INTRODUCTION

   As many of you know i don't believe that the best way to play games on the PC is with a headset placed over your head (LAN events excluded of course) because for once the positioning audio quality can't really be on par with that of a complete 5.1/7.1 surround system while both the weight and pressure of the headset can get really annoying in a rather short period of time. I do however admit that a headset is the lesser of two evils so if you have to choose between disturbing those around you and using a headset then the answer is quite obvious. That being said from time to time we do receive some headsets that we can't really put in the same general category as most of them because of numerous reasons including more or less excellent build quality, superior positioning audio (and quality) and impressive comfort levels. Well for the past week we've been testing the latest Level 10 M Gaming Headset by Tt eSPORTS which can easily cover all three previously mentioned bases for us to separate it from the masses.

   “Challenge is the game” highlights the philosophy to bring out gamers’ addiction in gaming and the ambition of reaching to the extreme. Tt eSPORTS, a gaming obsessed division from Thermaltake, is uniting gamers from all over the world in a unique & fascinating eSPORTS culture, inherited the spirits of Thermaltake, is an energetic, powerful, bold and intelligent challenger who never says “no” to the extreme competition. We do not only provide gamers the ultimate gaming gears but also fulfills the passion to achieve the ultimate success. Thermaltake has been a well-known brand in the gaming & DIY market for PC Chassis, Coolers and Power Supplies PSU for many years. The brand personality of unique, aggressive, vivid and stylish makes Thermaltake an expert in creating exciting things and fascinating environment for gamers and enthusiasts. Tt eSPORTS inherited the brand personality with unique and creative design by observing users’ behaviors and requirements. The fan cooling design on Tt eSPORTS Challenger keyboard demonstrate the brand spirit. It is the worldwide first keyboard with fan cooling function that could dry your hand sweats and blow tension away during cut-throat competition.

   The very first Level 10 branded product released by Thermaltake was the Level 10 gaming tower back in 2009 a tower which still is considered a masterpiece both in terms of features and design largely thanks to the people from BMW Designworks USA. Of course as with any successful product launch Thermaltake decided to continue the Level 10 line by releasing a more mainstream version of it called the Level 10 GT. Well the Level 10 GT may not have impressed the entire community like its predecessor did but it was quite successful and so because of that Thermaltake decided to take things a bit further by introducing the equally impressive Level 10 M gaming mouse which we had with us a few months ago. Doing so Thermaltake unveiled their plans to invade the gaming peripherals market with their Level 10 line and so it was really a matter of time before they released the Level 10 M Gaming Headset (who knows we may even see an Level 10 Gaming Keyboard soon). Certainly towers have little to do with a gaming mouse and a gaming headset so let’s see how the latest Level 10 M Gaming Headset with its 40mm neodymium stereo drivers and its Omni-directional microphone did after a full week of testing.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Level 10 M Gaming Headset is placed inside a medium sized black box with a large picture at the front right next to the Tt eSPORTS logo and its main features.

A few words about the headset are placed on the left side.

Over at the right side of the box Tt eSPORTS talks about the Level 10 line of products from the first case and up until today.

A total of 4 pictures are placed at the rear to showcase the main features of the headset.

After removing the surrounding cover we see the main box inside which the headset is placed in clear plastic for maximum protection.

Although not impressive the bundle is quite rich and includes the Level 10 M Gaming Headset, a very soft yet thick carrying pouch, 1 meter 3.5mm jack to headset cable (for connection with portable devices), 3 meter dual 3.5mm jack to headset (with an in-line volume controller) and a warranty booklet.

THE LEVEL 10 M GAMING HEADSET

The Level 10 M Gaming Headset is medium in size, comes in black (Diamond Black) and white (Iron White) colors and thanks to its aluminum frame it weighs just under 300g.

As usual we placed the Level 10 M Gaming Headset right next to the compact REVO Wireless to showcase its size.

One of the things i really liked about the Level 10 M Gaming Headset is that you can connect the wire on either earcup something which I’ve never seen in the past with a gaming headset.

The Tt eSPORTS logo is placed on the exterior of both earcups right above several exhaust holes for the drivers.

Left and right markings are placed right above the company logo (not easy to see due to the silver color).

The Omni-directional microphone (300Hz-10KHz/2.2KOhm/35+-3dB) is made out of hard plastic and has a 90 degrees vertical and 30 degrees horizontal movement.

Tt eSPORTS has used very soft medium sized leatherette earpads with soft interior cloth to cover the 40mm neodymium drivers (10Hz-22KHz/32Ohm/100dB).

The headset can extend a total of 4cm on each side via 10 increments and can also be locked in place for future use.

As you can see the headpad is very thick and surprisingly comfortable.

Tt eSPORTS has placed their name on the exterior of the headband.

Another nice touch is the polished silver side of the in-line volume controller.

Turning the controller over we see the Tt eSPORTS logo, a mute switch and the volume control knob.

It may not really matter much but i was pleased to see that all of the 3.5mm mini jacks are gold plated.

CONCLUSION

   The Level 10 M Gaming Headset by Tt eSPORTS arrived at our doorstep just a couple of days prior to us receiving our copy of Batman Arkham Origins so naturally this was the primary game title we used it with. Of course we also used others such as Planetside 2 and Hawken but not nearly for as long as we did with the new Batman game. We also used it to watch several 4k clips (since they also have increased audio clarity compared to normal 1080p ones) and listen many of our favorite tunes either while connected to our PC directly or through the A/V amplifier. Anyways the Level 10 M Gaming Headset produced almost clean and crisp mids/highs with adequate bass levels and quite good volume levels. As expected from the 40mm drivers for games and pop/rock tunes the amount of bass they offer is quite sufficient but it falls short when watching action packed movies with lots of effects and while listening to jazz and heavy metal tunes. Overall i do like my headsets to have plenty of bass but since the Level 10 M Gaming Headset also excels at comfort and it also looks great i can't say that it bugged me much, certainly not as much as it has with other headsets. The ability to plug the headset to your system from either of the earcups is also a great feature and i do hope that more manufacturers will get to follow as well.

   Since Tt eSPORTS just launched the Level 10 M Gaming Headset its availability levels are not very high however you can find it currently for USD99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at around 99Euros inside the EU. Of course once availability settles down you should be able to locate it for less but even now the Level 10 M Gaming Headset is well worth its price tag and although some people may not feel the same since we are talking about a Stereo headset and not an 7.1 surround (or virtual surround one) i feel that i need to remind everyone that all audiophile headsets and headphones are stereo. That being said if you don't care much about having a headset with the richest amount of bass the Level 10 M Gaming Headset should be on top of your to buy list and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Aluminum Frame)
- Design (BMW Designworks USA)
- Size & Weight (Less Than 300g)
- Clear & Crisp Mids/Highs
- Good Bass
- Bi-Lateral USB Connectivity
- Removable Cables
- Headband Size Lock
- Superior Comfort

CONS

- Amount Of Bass
- Volume Levels
- Price (For Some)