OXS obviously saw my OneOdio mini reviews (1) (2) (3), and probably thought, "I"ll have some of that!" reaching out to me asking if I was interested in giving a listen to their Storm A2 Gaming headphones, which I duly obliged.
According to the official website, the OXS brand was launched in 2021, so it hasn"t been around too long, but from doing searches online, it seems like they have picked up quite a following for the quality of their soundbars, and aren"t so well known in the headphones space.
Disclosure: OXS provided a free sample without any editorial input or review pre-approval.
As I said with the previous hands-on, I"m no audio buff, but I do know the difference between good and bad-sounding speakers and headphones. I currently own the Edifier 360DB speakers paired to my PC through a Toslink, which was an upgrade from the very much older Creative MegaWorks 250D-THX after they stopped working.
My daily is the excellent OneOdio Focus A5 with 40mm drivers, I think they sound great (in my opinion) with deep bass. I use them with my computer when I don"t want to disturb my neighbors late at night.
The OXS packaging deserves a mention, as it does not use any plastic at all; the packaging is mostly made up of cardboard, with protective fabric covering for the headphones. It is a minimal affair, with the headphones sitting inside the cardboard cutout. Under the headband is a cardboard flap that contains the Storage bag, Type-C USB charging lead, dongle, Microphone, safety documentation and a user guide.
What"s in the box
- 1 x Storm A2 Headphones
- 1 x 2.4G Dongle (USB-A & USB-C in 1 unit)
- 1 x Charging Cable (USB-A to C)
- 1 x Detachable Microphone (3.5mm AUX)
- 1 x Storage Bag
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Technical Specifications
- 1 x Safety and Maintenance
For some reason, the user manual is not linked on the product page, nor in the Downloads page of the official site, but I found a copy via Amazon that you can view here.
With that out of the way, here are the specs:
| OXS Storm A2 | |
|---|---|
| Model: | OXS Storm A2 |
| Driver: | 40mm Full-range Dynamic Drivers |
| Audio Technology: | Xspace 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound (in Surround EQ) |
| Frequency Response: | 20Hz – 20kHz |
| Bluetooth Version: | 5.4 |
| Range: | 10m; Latency: 180ms |
| Sensitivity: | 110 dBSPL/mW@1kHz by HATS |
| Distortion: | ＜5% |
| Frequency: | 20Hz – 20kHz |
| EQ Mode: | Surround (7.1 Virtual Surround Sound Effect) Standard |
| Noise Cancellation: | Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation |
| Battery: | Li-ion Polymer Battery (1000 mAh) |
| Charging Port: | USB-C |
| Input Power: | 5 V ⎓ 500 mA |
| Charging Time: | ≈ 1.40 h |
| Playing Time: | ≈ 70 h (ANC OFF, 70% Volume) |
| Microphone: | Type: Detachable Omni-Directional Mic + Built-in Mic Noise Cancelation: ENC Plug: 3.5mm AUX Plug Frequency: 100 - 8kHz Sensitivity: -42±3dB |
| Materials Headphone: | ABS + Aluminum + Stainless Steel + Leather + Memory Foam |
| Materials Earcup: | Memory Foam + Skin-Friendly Protein Leather |
| Weight: | 293 g (with Mic) 284 g (without Mic) |
| Warranty: | 18 months |
| MSRP: | $129.99 |
Although OXS lists these as having an MSRP of a hundred and thirty dollars, as of writing, they are available on Amazon US for $30 less (link below).
First impressions
Although the Storm A2 sounds great, there is a distinct lack of bass; even with the 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound Effect enabled, it does not get very bassy to me, and more importantly, the audio lag when watching video content is distracting.
I used Tidal for my testing since it offers music in lossless formats, which is what I would need to really test out the performance of these headphones. I also used them with YouTube playback, with the latter returning an expected acceptable quality, but as previously mentioned, a slight audio sync delay.
The volume controls and power button are located on the left cup, along with the mic attachment port. On the right cup, you have the USB Type-C charging port, charging status light and ANC button. As can be seen in the middle image above, the four mics flank the bottom with two on each cup.
The volume controls also double as prev/next track when holding down the volume up (next) or volume down (prev) for 1.5 seconds. Switching between tracks is as quick as the action itself, around 1.5 seconds and is in my opinion perfectly acceptable.
Double-tapping on the power button toggles the built-in, or when inserted, attachment mic on and off, and when the mic attachment is inserted, this also automatically switches from the built-in mic array to the attachment, removing the mic switches back to the built-in mic array.
The Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) button toggles between ANC on, transparency mode, and tapping again disables both ANC and transparency, back to "normal" mode. I could not find any claims about the transparency mode and did not test it. Double-tapping the ANC button enables OXS surround sound on or off. Long pressing the ANC button appears to trigger Bluetooth disconnect and connect to the current device.
Full instructions on button use can be found here, as the user manual is not linked on the product page, which is something I also fed back to my contact at OXS.
Controls verdict: Acceptable
Comfort
Left: Focus A5 - Right: STORM A2
After wearing and listening to music for around an hour while working, I wouldn"t say that I "forget" I am wearing them at all, but they don"t bother me. However, thanks to no "vent" holes like what can be found on the Focus A5, my ears ended up getting pretty warm after a short while. The headset itself looks almost the same as the Focus A5; I can"t really see a difference. Although they are two completely different companies, the headsets look like twins aside from the color and mic attachment.
Comfort verdict: Great!
tl;dr highlights:
- Premium materials (ABS + Aluminum + Stainless Steel + Leather + Memory Foam)
- 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound Effect
- 70-Hour Battery Life
- Low Latency Gaming Mode
- Hybrid ANC: -46 dB
- 18-month warranty
If I had to complain about these headphones at all, it would be the lack of bass. The surround sound mode seems to up the volume slightly and create a sort of echo. I didn"t like it, so I switched back to standard mode. They are definitely comfortable to wear (even after two hours of having them on, and while I am writing this mini-review), and they sound decent.
Overall verdict: Great!
Right now, these headphones can be picked up at Amazon for only $99.99 when applying an in-page coupon at the link below.
- STORM A2 for $99.99 on Amazon U.S. or official website (with $30 in-page coupon).
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.