Page 3 - Subjective Audio Analysis
As with all the audio products we review here at APH Networks, it takes quite a bit of experience and training of the ears before we can begin making a fair judgment. Even for the best of audiophiles, it can be hard to produce an exact and accurate evaluation of a product without a thoroughly familiar product to use as simultaneous reference. While I will not claim to be the reviewer of all reviewers for headphones, I can say quite a few other computer review sites have editors lacking in training for reviewing anything audio related. Give them anything and all you will get is some vague description of “awesome bass, amazing midrange, nice treble, no muffles, 10/10”. Do not get me wrong though; there are knowledgeable audio reviewers out there on respected online media outlets, but they are far and few. There are no true objective measurements for audio sound quality. As the reviewer, however, I will put the Cooler Master MH752 through a series of subjective tests to try to come up with the most objective rating as possible. The tests were conducted with the Cooler Master MH752 plugged directly into the computer with the included USB controller.
After over 50 hours of break-in time -- well above the typical required period -- we put the Cooler Master MH752 to the tests. All tracks are uncompressed CDs, FLAC, or LAME encoded MP3s at 192kbps or higher. For gaming, I played Overwatch and League of Legends. Shooter games are probably the most crucial games to test these headphones, as gameplay can heavily rely on hearing and interpreting information found sounds. The other games have aspects where audio is useful, but this is less of a factor.
As with most gaming headphones, the Cooler Master MH752 follows a typical pattern of a V-shaped sound character. As such, when we listen to the MH752 from the low-end, the bass was decent with a slightly more emphasized feel. It is possible the closed-back nature of this headset also plays a role here, but I found that it was slightly boosted, keeping in line with the V-shaped signature. Overall, the bass was pretty well-rounded and filled without sounding boomy. I did notice some bottoming out at times, but bass drum kicks and electric bass riffs drove with direction for a good bottom oomph.
When we moved to the middle of the frequency range, the frequencies here were a bit less emphasized but still clear. Sounds from guitars and pianos were natural with a good ring or resonance. Overall, the midrange from the Cooler Master MH752 was reduced compared to the other ranges. Vocals were warm, though some dryness started creeping in nearer to the high middle area. The midrange was also not as thick or detailed as I would have liked. In gaming, the midrange is not as crucial for game awareness, which is often why we see this reduction in amplitude.
At the highest frequencies, the treble from the Cooler Master MH752 was good. Its sharp and bright sounds rang easily through and felt mostly clean. Some sounds like high hat hits were clashy at times, though that is pretty expected. Instruments like violins and flutes came through nicely. Again, some dryness started coming through at the upper ends. Overall, we had the typical V-shape sound, which makes for a fun-sounding headset with good lows supporting the high highs. It is not meant for monitor work or neutral settings, but that is understandable considering the target of this headset.
As for soundstaging and imaging, an aspect that is important for gaming headsets, I thought the MH752 performed decently well. I would have liked for a wider soundstage still, as music often felt a bit too crowded when listening. As for gaming, I felt like these Cooler Master cans were more than capable in helping me hear other players in a directional sense. This could partly be due to the closed-back nature design, as well as the smaller 40mm drivers inside, compared to a 50mm driver we have seen on other headphones. Imaging itself was pretty neutral, which makes for a more natural sound. A virtual 7.1 surround sound is available, but I found the effect to be too artificial, creating a lot of hollowness in the sound. I think it would be better to stick to stereo for a more realistic soundstage.
When it comes to layering, the MH752 was capable at handling more complicated audio. Distinctive layers could be distinguished and each voice was audible. In more complicated noise, we started losing some detail at times, but it was pretty much as expected for a headset of this caliber. Frequencies were separated enough and I found transitions between these frequencies were smooth for the most part. There was a bit missing in between the low-end and midrange, but it was not too noticeable. Otherwise, everything sounded pretty clean, though once again, detail could be improved upon in more heavily layered parts.
Due to its closed-back nature and leather earcups, the Cooler Master MH752 was great for sound isolation. The ears were able to create a seal around my head. Using it in noisier areas should be fine as the ears fully seal external noises from you. Obviously this closed-back design does affect other acoustic properties like soundstaging, so you should buy these based on the environment where you will be using the headphones most often.
When it comes to microphone performance, the included mic with the MH752 was a decent performer. This omnidirectional microphone picked up more than I expected, including keyboard and mouse noises, but it also recorded my voice naturally. Due to the frequency cutoff at the low-end, the recorded audio sounded a bit nasally and lacked the openness we have heard on our better performing headphones like the Sennheiser GSP 500. This microphone should perform perfectly fine in game communications and casual chats, but I would probably look at purchasing a different microphone for streaming and more professional applications.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
