Roccat ELO 7.1 AIR Headset Review

Peter Donnell / 3 years ago

Performance

I knew this headset would sound awesome the moment I took it out of the box. I’m a big fan of the drivers used in Turtle Beach headsets, as well as their SuperHuman Hearing EQ system. I also like the way Roccat tune their headsets to have plenty of punch. There really is the best of both worlds here, but when I cranked on a few of my favourite albums, it was clear the ELO was exceeding my expectations. I think it sounds awesome, and it’s as simple as that. Vocal lines ring clear and true, there’s loads of detail in the mids and while the bass isn’t over the top, there’s certainly plenty of it. Everything from LittleBig to Xoth to Stravinsky sounded epic, and those around me are likely happy I was using headphones.

The Clear Voice microphone is fantastic, and even listening back on the side tone, it sounds really natural. It’s certainly a lot more balanced and natural sounding than what we typically here in this price range. It is quite sensitive at close range though, so adjust it properly to the side, and leave the mute button on while eating (which you should ALWAYs do anyway).

For gaming, the headset is really on point. The 7.1 surround processing is superb and while you can tinker with the default EQ profiles, I doubt many will bother. They all offer up what you could need, treble boost, bass boost, both at the same time, and a competitive gaming mode that makes enemy footsteps and similar noises easier to hear. I just leave it on the double boost button, turn up the volume a bit, and get on with my gaming. This headset has a sound that simply puts a big grin on your face.