Introduction

When the Roccat Khan Pro was first announced a couple of months ago, it attracted attention by claiming to be the world's first Hi-Res Audio certified gaming headset. Even though the Hi-Res Audio certification isn't necessarily a mere marketing ploy as headphones do need to meet certain technical specifications to obtain it (their frequency response has to span all the way up to 40 kHz, which is about 20 kHz higher than what us humans can even hear), it doesn't tell us much (or anything) about their exact sound. Luckily, that's exactly why we're here - to find out what the Khan Pro has to offer, both in terms of performance and comfort.



In case the Roccat Khan Pro looks sort of familiar to you, there are two possibilities: you either saw the recent announcement of the Khan AIMO, the company's newest, most advanced and most expensive gaming headset (a review is pending, watch this space), or you're familiar with last year's Roccat Cross, which was actually the first headset I reviewed here at TechPowerUp. Why do I mention the Cross? Because the Khan Pro is quite obviously based on the same lightweight, ultra-flexible design. It even has a similar-sounding microphone - I'm fairly confident that they went with only a slightly retuned capsule, as well as an identical volume dial. There's nothing wrong with that as the Cross was and still is a nice headset.

I'm surprised, though, that they got rid of its versatility. The Cross comes with two cables, one with a standard boom microphone and another with an in-line remote control with a built-in microphone, usable for phone calls. As the headset itself is very compact (this goes for both the Cross and the Khan Pro as the latter is only slightly larger), its owners have the option to simply swap out the cable and take the Cross on the go as a pair of mobile headphones. That option is gone with the Khan Pro as its microphone is permanently attached to the left ear cup. You can pivot it upward and downward, but that's about it. The cable is now permanently affixed to the headset as well, and the asking price is $30 higher at a round $100. Are they really trying to sell us less features for more money or did they retune the already solid audio drivers so much that the Khan Pro is worth the extra cost? Let's dig in to find out!

Specifications

• 50-mm dynamic drivers (neodymium magnet)
• 25 Ω impedance
• 10-40,000 Hz frequency response (specified by the manufacturer)
• Closed-back, over-ear design
• Pivotable boom microphone
• 3.5-mm connectivity (dual TRS + TRRS)
• 2.5 m detachable, braided cable (dual TRS + TRRS adapter)
• Built-in volume dial
• Weight: 230 g