Roccat Juke Virtual 7.1 Surround Sound Review

Final Thoughts

Price

The Roccat Juke can be purchased from many top retailers, and we found it for a very reasonable £16.99 from Box.co.uk, although most prices seem to hover around £20-£24, which we still think is very reasonable value for money.

Overview

It’s no secret that Roccat take their audio technology seriously, as we’ve seen time and time again in the past that their headsets are some of the best on the market, offering great audio reproduction, built quality and competitive prices. While their Juke 7.1 audio processor isn’t about to topple the high-end audio market anytime soon, as dedicated desktop amplifiers still reign supreme, but it does beat them all in one very important aspect; price.

I love my desktop amp, but at £150 it’s hardly within the reach of your average consumer. The Juke costs around £20 and offers many of the thrills of a high-end unit, at a fraction of the cost. The surround sound processing might not be something everyone wants, but the results have to be heard to be believed. We tested it with a range of headsets, from Roccat’s own in-ear Syva, and their XTD Stereo, a FREQ5 from MadCatz, Turtle Beach Sandtrooper, and a few others we had around the office and they all benefitted from the surround processing of the Juke.

The software may be a little basic looking, but it’s very easy to configure and give your desktop audio a new dynamic quality. When watching movies or playing games that support surround sound the Juke does a great job at providing a convincing mix that will have you enjoying those action scenes and hearing the footsteps of your enemies coming from the direction they’re supposed to be, not just left and right channel drivers.

If you’re looking for your first step into virtual surround and aren’t ready to upgrade your headset to one that already has this technology built-in, then the Juke is the most cost effective hardware solution out there right now.

Pros

• Easy to set up
• Compact design
• Affordable price
• Great performance
• Separate headphone and microphone jacks

Cons

• Software could do with a visual upgrade

“The Roccat Juke offers a simple and affordable way to add some new dimension to your gaming, movies, and music. Don’t replace your headset for a new surround one, simply upgrade your current favorite with the Juke!”