Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Analog review

With two 40mm drivers and a 30mm woofer in each ear, the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog is able to deliver very accurate positional audio. We particularly noticed the effect in tense rounds of Counter Strike, where we were the only player left on our team. Listening out for any indication of enemy players becomes critical, and we had more luck accurately predicting when opponents were nearby with the Kave than with a stereo headset.

Sound quality is less impressive, but is by no means bad. Despite having dedicated woofer drivers the Kave isn’t boomy or bass-heavy, even with the bass volume dialled up to full. It’s incredibly precise, with a sharp, almost shrill high-end designed to give more emphasis to sound effects like gunshots, breaking glass and tyre squeals in games.

There’s no dedicated Music mode, but Movie works well for most musical genres; it tightens up the bass and mid-range, while dialling down the crispness of the high-end present in Game mode to create a more pleasant. We could comfortably listen to music throughout a working day with the Kave, then switch to game mode and play without having to make any driver adjustments or tweak the individual driver volumes. As it’s an analog headset there’s nothing to install at all, meaning you can easily use it on multiple PCs and laptops without having to remember to install a software suite.

If the latest edition of the Kave had returned to the ultra-flexible design and metal construction of the original, it would have been a clear best buy. As it is, the all-plastic build feels a little out of place given the price. However, sound quality is excellent and positional audio is once again beyond anything we’ve used that relies on digital surround or simple stereo sound. If you don’t mind the lack of adjustment and just want accurate audio, the Kave XTD 5.1 Analog is still a great buy, but it’s not quite as great as we know Roccat could have made it with a few tweaks.