The Helm of Darkness returns, this time with 4 drivers in each ear for real 5.1 channel audio rendering. Could this be the armour you need?
Product on Review: Tesoro Kuven Pro 5.1
Manufacturer: Tesoro
Street Price: UK: £89.99 US: $99.99
Headsets with multichannel audio rendering are popular with many people for various reasons. This could be due to their promise of heightened spatial awareness/directional audio or perhaps due to various other reasons which can all be added to the list in the good quality stereo headset VS real surround headset debate, but the end game is, there is a market for them. So it’s not surprising to see various manufacturers offering a ‘real 5.1 surround headset’ as part of their range. This is what it seems Tesoro have done, by taking their Kuven v7.1, which is a solid stereo headset, and offer it as a real 5.1 surround alternative in the form of the Kuven Pro.
It features attractive violet lighting and four drivers in each ear cup (40mm subwoofer, 3x 30mm Front/Rear/Centre). Included with the Kuven Pro is a control box/amplifier to which the headset connects via HDMI, this control box allows individual volume adjustments for each channel as well as the ability to mute the volume and microphone.
Overview by Tesoro
Kuven Pro is a true 5.1 / virtual 7.1 advanced gaming headset. Each cup is equipped with 4 drivers providing for pinpoint sound positioning. Every sound channel is adjusted via a convenient tabletop controller with a rotatory knob.
Kuven Pro inherits its design and ergonomics from the award-winning Kuven 7.1 headset. Its soft real leather cushions, large cups and the new LED illumination make Kuven Pro the best choice for any gamer.
Kuven Pro inherits its design and ergonomics from the award-winning Kuven 7.1 headset. Its soft real leather cushions, large cups and the new LED illumination make Kuven Pro the best choice for any gamer.
Technical Specifications
Amplifier
Subwoofer: 20-400Hz @100mW Max output power
Front/Rear: 50Hz-20KHz @30mW Max output power
centre: 50Hz-20KHz @30mW Max output power
Drivers
Subwoofer: 40mm, 32ohm 100mW x2
Centre: 30mm, 64ohm, 50mW x2
Front/Rear: 30mm, 32ohm, 50mW x4
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz
Microphone
Directivity: Unidirectional
Impedance: 2.2K ohm
Dimensions: 6 x 2.7mm
Sensitivity: -44dB +/- 3dB @1KHz
Frequency: 100Hz-10KHz
Features
True 5.1 sound
Circumaural headset with improved noise isolation
Memory foam leather covered cushions
Tabletop controller
Adjustable headband
Stylish decorative metal plates
LED illumination
Subwoofer: 20-400Hz @100mW Max output power
Front/Rear: 50Hz-20KHz @30mW Max output power
centre: 50Hz-20KHz @30mW Max output power
Drivers
Subwoofer: 40mm, 32ohm 100mW x2
Centre: 30mm, 64ohm, 50mW x2
Front/Rear: 30mm, 32ohm, 50mW x4
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz
Microphone
Directivity: Unidirectional
Impedance: 2.2K ohm
Dimensions: 6 x 2.7mm
Sensitivity: -44dB +/- 3dB @1KHz
Frequency: 100Hz-10KHz
Features
True 5.1 sound
Circumaural headset with improved noise isolation
Memory foam leather covered cushions
Tabletop controller
Adjustable headband
Stylish decorative metal plates
LED illumination
Packaging & Bundle
The packaging comes in Tesoro’s violet on black theme, in an aggressive gamer fashion, sporting an image of the helm of Hades while listing various features, most prominently the 5.1 surround sound.
The front of the packaging opens up to give an inside view of the product while listing some detailed technical specifications.
The reverse side of the packaging is reserved for a multilingual breakdown of all the features.
Included inside the box is a 2m USB to mini USB braided cable to connect the control box to your system, the control box/amp as well as the expected quick start guide and information about Tesoro.
The Control box features a large dial for volume control, a selector button for individual channels, a microphone mute button and a volume mute button.
On the left side there is a HDMI output which the headset connects to.
Round the back is where the mini USB cable plugs into.
Closer Look
The Kuven Pro headset.
As with its sibling, the Kuven Pro can fold flat. On each side there is a slightly warm coloured brushed aluminium faceplate which features the Tesoro Angel/Devil faces. We can also see the thick padding on the headband to help with comfort.
The ear pads are made from PU leather and a generous level of soft memory foam to help keep things comfortable.
You can adjust the size to fit.
The Tesoro name is embroidered onto the top of the headband adding a great quality finish.
The microphone boom is large and partly flexible and features a LED indicator at the tip which turns off when it is muted.
Software & Lighting
The Tesoro Kuven Pro works well via plug and play drivers, though to get the full features including virtual 7.1 surround, various audio effects and microphone noise cancelling, it is worth downloading the drivers available here. Tesoro run with the vanilla CMedia/Xear audio centre, which is perfectly acceptable as it works well and is easy to navigate. Except various equaliser options should you wish to adjust the audio properties, the best feature to consider using is the microphone Voice Clarity feature, which does a great job keeping your voice sounding natural yet completely eliminates static, hiss while slightly reducing the impact of background noise.
While the lighting isn’t as dramatic as many RGB options available, the subtle use of lighting is attractive.
Performance Testing
Setup, Design & Observations
Plug in the USB cable to your system and control box then plug the headset into the HDMI port on the control box, positioning things on your desk should be easy as there is generous cable length. Downloading and installing the driver was a little strange as I had a minor hiccup when trying to open the program via winRAR with a statement asking to update the archive, I clicked OK, once it was done installation went smoothly.
Moving to comfort, the Kuven is laterally fairly stiff but is wide enough so that once it is on your head, it gives a merely a faint squeeze, allowing the memory foam keeps things nice and comfortable. The build quality of the headset itself is quite robust, with only the edges on the headband looking like it may be the the weak link in how well it ages.
The control box is fairly sturdy but found that the dial has a little give around the edge, causing it to lack that solid, quality feeling though there was nothing to suggest that this would be a problem. The buttons are fairly clicky in a plasticky way and in the case of muting the microphone, sometimes I had to press a little harder than I expected to get it to register. Annoyingly, the Master volume is labelled ‘Voice’ on the control box, which initially suggests microphone sensitivity, but nope it appears to be the master volume.
Multimedia
After playing around with the volume levels for each channel (set them all to the same), I listened to various music tracks to which I am familiar, these are often a mix of various genres including electronic bassy music, acoustic, rock, metal, and general pop music. Initial thoughts were that, there is a lack of bass, though, it wasn’t until I watched Big Hero 6 that I realised that there is no option for stereo up mixing, meaning, stereo sources will only be using the left/right driver, not all drivers available thus making the Kuven Pro less than optimal for music listening. However, from 5.1 sources, such as movies and games, the audio is crisp and clear providing an enjoyable experience.
Microphone
The microphone is quite sensitive and does a good job picking up the voice (along everything else) so its worth turning the sensitivity down a little. Enabling the Voice Clarity within the software is advised as it does a great job eliminating static and hiss, while slightly curbing the level of background noise.
Conclusion
The market for ‘real surround’ headsets often relies on the premise that more is better, while the plausibility of that statement is entirely dependant on the subject, one thing is certainly true, ‘more costs more’. If one was to judge the Kuven Pro in terms of features on paper, it would be easy to believe that it is offering good value. In reality, the features it provides simply aren’t implemented well enough. Sure we get real 5.1 channel rendering but considering that it is housed inside the exact same frame as its stereo counterpart, means that the directional audio suffers, sounding rather flat especially when compared to the likes of the ROCCAT Kave XTD which provides an excellent surround experience.
The Kuven headset itself does have some positive points, it is well made, looks attractive and is relatively comfortable. Specifically regarding the audio, there is good separation and it does provide an enjoyable experience in games (particularly good for footsteps in FPSs) and movies. The problem then arises when we consider the cost, this is because there are headsets that offer a similar level of performance or better at half the price. Though we are referring to stereo headsets, we can argue that due to the lack of any innovative design, the 5.1 channel advantage is marginal at best.
The most notable downside to the Kuven Pro is the lack of stereo upmixing, which means when playing a stereo source, it will only use the individual ‘front’ drivers and not all the drivers available. Though gaming headsets aren’t renowned for wowing audio enthusiasts, the majority of gamers will still be looking for something that is suitable for all their audio needs, something that the Kuven Pro may not be able to deliver on. The bottom line is, if you enjoy listening to music between your gaming sessions or watch a lot of media with a stereo output, the Kuven Pro will not be for you.
The Kuven Pro from Tesoro is a good attempt to get their name into the ‘real 5.1’ market, however it is immature in terms of design and innovation.
Pros.
+ Real 5.1 channel rendering
+ Comfortable
+ Attractive aesthetics
+ Easy setup
Cons.
– Average sound quality
– No stereo upmix (Not optimal for music listening)
– No real directional advantage
– Tough competition
+ Real 5.1 channel rendering
+ Comfortable
+ Attractive aesthetics
+ Easy setup
Cons.
– Average sound quality
– No stereo upmix (Not optimal for music listening)
– No real directional advantage
– Tough competition
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
