Introduction and scope of delivery
The Cougar Immersa is with approx. 45 Euro street price is a real bargain with good wearing comfort and a very interesting price/performance ratio. Success is notoriously courageous and so the ODM is used to spice it up again.
Such a concept can certainly work, but it does not have to. For approx. 82 Euro street price you can already find in areas where you can already buy really good mid-range headsets. But do USB, RGB and a few technical gimmicks justify a nearly doubled street price?
As we test, we have already explained in the basic article "Gaming Headsets: Myth, Truth and How we Test" very detailed and transparent, because with the usual audio-swirl of bass thunderstorms and high-pitched whips you can't really get any further. You have to be able to listen subjectively well and measure at the same time.
The scope of delivery is clear: the headset, a manual, the plug-in USB audio solution and an adapter for passive operation on a mobile device, which can be paired to the proprietary micro-USB-like headphone plug, which is otherwise available in the USB sound solution. That's it.
Optics and haptics
At first and perhaps at second glance, the Cougar Immersa does not look like a device of the lower middle class, but still better than much that is so on the shelves below 75 euros. The large ear cups covered with PU-leather imitation naturally dominate the look and make the headset appear quite large and powerful.
The orange handle, the matt black shells and the – albeit unfunctional – aluminium applications made of perforated metal make you think of the Steelseries elite headset on the one hand and Roccat's cheap Renga headset on the other. This impression may not even be so far-fetched, since a lot of it probably comes from the same ODM or you are diligently copying among themselves.
New are the aluminium knob for mute on the left and the knob for the volume on the right side of the earcups. Both also dominate visually, of course, although the volume control cannot please. In addition to the very poor synchronisation of the analog double potentiometer, the right channel also starts much later and, due to changing resistances, there are slight sound distortions.
 |
 |
The cable is textile-encased, but still quite thick and rigid. The former may imply durability, but it should have been a little more supple on the rather generously sized two meters.
Comfort
The concept of the self-adjusting headband or Ironing has proven itself in many headsets, because it eliminates the mechanically often susceptible locking mechanisms in the multi-part ironing structures made of two screwed shells with internal metal strips. The clamping bracket is still so movable that the earcups can be easily dispensed with the vertical axis for adjustment. The other horizontal axis is neatly loosened via a profane joint in the shell suspension.
The large ear pads of the completely closed system also fit over sail and elephant ears in jumbo size and also close very tightly. Good for the exclusion of the environment, but bad – because it is conducive – for the microclimate in the newly created listening room, because here it gets a bit moist and sticky after a longer wearing time. However, you can carefully remove and clean the two attached ear pads (held by small noses). at least.
 |
 |
In the end, the impression remains that the 361 gram (net without cable) heavy headset looks more powerful than it wears at the end. It's definitely not an ultra-lightweight, but we've also had heavier headsets that applied a lot more. But as with the Immersa without Pro, it can be gambled quite relaxed, as long as you do not drift into the subtropical climate zone. But just swipe it out in between.
Functionality and connection
We already mentioned that on the left side there is now a knob for the shutdown of the microphone (mute), as well as on the other side a volume knob. Both are grippy and easily accessible, with the volume control better to stay at maximum and the level should be better adjusted elsewhere. The quality of the installed potentiometer is rather questionable and in view of the long-term durability we would therefore explicitly recommend the electrical control on the PC, so as not to unduly strain the mechanics.
Inner structure, drivers and sounding
The modified 50 mm neodymium driver sits in the top shell of the shell and has been glued to the inside by the manufacturer. Since you can unscrew this bowl, we have of course also done some small sound experiments. You can partially remove the glued felt over the visible holes of the top or in return completely eliminate the pressure equalization by sticking denser material over it. Depending on which bass direction you want to go.
However, the drivers used produce an extreme lift from the upper middle, so you could only help yourself with the tweet by sticking thin felt on the opening above the drivers. However, we would also like to make it clear that these changes are NOT subject to the warranty or warranty, even if the screws do not carry any seals.
Microphone
The microphone with ball characteristics sits in a microphone arm in a gooseneck shape, which can be easily pushed in or can pull out. The picture above of the inner structure shows how this mechanism works. This element is almost identical to that of the older Kingston and Steelseries models, and the built-in microphone does what it is supposed to do. Noise-cancelling is passive and not always absolutely sovereign. However, the design of the capsule is designed to be both a low-cut and a kind of clipping perceptible.
The sound and the comprehensibility of speech are just fine for a headset of this price range, but nothing more. Whether the microphone tip lights up when the microphone is activated or not does not add value to the actual functionality.
Before we get to the sound check and the measurements, however, quickly again the technical data in table form:
Kommentieren