Cooler Master's new gaming headset claims to lighten your CPU's load

Cooler Master has upped the ante with its MasterPulse headset, releasing a Pro version which boasts virtual 7.1 surround sound and an integrated sound card, among other improvements.

The MasterPulse Pro is a USB over-ear headset which comes with a sound card built into the in-line control box on the cord, tackling audio processing duties and taking at least some of the strain off your PC's processor, the company notes. While it’s certainly debatable how much difference that will make, it’s nonetheless a neat idea, and every potential extra frame gleaned will obviously be welcome.

You also get access to in-line controls feature a graphic equalizer with three different listening profiles – music, movies or gaming – that can easily be switched between (or you can turn the equalizer off, as a fourth setting). It’s also possible to adjust bass levels on-the-fly.

Furthermore, the in-line panel allows for the 7.1 surround sound to be turned on or off, as well as the microphone, and can also be used to play with the MasterPulse’s lights. Yes, another addition for the Pro headset is RGB LEDs for the ear cups.

Built for comfort 

Speaking of those, there’s extra padding for the ear cups, and comfort is a prime consideration for this headset which has five cushions in total, and it benefits from a flexible headband, along with a lightweight aluminum frame.

The ear cups also have magnetic side panels which you can remove for a noticeably different sound (or indeed to switch them out for your own custom 3D-printed panels).

Cooler Master says that the MasterPulse Pro will be available before the end of the month with a suggested price of £85 (around $105, AU$135).

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).