Over the last year or so the PC Gaming market has seen an interesting re-birth. Although many developers seem to have embraced the new x86 console craze the peripheral manufacturers for the PC did not get the memo. One company that has leapt into the fray is Tesoro, so far they have dropped more than one high-end headset, keyboard and other accessories for the gamer to enhance their experience. Today we have another one of their products in the lab, the Kuven Pro 5.1 gaming headset. Let’s listen in and see how they sound.
Value -Value is another very subjective topic. What is expensive to some might be a deal to others. You can look at this topic in multiple ways. One is raw price and the other is what you get for the money. Each is accurate and both are correct ways to look at price/value. We tend to look at features, performance and real-property when we discuss value. However, we also take into account the raw cash cost of the item. At around $90 from most e-tailers the Kuven Pro 5.1 is a great deal. This price is in line with other multi-channel headsets that do not perform as well. We would have liked to see an option to use the headset without the mixer, but you cannot have everything.
Conclusion -Tesoro is one of the newcomers in the gaming peripherals market, but they have certainly made an impression with gamers and the technical press alike. Their Kuven Pro 5.1 headset is a worthy addition o their product line up and one that gamers will certainly benefit from. We found the Kuven Pro 5.1 to be surprisingly comfortable given their weight and design as well as sturdy considering the materials that it is made from. The audio was vibrant and alive with very little digital feel to it. The tuning of the audio is ideal for games with immersive sound (5.1 audio is a must), but you will not be disappointed if you only have a stereo option available. The USB mixer was a bit of an issue when we tried to use it on a couple of laptop USB 3.0 controllers, but we have a feeling that was an issue with the controller and not the headset. This leads us to our only really “wish” for the Kuven Pro 5.1: we wish there was an adapter that would let you run this without the need for the mixer. If that option was available then the Kuen Pro 5.1 would certainly be a must have for any gamer looking for real surround sound headphones on a budget.
For its combination of performance comfort and price we are happy to award the Tesoro Kuven Pro 5.1 our silver key award.
