Teknmotion PulseWave Headphones Review

The gimmicks are a bit flashy, but many PC gamers really want to show off at the LAN party.  With all these gimmicks, it can be easy to write these phones off as a toy and not a serious set.

The sound produced by this set is awesome, especially considering its price point.  The major part of the audio that is obvious is the amount of bass the unit produces.  I have listened to and tested many audiophile-quality headsets, which can produce excellent highs and deep bass, but none of these can compare to the sheer amount of rumble that the TeknMotion produces.

This is primarially due to the vibration effect the set can deliver.  If you turn the vibration off, the Pulsewave headphones still have deep bass, but the “wow” effect comes when you turn the rumble on.  It may be a gimmick, but it is a very effective one.  The vibration doesn’t just shake your ears, but actually moves air, which is the mechanism that large bass units employ to produce deep thumping bass.  This method is so effective, in fact, that the bass can be overpowering, and I had to turn it down to 6 or 7 (out of 10) to achieve a good balance in most situations.  More than that and it sounds like you’re in a techno club (without all the illegal drugs).

Don’t get me wrong… I’m not saying the sound produced is perfect, but it is amazing at this price point.  I’ve tested other gaming headsets that were more expensive, but didn’t produce the sound range that the Pulsewave does (even with the vibration feature off).  The highs aren’t as natural as an audiophile set.  These highs can actually sound a little too crisp, even without any EQ.  The bass can be a bit wobbly, too, especially if you turn the vibration effect up too high.

The headphones are relatively comfortable, but you can start to feel pressure on your head after extended use.  The material on the earcups can make you perspire, as well, which can feel a bit uncomfortable.

The multi-functionality of this headset is its Achilles Heel.  The breakout box does make this set usable on just about any audio device, but it is too cumbersome to take jogging or working out.  Honestly, use this set only as a PC gaming headset and you’ll be quite happy with it.  If you want it to pull double duty with your iPod then you’ll be frustrated with it because it’s just not that portable.  The cord is an excessive length, which is a boon to PC gamers, but a severe annoyance to anyone else.

When the unit is plugged into any modern Windows PC (XP or Vista), then the system automatically recognizes an audio device, and automatically makes this the primary device.  There’s no need to mute your system’s other sound card, because this is done automatically for you.  You can configure the headphones using the Audio applet in the control panel, but you’ll get more flexibilty if you install the included software.  This allows you to put the headset into stereo, 5.1, or 7.1 mode, and even sports several audio and reverb effects…. it is essentially a USB sound card in its own right.  Take my advice and just leave these settings alone.  Throw it into 5.1 or 7.1 mode and go ahead and load up your favorite game.

The surround effects are pretty good, but not as obvious as actual positioning using a real 7.1 system.  There were never any “deaf” spots in the audio, and overall the experience is quite pleasing.  I fired up Grand Theft Auto 4 for PC which has a lot of ambient sound.  I could easily tell what was coming from behind, and sound travelled around well when I spun Nikko around.  Noise that is meant to be background noise sounded very ambient and didn’t mix in with “primary” sounds.  Left4Dead is a game where positional sound is critical to staying alive.  Positionally, it is very easy to distinguish enemies from the left, right and center. The rear sounds can be distinguished, but they were not glaringly obvious to me.  In this game, the mini-boss sounds are a bit too broad, so it can be difficult to determine where a Boomer, Smoker or Witch is, even with a really good positional sound system.