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 [Review] Roccat Kave - Updated 8:55PM 27/Oct/2010, real 5.1 surround sound headset

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TSSilverfire
post Mar 5 2010, 09:29 PM, updated 15y ago

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Roccat Kave Review
user posted image
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Outside the box:
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Took off the Kave's plastic wrapping, you see it has the Roccat and its logo printed on it.

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The back of the box, features briefly stated in 10 languages. Tech specs are also stated.

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The left of the box, features explained with introduction.

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The right of the box.

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The top of the box. As you can see, the box is sealed with 2 stickers


This post has been edited by Silverfire: Oct 27 2010, 08:55 PM
TSSilverfire
post Mar 5 2010, 09:29 PM

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Out of the box:
user posted image
Kave smilling at you biggrin.gif

user posted imageuser posted image
Proper paddings within the box to prevent the Kave from getting scratched even before you use it.

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The connectors. Green/Orange/Black/Pink. Green for front left/right, orange for center/sub, black for rear left/right while the pink's for the mic. The jacks are protected with rubber covers.

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The overall items found within the box.

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The miscellaneous, a Roccat member card included behind the booklet. A manual and a disc containing a demo and wallpapers of various resolutions.

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The included EQ/volume unit, Roccat call it the Desktop Remote.

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Kave's power'd up brows.gif

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Official tech specs from Roccat


This post has been edited by Silverfire: Mar 7 2010, 10:48 PM
TSSilverfire
post Mar 5 2010, 09:31 PM

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Headsets used for comparison:
  1. Razer Piranha
  2. Roccat Kave
  3. SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
Tested on:
    Realtek ALC1200 8.1 HDA Codec
    R2.43 drivers
Why Roccat? Why Kave?
No real reason why I bought it but if you want one then its the real 5.1 it offers. Attracted me by 1st sight. So I asked 3 dealers(moderno, Cex and lingloong) for their price and simultaneously placed an order for 2 units with Cex, one for me another for a friend(raxeus). That's about 24 hours ago. So Cex informed me that stock's ready for my collection yesterday night but due to lack of transport, I collected them this evening. Unboxed it nice and slowly. Finally got them on my head and ears, the feeling was great as opposed to Piranha, it really causes pain. But after prolonged usage, you'll feel the headset pressing down onto your head(too heavy). I compared these 3 headsets side by side and found the Kave best amongst them, the bass and clarity is not as good as the Piranha but much better compared to Siberia. The Siberia somehow lacked the crisp supposingly present in some audio. For audio clarity, I guess the Piranha would take champion but its really hard to distinguish which is better comparing with the Kave unless you're looping the same audio again and again to catch every note. The Kave's rear speakers are not as distinct as the front so I suggest have the rear's volume higher than the front. However, the Kave weights quite a lot. Apparently, the Siberia is found to be the lightest amongst the three while the Kave's heaviest. For build quality, all 3 of them are very good. The texture, the paint, the box, everything in good order. There's a problem with my set though, my Roccat member ID is not working but bah... Doesn't matter much as long as the Kave works perfectly. A point to note, I really like that EQ/Volume control unit, much more handy when it comes to adjusting volume, more convenient than the shortcut keys on my keyboard which are unresponsive at times. As for the adjustable Game/Movie mode, I can't tell the difference between these 2. I can hear very slight difference but I can't tell what it is. Am I the first to own Kave in Malaysia? icon_idea.gif

Update:
  1. If you play DiRT2 like bumper cars then you'll experience lotsa vibration from Kave's Game mode. When you turn around in your trailer, you can distinguish the 5.1 clearly.
  2. Did not sense vibration from COD:MW2 and H.A.W.X.
  3. Review layout updated. Click on images to enlarge.
  4. Did some research, static noise was created by PC Beep, mute it at Windows Sound control panel and the noise is gone. Kave works like a charm now brows.gif
  5. Roccat have replied my support ticket regarding the unusable Roccat ID and have fixed it for me. Its working now biggrin.gif
  6. After some tweaking, the vibration drivers and bass really kicked in. Flawless except the weight!
QUOTE(Roccat @ http://www.roccat.org/Support/ROCCAT-Kave/FAQ/#klb_77032_47_1_en_439)
Two options are available to you which control how the headset sound is mixed: ‘Game’ and ‘Movie’. The ‘Game’ setting is equivalent to the original 5.1 sound setting and is best suited to games, particularly first-person shooters. If you intend to watch films on the computer, ‘Movie’ is the best setting as it ensures that the voices sound clearer and more defined.


Comparison done:
  1. Comfortness:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★☆☆
      my head feels squashed
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★☆☆
      feels bit heavy eventhough there's cushion on top
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★★☆
      cushion padding is not as thick as the other 2 but most comfy amongst these 3
  2. Audio quality:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★☆
      clear, crisp with strong bass, least static when highest volume
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★★☆
      clear, crisp with moderate bass, much louder than Piranha and Siberia while retaining its clarity
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★☆☆
      clear, less crisp with weak bass, moderate static
  3. Bass quality:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★★
      very good bass but I think its too heavy
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★★☆
      moderate bass but I think its just the right amount of bass
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★☆☆
      weak bass
  4. Design:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★☆☆
      the mic's a bit too far out in my opinion, some might find it difficult to record properly and limitted mic rotation
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★★★
      the mic's 360° full adjustable, detachable mic and foldable
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★★☆
      didn't really liked the sides but overall great looking with detachable mic
  5. Mic quality:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★☆
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★★☆
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★★☆
  6. Mic sample:
    Roccat Kave
  7. Noise cancelling:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★★
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★★★
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★★☆
  8. Cable length:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★★
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★★☆
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★★★
  9. Finishing quality:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★☆
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★★☆
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★★☆
  10. Packaging quality:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★☆
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★★★
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★★☆
  11. Portability:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★☆
      2 3.5mm jack(Green/Pink), 1 USB for blings
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★☆☆
      4 3.5mm jack(Green/Black/Orange/Pink), 1 USB for power(does not work without USB power)
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★★★
      2 3.5mm jack(Green/Pink), 1 USB for equalizer/simulator
  12. Speaker configuration:
    Razer Piranha
      Stereo 2.1
    Roccat Kave
      Real 5.1
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      Simulated 7.1
  13. Price tags:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★☆
      RM249
      around average users' budget
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★☆☆
      RM339
      above average users' budget
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★☆☆
      RM359
      above average users' budget
  14. Competitors' overall in terms of everything compared above:
    Razer Piranha
      ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
      Quick discomfort, best audio amongst the 3, mic is clear but design may not appeal to everyone
    Roccat Kave
      ★★★★★★★★☆☆
      Can't work without USB power and discomfort after moderate duration of use. Great stuff at that price tag, one of the cheapest 5.1 headsets around
    SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset USB
      ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
      Best comfort but worst audio amongst the 3, best portability and at a price tag that high I'd rather go for something else
  15. Tested on:
      Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
      Napoleon: Total War
      Mirror's Edge
      DiRT 2
      H.A.W.X.
      Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
        261kbps
      Crazy Dog by Big Bang
        192kbps
      Assassin's Creed Cello Trailer Theme by Jesper Kyd
        320kbps
      Spice and Wolf Opening Theme by Yoshino Yuuji
        320kbps
      Hope's Theme by Masashi Hamauzu
        320kbps
      Serah's Theme by Masashi Hamauzu
        320kbps
      Snow's Theme by Masashi Hamauzu
        320kbps
      Lightning's Theme by Masashi Hamauzu
        320kbps
      New Divide by Linkin Park
        320kbps
  16. Music samples for vibrations and bass for Roccat Kave(and others for comparison):
P.S.
1st time doing a review, any advice will be most welcomed. Correct me if I'm wrong in anyway, methods, data and so on. Thanks! notworthy.gif





This post has been edited by Silverfire: Mar 27 2011, 05:56 PM
skcs1985
post Mar 5 2010, 09:33 PM

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keep it coming ^^
OlgaC4
post Mar 5 2010, 10:16 PM

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so many cable which is which usb pulak
TSSilverfire
post Mar 5 2010, 10:18 PM

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QUOTE(OlgaC4 @ Mar 5 2010, 10:16 PM)
so many cable which is which usb pulak
*

Amended 2nd post with jack info.
OlgaC4
post Mar 5 2010, 10:20 PM

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usb for what??

Added on March 5, 2010, 10:25 pm
QUOTE(Silverfire @ Mar 5 2010, 09:31 PM)
Why Roccat? Why Kave?
No real reason why I bought it but if you want one then its the real 5.1 it offers. Attracted me by 1st sight. So I asked 3 dealers(moderno, Cex and lingloong) for their price and simultaneously placed an order for 2 units, one for me another for a friend. That's about 24 hours ago. So Cex informed me that stock's ready for my collection yesterday night but due to lack of transport, I collected them this evening. Unboxed it nice and slowly. Finally got them on my head and ears, the feeling was great as opposed to Siberia and Piranha, they really cause pain. I compared these 3 headsets side by side and found the Kave best amongst them, the bass is not as heavy as the Piranha but much better compared to Siberia. The Siberia somehow lacked the crisp supposing present in some audio. For audio clarity, I guess the Piranha would take champion but its really hard to distinguish which is better comparing with the Kave unless you're looping the same audio again and again to catch every note. The Kave's rear speakers are not as distinct as the front so I suggest have the rear's volume higher than front. However, the Kave weights quite a lot. Apparently, the Siberia is found to be the lightest amongst the three while the Kave's heaviest.

Comfortness:
Razer Piranha || ★★★☆☆
Roccat Kave || ★★★★★
Steel Series Siberia Full-size Headset USB || ★★★★☆

Audio quality:
Razer Piranha || ★★★★☆
Roccat Kave || ★★★★☆
Steel Series Siberia Full-size Headset USB || ★★★☆☆

Bass quality:
Razer Piranha || ★★★★★
Roccat Kave || ★★★★☆
Steel Series Siberia Full-size Headset USB || ★★★☆☆

Design:
Razer Piranha || ★★★☆☆
Roccat Kave || ★★★★★
Steel Series Siberia Full-size Headset USB || ★★★★☆

Finishing quality:
Razer Piranha || ★★★★☆
Roccat Kave || ★★★★☆
Steel Series Siberia Full-size Headset USB || ★★★★☆

Speaker configuration:
Razer Piranha || Stereo 2.1
Roccat Kave || Real 5.1
Steel Series Siberia Full-size Headset USB || Simulated 7.1

Competitors overall:
Razer Piranha || ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Roccat Kave || ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Steel Series Siberia Full-size Headset USB || ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
*
what sound card u pakai for this review?

This post has been edited by OlgaC4: Mar 5 2010, 10:25 PM
AlexLai
post Mar 5 2010, 10:33 PM

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Nice review bro. biggrin.gif
TSSilverfire
post Mar 5 2010, 10:34 PM

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QUOTE(OlgaC4 @ Mar 5 2010, 10:20 PM)
usb for what??

Added on March 5, 2010, 10:25 pm

what sound card u pakai for this review?
*

USB to power up the LEDs and enable the EQ/volume controller to work.

No sound card sad.gif Realtek® ALC1200.
OlgaC4
post Mar 5 2010, 10:38 PM

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QUOTE(Silverfire @ Mar 5 2010, 10:34 PM)
USB to power up the LEDs and enable the EQ/volume controller to work.

No sound card sad.gif Realtek® ALC1200.
*
Basically u hook only one cable (green cable) to the onboard mb sound card?

This post has been edited by OlgaC4: Mar 5 2010, 10:40 PM
TSSilverfire
post Mar 5 2010, 10:39 PM

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QUOTE(AlexLai @ Mar 5 2010, 10:33 PM)
Nice review bro. biggrin.gif
*

brows.gif Thanks, hopefully I didn't do too bad.
QUOTE(OlgaC4 @ Mar 5 2010, 10:38 PM)
Basically u hook only one cable to the onboard mb sound card?
*

1 for Piranha and 1 for Siberia but 3 for Kave.

This post has been edited by Silverfire: Mar 5 2010, 10:44 PM
OlgaC4
post Mar 5 2010, 10:44 PM

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You asus PT6 mb got 3 audio input for onboard sound card?
TSSilverfire
post Mar 5 2010, 10:45 PM

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QUOTE(OlgaC4 @ Mar 5 2010, 10:44 PM)
You asus PT6 mb got 3 audio input for onboard sound card?
*

It's a Realtek® ALC1200 8 -Channel High Definition Audio CODEC to be exact. Quoted from http://asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=QtpKQuER...6trc&templete=2.
AlexLai
post Mar 5 2010, 10:48 PM

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How useful is the EQ actually?
TSSilverfire
post Mar 5 2010, 10:52 PM

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QUOTE(AlexLai @ Mar 5 2010, 10:48 PM)
How useful is the EQ actually?
*

I find it quite handy to mute/adjust volume than my keyboard's shortcut keys, quite unresponsive at times. As for the EQ its more to adjust the volumes for Center/Front/Rear/Sub only but if you find whichever direction is harder to distinguish then you may adjust it to be louder than the others. As for the adjustable Game/Movie mode, I can't tell the difference between these 2. I can hear very slight difference but I can't tell what it is.

This post has been edited by Silverfire: Mar 5 2010, 10:53 PM
AlexLai
post Mar 5 2010, 10:55 PM

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QUOTE(Silverfire @ Mar 5 2010, 10:52 PM)
I find it quite handy to mute/adjust volume than my keyboard's shortcut keys, quite unresponsive at times. As for the EQ its more to adjust the volumes for Center/Front/Rear/Sub only but if you find whichever direction is harder to distinguish then you may adjust it to be louder than the others. As for the adjustable Game/Movie mode, I can't tell the difference between these 2. I can hear very slight difference but I can't tell what it is.
*
Better mid range?
TSSilverfire
post Mar 5 2010, 11:03 PM

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QUOTE(AlexLai @ Mar 5 2010, 10:55 PM)
Better mid range?
*

hmm.gif I'm not sure. But after repeated looping, Game mode sounded more solid than the Movie mode hmm.gif
j.sun
post Mar 6 2010, 01:12 AM

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Wow! Very nice review bro! Keep it up!

Btw, the kave won't work until you plug the usb in right?
TSSilverfire
post Mar 6 2010, 01:25 AM

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QUOTE(j.sun @ Mar 6 2010, 01:12 AM)
Wow! Very nice review bro! Keep it up!

Btw, the kave won't work until you plug the usb in right?
*

Yep, won't work till you plug in the USB. Another downside if you're looking for portability(PMP).
0168257061
post Mar 6 2010, 01:25 AM

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bro, just an advice.
Go do a full burn in at least with 100 hours for headphones before giving a proper sound signature review. tongue.gif
300 hours is the best.
Because I suppose ur Kave is new ? And new headphone doesn't sound nice for alllll headphone. tongue.gif

but the review layout is nice to see. very neat thumbup.gif

This post has been edited by 168257061: Mar 6 2010, 01:26 AM
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