The gaming headset market is flooded but conventional wisdom has always been that if you want quality sound and a comfortable fit you are going to have to pay a little bit more for it. Today, however, we review an introductory model from Cooler Master that promises all the performance and comfort you’d expect in a mid-range headset at a price tag of under $30. The Ceres 300 is a follow-up to the Ceres 400 and comes with a more streamlined look and feel. Everything you’d expect to see in a head twice the price seems present but we will put it to the test to see if the Ceres 300 is truly worthy of praise.

Product Name: CM Storm Ceres-300

Review Sample provided by: Cooler Master

Review by: Debo

Pictures by: Debo

Specifications

Model Number

SGH-2000-KWTA1

Headphone Style

Over-ear Headband

Headphone Type

Stereo

Cord Length

2.5m w/ 3.5mm jack

Frequency Response

20Hz-20,000Hz

Impedance

32 Ω

Sensitivity

112dB+/-4dB

Driver Unit Size

40mm

Microphone

Type

Omni-Directional, removable

Frequency Response

100 Hz – 10,000 Hz

Sensitivity

-54+/-3dB


Packaging and Overview

The front of the package offers us just a little tease of what is to come. It’s here where we get our first look at the headsets overall styling but little more than that. It is a very direct approach to consumer packaging.

Ceres-300 1

The rear of the box introduces us to the more technical aspects of the 300 series. A few things to note here are the adjustable headband and 40mm drivers that are all but standard in headsets these days as well as the one quite unique features of the Ceres-300 – the removable microphone.

Ceres-300 2

Opening up the box, we are first greeted with the extras, not many this time around beyond the user’s manual and microphone. You can see that despite being detachable the microphone still maintains the full adjustability and flexibility you’d expect.

Ceres-300 3

Finally we come to the headset. It’s a pretty simple design with a fully adjustable headband as previously mentioned. The earpieces are quite large and feature cloth-like padding for better comfort. The jack for the microphone is located on the left ear like you would find on most gaming headsets and the connection is designed in such a way to prevent you from accidentally plugging the microphone in any other way than the correct orientation.

Ceres-300 4

Ceres-300 5

Ceres-300 9

The cord is 2.5 meters long and permanently connected. It features an in line remote to control volume levels and microphone state. The Ceres-300 uses 3.5mm audio connectors for both the headphones and microphone. There is no included USB adapter so be aware of this fact before purchasing.

Ceres-300 11

Ceres-300 12


Audio Quality and Comfort

I will touch on the comfort aspect of the Ceres-300 first. From my first impressions of the headset I took note that the headset as a whole feels extremely light. Being almost fully constructed from plastic is the main reason for this but it left me with a feeling of doubt as to how comfortable the headset could really be for longer sessions of gaming and the like. I was pleasantly surprised.

Ceres-300 8

The larger size of the ear cups coupled with the cloth padding eliminate any of the usual strain on the ears (even larger ones like mine) as well as provide a bit of passive noise cancellation. The light, full plastic design doesn’t weight down your head even during long sessions and the adjustable headband keep the headset securely on your head without any feeling of added pressure.

Ceres-300 6

The removable microphone deserves a mention here as it is quite the unique feature included with the Ceres-300 but the greatest compliment I can give it is that it is barely noticeable. Once plugged in, the microphone operates just like any other headset and is fully adjustable to any face. The omnidirectional design cuts down on the inclusion of foreign sounds while you chat and the ability to remove it is the ultimate mute button. The removable microphone is clear though it will take a bit of tweaking to get a true mute without simply removing the mic altogether as the by default the microphone off function tends to pick up game sounds as communication when in the off position. Just be sure to not lose it when the microphone isn’t in use.

Ceres-300 14

Comfort is certainly a very important feature but when it comes down to it, headsets are for sound output. To this end the Ceres-300 performs slightly better than for average, run of the mill headset.

Bone Thugs ‘N Harmony – The Crossroads: A strong bass track with core subtlety that is most akin to something you would expect to find in most games. While the sound is clear the bass lacks muscle and overpowers many of the underlying instrumentals at times when both are present.

Nat King Cole – Unforgettable: A mellow piano track, the Ceres-300 once again produces clear sound and this time without an overpowering bass track, more intricacies are noticeable.

Eric Clapton – Tears in Heaven: An emotional rock ensemble with numerous instruments and a light vocal track. Again the Ceres-300 is clear and transitions well from low to high creating an enjoyable experience.

Ludwig van Beethoven – Fur Elise: A classical masterpiece with transitions and subtlety. Unfortunately many of the lowest lows are lost on the Ceres-300. Everywhere else it maintains clarity and is able to keep up with the transitions admirably.

Game – DOTA2: MOBA games aren’t generally looked at for their sound quality and presentation but it is just another way many of them attempt to immerse the player in the overall experience. The physicality of connecting abilities and the character voiceovers are all clear here.

TV/Movie – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Like all the Middle Earth movies, The Hobbit possesses a deep and enriching soundtrack as well as masterfully crafted soundscapes. The Ceres-300 is able to pick up on most of these and convey the overall intended experience. Bass is unfortunately the headsets weakness. While sound remains clear, deep bass lacks the powerful feeling of a higher end model.


Overall and Final Verdict

As an overall package the Ceres-300 is quite the average mid-range headset. The base is present and noticeable but lacks the booming quality some enjoy. The headset handles transitions in sound quite well though it does have problems with the most extreme lows and highs. This, of course, comes as a great compliment to the headset with its MSRP below 30$ as it provides comparable performance to many models even double its cost. It isn’t perfect for the discerning audiophile but more than serviceable for the gamer in need of a headset that will immerse them in gaming experiences.

Ceres-300 10

Ceres-300 7

The full plastic construction does offer some longevity concerns. The adjustable portions of the headband are held together by a pair of small screws and another possible stress point lies with the ear pieces where sharp angles are present. The Ceres-300 has sacrificed some durability to get down to its price point obviously but this is not completely a bad thing. The full plastic construction produced a light, comfortable fit for 5 minutes or 5 hours and left me not having to worry about adjusting my headset for comfort during use.

The Ceres-300 is a perfectly serviceable headset at a very competitive price. It comes through on its promises of comfort and quality. With a bit of careful treatment one can eliminate most of the durability concerns. It would have been nice to see the inclusion of a USB connection adapter with the unit but that would have most likely added to the cost of the unit. As it stands, you would be hard pressed to find a better headset at this price point. For this reason, it garners Top Honors as the best entry-level priced headset we've had the pleaseure of reveiwing.

fv3tophonors

Author Bio
William
Author: William
Review and Event Staff
William is the newest addition to both the Review and Event staff. Being in charge of power, hopefully you have to see very little of him during our lans. Outside of lans he can be found engaging in his unhealthy obsession with all things gaming in between writing the odd review and bothering Wes at all hours of the day. An avid gamer nearly all his life, it is common for the latest MMO release to cause him to drop off the face of the Earth for a week or two.

Log in to comment

Deb0's Avatar
Deb0 replied the topic: #33464 16 Dec 2013 18:07
Need a quality headset but are on a budget? You might give the Ceres-300 from Cooler Master a try.

We have 1825 guests and no members online

supportus