Mixing style and power, the ROCCAT Cross is a portable, lightweight headset that is big on sound thanks to its ‘studio grade’ 50mm drivers.
Product on Review: ROCCAT Cross
Manufacturer & Sponsor: ROCCAT
Street Price: UK: £64.99, US: $69.99
Fashion headphones are unfortunately a ‘thing’ and it is something that people love. That is the power the mainstream media has over the poor minds of the world (OBEY). That being said, it makes good business sense to tap this with an ‘on-trend’ headset that not only looks the part, but has a twist of gaming aggression.
The ROCCAT Cross is lighter than many headsets in its class at just 186g, and it ships with two different cables to improve versatility. A shorter mobile cable (1.2m) with a 4pole jack and an in-line microphone, and a longer cable (2.35m) featuring separate headphone/microphone jacks and a boom microphone. Despite its lightweight stature and its sleek all black finish, ROCCAT have equipped the Cross with ‘studio grade’ 50mm neodymium drivers that promise to deliver superior audio quality in all media.
Overview by ROCCAT
As gamers ourselves, ROCCAT® understands that times have changed and gaming has evolved. Gaming has gone multi-platform and become ubiquitous. Gamers want a refined, fluid experience that they can enjoy everywhere rather than awkwardly swapping between expensive peripherals that are limited to a single device. They want one single headset that replaces all of their other ones – one headset for everything, with nothing else needed. That’s why we developed the Cross specifically for YOU, not your device. The Cross is the multi-platform over-ear stereo gaming headset that’s equally at home on your PC, Mac, PS4 and Xbox One* as it is when you’re on the go with your mobile device. It’s the headset that’s outstanding, everywhere.
Technical Specifications
DRIVER UNITS
Frequency response: 20-20000Hz
Impedance: 32Ohm
Max. SPL at 1kHz: 98dB
Drive diameter: 50mm
Driver unit material: Neodymium magnet
MICROPHONE
Sensitivity at 1kHz: -42dB
Impedance: 2.2ohm
Signal-to-noise ratio: 58dB
GENERAL
Weight (Headset only): 185gr
PC cable length: 2.35m (detachable)
jack plug: dual plug 3.5mm (3-pin)
Mobile/Console cable length: 1.2m (detachable)
jack plug: single plug 3.5mm (4-pin TRRS CTIA)
Dimensions / Weight Width 14.9 cm , Height 19.6 cm , Length 8.0 cm , Weight 185 g
System requirements
3.5mm jack socket required
Frequency response: 20-20000Hz
Impedance: 32Ohm
Max. SPL at 1kHz: 98dB
Drive diameter: 50mm
Driver unit material: Neodymium magnet
MICROPHONE
Sensitivity at 1kHz: -42dB
Impedance: 2.2ohm
Signal-to-noise ratio: 58dB
GENERAL
Weight (Headset only): 185gr
PC cable length: 2.35m (detachable)
jack plug: dual plug 3.5mm (3-pin)
Mobile/Console cable length: 1.2m (detachable)
jack plug: single plug 3.5mm (4-pin TRRS CTIA)
Dimensions / Weight Width 14.9 cm , Height 19.6 cm , Length 8.0 cm , Weight 185 g
System requirements
3.5mm jack socket required
Packaging & First Look
As far as ROCCAT products go, the Cross’ packaging has a much more toned down look, with the image displaying the headset and its two separate cables, and its demonstrated mobile usage. If the name ‘Cross’ doesn’t suggest its cross-platform nature enough, we get the simple phrase ‘Outstanding. Everywhere.’ presented to us. Some people with mind’s like myself may stumble on such words as I initially blanked the logo corner and assumed that the product was literally named ‘Outstanding. Everywhere.’, I mean what kind of name is that?
The reverse reveals more details about the product displaying the contents, and features in various languages.
Inside we are greeted with some product information, along with the two cables in a protective bubblewrap bag.
The 1.2m mobile cable is supple with a high quality braiding. There is an in-line microphone and a multi-function button, for Android it can be used to answer/end calls, while on iOS it also has some expanded media controls. This cable connects via a 4pole 3.5mm jack which is suitable for mobile devices and games console use.
The longer cable again features that high quality braiding though this time instead of an in-line microphone, it features a mute switch. The top end of the cable features a boom microphone and it connects via independent headphone/microphone jacks, suitable for PC use.
Closer Look
The headphones have a more classic look to them with a rounded bottom half of the earcup, and aren’t too imposing. The all black finish looks classy and are certainly something that would not look out of place if you were using them out and about.
The sides are not symmetrical, with the right side bearing the ROCCAT CAT logo, while the microphone side dons the ROCCAT name.
The headband features a soft layer of foam covered in a high quality leatherette material.
As this is a supra-aural headset, the earcups are realtively large and ovular to help spread the pressure. The thick memory foam padding is also covered with a high quality leatherette material.
The adjustable straps are supported with metal to ensure strength and flexibility.
The left cup is the business side as it features the connection port at the base as well as a volume dial at the rear. It is a shame that they didn’t include and universal microphone mute switch in the design.
A glaring flaw is that the angle pivot of the earcups doesn’t have a physical stop implemented and it seems that the internal cable itself manages that. This may cause some problems with losing audio in the right side earcup should the cable shear, though it seems that ROCCAT have compensated for this with using a thick, well protected cable.
Complete with the microphone boom, its fair to say it is rather attractive.
Performance Testing
Setup, Design & Observations
Out the box you instantly get a feel that the little Cross-Kitty (sorry ROCCAT, but they are small and cute) is not only lightweight, but very well made. The materials and finish feel truly superb. Aside from the cable/stop issue on the earcups, there is a good amount of flexibility and strength in places where needed. The volume dial feels smooth and is easy to access at the rear of the left earcup, the adjustment stops click nicely at each notch and the foam earpads are marshmallow soft.
Opening up the Cross to place on our head, we find that there is very light clamping strength, which, in unison with the memory foam earpads, and the lightweight nature of it, we found that ROCCAT have a very comfortable headset here (not to mention that I am generally an on-ear skeptic!). Because they are so light, the clamping force is perfectly balanced to keep them on your head without slipping off.
As there are two cables included, each with a microphone, we are happy to note that the shorter mobile cable is actually longer than many other ‘mobile cables’ that tend to be around 1-1.1m long, and for taller people, it generally isn’t enough. That 1.2m length is ideal for taller people, especially if you keep your mobile device in your trouser pocket. As mentioned previously, it is worth noting that both cables have a high quality braiding and are flexible.
Multimedia
Blasting out some bassy electronic music the Cross instantly sounds very bass heavy. It was only after I started to listen to other genres of music, I started to realise despite being bass heavy, the mids and high tones are still well articulated. On listening to some Bon-Jovi, I felt like my ear was torn out and put inside an acoustic guitar, giving me a ground zero seat to the action. Despite the onslaught of bass, it never felt too muddy, producing tight punctuation each time, despite not expecting it to. After a while, I started to enjoy listening to the Cross rumble in my ears. The Cross can also get very loud and at maximum volume it rumbles a lot. On turning is back down to a more reasonable level, I did start to feel that the Cross needs to be listened to at a high volume to really appreciate it as at lower volumes it just feels like someone is mumbling in your ear.
It wasn’t until I started a round on CS:GO I thought, ‘WOW, the soundstage is impressive’. Considering the closed back nature, and size, I started to appreciate the powerful feedback produced in game by the Cross. Just for additional fun, I played some DOTA 2 (7.00) and a little Skyrim: SE, again the Cross didn’t disappoint.
Microphone
The mobile microphone was as expected, providing clear and adequate voice pickup in mobile calls, but it was reported as rather ‘scratchy’ with interference via the Xbox ONE controller.
The boom microphone sounded deep, natural and featured great noise cancelling. Background typing and mouse clicks were dampened down, as well as any background fan noise. Maximum sensitivity is a little too high, but once backed down a little there is a happy medium to be found (this will depend on your setup/soundcard). The downside to a nice sounding voice was that it perfectly picked up any sniffling, juicy sounds that one may make during certain seasons (or did I mean sessions?).
Conclusion
The Cross and its enduring comfort is down to its lightweight nature and super soft memory foam earpads. Combined with its beautiful, sleek curves and all black design, it is certainly something that you can be proud to show off in the great outdoors. The included cables ensure that you have the ability to move between different platforms quickly with little hassle. As a gaming headset, you are rewarded with a deep, rumbling bass that creates drama and excitement, but it also has a surprisingly wide soundstage too. As a music/media headset for on the go, this is definitely one for the bass lover.
There is very little to really pick on with the Cross. Sure, some will prefer more precision and balance regarding the audio signature, but it is selling itself as a bass heavy headset so it isn’t really something to penalise it on.
So what can we pick on? Well, the exposed cable being responsible for holding the earcups in place isn’t reassuring. Also, some would appreciate being able to directly mute the mobile microphone. Sure, you can mute it via a smartphone, but you can’t do this with the games consoles unless you are using the old Xbox headphone adaptor (or a 3rd party controller with said feature). So in that scenario there is no immediate mute control. Scraping the bottom of the barrel, we could also discuss the disparity between affordable wireless headsets and premium wireless headsets, something that seems rather odd. The Cross strikes me as a fantastic candidate for a bit of wireless magic.
In summary, if you are one that has often craved more bass from your mobile headphones and you are also looking for a gaming headset, or vice-versa, the ROCCAT Cross is a fantastic all-in-one solution.
The ROCCAT Cross is a masterful blend of gaming and fashion with its long lasting comfort, powerful bass, and elegant design. Take it to work, then go home to game.
Pros.
+ Comfortable
+ Deep, rumbling bass
+ Wide soundstage
+ Lightweight
+ Sleek aesthetics
+ Versatile (includes 2x cables w/ mics)
Cons.
– Not wireless
– Could have had an integrated mute switch
+ Comfortable
+ Deep, rumbling bass
+ Wide soundstage
+ Lightweight
+ Sleek aesthetics
+ Versatile (includes 2x cables w/ mics)
Cons.
– Not wireless
– Could have had an integrated mute switch
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
