Page 3 - Subjective Audio Analysis
Reviewing audio devices here at APH Networks is something that takes quite a bit of experience and training of the ears. 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 a simultaneous reference. While I will not claim that I am the reviewer of all reviewers for sound, I can say that quite a few other computer review sites have editors that are lacking in training for reviewing anything audio related. Give them anything, and all you will get is some vague description of “decent bass, good midrange, excellent treble, crisp sound, 10/10”. There are knowledgeable audio reviewers out there on respected online media outlets, but they are far and few.
As is stated in my past review for the Cooler Master Storm Ceres 400, there are no true objective measurements for headphone sound quality. As the reviewer, however, I will put the Ceres 500 through a series of subjective tests to try to come up with the most objective rating as possible. The tests were conducted primarily with the Cooler Master Storm Ceres 500 plugged directly into a USB 2.0 port, as this was the only way to use the headset with a computer. The USB plugin provides both power and connection for the headset.
After over 50 hours of break-in time (Well above the typically required period), we put the Cooler Master Storm Ceres 500 in a series of tests. This included testing with tracks of uncompressed CDs, FLAC, or LAME encoded MP3s at 192kbps or higher. For gaming, I played some rounds of Battlefield 3, Crysis 2 Maximum Edition, and Metro 2033 on the PC, as well as some Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception and NHL 14 on the PS3. Many of these games are first-person shooters, and I found them to provide an accurate representation of a day to day game environment.
So to begin with, let us start with the big three: Bass, midrange, and treble. In terms of the frequency distribution, I think this headset is somewhat flat, with a slight positive slope going from bass to midrange to treble. Bass is light, as mids and trebles are a bit more emphasized. This is kind of an oddity for majority of gaming headsets, as they usually try to push out tons of bass. However the bass is still present, as heard in footsteps, as well as in the low rumble of military vehicles during my gaming experience. The quality of the bass is well rounded for what is present, and rarely bottoms out during our testing. However, the lack of bass is somewhat disappointing, and I would enjoy just a bit more thump.
Moving to the midrange, I can describe this as mostly clean and natural. Voices sound genuine, but slightly dry; almost a bit raspy or sharp. The midrange is still thick, and provides some nice hall-like echoing. The midrange feels rounded and full. The result is a very clean and natural sounding midrange that holds up against in-game voices of teammates yelling at you to get off the ice, and fellow soldiers commanding orders and directions. In our music testing, guitar strumming was easily picked up and also felt natural. Higher mid-range is a bit more pronounced than lower midrange, and this follows the same frequency distribution described above.
At the highest of the highs, the trebles are good, but a bit messy. This headset produces bright trebles and has the range to very high without peaking. I would describe the treble much like a firework that can reach high heights, but the end result is a spectacular mess. Both Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Kwan and I were surprised at how high these headsets to reproduce the high hats of the drums and other percussion instruments. In the game, glass shatters, and cocking of the gun were also noticeable and distinct. However, I would say at this high end, it is slightly attenuated and lacks clarity or depth. Quality of the whole treble spectrum is slightly muffled, but overall, crisp and distinct enough for a satisfactory treble.
Moving onto cohesiveness, I can say the headset does sound as if it is together. As for the Cooler Master Storm Ceres 500, the sound produced is natural, and does not feel as if I am listening to multiple headsets. There are noticeable drops between the bass and mid-range, but it is not detrimental to the headphones. Frequency separation is acceptable, with transitions that are mostly smooth and clean. Of course, as I have mentioned before, the high end is a bit more muffled, but most majority of sounds, both gaming and music, do not necessarily hit this high, and should not be a large factor.
As for soundstaging, if two dimensions is zero staging abilities, and three dimensions is a full theater hall, I would call these headsets a 2.5D. There is some depth in the sound produced, but it does not necessarily impress me. One of the reference headsets I used to listen for soundstaging was the most recently reviewed SteelSeries H Wireless with Dolby enabled, and I can attest to Jonathan’s approval: That is amazing. While those were like the full three-dimensional experience, the Ceres 500 tries to produce a bit more depth, but lacks direction. It is like watching a live band perform on a very narrow stage. The drums and bass guitar will still sound like it is behind the lead singer and guitarist, but the direction and depth is just not enough. Soundstaging is just as important for gaming, as it gives the user an awareness of their surroundings, able to watch out for those who stab them in the back, both literally and figuratively.
As with the Ceres 400, I find the Cooler Master Storm Ceres 500 to be good at sound isolating, and keeping background noises as background noises, while being able to hear the actual audio source without trouble. If I ever need to increase the volume of either the chat or the overall volume, it is easy and quick to do, as the inline remote makes adjustments convenient. Of course this could be improved by implementing an active noise cancellation, but for its price, it is quite good. Sound leaking is a bit of a concern as music can easily be heard when the headset was worn on another person’s head. My only suggestion would be to change the material on the headset to a leather/pleather feel, so that it seals in the sound better.
In terms of microphone performance, the CM Storm Ceres 500 is able to pick up noises and sounds clearly and effectively. I find I do not need to be very close to my microphone in order to actually be able to pick up noise. As well, over the Playstation 3, having both the chat and overall volume makes it easy to adjust in order to hear other people over multiplayer.
While using the headset on a standard computer is practically the same as other headsets, the real party piece of this headset is the ability to utilize them on the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. Most headsets do not have this functionality, as it requires the manufacturer to include various plugs to adjust for two very different systems, as well as the computer. Connecting my headset to my PS3 is seamless, and within a few minutes, I am able to get the headset up and running. Of course, there are a few gripes, with the main one being the fact this is a wired headset. This wire limits the range from the television to the headset and I find I am too close to the television, even when I stretch the headset’s wire to its limit. I think a wireless headset is a much better option than this, as it provides the users with more free movement without having to put on and off their headsets every time. However, it is good to see Cooler Master try to attack two different areas with one solution. I should note that audio reproduction on the Playstation 3 is similar to the computer with results synonymous to the results in the paragraphs above. Oddly enough, the Xbox One is not compatible with this headset, but the Playstation 4 is, after a system update. Of course, this headset was released before the launch of the next-generation consoles, so this fact is not really a knock against Cooler Master, but more against Microsoft.
Overall, I can say there is a lot of bang for the buck in the Cooler Master Storm Ceres 500. With a neutral characteristic that is not regularly seen in most gaming-oriented headphones, the Ceres 500 is able to produce most music and sound effects naturally, while keeping the overall shape of it clean and rounded. I would like to see a bit heavier of a bass, as well as cleaning up the higher ends of the frequency spectrum. As well, I would like to see a bit better soundstaging and depth production. But I am still surprised with the audio performance of the Ceres 500, as it is able to produce something unexpected for the price.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
