Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog gaming headset

Much like the box it comes in, the Kave XTD Analog 5.1 is very reminiscent of other Roccat products, particularly the last generation of Kave headsets. Despite the big earcups, the matt paint job gives it quite an understated look, with the only bit of colour appearing on a tastefully small Roccat logo on each side of the headphones.

The overall feel of the build quality is high and despite the fact that the frame is plastic, it does not creak at all as you bend it around. It is also quite flexible so while the ear cups do not fold flat, I would not be worried about them breaking if thrown in a backpack.

The ear cups are easily the centre piece of this headset, with big, chunky plastic that does not feel too gamer-like, thanks to the smooth edges and lack of over the top imagery or lighting. The cups use a leatherette padding and enclose the ear rather than resting against it or in it.

 
The headband is not made of the same material and rather uses some simple compression foam. It is not the most supportive, so I hope it does not compress too much when pushed into a sturdy head.

That said, if things are a little uncomfortable, it should be possible to fix it with a quick adjustment of the height, which has some handy numbered notches on each side, along with a left/right letter so you get the headset on the right way around.

The microphone is a boom type, located off of the side of the left ear cup. Like a lot of other headsets, it's detachable and it also has its own cable tie which can hold it in place against the head band.

It is somewhat flexible, though it is more bendy-plastic than the ultra-versatile rubber ones you sometimes see. It also has a clear plastic section at the tip which lights up when muted.

The volume control is quite a chunky piece of plastic and features a lot of different controls. Not only is there an on/off and volume dial on the end, but there are two switches: one for microphone muting (or not) and one that changes your mode from movie to game and back. There are also different volume controls for each of the surround sound channels.

The cable is rubberised with a velcro cable tie keeping it neat right out of the box. This runs to the volume control before heading to the headers, which are split into the different channels and a single nickel-plated USB connector. It does have its own Roccat header, which makes it a bit easier to find at the back of your PC.

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