By: Aaron Lai
October 25, 2024
As I have mentioned in the introduction of my Turtle Beach Atlas Air review a couple of weeks back, Calgary is planning to replace the Scotiabank Saddledome with a new arena called Scotiabank Place. Despite its uninspiring name, I am excited to see the final build. One thing I like seeing are the short timelapse videos that show the progress of the whole project. I have never closely watched a construction site before, so I like observing the pace and plan they must work through to reach their targets. I have rarely seen construction projects stay within budget or on time, but these stepwise updates make the waiting process a bit easier. In a similar point of view, I always appreciate seeing the progression of new products and the process of how manufacturers went from their initial idea to their prototypes before releasing the final product. When we saw glimpses of Cooler Master's new control deck at Computex earlier this year, I was impressed to see their focus of modularity while offering a new customizable control deck. There was a lot of promise for a new competitor that would offer all sorts of different inputs. At the time of the conference, it was not a finished product, but today, we have a pre-production review unit of the Cooler Master MasterHUB. We have seen some derivative offerings from Cooler Master, namely the ControlPad back in 2020, but Cooler Master hopes to bring more shortcuts and fine tuning at our fingertips. With the developmental strides Cooler Master has taken, how does the MasterHUB stack up as it closes in on the finish line? Let us read on to find out!
Today's review unit of the Cooler Master MasterHUB arrived from their offices in Claremont, California, USA. Traveling with FedEx and their International Ground service, this box arrived in excellent condition with no signs of any dents or damage on the box. This arrived at our APH Networks location here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Inside, there is enough packing paper to cushion the contents while in transit.
As Cooler Master is launching a new lineup, Cooler Master sent us their base Stream Kit set, along with one of each of their additional modules, including a 3xKnob and an Encoder IPS Display. As you can see, all three of their retail containers are similar in design, with the product name on the top left corner and the Cooler Master logo on the right. A scaled down image of the products is on the right side. Finally, at the bottom corner, we see all the contents in each box, in a logo form, to show what is inside. Around the boxes, we have more specifications and features of the MasterHUB, but we will dive into those later on in this review.
Before we continue, I have grabbed the specifications from the manufacturer for your viewing pleasure:
Base Module
Dimensions (L x W x H): 190 x 126.5 x 16.5 mm
Connector: Type C*4 & Pogo Pins *30
Rated Voltage: 5V
Safety Current: 400mA
USB: USB 2.0
I/O: Type C & Display Port
LED: aRGB
Weight: 316.6g
15xKey Module
Dimensions (L x W x H): 126.5 x 94.5 x 19.6 mm w/ Pogo Pin
Connector: Pogo Pin
Rated Voltage: 5V
Safety Current: 300mA
USB: USB 2.0
I/O: Keys & IPS Display Panel
Resolution: 480 x 272
Weight: 185g
3xKnob Module
Dimensions (L x W x H): 63 x 63 x 34.6 mm w/ Pogo Pin
Connector: Pogo Pin
Rated Voltage: 5V
Safety Current: 200mA
USB: USB 2.0
I/O: Knob
LED: aRGB
Weight: 64.5g
5xFader Module
Dimensions (L x W x H): 126.5 x 63 x 26.3 mm w/ Pogo Pin
Connector: Pogo Pin
Rated Voltage: 5V
Safety Current: 300mA
USB: USB 2.0
I/O: Fader
LED: aRGB
Weight: 98g
Encoder Module
Dimensions (L x W x H): 63 x 63 x 29.2 mm w/ Pogo Pin
Connector: Pogo Pin
Rated Voltage: 5V
Safety Current: 250mA
USB: USB 2.0
I/O: Encoder & IPS Display Panel
Resolution: 240 x 240
Weight: 59.7g
2xRoller Module
Dimensions (L x W x H): 126.5 x 31.5 x 22 mm w/ Pogo Pin
Connector: Pogo Pin
Rated Voltage: 5V
Safety Current: 150mA
USB: USB 2.0
I/O: Roller
LED: NA
Weight: 60g
Out of the retail container, everything is in their own cardboard box for easier packaging. Like how the modules work, as you will see shortly, everything can move around independently. The standard Stream Kit comes with the fader, roller, keys, and base boxes, while the other 3xKnob and Encoder each come separately. In addition to this, we have a small magnetic stand and a braided USB Type-C to Type-C cable. Otherwise, each kit includes a small quick-start guide to show how to install and put everything together.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Conclusion
