ROCCAT Kave 5.1 Headset
The final piece of ROCCAT hardware we're looking at is the Kave headset. It claims to offer true of 5.1 surround for 119.99 USD with two 40 mm speakers and one 30 mm vibration or subwoofer driver in each earcup. Before we find out how it sounds, let's open up the box and take a closer glimpse at the hardware itself.
Inside we find, aside from the headset, a quick installation guide, a pamphlet, and a disc with various promotional materials.
Similar to the products above, the Kave sports a sleek, attractive design. The circumaural, oval earcups are coated with the same matte black, soft touch material as on the Kone XTD. It doesn't serve any purpose, but like the mouse it gives it a premium look and feel. The slim, adjustable, and detachable microphone echoes that quality. Its fit is tight and won't lose its position easily. And the blue LEDs that ring its input and microphone are nice touches. Finally, if you want to store the headset in a tighter space, the cups fold in inward for a slimmer profile.
The rest of the headset is made of sturdy plastic and aluminium hinges. The size adjustment goes up to 10 levels and stayed in place the matter how much I whipped it around. They're also fairly strong; I never felt like it was about to snap when I applied heavy pressure. The same was true for my stress tests on the headband.
Comfort is somewhat of a mixed bag. The padding for the earcups and headband are made of soft leather. It's not uncomfortable, but their tight seal coupled with the headset's slightly heavy weight caused me some unwanted fidgeting during longer play sessions.
Along the cord is a USB-powered in-line desktop remote and amplifier. A volume control ring sits at its top. Pushing it inward mutes the entire system. The microphone has its own mute button on the remote's side. Pulling open a cover reveals further controls where the center, front, rear and subwoofer channel volumes can be modified independently of each other. A game and movie preset switch is toggleable beneath those sliders.
Its setup is more complicated than just connecting that USB input. Because the headset has multiple drivers in each earcup, its cabling ends in the same 3.5mm jack-plugs used with traditional speakers (three for the different channels, one for the microphone). If you only have one set of inputs, you'll have to disconnect either the headset or your desktop speakers when you want to switch between them. No software is required as the Kave simply uses the native surround sound support of your motherboard or soundcard.
The ultimate question how well a "true" surround headset can achieve that effect. Simulated options have been on the market for years now and they've become surprisingly good at their intended goal. Could the Kave match or surpass them?
In games, the Kave provides impressively accurate directional audio. Positioning is clearly distinguishable, to a degree over some virtual solutions, and does a wonderful job with the perception of height. Helicopters flying overhead in Battlefield 3 gave a great sense of being above my soldier's head. And in Skyrim, Ulfric became a distinct presence as we walked down wilderness roads at the start of the game.
Furthermore, the two 30 mm subwoofer drivers deliver decent bass. The Kave's mostly close-backed design prevents those explosions, gunfire and sword clashes from leaking out in addition to keeping ambient noise leaking in.
The other qualities of its sound profile are not nearly as enveloping. Channel separation isn't entirely seamless, causing the audio to noticeably jump between each cup when moving around sources. The transitions in stereo and virtual headsets are comparably smoother.
Its signature is disappointingly flat. Clarity isn't lacking, but the Kave doesn't give it any energy. Additionally, the tradeoff for noise isolation from a close-backed headset can result in a sound stage, the spaciousness of its audio, that's limited. There are closed headphones that can provide a fair amount of depth, however the Kave isn't one of them. That lack of vibrance and its claustrophobic nature doesn't bring those game worlds alive like a warm, open the headset can.
Those traits give movies a particularly unexciting character. I could hear the motorcycles and the gunshots move past me in Skyfall, but there was no vivacity to that action. Music is handled better, thanks to the Kave's acceptable bass. I was perfectly content listening to my favorite bands, though the soundstage is still narrow. The two presets on the in-line remote had no affect on the quality of games, movies nor music.
Final Thoughts
Four peripherals entered the ring. Two came out with nary a scratch, one with a few bruises but still a contender, and one struggled to pick itself up. The Kave 5.1 headset is solidly built and can take a veritable beating. Unfortunately, its bark doesn't quite match its bite. The Isku FX on the other hand isn't as well put together as the other three – it felt like it could crack with too much pressure or break if it was dropped – but its sleek appearance and feature set make it an excellent keyboard for games, especially if you can find the non-FX version for its unbeatable price.
The Kone XTD and Hiro are our real champions. Being able to keep a mousepad clean is important for smooth tracking. Too often I've had to replace one because they became too worn and too dirty. The Hiro is as pristine as the day it arrived and there's no indication that will change anytime soon.
But mice are perhaps the most intimate components of your computer. It's upsetting when unwanted attention is drawn to it because of a creaky button, lack of precision or filth collecting on its hard shell. Those are issues I've encountered with every mouse I've held before, but not the Kone XTD. The soft-touch coating put its comfort above the pack and prevents any disgusting buildup from ruining its dashingly good looks. Its hardy construction sends the final punch, earning it a championship belt.
