Comfort Research Zeus Hero Gaming Chair

When it comes to gaming accessories, the difference between a mediocre piece of equipment and the tool that helps clinch victory can come down to something as simple as comfort. When your success depends upon concentration and reflexes, and when late night raids stretch for hours, being comfortable is paramount. So why are you sitting in a crummy old office chair? Furniture maker Comfort Research brings us the Zeus Hero Gaming Chair, which reimagines the office chair with gamer-friendly looks and a built-in 2.1-channel sound system, letting you rock and rumble with every explosion, beat down, and battle.

Design
The Zeus Hero gaming chair looks a lot like other office chairs, with adjustable height, curves to support your hips and spine, and an integrated headrest. The armrests are height adjustable, and you can move the seat's recline angle and rocker spring tension quite easily. The design is also surprisingly comfortable; when I first sat in the chair, I felt a more-cushioned feel than I expected, but it was still firm enough to support my posture.

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Some basic assembly is required, but it's all fairly straightforward, and the illustrated instruction sheet is mercifully free of any hard-to-understand or poorly translated verbiage. Using the provided Allen wrench, I was able to put the chair together in about 20 minutes. Once fully assembled, the chair measures 46 by 28 by 30 inches (HWD). The height can be adjusted up to four inches, and the armrests can each be raised three inches each.

The Zeus Hero is more than just a sleek looking chair?it's for gamers, and while the mesh fabric and versatile design make gaming comfortable, the real treat is the 2.1 sound system built into the chair. On the back of the chair is the Zeus Hero's subwoofer, which thumps and bumps with just enough force so that you feel it as much as hear it. In addition to the chest-thumping bass of the sub, there are also two stereo speakers set just above the shoulders to each side of the headrest. Where the subwoofer handles the bass, these little guys do the rest.

The chair is upholstered with black fabric and leather, with blue trim adding a hint of flair to separate the Zeus Hero from your run-of-the-mill office chair. The fabric is a stretchy mesh, with the same sort of synthetic fiber feel that you'd find in athletic equipment. It's soft enough for comfort, and has the added benefit of letting sound pass through it without muffling.

On the right hand side of the chair, built into the side of the seat cushion, is a small input and control panel for the speakers with two 3.5mm stereo jacks. One is for audio input, and the other is for output, in the event that you have two chairs and want to connect both to the same audio source.?You can connect all manner of gaming and media devices, so if you want to use the chair with your iPod, or your Nintendo DS, or even an old Walkman or Gameboy, it's as easy as plugging in a cable.

On the control panel, there's also a power connector. Yes, you'll need to plug in your chair in order to juice up the speakers and subwoofer. While the AC adapter's 8-foot power cord should be long enough for most people to stay plugged in while in front of their PC, it will significantly reduce how far you can roam past that.

Comfort Research covers the Zeus Hero Gaming Chair with a 30-day warranty. This isn't long at all, so pay close attention during that first month to catch any possible defects.

Performance
When I fired up Team Fortress 2 on the Maingear Nomad 17 Ultimate, I was delighted by the game's screwball tunes. I was popped by every gunshot, and rumbled by each explosion. In DC Universe Online, my ears were filled with appropriately heroic music, and I was pounded by bass every time a punch was landed by myself or an opponent. Overall, it all sounded pretty good.

The position of the speakers makes it feel as if all of the sounds are coming from just behind you. I suppose it's understandable, since the speakers are, in fact, right behind you, but it took some getting used to after regularly using a Tritton headset with 5.1 surround. If you play games that take advantage of surround sound, you might find yourself at a loss dropping from multiple speakers to just two.

A few music test tracks also let me put the sound system through its paces. The thumping sounds of "Silent Shout" by The Knife, our standard bass test track, throbbed through me with every beat. The subwoofer is positioned so that you'll feel the low end, but those around may not. Listening to Jimi Hendrix wailing on the instrumental version of "Little Wing," the sound came through a bit tinny, but with no perceptible buzz. Unlike the subwoofer, however, these speakers will be heard. If you've got family or roommates around, make sure they're cool with your noisy gaming, because this chair blasts it all out loud and clear.

Conclusion
While the Zeus Hero isn't superb in terms of pure audio quality, it sounds good, and the built-in design makes for a more immersive experience during gameplay. The chair is comfortable, and the height and armrests provide enough adjustment so most people can find a position that works for them. It's not an Eames, and the speakers aren't on, say, a Bose level, but the combination of the two is compelling enough to make it a solid addition to an office or game room.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/K_BxCRSKMP4/0,2817,2417165,00.asp

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