i just bought an Asus Vulcan pro gaming headset on a whim and I've gotta say I'm pleasantly surprised so I thought id share my experience. Now let me qualify this, I'm not saying they have the same great styling ect I mean they are defiantly styled toward a certain demographic. I always love finding cans that punch above their weight like the Pioneer SE-A1000s for example sounding like a brighter HD650 for under $60 (got them 2 weeks ago and still cant believe my ears).....anyway.
I'm not even going to talk about the mic, its there, its detachable, it works. Its not what we're here for.
So the reason for the title of the post, I think these cans have a very similar sound signature to the Sennheiser momentums but with less overpowering low end and a more pronounced mid range. They also come with active noise cancelling witch is great and the reason I bought them, is it as good as the bose noise cancelling? no. Is it 95% there? yes. Win. They claim a frequency response from 10~20kHz....mmmmm no. 20-25hz-17khz maybe. Low end is there don't get me wrong these are very balanced and flat cans across the spectrum, its one of the reasons I like them so much, bass heads just need not apply. So they come in a sweet little semi hard case...tick
They come bundled with the ROG Spitfire USB audio processor...which is very hard to find any Specs on so I'm assuming they aren't that impressive. But it sounds better than my on-board sound card and will then sound the same on on any system you use them on as its essentially a little portable external USB card with some DSP (that thank god you can switch off) and an "Amp' that provides a nifty 6db boost at the push of a button. I do think with the amp engaged they become a little harsh so tend not to use any of the buttons on the USB audio processor. Sometimes in a Movie I will engage the 7.1 simulation surround button....this just gives the bottom end a bit more ummf and rumble when required and turns on a stereo expander of sorts. NOT 7.1 not even getting close but it does add to the spacial gravitas of the sound scape.
The have given you a generous amount of cable (nice fabric sheath) but have also come to your aid with a cable management system. But since its an external cable you can replace it with a custom one very easily if you choose. They are really comfy and soon disappear on your head, nice adjustment mechanism although folding them out into their ultimate form they sometimes feel like they could break locking into place...might just be a solid locking clip. They do suffer like most synthetic pad circum aural headphones do from generating ear sweat depending on your perspiration capacity.
Active noise cancelling switch, headphone/mic input, detachable mic slot.
So I've been listening to a nice selection of high res Flac files writing this, from Norah Jones to Daft punk, from NOFX to Coltrane and while they are fairly flat in their response the mids are slightly forward. So all the hard rock, big guitars and vocals sound amazing and articulate. Its not that dramatic but because of this they lend themselves more to Rock and those used to the Mid dipped heavy bottom cans of late will be in for a shock, but just give it a moment...its nicer and clearer than what your used to. But take away the riced up looks and never attached the mic if you have no need and what you are left with is a great all-rounder set of travel Cans with active noise cancelling for under $150. Bargain! The ASUS Vulcan Pro gaming headset is a pleasant surprise that will deliver and wont break the bank.
