Review: Genius Cavimanus Headset
There’s a huge wealth of headsets available on the market and it appears Genius has nailed a good mid-range option for gamers in the form of the Genius Cavimanus.
Comfort:
Comfort was something that initially put me off about the headset. The first time I placed it on my head there was some slight discomfort, however after a few sessions the headset did a remarkable job adjusting to my head and ears.[pullquote_right]It feels like some sort of technological beast that knows your body better than your girlfriend or wife. [/pullquote_right]Don’t worry, this headset wasn’t hurt during the creation of this review. Seriously though, after a few sessions (there we go again) there are times in which I totally forgot I was wearing the headset. That’s not to say it will mesh perfectly with other type of people and there will be variation in mileage for different people based on your head and ear size. Thankfully though, as per standard, there’s an adjustable band at the top that allows for a decent amount flexibility for the user.
Usability:
Out of the box the headset probably won’t impress you that much as it requires the software included in the package to really show off what it is capable of. By default, 2.1 stereo is enabled and you’ll see a shocking disparity between the default settings and the custom ones that each user is sure to enable. After the adjustment to 7.1 surround sound and a few other custom settings the headset started to have a bit more life to it. I highly encourage that users also turn on the vibration feature. I was a bit skeptical since I could see the annoyance with something like this being enabled. Let me tell you though, it makes a huge and subtle difference when your playing games, or even listening to music. The vibration feature is connected to the bass of the sound your listening to, and adds an extra layer of immersion that’s missing from a lot of mid-ranged headsets.
Next to the microphone is a knob that allows the user to adjust volume level and this is one of my biggest complaints toward the device. There’s little to no resistance on the knob and the level can be adjusted by a slight bump. If you’re wearing a hoodie this is almost a given. Most of the time I like to lay back in my chair and the knob will almost always get adjusted. This particular element is a catch-22, since I like the ability to seamlessly adjust the volume without issues, however coming back to it later and getting notifications or music blasted into your ear is not fun. If Genius is able to make another iteration of this headset I would certainly like to see a bit more resistance to the knob applied without making it locked into notches.
As previously mentioned, right in front of the volume knob is a microphone that can be pulled down or up. I like this because your not fiddling with anything connected to the cord to mute your microphone. By pulling it up your essentially muting the microphone without having to look down and adjust other parts of the device. Between the microphone and the volume is an LED light that flashes with the beat of the sound or music. It’s a nice little addition that adds a bit more flair to a headset that frankly doesn’t have much.
On initial impressions I was afraid that durability would essentially be the headset’s downfall. It looks cheap and even made some less than pleasing sounds when I took it out of the box. I’ve had some extended time with the headset though, and it hasn’t been an issue. I’ve dropped it several times, twisted it a bit (don’t do it too much) to make sure nothing would snap, and have been pleasantly surprised on how well it has held up. Obviously throwing it on the ground wouldn’t be advised, however normal wear and tear hasn’t had any effect.
Conclusion:
The Genius Cavimanus has been my go-to headset for the last few months and I’ve been extremely pleased with the audio output and durability that it has shown during my time with it. Genius might not be the most popular name, in fact their headquarters is located in Taipei, Taiwan; but they’ve made a solid headset that’s sure to get the attention of gamers world-wide.
[toggle_box title=”Specifications” width=”600″]
Specifications:
Headphone
-
Driver unit dimensions: 40mm
-
Driver unit material: Neodymium
-
Frequency response: 20Hz ~ 20KHz
-
Impedance: 32 ohm
-
Sensitivity: 95dB
-
Cable length: 2.5 meters
Microphone
-
Sensitivity: -39±3 dB
-
Directivity: Unidirectional
-
Frequency response: 100Hz~10KHz
Main features
-
Virtual 7.1 surround sound
-
12 pre-set equalizer adjustments (or full manual)
-
Vibration motor
-
40mm Neodymium drivers
-
Blue sound activated led
-
Volume control on the left cup
-
Foldable microphone for ease of use
-
Gold plated USB connector
-
UV coated ear cups
-
Adjustable headband
[/toggle_box]
A review sample was provided to The Paranoid Gamer for review purposes.
[signoff1]