Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog gaming headset

1. Introduction2. Unboxing3. Roccat Kate XTD 5.1 Analogue4. Testing5. Final Thoughts6. View All Pages

Testing a headset involves using it as our main audio source for just over a week, listening to a variety of different music, using it to watch movies and of course, using it to play a number of games. Throughout that time we factor in its general auditory performance, as well as (in the case of headsets like this one) its surround sound capabilities, overall comfort and any additional features.

In terms of general gaming audio quality, the Roccat XTD Analog 5.1 sounds pretty great. Its ability to handle very loud noises is a real plus, as if you are a gamer that likes to really crank what they are listening to, it will be perfect. Explosions really rumble in your ears and the 5.1 surround does a great job of telling you where your enemies are – bullets and other projectiles whizzing from one earphone to the other are also particularly well represented.

However that does not mean this is a headset just for the FPS players out there. Volume does not, fortunately, beget a lack of subtlety on the part of the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog, In titles like Alien Isolation, where understanding of the different sounds the Xenomorph (and other) enemies make throughout the station's various air ducts and clunking '80s tech is important, I found it a little easier than usual to pinpoint just where the alien was.

For the most part a stereo headset will do you perfectly well, especially if you enable software surround sound, but there really is not anything quite like the real thing for immersion.

Side-note, I play Alien Isolation in the Rift (DK2) so it is pretty immersive anyway, but for ultra pants-soiling action, a 5.1 or more headset can go a long way to keeping your VR sessions under half an hour at a time.

While the same can not quite be said for movies in that they are never going to make you feel like you are right there with the action, this headset does an admirable job of helping you feel as as close as you can get. Action sequences are explosive and thanks to the clarity at high volume you can again crank it all the way to 11 (in reality “8” is as far as the volume control goes, for some reason) and risk the health of your ear drums for some really bombastic movie experiences.

Better yet, dialogue does not feel muddied during scenes that mix it with music and other sound effects, so you should not find yourself rewinding to find out what someone said, as can be the case with some cheaper headsets. The fact that movies properly configured for surround sound can utilise the extra channels available on this headset further helps achieve that.

However, it is worth mentioning that as much as I think a headset is the right tool for in-game immersion, I personally prefer the auditory experience offered by a decent surround sound speaker set for movies. At least the functionality is there though.

Quite often with these sorts of gaming headsets, the music playing abilities are not particularly impressive, but the Kave 5.1 Analog is excellent. It has a solid range, with good bass and enough clarity that you can max out the volume – at one point every drum beat caused my eyelids to blink – without much distortion at all.

While the highs and mids are the stand outs of this headset, the lowest of the low frequencies do give this headset a few issues. Expect some crunching if you max out the volume on a song that features that rumble, bottoming out bass. Anything above that is nice and punchy though so unless you like a constant background rumble, you are unlikely to run into many issues.

I have worn the Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog for hours at a time and it has remained comfortable throughout. I would like to see some slightly sturdier foam on the headrest, as it compresses too much in my opinion and can leave you feeling the hint of hard plastic beyond it if you focus on it.

However the ear cups are excellent. They do a great job of cutting out background noise and are spongy enough to be comfortable over long gaming and listening sessions.

The volume control was pretty useful too, since by sitting on the desk it was always within reach and not dangling on the floor. I also particularly liked being able to fine tune the volume of the headset's different channels and whether it was in-game or movie mode without having to resort to any back-end software. The stand it sits on is a little light and easy to knock over or move around, but smart desk management should be able to avoid that.

Microphone quality was spot on too, so there should be no problems with VOIP conversations during games or for Skype calling a friend on the other side of the world. It is also removable which is handy for travel, though if I had my way, I would make the data cable removable too.

I would like to be able to choose the side the mic and data cable go as well, so that if I want, I do not need to have the cable trailing across my body simply because I choose to have the PC on my right hand side.

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