mute button (for those times you need to yell at the dog, you know?). In practice, the microphone sounds decent enough for online gaming, but you’re probably not going to want to replace your Elgato Wave 3 with it for recording purposes without some serious cleanup work. It’s worth noting that I spent some time playing online, hardwired into the PlayStation 5, and the people I played with told me to find another microphone. I believe that may be due to a faulty connection with the 3.5mm cable, though, as none of my PC friends had issues when I was using the microphone wirelessly.

If you’re an audiophile or tinkerer, you’ll be glad to know JLab’s software suite, Test Lab, has a fairly robust set of features already in place for the Daybreak headset despite being beta software. It allows you to adjust the volume, create your own audio mixes, toggle Spatial Audio on/off, and override button press functionality for customized use cases if you want.

I like the entire JLab Daybreak line, but their wireless headset is my favorite item from the product line. The headset is one of the most comfortable I’ve found, and the included swappable earcups are a fantastic bonus I have been taking advantage of. When you couple that with their dual-driver setup, DTS Spatial Audio, ~100-hour battery life, and the ability to enjoy the headset across wireless, Bluetooth, AND 3.5mm mediums, you have one of the better values I’ve seen in the gaming headset space for the money. The microphone isn’t a high-end recording mic, but the package is a great deal no matter how hardcore a gamer you are.