Roccat Khan AIMO Headset Review
Up Close
We rarely dislike a Roccat package and this is no exception. The combination of clear product imagery, clear features, whilst the ice blue and white lend an air of class to proceedings rather than going down the gaudy “look at me” route. Whilst “Hi Res Audio” is somewhat meaningless as a term – in a post-MIDI world all audio is Hi Res – it at least is backed up by the specifications and our experience with the Pro version of the Khan.
The Khan has a fixed microphone that automatically mutes above 30° from vertical. There is a nice audible click when it does so too so you are never left in any doubt as to whether your comments are being heard by your teammates or kept to yourself. The earcups are emblazoned with the Roccat logo in a subtle black against dark grey, as well as the Khan identifier on the left ear-piece. The eagle-eyed amongst you will spot some detail just below the rotating hinges, which we’ll show you closer up on page four.
The ear-pieces are large and light, with soft foam to absorb any pressure and the usual thin PVC that is common to find on headsets at this price point. We’d prefer either cloth or a price hike to give genuine leather, as this stuff usually cracks and flakes pretty quickly. Obviously such long-term testing is beyond the scope of our website, but it’s something to bear in mind.
Above the soft foam headband is a robust coating over a steel band that provides rigidity.
There is a decent amount of vertical adjustment available from the hinges which, coupled to the sideways and rotational adjustment ensures comfortable use even if you’ve a head more shaped like a swede than a potato.
The cable is lengthy and braided. Braiding headphone cables is always a difficult design decision as sometimes it can rub against your top and create noise in the left ear piece. Quite why all manufacturers put their headphone cables on the left of the headset when our PCs – because of their windows – are always on our right is a mystery for the ages. We’d give all our awards to anyone brave enough to break from the norm and stop us having to put up with cables draped across our chest like some cheap “Mr Dairy Farm 2012” sash.
Rather than go with an inline remote the Khan AIMO has its controls on the headset itself. The volume dial does exactly what you’d expect whilst the button above it switches from 2.0 to virtual 7.1 in an instant.
