At first we would like to thank Cooler Master for sending a sample of their Masterpulse Pro USB Gaming Headset for testing and reviewing.

 

 

About Cooler Master:

"Cooler Master was founded with the mission of providing the industry's best thermal solutions. Since its establishment two decades ago, the company has remained faithful to this mission, emerging as a world leader in products and services for companies dealing with devices where heat issues must be resolved.

 

In pursuing this mission, Cooler Master is absolutely committed to delivering solutions that precisely meet customer requirements for features, performance, and quality. Moreover, we strive to be a reliable long-term partner for our customers that they can truly depend on. It aims to be the first and foremost name that comes to mind for companies around the world seeking thermal solutions, and seeks to build such a reputation through outstanding technology, sophisticated design, and superior service.

 

Cooler Master's current business encompasses a comprehensive lineup of thermal solutions for a full range of applications. Its products range from heat sinks and fans to component housing, chassis, and ducting for computers, industrial machinery, telecommunications equipment, and many other devices.

 

A critical component of Cooler Master's ability to successfully pursue its mission is an unstinting commitment to quality, as demonstrated by the ISO 9001 certification granted to its main manufacturing plant in Taiwan. It has also enforced ISO guidelines and is in the process of applying for ISO 9002 certification at its second and third plants, located in China. Cooler Master has also implemented a number of analytical and testing protocols to ensure top quality, including at subcontractors, to further ensure thorough quality control. Moreover, Cooler Master's dedication to quality extends beyond manufacturing to every aspect of its operation, including service."

 

Product Features:

 

Groundbreaking audio experience - Virtual 7.1 channel surround and 44mm drivers provide superior sound and immerses you in the experience

Patented Bass FX technology - Exclusive bass effect design lets you apply a responsive bass boost by simply putting on or taking off side panels

Sound card with in-line remote control box - Toggle 7.1 surround, switch listening modes, adjust volume, and microphone settings

Colorful mood – RGB LEDs in the ear cups offer multi-color illumination allowing you to adjust the overall look either based on your rig’s color scheme or your outfit

Extreme comfort - Extra padded ear cups with suspension headband ensures both high comfort and great noise cancellation

 

Product Specifications:

 

 

In this review we will look upon an improved version of the MasterPulse Cooler Master gaming headset, which does feature this time virtual 7.1 channel surround sound thanks to the dedicated sound card, EQ presets and RGB lightning. The product is powered via USB, while the functions can be altered via the console. The product does ship inside a medium-sized box, which does show the product on the top layer, along with mentions of the used technologies:

 

 

 

The back side of the box does mention the main product features, in multiple languages:

 

 

 

The top layer also opens up further, in order to reveal a product description, one exploded view of the headset but also the hardware specifications:

 

 

 

After removing the top cardboard layer, we will get to see that the headset and its remote are held inside a custom plastic mold:

 

 

 

 

There is also a small instruction manual supplied for the user, so he/she would know on how to operate the remote along with the Bass FX feature:

 

 

 

MasterPulse Pro pretty much follows the design lines of the original MasterPulse, which did have an analog interface, while this one is on USB; the red non-tangle cable which is used between the headset and the remote, but also between the remote and the USB connector is of good quality and has a rubberized finish to it:

 

 

 

A closer look does reveal the fact that the same cable type travels between the two large cups, via the headband:

 

 

 

The MasterPulse Pro headset comes with a solid build (332g standalone, 380g including the cable), reinforced with an aluminum frame which does sport a sandblasted finish. The earcups are quite large and on the exterior of each one we will find a Cooler Master-branded cover, which is held with magnetic force:

 

 

 

 

Between the cups and the headband we will get to see some exposed black bolts, which give the product an overall industrial look:

 

 

 

Thick padding can be found around the large 44mm drivers, which is covered with soft leather; this has proven to be very comfortable during longer gaming sessions or watching TV shows/movies:

 

 

 

On the interior of the headband, we will also find the indicators of the Left/Right audio channels:

 

 

 

Unlike many other gaming headsets, the microphone of the MasterPulse Pro is hidden (omni-directional); considering its size, it works quite well for Skype conferences or other chat programs:

 

 

 

The product does actually have not one but two headbands; the top one is meant for reinforcing the headset and is built from the same gunmetal aluminum finish as the one around the cups; the second one is self-adjustable, is made of rubber and also features five individual soft cushions. A similar design could be seen along with the SteelSeries Siberia Elite Prism headset we have reviewed some time ago:

 

 

 

 

 

The included remote also contains the hardware of the supplied 7.1 surround USB sound card; the top layer does house the button for controlling the RGB lighting, while further down we will get to see an embossed Cooler Master logo:

 

 

 

The left side of the remote does feature Volume +/- buttons, but also a button for switching between EQ profiles (Music/Movie/Gaming/EQ off):

 

 

 

Each EQ profile has a different LED light assigned to it:

 

 

 

The right side houses the microphone On/Off switch, but also the 7.1 virtual surround sound switch; if surround sound is not needed, we can always switch to unaltered Stereo mode:

 

 

 

The remote does also feature a back clip, which can be used for attaching it to our clothes:

 

 

 

The USB connector of the MasterPulse Pro does also have gold plating, for optimal contact:

 

 

 

Right after we did connect the headset to a spare USB port, the LED lighting started to operate; while the first mode does cycle between all available colors, the next modes allow us to choose from one of the standard colors, or we can simply turn the RGB feature off:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The button for altering the RGB lighting behavior also has a white LED light of its own on the remote:

 

 

 

MasterPulse Pro can switch between a sealed chamber design to a ported chamber design, by just removing the plastic side panels; each of these is held into place with four small magnets:

 

 

 

 

The ported chamber design mode allows deeper bass to be heard and is ideal to be used in games with a lot of explosions, bass-heavy songs or action movies; with the panels removed, we will get to see a central LED-lighted Cooler Master logo on each side, which is surrounded by a metallic black mesh:

 

 

 

Since the product can also operate without extra software, we could use the MasterPulse Pro headset right away, while the remote functions are easy to work with. Cooler Master advertises Bass FX with this model and this function can be simply enabled by removing the plastic side panels; the change in bass strength is quite subtle and in order to feel a clear difference we would recommend to remove the panels while listening to the specific audio content (while wearing the headset). Right after the removal of the panels, the bass will feel a little deeper than before, but not over-the-top as we have seen with other gaming headsets, as the Razer Tiamat 2.2.

 

The 7.1 virtual channel surround offers a decent experience, but is not suitable for all audio content; thankfully, the audio output can be set to Stereo whenever needed via the in-line remote. The USB sound card does also offer preset EQ settings, each having a different LED light color, for an easier confirmation of current selection (Music, Movie, Gaming, EQ off). The quality of the output is well-balanced, with a good representation of the highs and mids, while the low frequencies have a different response depending on how we do use Bass FX.

 

What we have also observed with this specific headset model, is that it is very loud even at lower volume levels; you will find yourself in the situation where even if you have had set the volume levels from the Cooler Master console at minimum, you will still have to fiddle with the in-game volume controls in order decrease it even more.

 

The in-line remote is a bit bulky and can get in the way at times, while the headset is not used.

 

At the time of the review, the CM Portal unified software did not feature yet support for the MasterPulse Pro, but it is planned for adding more control over the product.

 

The MasterPulse Pro USB gaming headset has a MSRP of about 99.95 Euros.

 

Cooler Master Masterpulse Pro USB Gaming Headset is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to Cooler Master for making this review possible!