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Saitek Cyborg 5.1 Headset
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Observation
As I pull everything out of the tray, I'm able to lay things out and be able to see what everything looks like out of the packaging. This fashionable headset has earcups with the logo for the Saitek Cyborg line of products. In the lower left of the image with a close-up of the earcups is a jack for the boom microphone plug. The USB connector may seem out of place, but this provides the funtionality to receive true 5.1 Surround Sound in the headset.
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All of the controls for the headset are found on a small unit halfway down the cord. From here, you can change the setting between Stereo/5.1, mute the microphone, and change the volume for either setting. The noise-cancellation from the earcups will not drown out all exterior sounds, but will provide some isolation and decrease the possibility of distraction.
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Testing
After plugging in the USB connector and inserting the included CD, the drivers are installed to allow for the 5.1 capability. The software that appears in your system tray allows you to set the properties and verify that you are getting true 5.1, where the female voice identifies the left front, right front, center front, subwoofer, left surround, and right surround. There are also two demo programs included: a program where a helicopter goes around a central point and you hear the location relative to you, and an easy asteroid-type game where you change the direction you are facing based on which direction you hear the asteroid coming from. There is nothing special about these programs, but better than anything else, they illustrate how well designed the sound system is. It was fairly easy to find each asteroid based on nothing else but the direction of the sound.
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| CD and Manual |
The USB connector isn't necessary to make the headset functional; it can be used with the simple audio jack. However, the consequence is you will not have 5.1 surround sound (you'll get stereo). This also requires changing the setting on the control pad to be on stereo, and then volume will be controlled by a small dial on the side as opposed to the big buttons on the face. Also, without the USB connector, you won't get the fancy LED-backlit Cyborg logos on the earcups. The boom microphone is functional by simply plugging in the associated audio jack, and is noise-cancelling and doesn't seem to record any wind from speaking.
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Conclusion
The Saitek Cyborg 5.1 Headset has great sound quality, is very comfortable, and is very fashionable. After all, the LED backlights on the earcups are only visible to people who aren't wearing the headset, which is everyone other than the owner. At $80 on amazon.com, it is very affordable. Overall, this is a great solution for a gamer on a budget.