Roccat Kave XTD Stereo Gaming Headset

Performance

Roccat headsets have impressed me many times before, so I had high expectations of this headset before it even arrived at eTeknix HQ. Running through a few of my favourite albums for the music test netted pretty good results, but I doubt I’ll be replacing my dedicated music headphones anytime soon. The maximum volume is just a little too low for my liking and while I’m not seeking to deafen myself, quiet audio sources, such as some YouTube videos, could be an issue for many. Sound quality is very clear, there’s certainly no distortion at all, but there’s also no magic to the sound and while there’s nothing wrong with it as such, it just didn’t inspire me either; at least when listening to music.

This is a gaming headset and while I didn’t much sway for their music performance, a few games on Titanfall and Battlefield soon brought the Kave XTD to life. The sound is well-balanced, giving you a good feel for where enemy footsteps are thanks to the clear treble frequencies. Bass performance is rich enough to give you a bit of atmosphere, without drowning out the rest of the sound. What really stands out is the microphone performance and team chat was really clear throughout, both for me listening to my teammates and for them listening to myself. The only downside I can see here is that there’s no separate chat and game volume controls on the in-line controller, so this is something you would have to configure manually within game or your OS.

The headset is very comfortable, even after several hours of use and that’s great for those who love to game long into the night. The ear cups are big enough to fit over the ears and the close fit certainly helps block out a lot of external noise, leaving you to focus on the audio of whatever you’re doing.