Until now, Fractal Design has mainly been known for its PC cases, where the Gothenburg-based manufacturer has already made a name for itself with outstanding products such as the elegant North (our test) or the airy Meshify 2 Mini (our test). With the brand new Fractal Design Scape, the company is now venturing into the wireless headset segment and it’s a real winner: Swedish minimalism meets outstanding sound, as our test proves.
Technical data
| The product | Scape |
| Design | over-ear |
| driver | 40 mm |
| Frequency range (headphones) | 20 – 20,000 Hz |
| Resolution | 24 bit / 96 kHz |
| Microphone type | Unidirectional |
| Frequency range (microphone) | 50Hz – 16kHz |
| Connectors | USB type C |
| Connectivity | 2.4 GHz wireless connection; Bluetooth 5.3; USB-C |
| Battery life | Up to 50 hours (without RGB); Up to 20 hours (with RGB) |
| Weight | 320 g |
| Compatibility | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Mobile |
| Price: RRP | RRP: 199.99 euros |
Fractal Design Scape Review: Simple design, well thought-out concept
- Simple, elegant design
- Customizable RGB lighting
- outstanding wearing comfort
The Fractal Design Scape is the perfect choice for those who like a simple yet elegant look. The wireless gaming headset, available in either black or white, has a pleasantly understated design. Large oval ear cups, thick and soft ear pads, no flashy accents.
With the exception of the RGB lighting, which can be adjusted in six zones, of course, but which is also rather discreetly concentrated on a ring below the ear pads. Although the manufacturer relies almost exclusively on plastic, the headset feels pleasantly robust and high-quality. The build quality is excellent and the look is absolutely classy.
A special feature of the Fractal Design Scape is the included base station, which serves several purposes at once. On the one hand, it serves as a stand for the headset and ensures that the headphones don’t fly around on the table. On the other hand, it charges the Scape wirelessly.
To do this, the wireless charging station has a USB-C port on the underside, which is then used to connect it to a PC, notebook or games console. This is also where the USB-A dongle is located, which can conveniently remain in the charging station when you connect the base to your system. An excellently thought-out concept that also looks very classy and works perfectly.
With a weight of 320 grams including the detachable microphone, it is not necessarily a lightweight. However, this does not detract from the wearing comfort. The weight is excellently distributed on the head, while the soft ear pads with an inner size of 7 cm x 5 cm also offer plenty of space for larger ears.
The excellent wearing comfort is rounded off by the soft padded headband. I found the Fractal Design Scape to be incredibly comfortable during the test, even though there are significantly lighter wireless gaming headsets out there.
Features and operation
- Wireless, Bluetooth 5.3 and cable mode
- Broad compatibility
- 24 bit / 96 kHz
In terms of features, the Scape undoubtedly plays in the premium league. The headset impresses with triple connectivity via 2.4 GHz radio, Bluetooth 5.3 or cable. This ensures broad compatibility with PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, smartphones, tablets, Nintendo Switch and much more.
Simultaneous pairing of Bluetooth and wireless with two devices is possible, but you have to decide between the sources using the mode switch. However, simultaneous use is unfortunately not possible.
In terms of sound, the Scape relies on large 40 mm drivers that cover a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Regardless of the connection type, it impresses with high-resolution sound in 24 bit/96 kHz.
Simulated Dolby or Spatial Audio surround sound is not supported, however, and active noise suppression is also missing. However, the detachable microphone has a flip-to-mute function that automatically mutes it when it is flipped up.
Precise operation in the Fractal Design Scape
- Precise operation
- well thought-out controls
- great web interface
The operating concept of the Fractal Design Scape is also pleasing, with large, easily accessible and pleasantly tactile elements. The highlight is the control crown, which can be found on the back of the left ear cup.
Turn it to adjust the volume and pause or resume playback by pressing it once. Double-tapping skips to the next song, triple-tapping to the previous one. This works very well in practice, but the pressure point of the crown could be a little more precise.
The rest of the operation is carried out using various buttons on both sides of the ear cups. On the left you will find the mode switch, which switches between Bluetooth and wireless, as well as the power button. There is also an additional mute switch to mute the microphone.
There is a lighting button on the right-hand side that switches the RGB lighting on and off at the touch of a button. Unfortunately, it is not possible to switch between the lighting effects. The manufacturer has also placed an equalizer button with three white LEDs here, which you can use to switch between three sound profiles at the touch of a button.
There is also high praise for the companion app, because… there isn’t one. At least not directly. The Fractal Design Scape is customized via a web interface – without you having to install any large and resource-consuming software.
The interface impresses with its tidy design and clear structure and immediately recognizes the headset and dongle reliably. A firmware update was also immediately available for download at the first start, which was quickly installed.
The main page provides information about the battery status and the connected devices. In the “Lighting” section, you can choose between ten predefined effects or create your very own lighting effects. The Scape also supports Windows Dynamic Lighting (WDL), which allows cross-manufacturer synchronization.
Under the “Audio” tab, you can use a detailed equalizer to influence the sound and adjust the three presets to your liking, which are then saved directly on the headset. The equalizer can also be supplemented with your own points, which can then be adjusted in terms of gain, frequency, Q and filter type – it doesn’t get any better than this.
For the equalizer settings, the web interface also creates EQ codes that can be easily shared and imported to share your settings with friends. You can also adjust the headset microphone in the “Scape microphone” tab. In addition to sidetone, however, only noise suppression can be added here. There is no equalizer for the microphone.
Good battery life, slow charging
- 50 hours runtime (without RGB)
- meagre 20 hours with RGB lighting
- Slow charging speed; great charging station
The battery life of the Fractal Design Scape is good, but by no means outstanding. If you switch off the RGB lighting, the wireless headset lasts up to 50 hours – but the runtime also depends heavily on the volume setting.
With RGB active, the usage time is reduced to 20 hours. That’s okay, but by no means earth-shattering. The competition, for example in the form of the Corsair VOID Wireless V2 (our test), sometimes lasts twice as long with light.
It takes around five hours to fully charge the Scape in the charging stand, while charging via USB-C cable also takes quite a long time at 3 hours. Nevertheless, there is a fast-charge function that gets the headset ready for 3 hours of use (including RGB) in just 15 minutes.
The charging speed is therefore rather slow, but the wireless charging station proves to be extremely practical and ingenious. If you are not using the headset, simply place it on the stand and it will charge automatically. This means no more rude awakenings when the battery suddenly runs out in the middle of a game.
Audio and microphone quality of the Fractal Design Scape
- Outstanding, neutral sound image
- very good spatiality
What the Fractal Design Scape lacks in endurance, the wireless gaming headset makes up for with its outstanding sound. Fractal Design promises a “rich, immersive audio experience, straight out of the box” in its advertising material – and it keeps this promise in an absolutely impressive way.
Even without touching the equalizer or any settings, the Scape impresses with an intense and comparatively neutral sound image that delivers a convincing performance across all frequencies.
Even when listening to music, the Scape impressively demonstrates greatness and captivates with broad, detailed mids and pleasantly airy highs, which do not tend to become too shrill even at maximum volume.
The bass foundation is also pleasantly detailed and clear, with excellent separation between sub-bass and bass. For most people, however, the bass may not be concise enough in the standard preset – but this can be counteracted very well using the equalizer.
Personally, I really like this neutral mix. Especially for competitive games, this ensures that explosions and other powerful sound effects don’t overpower the important details.
This results in a well-rounded and coherent sound image across the board, thanks to which the Fractal Design Scape are also absolutely inspiring when listening to music as over-ear headphones. At the same time, the spatial representation is pleasing, which enables excellent localization of the sound in the room in competitive shooters. Without any virtual surround sound bells and whistles. Chapeau, Fractal Design.
Microphone quality of the Fractal Design Scape
Fractal Design equips the Scape with a detachable boom microphone. The unidirectional mic offers a frequency response of 50 Hz to 16,000 Hz and comes with optional noise reduction (ENC), which filters out ambient noise very well, but noticeably changes the sound image.
With a length of around 11 cm, the flexible microphone boom is quite short, which is also reflected in the volume of the recording. You have to bend and fine-tune it a little to get the mic close enough to your mouth to be heard well in games or chats.
Microphone test recording Fractal Design Scape:
Microphone test recording Corsair VOID Wireless V2:
Microphone test recording Razer Kraken V4:
As you can easily hear here, even in direct comparison, the Scape is a little weaker in terms of microphone quality and can’t quite keep up with the best wireless headsets. For voice chats and occasional calls, however, it’s still good enough.
Fractal Design Scape Review: Conclusion
Where it says Fractal Design on it, there is quality inside. You can be sure of that. And as with the Refine gaming chair, the debut in a new segment is an impressive success. With the Fractal Design Scape, the Swedish manufacturer delivers an excellent wireless gaming headset that sets the tone where it matters most.
In terms of sound in particular, the device impresses with its outstanding, neutral and high-resolution audio quality, which is already impressive out of the box. Whether listening to music, streaming or gaming: the Scape masters all challenges flawlessly. I really like the spatial and quite neutral sound and can keep up with my beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X – the Scape is also not quite as sharp, especially in the highs. And if you like, you can adjust the sound to your own preferences using the detailed equalizer.
The outstanding wearing comfort, the triple connectivity and the elegant, simple design are also pleasing across the board. I find the charging station absolutely ingenious, as the headset can simply be placed in it after use and is immediately supplied with new energy.
However, the Fractal Design Scape is not perfect. The battery life is only okay and the microphone quality can’t keep up with the top models. Does that bother me? Not really. But it sounds significantly better than most (sometimes significantly more expensive) competitors. A clear recommendation to buy.
VORTEILE
- First-class sound
- Very comfortable to wear
- Great charging station
- Minimalist design including RGB
- Three equalizer presets
- Successful web app
NACHTEILE
- Average battery life
- Long charging time
- Microphone only average
Fazit
Wireless headset with a minimalist design, outstanding sound, great wearing comfort and a unique charging station. Only the battery life and microphone quality cannot keep up with other top models.
