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The uni-directional adjustable mic is a little less impressive. With 2.2k Ohms impedance and 100Hz-10kHz frequency response it is certainly better than the Logitech ClearChat Wireless Headset microphone I am used to. Being uni-directional and with -46 dB ±3dB sensitivity, it does a great job of capturing my voice clearly without background noise distortion.
Unlike my other $5 omni-directional Zalman mic, this one thankfully does not capture everything in a five-mile radius. Unfortunately the microphone on the CM Storm Sirus is not removable, so you cannot swap it from one side to the other; meaning, you will have to use it on the left side of your face as intended up to a 120 degree angle, and you are out of luck if you want it on the right as it will not swivel/rotate 270/360 degrees.
Keep in mind that with the Tactical Mixing Console you can fine-tune both the headset and microphone to your heart’s desire. The mixer is the key component that makes the Sirus worthwhile, simply due to the heavy customization. While Windows has some nice vanilla tools, such as improving speaker and microphone quality to 196000Hz 24-bit studio quality, the advanced options of bass-boost and equalization are nowhere near as good as what the mixer produces.
Of course no CM Storm product is complete without lighting, and the Sirus does not disappoint. At the top of the headset we have sleek gray Cooler Master Storm branding. On the sides of the headset we have the CM Storm flame logo which lights red, with the microphone also housing the same ambient red when muted.
The Tactical Mixer also follows the same red colour lighting, meaning every inch of the Sirus matches with its component parts. Having a complete Cooler Master Storm setup, it certainly is a beautiful sight at night looking at the matching malevolent red lighting and black/gray exterior of all Cooler Master Storm products.
Thanks for the review!
It’s nice to know someone is not that skeptical about it’s microphone.
Though, I think there’s a typo in:
“100Hz-10Hz frequency response”
, it should be “-10KHz”
Thanks for the kind words and keen eye. The fix has been made 🙂
You’re right. The microphone is pretty darn good. No background noise or static, and a clear, crisp output. When you know historically not to expect studio-quality microphones on headsets, it allows for more objective thinking and hence less skepticism.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the kind words and keen eye. The fix has been made
You’re right. The microphone is pretty darn good. No background noise or static, and a clear, crisp output. When you know historically not to expect studio-quality microphones on headsets, it allows for more objective thinking and hence less skepticism.
Thanks again!
Cool, thanks for the fix!
I have used this headset for over a year. Previously owned Razer Tiamat 7.1, and a pair of Turtle Beaches these are without a doubt the best surround sound headset on the market. The directional audio is just amazing for a pair of headphones. It is honestly every bit as good as my Klipsh Quintet 5.1 true surround sound system. Only issue vs. a true surround sound system is some games will put directional audio all in one speaker. This isn’t a problem with a true surround sound system where the sound bounces around the room and you still pick it up with both ears, while still hearing the direction it came from. In a headset though when all the sound comes from the left and then you pan to the right and suddenly the sound is coming just from the right and can only be heard in one ear, it is a bit jarring and just doesn’t sound right. Fortunately this seems to be the exception rather than the rule and most games seem to use a more intelligent surround sound algorithm. Again this ins’t a fault of the headset just of headsets in general vs. true surround sound. Front and rear directional audio is superb. Sound quality is great and bass really knocks. Only other issue is that you may have some trouble if you like to listen at really high volumes. I have my equalizer set to +10 to make up for lack of volume and that works good for me. I tried pushing the equalizer all the way to +20, but this would occasional result in distortion. Just be sure to max out the windows volume, the individual driver volumes, and up the equalizer a little and then you should have plenty of volume range just adjusting with the puck on the fly.