OXS is a relatively new name in the peripherals industry and has a few products that are specially designed for an immersive gaming experience. The company currently deals in audio products and has produced a few headsets and speakers, which aim to offer high audio fidelity. Its latest offering is the Storm A2, which succeeds its most popular headset, called Storm G2, which is a fancy RGB gaming headset for gamers.
The Storm A2 appears to be a more serious design, intended for professionals and perhaps audiophiles who seek solid audio delivery and functionality that can be used across multiple platforms. In this article, we will examine if it really lives up to the expectations for a price tag of $130.
Box and Contents
The OXS Storm A2 comes inside a regular packaging and has a few accessories, which include the following:
- Storm A2 Headset
- Detachable microphone
- 2.4GHz Dongle (USB A/C)
- USB-C to A Cable
- A carrying pouch for headset
- User Manual
So, quite a decent amount of stuff inside a small box, but the inclusion of a carrying pouch makes it convenient to carry all the stuff.
Build Quality and Ergonomics
The headset is well-made and utilizes metal for its frame housing for strength and durability. It's greyish and adds a premium look to the headset. The headband cover is also strong, but is flexible enough to easily adjust according to different head sizes. The earcups and headband cover use very soft memory foam, and these are some of the softest I have ever used. However, I am not a fan of such memory foam that can be pressed so easily, and these actually felt somewhat cheap to me.
When I wore it, I felt comfortable, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of room for the ears. It's not that I felt any constriction, but I prefer having more room for the ears. Anyways, not a big complaint there, but yeah, my ears did get sweaty quickly.
On the headset, you will find a few buttons on the left earcup, which offer basic functionality like wireless connectivity and volume up and down buttons. On the right earcup, you will see a single button for ANC, which can be used for toggling through several different modes like ANC Off, ANC On, Passthrough, Standard, and Surround mode.
The headband can be adjusted according to requirement and offers a bendable section at the end, which helps the earcups to be folded for easy portability. So, quite standard stuff right there, and overall, the build quality is satisfactory but not something you would be amazed by.
Connectivity and Compatibility
The Storm A2 headset has one of the most unusual connectivity methods but it's highly versatile, offering four different methods for connectivity (actually three but four different options). There is a big 2.4 GHz dongle that enables wireless connection with devices. It's quite big, but it's because the dongle has an additional detachable USB-C dongle attached to it that gives you both Type A and Type C connectivity.
Of course, you can use the USB-C to A cable for wired connection, which also does the charging, but most users will be better off with wireless connectivity for convenience. For devices like mobile phones, you can use the Bluetooth 5.4 connection and you can also connect it to various gaming consoles like PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. However, Xbox isn't listed in the compatible devices, and I don't know why that is.
Audio Delivery and Performance
The Storm A2 is equipped with 40mm Neodymium drivers with a wide frequency support for crisp and high details. One of the most advertised feature of the headset is the Active Noise Cancellation feature, which can be turned on using the ANC button on the right earcup. If you do a single press, you will cycle through ANC Off, ANC Off, and Passthrough but if you double press the button, you will cycle through these three modes as well as Standard and Surround EQ mode.
As far as the audio delivery is concerned, I was definitely impressed. The uncompressed sound delivery and the clear lows, mids, and highs showed its true prowess. At the loudest volume, the sound quality didn't show any distortion, and while I don't think it's the best for its price tag, the difference in sound quality may not be very noticeable when compared to similarly priced gaming headsets. With ANC mode on, the headset was able to block a lot of background noise impressively, and it made the sound quality even better.
In case you want to be aware of the surroundings, the Passthrough mode will work the best for you, but if you want to immerse yourself in gaming or in your favorite music, the Surround EQ preset did a phenomenal job. The bass was particularly exceptional, and in the Ultra Deep Bass test, I could literally feel the drivers on my ears, vibrating intensely, giving that rich, deep bass experience.
The microphone wasn't the best, unfortunately and many headsets for a similar price tag or even cheaper price offer a way better microphone. I mean it was doing a fine job and is satisfactory for voice chat with your friends, but some kind of noise cancellation made the recorded sound lackluster. I think noise cancellation is necessary for competitive gaming, and this will work just fine for it but I have seen cheaper headsets doing it better than the Storm A2.
The Verdict
OXS Storm A2 aims to compete with premium mid-range gaming headsets, but it feels lackluster in a few areas. Thankfully, audio delivery doesn't suffer from this, which is the core selling point of any gaming headset. Its powerful sound quality with deep bass and detailed sound delivery doesn't fail to impress but at the same time, it could have done better in a few areas like a better microphone or better cushion for earcups.
I think it's going to be fine for gaming and non-gaming usage, but the price tag of $130 is a bit too high for what it brings to the table. For under $100, this will actually seem like a decent option, particularly the excellent connectivity and compatibility it offers. Despite its shortcomings, I think it will be an ideal option for my personal use, as I loved its surround sound quality and excellent Active Noise Cancellation that really immerses in the audio.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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