Tt eSports Shock One Gaming Headset Review

Manufacturer: Thermaltake Inc
Product Name: Shock One Gaming Headset
Model Number: HT-SHO001EC
UPC: 041163039342 EAN: 471315752971
Price As Tested: $93 (Newegg) and $99 (Amazon)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Thermaltake.

It comes as no surprise that Thermaltake is now breaking into the audio market following the successes of its competitors. Their new Tt eSports Shock One Gaming Headset distinguishes itself with flashy design and integrated DTS Surround Sensation, contrasting to the more common Dolby Headphone technology. The performance of the Shock One is important to both Thermaltake and DTS as they challenge a market filled with competition. Benchmark Reviews will be pitting the new comer against other Dolby headsets like the Corsair HS1 and Logitech G930. One thing's for sure, while many other companies chose a relatively neutral design that suits a wider audience range, the Shock One has been built from the ground up for gamers.

The Tt eSports Shock One Gaming Headset implements DTS Surround Sensations, which gives the headset 5.1 virtual surround sound. The headset comes with a noise canceling mic, replaceable ear pads, and bass enhancement. For gamers, the Shock One is foldable and comes with a convenient pouch for travel. The included driver software also comes with 3 preset equalizer settings for different genres of games.

In general Dolby and DTS technologies are fairly equal in terms of quality. However we do find today's gaming headset market dominated by Dolby-powered products. DTS Surround is newer and not many products currently use it. Most Dolby headsets include Dolby Logic, which up-mixes stereo to 5.1 audio or higher. The DTS alternative is DTS:Neo, which is not included with the Shock One. Up-mixing typically provides mixed results but could be a desirable feature.

One feature most surround sound headsets omit is bass enhancement, as it tends to distort the original audio. By including bass enhancement, the Tt eSports' Shock One wants to close the gap between surround sound headsets and high quality studio headphones. For $94.54, the Shock One is full of promises, very closely priced to the Corsair HS1 Dolby Surround Headset. Benchmark Reviews is excited to be testing this new surround sound headset that really manages to distinguish itself from the rest.

Surround Sound Headset Features

• 5.1 Channel Virtual Surround Sound
• Dynamic 40mm Speaker Drivers
• Noise Cancelling mic
• In-line control box
• 10 levels of headband adjustment
• Replaceable ear-pads, comes with leather and clothe
• Gold-plated USB connectors

HT-SHO001EC Specifications

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