INTRODUCTION

   August is without doubt the hottest month of the year where i live but this year things got even hotter since during the past 10 days we witnessed the introduction of the redux versions of Metro 2033 and Metro last light, the closed beta of The Crew by Ubisoft and the latest alpha version of Star Citizen by Cloud Imperium (Chris Roberts). So as I’m sure you can all understand we took this great opportunity to test several game peripherals we have here ranging from gaming mice and mousepads to gaming keyboards, headsets and even 4k resolution gaming LCD screens (upcoming reviews). A while back Tt eSPORTS launched the CRONOS a rather unique looking stereo gaming headset aimed towards casual users and gamers on a tight budget and as you can see from the title today we are going to take a closer look at it.

   “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 CRONOS (Father of the Greek Mythology Gods) is a full sized gaming headset and so because of that Tt eSPORTS decided on using 40mm stereo neodymium magnet drivers that feature a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 32Ohm impedance and 117db (+_3dB) sensitivity. Personally i prefer the larger 50mm drivers over 40mm ones since they offer higher volume and bass levels but since the CRONOS belongs in the entry level product line by Tt eSPORTS i really didn't expect to see something like that. The CRONOS also comes ready with a rather long Omni-directional boom microphone which is placed on the exterior of the right earcup (features a frequency response of 100Hz-10KHz with 2.2KOhm of impedance and -54dB (+-3dB) sensitivity) and a very nice illumination theme via multiple LEDs in each earcup and at the tip of the microphone. So although the CRONOS seems to be a budget-friendly headset we can't wait to put it to the test.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The slim box has a nice black/red color theme and at the front we have the company logo, a large product image and the main product features listed right beneath it.

All the specifications and features of the CRONOS are listed at the rear and showcased via several pictures.

Along with the CRONOS gaming headset you will also get a carrying/storage pouch, 3.5mm cable for use with mobile devices, 200cm long USB & 3.5mm cable for PC use and a warranty policy paper.

THE CRONOS

As you can see the CRONOS is a medium-sized closed type headset with several glossy/polished plastic parts (weighs 310g).

To showcase the size of the CRONOS we once again used the compact REVO wireless headset.

Tt eSPORTS has placed their logo on the exterior of both earcups although the logo on the left earcup is considerably smaller because of the boom microphone.

The mini cable connector is placed at the base of the left earcup.

The boom microphone is quite long (the front half is also flexible) and can rotate at around 100 degrees on the Y-axis (pivot).

Left and right markings are placed right above each earcup.

Instead of the usual leather-like earpads we see by most manufacturers Tt eSPORTS has decided to go with cloth ones for the CRONOS which are quite large and comfortable.

The headpad is covered by Lycra material which is surprisingly comfortable (although at first it feels hard).

Both sides of the headset extend up to 58mm (29mm each) via 7 increments (9 visible ones).

The company name and logo are both placed at the exterior of the headband.

Both earcups can swivel which means that they can sit flat (also good for storing purposes) or straight up on your desktop.

The braided PC cable features a small in-line volume controller and gold plated plugs (although the headset one is regular).

Since they need power the LEDs only turn on once you plug the headset into a USB port.

CONCLUSION

   Tt eSPORTS has released more gaming headsets since their launch than any other manufacturer (inside the same amount of time of course) and that has given them plenty of insight on what makes one a success in the market. Now the CRONOS may not be targeted towards serious and hardcore gamers so i don't expect it to be a best-seller but it's really not bad at all, quite the opposite really. So we're basically talking about a medium-sized headset that features a sturdy frame, is very comfortable and looks great so especially young gamers should like it quite a bit. The two 40mm drivers also produce very good mids and relatively good highs so we were quite pleased when we used it in several game games. Not all is on the bright side however and so the lack of bass is quite noticeable especially when listening to music or watching movies and although i did expect that would be the case when i saw that the CRONOS used 40mm drivers still i was hoping Tt eSPORTS would somehow find a way to resolve this. The microphone performed very well too both while playing online and during calls made by Skype but if you happen to be right next to something really noisy then the person on the other end may have a difficult time hearing what you say (although that's highly unlikely to occur inside a room).

   Budget-friendly gaming headsets that offer good performance and even better build quality and looks is not something we get to see a lot so we were very glad to see that currently the CRONOS by Tt eSPORTS retails for just USD59.29 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 60.85Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). It really goes without saying that if you can afford to spend more on a gaming headset that there are plenty out there to choose from that can easily outperform the CRONOS Gaming Headset but if you're on a tight budget and you're looking for a great looking headset that's very comfortable and offers good audio quality then look no further since the CRONOS has you covered. Because of all the above we are giving the CRONOS Gaming Headset by Tt eSPORTS our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Good Audio Quality (Very Good Mids & Good Highs)
- LED Illumination
- Comfortable
- Earcups With Pivot Feature
- Removable Cable(s)
- Braided Cable With Gold Plated Plugs
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Bass Levels