Kave 5.1 Analog Detailed Features

One of the most important features of the Kave 5.1 Analog Headset is the fact that it has real, rather than simulated, surround sound. Each earcup contains three separate drivers; front, rear, and vibration drivers. The front and rear drivers are both 40mm and the vibration unit is 30mm. This means that the Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog can offer hardware-level surround. I find this to be much more immersive than software surround. Software surround can be very good, but I often have trouble telling if something is in front of me or behind me. With the Kave 5.1 Analog’s drivers being aligned in the earcup at a 12 degree angle, you can hear just where the sound is coming from.

Another thing that I really like about the Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog Gaming Headset is the zero noise technology feature. The Kave 5.1 Analog uses an interference isolator to eliminate electromagnetic interference. Even if you think you don’t have a problem with EMI, you’ve probably heard it and just ignored it. I have a huge problem with it due to the lights in my office. It affects me and everyone that listens to me on chat. I have to turn the lights off to get rid of it. With the Kave 5.1 Analog Headset, however, that problem is moot. The earcups also provide a more-than-adequate amount of isolation. Even with no sound on, I found it very difficult to hear people talking to me and that’s a good thing!

The Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog Gaming Headset has pretty standard specs in the headset world. The frequency response range for the 40mm drivers is from 20 to 20kHz. Though you may find some headsets with a wider range, 20-20kHz is well regarded as the max range of human hearing anyway. The max SPL of the Kave 5.1 Analog at 1kHz is 115dB, so you can get pretty loud without distorting. The 40mm drivers have a max input power of 50mW and a 32 ohm impedance. The vibration driver pumps out the bass with a frequency response range of 20 to 100Hz and an input power up to 300mW.

The microphone on the Kave 5.1 Analog is pretty decent in its own right. It isn’t the best around, but it does have 4 tiny drivers to aid in noise cancellation so those listening to you hear nothing but the sweet melodious sound of your voice. The mic’s frequency response range is 10 to 10kHz and the max SPL at 1kHz is -32dB. The signal to noise ratio is 50dB, which is pretty good, although something a little higher is always nice.

The Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog Gaming Headset is also fairly lightweight. The headset weighs 335g, although I would wager that the cable almost doubles that because of its girth. That’s ok, though, as you don’t really feel the cable much, especially if the inline controls are hooked to your shirt, like it is normally for me. I was actually surprised at how light the Kave 5.1 Analog is, considering the 5.1 surround speaker drivers. After wearing it for an extended period, I barely even noticed it. That’s good news for me, because I usually can’t stand to wear a headset for more than a little while. They almost always start to irritate my ears or the top of my head.