By: Jonathan Kwan
October 18, 2024
What were you doing in 2010? It is hard to believe that was almost 15 years ago, and back in those days, I was an undergraduate engineering student still living in my parents' house. My main computer was powered by the legendary Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 on one of my favorite motherboards of all time, the ASUS Striker II NSE. The CPU was cooled by the Noctua NH-U12P. For memory, I had the G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL7D-8GBRH 2x4GB, which was considered cutting edge in both capacity and speed. Graphics-wise, I got the ASUS EN8800GTS TOP 512MB, which ran quiet and cool thanks to NVIDIA's latest die shrink. I just received my first SSD, the OCZ Vertex 2 60GB, as my boot drive. That was also a time where having a sound card was a thing, and I featured the Auzentech X-Fi HomeTheater HD for all my audio needs. The Seasonic M12II 500W kept all the lights on, enclosed inside a SilverStone Kublai KL-02 with a custom configuration of Lamptron LEDs. Wow, that was a trip down memory lane. To be honest, I am not sure if I missed any of those components beyond nostalgia, but there is one on my desk that I really missed: The Logitech G500. Have I owned a better mouse since then? Many. But did they have Logitech's legendary free spinning wheel? No, and I missed that feature to this day, since Logitech owns that patent, and I have not had a Logitech mouse since then. Well, to bring back something that I have not had since 2010, Turtle Beach now features a free spinning wheel with their latest model, the Kone II Air. Will the Kone II Air with its free spinning wheel combine the goodness of the Kone lineup with one of Logitech's best features? Read on to find out!
Our review unit of the Turtle Beach Kone II Air arrived to us here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from a shipping fulfillment center in Elwood, Illinois, USA. The small brown corrugated cardboard box arrived in excellent condition to us here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada using FedEx International Priority.
The Turtle Beach Kone II Air's retail packaging uses a consistent template with the Turtle Beach Burst II Air Ronald Chow reviewed back in August. The predominantly purple color scheme is contrasted by the mostly white text. An overhead photo of the mouse occupies the majority of the real estate in front. Beside the mouse are logos bringing light to its wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. At the top, you will find Turtle Beach's logo and name. At the bottom is the model name and description, "Wireless Ergonomic Gaming Mouse". Further feature highlights and miscellaneous product information such as specifications and package contents can be found on the remaining sides of the box.
Before we move on, let us take a look at the specifications of the Turtle Beach Kone II Air, as obtained from the manufacturer's website:
General
- TITAN Optical Switch
- 100 million click life cycle
- On-board memory: 5 profiles
- 1.8m/5.9ft flexible charging cable, USB-C to USB-A
- USB Report Rate: 1000 Hz
- NVIDIA Reflex
- Software: Swarm II
Sensor
- Owl-Eye 26K optical sensor
- Minimum DPI: 50
- Maximum DPI: 26,000
- Adjustable lift-off distance
- 50g acceleration
- 650 IPS (16.5m/s) Tracking Speed
- Up to 350 Hours (Bluetooth®)
- Up to 130 Hours (Wireless)
Connectivity
- 2.4GHz wireless via USB-A Adapter
- Bluetooth®
- USB-A
Battery
- Rechargeable Battery
- Up to 350 Hours (Bluetooth)
- Up to 130 Hours (Wireless)
Dimensions
- Length: 130.2mm
- Height: 44.1mm
- Width: 82.6mm
- Weight: 110g
Out of the box, you will receive the Turtle Beach Kone II Air mouse placed in a foam tray, PhantomFlex USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable, USB Type-A wireless adapter, USB Type-A to USB Type-C transmitter adapter, grip tape, and a quick start guide. The Swarm II software can be downloaded from Turtle Beach's website. If you already have other peripherals from the company, you will not need to install a separate software suite.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
