Unpacking the entire contents, the first thing that I noticed about the Headset Master 5.1 was the weight of them, coming in at “450g” which isn’t light, but I was expecting them to have a bit of weight having 6 speakers. A highlight for me here was the Removable Microphone, 2m of cable length and the Protective Bag that not all Headsets are supplied with. Also included as shown above is the CD software, Quick Setup Guide, Registration and service document.

When I removed the headset Master 5.1 to take a closer look I was incredibly impressed with the styling and look of it. The entire Ear covering is made from plastic as you would expect keeping the weight down, but Terratec have given the paint effect that I could only describe as Dark Silver which is different as many manufactures use the Chrome effect. I really liked this silver which is very pleasing on the eye and gives the Headset a real expensive look.

Overview of hardware and connections: 1. USB 2.0 plug, 2. Controller Unit, 3. Removable Microphone and 4. Headset Master 5.1.

All the materials used in these Headset look and feel outstanding quality which is really important when it comes down to a comfortable Headset but a highlight for me here is the rim that sits on your head is a separate unit all together and is made from a flexible material that stretches with your head shape covered in black plastic that has been stitched for added durably.

Zooming in on the Ear piece you can really see the Terratec have spared no expense. The outer part ring of the ear piece has been made from a soft black felt material that has the softest feel to it when you rub your fingers against it giving extra comfort when wearing. The inner part of the ear piece is made from black foam which feels really thick and padded under your finger again for added comfort when surround sound and subwoofer are pumping away. These ear pieces have got to be the softest I’ve seen on a Headset, they really do feel like you have put a soft cushion up to your ear.

Terratec have designed these Set to be fully adjustable as pictured above so you can get them right for your individual needs. The ear piece has been attached to the main unit by two arms which enables them to swing a full 360 degrees that feels really robust and secure to get that perfect fit for your ear shape as we are not all the same and this design rectifies this.

Terratec have also designed the covers of the ear pieces to resemble a speaker cover front that really appeals to me made from metal that is really strong under your finger but a highlight here has got to be the Terratec Logo with the added blue plastic.

Turning the Headset around Terratec have followed the theme right though but this is were they have placed the Removable Microphone pictured above. The design of the Removable Microphone is of excellent quality and is the first I’ve seen that can be removed from the main unit for when you are not using the device which I really liked as not everyone wants to have a microphone at the side of there face and Terratec have rectified this. Also this feature is great for when you are on the move so you don’t do unnecessary damage to the microphone by just unplugging and storing in a safe place.

The Removable Microphone is of excellent quality again with foam added to the mouth piece that not all headsets comes which I must say I prefer. The Microphone is fully adjustable and is extremely flexible allowing the user to shape the microphone into whatever shape they find most comfortable but the highlight for me here is the main arm of the microphone which reminds me of a snake, all along the arm is built-in steps as pictures above that flex and un-flex with every movement that you make to the microphone that holds brilliantly without the need for readjustment.

The Microphone is designed with a 3.5mm headphone jack that plugs into place under the left hand side of the ear piece and is held there in a fixed position but can be turned left and right for you to place it in the perfect place. The microphone plugs in so securely that the microphone will not fall out of place as once it clicks into place it will stay there no matter what your head is doing. (Editors note: don’t go banging your head off a wall though :P)

The head rest of the Headset Master 5.1 has got top marks with there design here, a lot of headphones on the market have a flimsy or covered foam head rest that becomes extremely uncomfortable after a few hours of wearing the set, but Terratec have come up with this brilliant design that flexes to your head shape big or small without having the weight of the 6 speakers bearing down on your head. The flexible rest has an elastic strip built under the plastic covering which is then attached to two grey support arms that allows the head rest to slide up and down freely making sure your head doesn’t come into contact with the metal frame of the Headset Master 5.1.
 
Headphones that I have reviewed in the past where comfortable but after long periods of wear made an aching pain across my head where the headset rests but with the Terratec set that wasn’t a problem what so ever which really did surprise me weighing 450g but the flexible head rest evens the weight out across the head brilliantly. 

The Terratec Headset Master USB 5.1 has a built-in Controller Unit pictured above which allows the user to manage all the major functions of the headset at the touch of a button. The Controller unit has some weight to it but when you think about the 5 different levels you can adjust using this unit you can understand why. The face plate is made from a shiny black plastic that becomes a bit of a finger print magnet as it’s so shiny, but a highlight for me here is the Status LED that becomes active when the headset is plugged in and ready to use. All the dials and switches are made to a high standard and feel incredibly robust under your fingers when pushed too and throw.

The unit can adjust the levels of each channel individually: 1. Surround Level: Adjust the level of the Rear speaker here. 2. Front Level: Adjust the level of the Front speaker here. 3. Volume Control/Mute: The volume control adjusts the over all level of all the channels and the mute will mute all speakers. 4. Sub Level: Adjust the level of the sub. 5. Center Level: adjust the center. 6. Microphone Mute Switch: Turns the microphone on and off and 7. Status LED: Lights up and switches color when the microphone is muted.

So overall I thought the styling, build and quality of the headset master was Brilliant, but will they be let down in the performance, let’s get them wired up and see if they are as good as I expect them to be.

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