ROCCAT Kave XTD Stereo Gaming Headset Review

[section_title title=”Conclusion”]Conclusion

With the testing all done, what are my thoughts on the Kave XTD Stereo and how does it compare to the competition?

Well from a design point of view I quite like the headset, it definitely gets a lot right with the stealthy black design and the matte black finish is always something I appreciate. I really like the blue on black contrast the ROCCAT branding gives too but I do feel the blue cable over does it a bit and would be better off black with a nice cloth braid. A design touch I really liked was that the adjustments on the headband were in numbered steps which makes it really easy to know if you had both sides the same which as someone who is a bit OCD I really like!

The main design based complaint I can make is that I couldn’t shake the feeling that the headset didn’t feel quite as premium as the price tag, the build quality is solid make no mistake but the plastics just felt a bit off to me, I think if they had a soft touch feel it would make this headset feel like a much nicer bit of kit.

Performance wise I was pretty pleased with the headset overall, the sound quality was good, if a little bass heavy. The microphone was also perfectly good and I didn’t receive any complaints about it when chatting away in mumble. My only performance related complaints are down to comfort, with the main issue being the lack of room in the ear cups I mentioned on the previous page. Naturally this will vary depending on the individual so I can’t judge it too harshly but for me it was the limiting factor comfort wise.

Worthy of its own mention so that it is appreciated how much I dislike the decision, ROCCAT did not include any pleather replacement ear pads with the headset which is something I really resent in headsets costing this sort of money as for some people (myself included) it could be a deal breaker on the purchase of a headset and considering headsets which cost less do it there is no excuse on ROCCAT’s part really.

So then, is the ROCCAT Kave XTD Stereo good value for money? That is a tricky one, because on the one hand you have the performance which is on the whole very good and worthy of the price tag. On the other hand though are the slightly cheap feeling design touches such as the blue cable and the plastic used in some of the construction, both of those combine to undermine the appeal of the headset a bit to me as a more premium priced product.

Ultimately I think that while this headset is a nice bit of kit, ROCCAT are just asking a little bit too much money for it. I think it would be a bit more in line with the competition at £64.99 and a great deal at any less than that. That said though for ROCCAT fans who are happy to pay a bit more for a matching set this is by no means a bad buy and it is certainly a sound (pun intended) improvement over the first generation Kave.

A slightly unfavourable asking price and some design decisions I don’t agree with rob the ROCCAT Kave XTD of a Gold award but the good performance and solid build quality still earn it a very strong Silver award.

I’d like to say a big thank you to ROCCAT for providing today’s sample, I hope to see more from them in the future.