Roccat's Kave XTD 5.1 Digital gaming headset has already been on the market for a while, but if you were looking for a cheaper 5.1 headset from Roccat, you would be at a loss. Now, however, the German gaming peripherals maker announced the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog – a nearly identical version of its digital headset, but without the included USB sound card.
The headset's drivers are 40 mm on the front channel and 40 mm on the rear, with additional 30 mm "subwoofer" drivers. The front and rear units all have a frequency response between 20 and 20,000 Hz and have a maximum input power of 50 mW. The vibration driver responds between 20 and 100 Hz, and has a maximum input power of 300 mW, so it should offer some explosive bass.
The microphone on this headset can pick up sounds between 10 and 10,000 Hz, and it has an omni-directional pickup with four 1.5 mm coils.
To connect the headset, you'll have to plug in four different 3.5 mm jacks to your sound card, along with a USB 2.0 port. This being an analog headset raises the question of what the USB 2.0 port is for, but the answer is easy: to power the auxiliary devices, such as the LED lighting.
Also note that a lower price tag isn't the only reason you may want to buy an analog headset. Because it's analog, it allows you to connect it to your choice of sound card, which can potentially offer much better sound quality than the included USB sound card would.
The Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog will be available sometime midway through this month, with Roccat suggesting a retail price of $119.99.
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