The NZXT relay The headphones are not worth mentioning on their own. They’re a solid gaming headset with decent audio quality, comfortable earcups, and a sober design. But NZXT took a risk with its foray into audio. Paired with NZXT’s SwitchMix accessory, the Relay headphones become much more interesting.
He NZXT Relay Headphones ($100) and the NZXT SwitchMix ($130) They are sold separately, but are designed to be used together (along with NZXT Relay Speakers and subwoofer). The headphones connect to the SwitchMix, which connects to your PC, and you can use the SwitchMix to adjust the volume with the fancy giant knob or balance game audio and voice chat with a simple slider.
But the headphone hangar is the star of the show. It has a built-in pressure plate switch that tells the SwitchMix mixer to switch devices between headphones and external speakers. No more fiddling with device settings in Windows, forgetting to swap outputs, and accidentally waking up your partner with your game. Simply remove the headphones from the hangar and your PC will switch to them. Put the headphones back in and the audio will come out of the speakers. It’s a dream come true when it works.
A simple switch
The SwitchMix accessory doesn’t come with the Relay headphones and costs a little more than the headphones themselves, but it seems appropriate. It’s quite unique. It comes in two parts: a blender and a headphone holder.
The mixer is a sturdy but stylish brick with a large, sleek knob and slider on the right side. The bottom of the mixer has four circular rubber pegs that fit snugly inside a grid of holes in the base of the stand. It’s a nice little design touch that allows you to rotate the mixer so it’s better positioned for your desk setup. The knob and slider are large and distinct, making it easy to adjust without looking, which can be crucial when trying to adjust in-game audio.
Photography: Eric Ravenscraft
The switch on the stand is easily the most attractive part of this setup, and it performs this party trick in a low-tech way that is both a boon and a detriment. A small 3.5mm jack runs from the base of the stand to a port on the back of the mixer. A USB-C port on the back of the mixer connects to your computer, while two more 3.5mm ports connect to a speaker and headphones (wired).
Unfortunately, this setup means that the Hangar Switch only works with wired headphones and can only connect to external speakers via a single 3.5mm port. That limits the amount of hardware this setup will work with. But when does work, it’s a delight. I prefer to watch videos at my desk with my speakers but I put headphones on while I play supervision 2 with my friends. Lifting the headphones off the stand changed the audio before I even put them on my head. The word “seamless” was invented for experiences like this.
The SwitchMix also functions as a standalone digital-to-analog converter (DAC), although in my experience this is not a particularly notable benefit. The SwitchMix supports 24-bit/96kHz audio output, but I didn’t notice a significant difference in audio compared to connecting the headphones directly to my PC.
A solid headset
The Relay is a solid first entry from NZXT. The headphones have a smooth matte surface in white or black. I tried the white version and it looked particularly elegant. The foam inside the cups is soft and comfortable, and the headphones are light enough to wear for hours without discomfort.
Photography: Eric Ravenscraft