Audio/Peripherals Headphones Headsets Reviews

[UPDATE]Audio Roundup: The best gaming headsets in comparison test

Introduction and scope of delivery

It is hard to believe in quality and durability when offering up to 50 euros. But from time to time one or the other test candidate succeeds in breaking this rule as a real exception.

According to the advertising statements, Cougar also wants to take advantage of this, so that a test of immersa seems only logical.

Of course, you first have to classify marketing sayings where they actually belong: into the realm of drilled-up words and PR-power-making. But if you leave all this aside, then the Cougar Immersa is still quite interesting for a certain target group – but we don't want to spoil more here.

Driver-free is worry-free – some austerity constraints also have a positive side. To be able to plug in and get started without having to download, install and maybe register anything beforehand is simply pleasant.

The scope of delivery is quite modest: it consists only of headset, manual and a simple cable splitter from a multifunction to two stereo jack plugs for microphone and headphone part. Fits, suffices and does not cause any headaches, which must now go exactly where.

Optics and haptics

The Cougar Immersa does not look like a cheap under-fifties at first glance and perhaps at second glance, even if the third look and the haptics later put this impression into perspective. The large oh-shells covered with PU-leather imitation dominate the sight and make the headset appear quite large and powerful.

The organ-coloured handles, the matt black shells and the – albeit unfunctional – aluminium applications made of perforated metal allow you to access the Steelseries elite headset on the one hand and Roccat's cheap Renga headset on the other (in this roundup dethaltern). This impression may not even be so far-fetched, as a lot of it probably comes from the same OEM.

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 rastmechanisms 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, the two ear pads can be removed and cleaned very easily with a slight rotational movement. at least.

In the end, the impression remains that the 376-gram headset looks more powerful than it wears. It's definitely not an ultra-lightweight, but we've also had heavier headsets that applied a lot more. So it can be gambled quite relaxed, as long as one does not drift into the subtropical climate zone. But just swipe it out in between.

Functionality and connection

On the control unit built into the cable there is a small switch for the microphone on one side and a small switch for the microphone on the other, whereby the switch for muting the microphone is large enough.

The rotary wheel for the volume sits in the middle in the two-shell edise case and does exactly what it is supposed to do. However, in view of the long-term durability, we would recommend the electrical control on the PC, so as not to unduly strain the mechanics. The synchronisation is fine and only has major deviations with a minimum position.

Drivers and sound adjustment

The small 40 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.

The drivers could be easily removed and replaced with better ones, although firmly glued. So if someone still has defective headphones with 50 mm drivers, where only the cable or other components are defective… In any case, there would be enough space.

If one looks at the resonant body, the upper bass could certainly still be lowered well in the level if the empty space is equipped with some flow or insulating wool. This would certainly be a little at the expense of the possible overall level, but would bring the low bass further forward and soften the typical cardboard gaming sounding somewhat.

If you want it even deeper, you can carefully drill the three-nose-clipped carrier with one (or two) 8 mm hole to get a little more volume along with the damping and move the tuning down more.

However, we would 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. 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. The noise-cancelling is not active, because this is not possible without external power supply anyway. 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 absolutely fine for a headset of this price range and were one of the positive surprises.

Measurements and sound check

Now we quickly look at the price and hear it. measure what we have just heard. Of course (why?) we find again the usual bathtub tuning with overemphasized bass and quite sharp heights.

The target group seems to like it that way and as a manufacturer you at least save an additional increase via equalizer if you stand on Wumms and Hisisch. If it were to be useless lynotally done anyway, the acoustic limit would also be quickly in sight.

The headset has the bass peak at around 150 Hz, so it is stubbornly tuned to the upper bass. If you are at high levels, you will like this, because everything below it costs a lot of power at identical levels, which the quite small drivers with average stroke can not really offer.

However, if you install the damping described above, you can remove this mountain properly and shovel the acoustic precious metal underneath. It is not quite enough for gold, but you can certainly live well with silver and tin.

Better coordinated, one also creates the 30 Hz limit audibly and even gets an insight into the layers below. Always assuming you bypass the upper bass porridge for the madmen – by whatever way (equalizer, damping). For this, the settling behavior is not even bad even in the original condition and surprises a little – positively.

Let's move on to the subjective hearing test, which was unexpectedly positive for a headset of this price range despite the slump in the mid-range around 1.5 KHz, although of course no high-end device is possible for this price. Of course, like the Corsair Renga, you always have to see it all in relation to the price.

The bass is there, but is quickly lubricated by everything that has not saved up to 250 Hz up to three on the trees. In games, this may even sound quite nice, because it relieves the eardrum a bit and sounds louder than it actually is. For music, it's just a little too much; i think we will have to take some regulatory action here. The precision is average, but the bass is anything but crisp, but without scurrying debilitatingly.

The lower middles fit and all in all even results in a rather warm timbre with many instruments and vocals. The already mentioned 1.5 KHz hole eats some whatis recognition, but hardly the spatial location. The radiation is astonishingly direct, which of course is also due to the seat, which was just perfect during the test. Overall, the immersa dissolves quite well, but without becoming filigree, which is to be hurt at this price. For Steps & Co. at least it's easy.

The middles and upper middles are full again until the tweet. The Sibilants sound relatively clean and it is warm rather than metallic tuned. The super high tone is also well developed, which does not show any weaknesses at all up to approx. 14 KHz.

In the end, the hearing test has the positive feeling that one has tried to break out of the price corset with one or the other rib and sometimes push the belly out. Hi-Fi is different – no question. But it's also not what is often rightly disputingly referred to as low-priced gaming plastic bombers.

In direct comparison to the Roccat Renga, the slightly higher level strength and the slightly more balanced sound are pleasing, bearing in mind that we compare a closed system with an open one. In the end, the customer will have to decide where his preferences lie.

Conclusion

 

The purchase tip for the Cougar Immersa is fine, because we award it primarily for the really good price-performance ratio and the clean workmanship, which continues inside the headset. It is also a thankful craft object, where you could achieve even better results, at least with a little cushioning.

Together with the very good microphone, the quite long cable and the sound impression acceptable for this price range, you can actually do nothing wrong, because the wearing comfort and the look also fit.

Sure: At 50 Euro street price (and less) you will always have to make some compromises, but for the start the Cougar Immersa is much better suited than some thundered gaming lard cookers, which offer hardly anything except optical glare and often stands on clay feet.

If anyone is wondering why we have now given such cheap headsets one or two buying tips, we can reassure them. After all, we almost always make a pre-selection for what we then test very elaborately.

Technical data and availability

Finally, the technical data in the obligatory table form.

 

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About the author

Igor Wallossek

Editor-in-chief and name-giver of igor'sLAB as the content successor of Tom's Hardware Germany, whose license was returned in June 2019 in order to better meet the qualitative demands of web content and challenges of new media such as YouTube with its own channel.

Computer nerd since 1983, audio freak since 1979 and pretty much open to anything with a plug or battery for over 50 years.

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