Quick Review: Edifier H690 Stereo Headset

Edifier gave me another white box, so I won't cover the unboxing, this time containing their latest headset, the H690 stereo headset. At the time of writing this, the H690 is already made available in your local I.T stores at RM119 SRP. Before I made off with the sample, I was told that this is to be Edifier's highest end headset yet, needless to say I was very excited after that :) so lets get to business.


Specs

Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20KHz
Impedance: 38Ohm
Connector: 3.5mm Stereo
Sound Pressure Level (SPL): 98dB
Cable Length: 1.3m

The Headset

If you've seen the Edifier W670BT , much of the design is similar, except that the H690 is not a Bluetooth headset. The H690 is very light but sturdy, making it an ideal travel companion.

To give you a sense of the size, here is one of the many product campaign shots done with the actual product. It's really small.

The H690 is overall grey and black overall that gives it a subtle style. Construction is solid even though the headset is very lightweight, mostly due to the high quality plastic used. Branding is kept to a minimum and just printed on the headband.

The earpieces have a meshed design with chrome ring adorning the sides.

Not losing in style, the 3.5mm connector is encased in what looks like aluminium with the Edifier branding etched to it.

Both earpieces can be folded and tilted 90-degrees for ease of transport and storage.

The headband is pretty thin but it should be adequate having experienced the same design in the W670BT.

The headband is of course expandable for up to an additional 20mm on either side. Edifier used stainless steel inserts that adds to the rigidity of the H690.

As for comfort, these soft foam cushions are what's keeping the audio drivers from coming into direct contact with your ears.

The H690 also comes with a handy travelling pouch. You will also find a product information sheet and a users guide.

Testing

Physically, the H690 is very comfortable to wear not just because of the plushy earpieces but also because it's very light indeed. I would like to have a little more clamping force as this one tends to slide off a bit when moving about, walking is fine though, else it stays where you want it to be. This is an open design headset so noise isolation is hardly there which means that I tend to crank up the volume when in public places. Without an in-line volume control, you're left depending on your device for any sort of control, and no you do not get a microphone built-in to the H690 so this is just for pure listening experience.

Sound quality is rather impressive as I can detect no distortions of any kind that can be heard in any level of volume, song genre or instruments. Vocals are clear with good mid tones and though the bass is smooth, it isn't as punchy as some headsets I've tested so pure bass heads will have to keep note of this. Nevertheless it is smooth and enjoyable for songs that doesn't emphasize on that aspect.

Plugging it into the PC for movies, I find that speech is much more clearer and I could detect more vibrance in the BGM; though the explosions sounds realistic enough, I'd like to have it present more kick  into it. If I must make a comparison, the H690 is definitely hands-down better than the W670BT in terms of overall sound quality, only losing slightly in the bass department.

Conclusion

As expected of Edifier, the H690 is a fine set of cans despite it's small stature. The construction is good with quality materials which makes it durable and it is even pleasing aesthetically from the meshed design of the earpieces down right to the encased 3.5mm connector. As for sound quality, the Edifier H690 is definitely worth the consideration as I would say that it is more than impressive, especially for first time users looking for the bang-for-buck deal. 

Pros

• Lightweight and solid construction
• Excellent sound quality
• Unbeatable price/performance ratio

Cons

• No controls built into the headset

The after about a week of listening to the Edifier H690, I'd say it has no doubt earned the Tech-Critter Gold and Recommended badge.

Unboxing & Review: Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Headset

When one purchases a good set of cans, we often would want a good soundcard to get the total experience that the headset could produce but which one would you buy? if you're not such an accomplished audiophile like I am this could be a real headache. or maybe you've had all your PCI/PCIE lanes occupied already? What if I tell you that you that you could just buy one that comes with it's own soundcard?

Introducing the Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Headset. Like I said, this comes with it's own proprietary soundcard that plugs straight into a USB, a simple solution that packs a lot of features that most would find interesting. Many thanks to Play Interactive for providing the sample for us to tinker around with. At the time of reviewing the Kave XTD, the SRP in Malaysia has yet to be determined.

*Update: As at 30/5/2014, the Roccat Kave XTD is priced at RM585 (SRP)

Specs

Spec-wise you would see that the Kave XTD featured vibration drivers in the headset, part of the features for a real 5.1 surround sound by Roccat. 

CENTER/FRONT/REAR DRIVER UNITS
Frequency response:	20~20.000Hz
Max. SPL at 1kHz:	115±3dB
Max. input power:	50mW
Drive diameter front:	40mm
Drive diameter rear:	40mm
VIBRATION DRIVER UNITS
Frequency response:	20~100Hz
Max. input power:	300mW
Drive diameter:	30mm
MICROPHONE
Frequency response:	10~10.000Hz
Sensitivity at 1kHz:	-32±2dB
Directivity:	omni-directional
Diameter:	4x1.5mm
Impedance:	2.2 kΩ + 15%
SYSTEM
Connection:	USB
Impedance:	32 Ω
Cable length:	3.6m
Weight (Headset only):	335gr

The Packaging

If you are familiar with the original Kave 5.1 you'll note that the Kave XTD comes in a similar looking black and blue packaging with a partial window, only this time it's slightly longer to fit the new desktop controller. From here, Roccat highlighted some of the features on the left side and at the bottom with an illustration of the actual headset somewhat in the middle of it all.

At the back of the box, you'll see a product diagram indicating what is what on the headset and the new desktop controller along with more highlights of the features in a lot more languages. Tech specs of the Kave XTD is also available on the bottom right.

And as mentioned, the new desktop controller on the side, dubbed "Fully-Equipped Remote" by Roccat.

The top flap...

What you get out of the box? the Kave XTD headset, the Desktop controller, a driver CD, Quick start guide, warranty information and a note that tells you to not use the included driver CD as it's already outdated.

The Desktop Controller

Powering the Kave XTD is a single USB cable, that's it, no more separate plugs for the different audio drivers in the earcups this time around. And yes this means that the KaveXTD is a PC-only headset. My main concern though is that the cable is not braided. Roccat dubbed this as a tangle-free cable though which is interesting to see how they stack up in the testing later on.

The desktop controller is larger than your average mouse and is supposed to sit next to your keyboard. Aside from the controls (which we'll cover later on) this is also a 5.1 surround sound card. The main surface is glossy plastic which are fingerprint magnets but luckily the main knob doesn't share the characteristic. Sorry to disappoint but you wouldn't be able to unplug the Kave headset from the desktop controller with the wires permanently connected but you may use the soundcard with other speakers or headsets of your choice.

At the lower part of the controller you get the call and a mic-mute button. The Kave XTD allows you to pair your mobile device via Bluetooth so that you could answer incoming calls via the headset itself saving you the hassle of having to take off the headset at all. You'll know that you're paired with the XTD when the Bluetooth indicator in the middle glows blue.

The upper part of the desktop controller are where you'll find the switches to toggle movie mode, sound channel selection and of finally a speaker bypass.

Which comes to the part where you can plug in your speakers to the desktop controller a.k.a sound card. of course you could also plug in another headset but it defeats the purpose as enabling audio from these ports will disable the Kave XTD and the volume knob.

The under-side has three rubber feet that holds the controller steady on your desk and the product information sticker.

Just a little light show of the desktop controller.

The Headset

Much like it's predecessor, the Kave XTD has similar overall design. The earcups are rubber coated with minimal branding gives it a stealthy look, the only light from the headset is a blue-ring LED where the microphone is attached to. Construction is all plastic but it is solid with no apparent creak to the joints, great quality overall.

The boom-mic is removable but you'll have a hole that doesn't serve any other purpose after taking it off. 

The mouthpiece of the mic also have an LED but it only lights up for a brief moment when it's muted. I'd rather that it light up whenever it's in use though, that way I'd know when it's operating. 

The ear cushions are not the softest that I've experienced but they are comfy. Stitching is neat and the off-set positioning of the cushions certainly helped with comfort as well.

Taking off the cushions is possible if you wanna clean them. From here, you can see the separate drivers behind the protective cloth mesh.

The support cushion on the top is a large foam covered in cloth. The wide surface and soft cushioning adds to the comfort of using the Kave XTD despite it's heft.

At the top of the headband is the Roccat branding.

Finally, there are 8 levels of adjustment for the headband of about 2cm expansion for both sides.

The Software

While the Kave XTD works like a charm out of the box, installing the driver software will allow you more control over the headset. Roccat recommends that users download the latest drivers from their website but they still supplied the CD just in case. Installation is a straightforward affair and you should be asked to restart your system in a short while.

Double-clicking the software, which Roccat called Kave XTD Sound Console, you'll be greeted with a Main Control screen. adjustments to the volume of each of the 5.1 driver channels as well as the Bluetooth volume. The volume settings will change should you select the headset mode on the right to stereo. You could also tweak the sampling rate, enable auto-volume normalization and also change your voice by activating Roccat's Xear magic voice. Whatever your settings was, you could save them in one of the five profiles available at the bottom, problem is that the profiles are not really accessible without the driver software.

At the Advanced Control tab, users have the option to enable dynamic bass, brilliant audio and incoming voice clarity and tweak them to their preference. Mic volume and sampling rate is also present here.

The equalizer tab allows users to tune the frequency response of the Kave XTD (or any speakers attached to the desktop controller). There are also some presets available at the right as well as the option to create your own preset right below.

The Update/Support tab has only two main buttons. Clicking the Driver Download will open your browser to the official driver page and clicking the Online Support button will lead you to the FAQ site. Would've been nice if I could update the driver straight from the console itself and that the support tab allows me to issue a ticket.

Testing

The Roccat Kave XTD is a sizeable headset that I'm glad to report being comfy to wear over a long period of time. Despite it's size, it doesn't feel over-bearing thanks to the sizeable and plushy cushions on the earcups and headband. Clamping force is minimal but the Kave XTD stays on quite well unless you move your head vigorously. 

I would prefer that the wires are braided as the rubber coating is kinda 'grippy'. Even though the wires didn't get tangled up (yet) the headset feels anchored to my chair's armrest because of the friction of the rubber coated wires.

Bluetooth connectivity is a great feature, I was able to receive calls simply by pressing the call button on the desktop remote. Voice is clear with tweak-able options on the driver and the listener on the other side reported clear voice as well. Although, the Bluetooth connectivity doesn't allow for music playback via mobile devices.

Sound quality on the Kave XTD is great, vocals are clear and crisp and smooth punchy bass, also it handles high notes quite well and hiking up the volume doesn't break the sound quality. testing the Kave XTD on BF4 provided the much needed directional sound to hear where everything is coming from. The closed back design works well providing an immersive listening experience for music, movies and games alike. 

Pity that Roccat doesn't allow users to detach the headset from the desktop controller and switching to the speakers will disable the Kave XTD headset hence sharing the experience is a bit hard to do simultaneously. Oh and plugging in the Kave XTD will disable your motherboard's on-board audio.

Conclusion

Using the Roccat Kave XTD is like playing a single-player game. For one, it's only for the PC due to the USB-only connectivity. Secondly only the one wearing the Kave XTD headset will be able to enjoy the 5.1 surround sound from the soundcard. 

The headset is a great addition to your setup if you are looking for something that is immersive with tweak-able audio settings. This especially if you have a laptop or a mini-ITX system that you wouldn't have room for a decent soundcard or if you're just looking for an all in one solution that sounds great out of the box.

Pros

• Good sound quality
• Native 5.1 surround sound
• Solid construction
• Comfortable to wear 
• Built-in Soundcard

Cons

• Non-braided cable
• Controller is disabled when using speaker bypass
• Headset is not detachable from desktop controller

I'm awarding this the Tech-Critter Silver and Recommended badge for it's a unique solution for those looking for a good quality headset.

Quick Review: Edifier Studio R1600T III 2.0 Speaker System

A white box was handed over to me by the folks of Inter-Asia Technology asking me to do a quick review of the new Edifier R1600TIII. For those of you who aren't familiar with the brand, Edifier is a Chinese-based company that specializes in producing high-quality consumer audio electronics. 

Truth be told, I was impressed with their W670BT Bluetooth Headset that I reviewed back in April so as part of the Edifier Studio Series, I'm expecting nothing less from the R1600TIII. Retailing at RM339 SRP, lets head right into business.

Specs

The Speakers

The R1600TIII is certainly a handsome unit, encased in MDF wooden enclosure the combination of natural wood-grain texture with grey accent in the middle really makes the speaker units stand out, a total refresh from the all black finishing from Edifier's classic Studio-series speakers. There is also an angled design to the speakers that adds to the aesthetics.

Taking off the front bezel, you can see the 19mm silk-dome tweeter driver at the top followed by a 4-inch subwoofer unit with the bass reflex port right below; of course, this is the same for both speakers.

Taking a look from the sides, and again, most will appreciate the natural wood accent that the R1600TIII has.

In terms of control, the right speaker will have three knobs at the side of the right speaker which lets users adjust the treble, bass and of course the volume. A small green power LED right below the volume knob will light up when the system is turned on.

Included is a handy-dandy remote for mute and volume control, I wish that I could control the Treble and Bass from here as well but being no bigger than a bar of Kit-Kat it's already enough of a convenience.

Edifier has kept it simple for connectivity. At the back of the left speaker you will find only a single "speaker-in" connection that you plug in from the right speaker. 

The 'command centre' are over at the right speaker. Inputs are at the top with dual RCA-in giving you the option of dual RCA inputs at the top and a left-speaker-out connection right below that. The power button is situated at the bottom left while the cable you see protruding out is the power cord. 

Needless to say that the cables you need are provided, an RCA to 3.5mm cable and a proprietary connector for the left-speaker-in.

Testing

Like I said before, I'm not a full fledge audiophile per-se but I do enjoy good sound quality, so I'll try to explain my experiences as best as I could in layman terms.

Having used to my ageing entry level Logitech S100, the size of the R1600TIII is huge in comparison but the setup is very easy as essentially you only need to route 3 wires in total. The control knobs feels "classy", rest assured it's not one of those plastic knobs we find on cheaper offerings and the volume knob has that tactile bump to every degree you turn it; increments are very subtle as well. 

From what I understand, an output of 60W RMS is plenty powerful even for a living room, and I was right. At about 50% volume (software control) the R1600TIII drowned out the noise from the construction nearby and I pretty much have to shout to communicate in the house, needless to say I dare not raise the volume any more unless I intend to annoy my neighbours. But even after all that, I am impressed by the sound quality that came out of these boxes.

Vocals are clear and crisp, mid tones are good and the bass is punchy; the R1600TIII even manages to surprise me with new elements that I've never noticed from my song collection. The 4-inch bass drivers delivers explosions and low rumbles in movies adequately and gaming with the speakers replicates the experience (of course with the volume up some notch), sound positioning is just as good too, so no troubles hearing the direction of enemies in an FPS game before you see them.

I'd have to admit that it does take up quite a bit of space, it's easily the largest component on my desk so make sure you have the space for it, home theatre systems will have less problem space wise. I'd also would love to have a 3.5mm output straight from the speaker itself so that I could plug in my headphones as not everyone has a pass-through from their keyboard like the Gigabyte Aivia Osmium I am using.

Conclusion

The Edifier R1600TIII is a very versatile set of speakers. Be it for music, movies or games it all sounds very impressive indeed. And if you have a large display monitor or even a portable projector, the R1600TIII is a very good contender for a home entertainment system. Top all that with good looks and quality build, Edifier have another great product for the masses.

Pros

• Great aesthetics
• Good sound quality
• Excellent build quality
• Easy to setup

Cons

• A little big for a PC setup

The R1600TIII deserves a Tech-Critter Gold Badge and Recommended Badge.

Unboxing & Review: ASUS Cerberus Gaming Headset

ASUS is a well-known player in the world of tech so I think I will not bore you with a long intro of the brand and jump right to the latest offering from ASUS (for headsets) the Cerberus. Rest assured that despite the name, it's not designed to fit over three pairs of ears but more to that the headset can be used with not only your PC, but also laptops and smart devices as well.

A big thanks to ASUS Malaysia for providing the headset sample and without further ado, lets step right into the main ring.

Specs

The specs are very detailed, even the microphone ratings are separated from the boom mic and in-line mic. It'll be interesting to see how the 60mm drivers will affect the sounds coming out of it as most headset will feature 40mm drivers instead. Priced at RM199 SRP, it looks like a good deal with specs this good.

Packaging

The Cerberus comes in a red/black themed box that corresponds with the headset's colour scheme, with a big transparent window for users to see the actual product. Over at the top-right corner, you'll notice that it says "Designed for PC/Mac and Smart Device" which means that the Cerberus is compatible with almost everything that will accept a 3.5mm audio jack.

Moving along to the back, various features of the Cerberus is pointed out with some illustrations on the connectivity of the Cerberus.

In terms of accessories included, we have the Audio/Mic Splitter cable, the detachable microphone and the user guide. A short alternative adaptor cable is also supplied for mobile devices that doesn't work with the Cerberus's original 3.5mm 4-pole jack.

I'm glad that all the cables are braided and yes I do hope that all peripherals comes with braided cables so kudos to ASUS here for the thought.

The Headset

The headset itself feels very light and the materials used feels solid despite how flexible the headband is. 

The Cerberus is overall black with red-trims on both earcups and minimalistic branding on both sides of the headband. 

And just to demonstrate the flexibility.....

Speaking of the headband, it's self-adjusted (or non-adjustable depending on how you see it) supported by dual metal braces. The leathery material feels good but not too sure if it'll be able to provide adequate comfort without additional padding.

The cable on the Cerberus is non-detachable, not that you don't need it at some point but it would be nice if the option to use custom cables were available.

Moving on to the ear cups, ASUS made these larger than most headsets in order to house the 60mm audio drivers in them. The leathery cushion is very soft and will help with noise isolation on these closed-back earcups.

The boom-mic is very flexible and I find no problems getting it close to my mouth for optimum pickup and as seen from the specs, the boom-mic may be detached from the headset when not in use.

An in-line mic is also available with the volume dial and mic-mute switch, which is why ASUS mentioned that it's designed for smart devices. Having to use the boom mic in public will seem awkward to say the least, so this inclusion is a definite plus to me. You'll also find a handy clip at the back of the in-line controller.

What's missing here is a receive call button or skip track button which I think should be pretty useful when plugged into a smart device. Instead I'm kinda forced into having to use the controls on my mobile phone instead.

Testing

Despite the size, the Cerberus is very light at only 266g, much different from the Gamdias Hephaestus that I reviewed recently. Putting it onto my head the Cerberus feels "somewhat" comfy. Clamping force is adequate and the headband works very well to adjust itself and is comfortable without additional padding that it was missing; but the earcups takes a while to get used to. 

Despite the comfortable cushions, the earcups clamped right down to my lower jaw (that's how big it is!) which is something I think most headset will not reach. This causes a bit of irritation to me while using the Cerberus. The Boom mic works well though, it is a bit on the quiet side and needs a little boost on the volume.

Using it on-the-go however is another story. The Cerberus delivers music from my mobile phone just as well as it did on the PC but I find that the noise isolation is somewhat lacking. No doubt that the earcups fits over my ears snugly but ambient noise is apparent over my music at 50% volume so I did have to crank it up more to drown the noise. Because of the large earcups, I can't hang the Cerberus over my neck when not in use. It feels like I'm wearing a neck-brace of some sort because I can't look down with the earcups "supporting" my lower jaw. The in-line microphone delivered my voice clearly and I don't even have to be holding it near to my neck; the only drawback is that ambient noise is very clearly heard as well.

In terms of sound quality, the 60mm drivers of the Cerberus delivers music nicely with clear vocals and good mid tones. High pitch notes are handled nicely, even on high volume, without cracking. Bass isn't as deep as I like it to be though, which is apparent when you have the low rumbles in the movies I watched; but it's good enough to enjoy explosions and gunfire effects as it is in games as well. 

Conclusion

As you can see, the Cerberus is a mixed bag of chips in my opinion. The sound quality is good but in terms of practicality... let's just say that there is much room for improvements. Even that ASUS specified that the headset is designed for smart devices, the design is not really suitable for people using it on-the-go and calls for a more relaxed environment to enjoy using it. Which is a pity given that the performance of the 60mm drivers are solid no mater what you're listening to.

Pros

• Good material and solidly built
• Good inclusion of accessories
• Very light despite the large size
• Braided cables
• Detachable boom microphone
• Good audio quality

Cons

• Deeper bass is desired
• Earcups are a little too large to be of good use on-the-go
• Noise isolation could be better

Overall, I'm giving the Cerberus a Silver Tech-Critter badge.