Design
The aluminium headset sorta speaks for itself when it comes to looks and design. The white-LED lighting really stands out in a very subtle way and isn’t too much “in your face” kind of things. It definitely looks pretty solid and the visible screws on each ear piece add to its sturdy-look.
The Pulse-R is equipped with a detachable noise-cancelling microphone for voice chat so that you don’t have to yell across the room while you’re trying to fend off your opponents. The tip of the microphone lights up too, which again adds to the subtle look of the hardware. The headset itself is quite stunning and does grab a lot of attention, but its the skills that you need to set yourself apart from the other gamers, not your machinery.
The cushioned ear cups are a little small, but then again I have small ears (HA! Take that all those who always made fun of my freakishly small ears). However it does cover the ears well and cancels out sound surprisingly well. The headband sits quite comfortably around your head and tends to stay that way for a long time. I actually wore that on my head for 9 hours and 47 minutes and it wasn’t really too uncomfortable, it was just a bit heavy. But then again if you’re a biker and always have a helmet on, then this is like second nature to you.
Audio Quality
When it comes to gaming this headset does the trick. Most of those little sound effects that you have in games are quite easily audible through the heavy bass tones. The game vocals are a little toned down but it isn’t something you’d get used to without much difficulty. Chatting with your clan over a game or on skype is a breeze.
These headphones also have virtual surround sound. I wasn’t able to try that on the headset myself but there is certain software to output virtual surround sound. But from the “sounds” of things, looks like a pretty neat feature to have on a headset.
When we come to music this headset doesn’t quite have the same story. It technically isn’t made for listening to music on, rather it gives more emphasis to gaming environmental sounds. The overall tone of songs comes off as a little muffled and sloppy. It does tend to sound better in songs that don’t have a lot of things going on. Songs with a lot of instruments in it often over-shadow the vocals and gives a lot of emphasis to the bass which pretty much takes over the sound.
Durability & Comfort
Most headsets are made to cater to the needs of players who take part in multiplayer games, in which team communication is integral. The Pulse-R’s microphone is pretty good and is able to pick up voices with plenty of detail for your teammates to understand.
It did have one slight problem though. The recording quality isn’t exactly the best and somehow manages to add a robotic distortion that may be an issue for your friends to understand or even identify your voice in a group chat.
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[tab title=”Product Features“]
- Custom 42mm drivers deliver excellent gaming audio quality
- Easily removable aluminium ear plates allow unlimited customization
- USB powered white LED lighting underneath ear plates and on microphone
- Soft, padded ear cups and headband for enhanced sound isolation and comfort
- Detachable microphone with noise cancelling system for clear communication
- Inline remote for easy volume control and microphone muting
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[tab title=”Technical Specs“]
- Connector 3.5mm headphone jack
- Cable Length 3m Removable Cable
- Microphone– Pick-up Pattern Omni-Directional
- Frequency Response100 Hz – 10000 Hz
- Sensitivity -42 ± 3dB (0dB = 1V/pa.1KHz)
- Signal to Noise Ratio 60dB or more
- Removable Mic Volume control and Mic mute
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[tab title=”Pros“]
- Very cool looking design
- The aluminium body gives a sturdy look.
- Detachable microphone makes it easier to pack/store.
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[tab title=”Cons“]
- Sound Quality.
- Slightly uncomfortable ear cup design (again I have small ears) 😉
- Not a USB headset, USB powers only the LEDs and Microphone. Too many wires adds to a bit of clutter.
- Microphone is flexible, but does not stay where flexed.
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Our Verdict
Cooler Master’s Pulse-R is a decent piece of hardware for your multiplayer games. We must commend the amount of work put into designing the headset and the back lighting of the LED makes your head turn.
But when you look at the headset itself, you can see that a good deal of work has gone into making it. To be able to combine that futuristic look and comfort is something that we must commend. There are however many improvements that can be made to really make this one stand out from the rest. The audio quality could be a bit more crisp, which then would be an decent option to listen to other music on. The main thing with gaming headsets is that they are either overpriced or they’re poorly constructed. It had weak spots at each ball joint that connects the earcups to the headband. Also that it’s got two cables for the microphone and speakers and then a USB to light up the headset.And with a price tag of Rs 5,411, one would expect a little more out of the headset.
This is a headset that we can see DOTA, LOL and MMORPG players using where they can show off not only their skills but also their fancy hardware.
