Sub-$200 Headset Roundup

Built Tonka tough

PRICE $ 109 coolermaster.com

The Masterpulse Pro has, without a doubt, the best build quality we’ve seen in a $110 headset. The earcups are sturdy, large enough for all but the most elephantine of ears, and well padded, and the aluminium band that holds the whole thing together is robust and gives a real feeling of quality.

A sprung strap seats the headset comfortably and negates the need for any extendable arms or other potential break point. The aluminium strap also makes for a good clamp, passively blocking a great deal of noise. A rather over-large in-line control/DAC gives access to volume control, mic muting, turning 7.1 surround on and off, and a number of EQ presets, but the fact that the switches are placed on the side of the controller makes this process a little more fiddly than it should be.

In keeping with Cooler Master’s current modular “make it yours” design ethos, the Masterpulse Pro has one real element of customisation. Magnetically attached backplates behind each driver can be removed to free up the bass. The difference is noticeable – with the backplates on the bass is constrained, giving the midrange and treble more space to play, making it a great choice for FPS. With the backplates off the bass becomes more dominant and roomy. Each of the earcups houses a 44mm driver that delivers some very good sound quality, and the virtual 7.1 is quite good – no t up to the standards of the HyperX headsets, but definitely decent. If you’re after a cheap but very well built headset that produces excellent sound, look no further. DANIEL WILKS