Sound Quality

All three new Cooler Master headsets use a pair of 50-millimeter dynamic speaker drivers. Their specified frequency response spans from 20 to 20,000 Hz in USB mode (MH650) and wireless mode (MH670), and from 15 to 25,000 Hz in analogue mode (MH630, as well as when the MH670 is connected with a cable). While they appear to be based on the same speaker drivers, their sound performance isn't identical. This is the conclusion I came to after directly comparing them for several hours, interchanging their ear cushions (the MH630 and MH650 come with mesh fabric ear cushions, while those supplied with the MH670 are made out of pleather), and connecting them to the same sound source if possible (the MH670 can be used in wired mode, which allowed me to connect it to the same sound card as the MH630).

For a $59/€59 gaming headset, the Cooler Master MH630 sounds good. It delivers a nice, punchy bass that isn't as thick as that of the MH670, however. It's also slightly recessed in the mid-range, and the higher frequencies are audibly boosted. That creates the impression that the sound is very detailed, but it can lead to ear fatigue when listening to higher-pitched instruments and vocals, shooting loud virtual weapons, and so on. Compared to the USB-powered MH650, the MH630 generally sounds hollower. Perhaps Cooler Master aimed to create a sense of additional spaciousness since the MH630 doesn't offer the luxury of being used in virtual surround sound mode if your sound card doesn't support it. It's also significantly brighter and "colder" than the MH670. To sum it up, the MH630 sounds like a less refined version of the MH650 in the same sense as the MH650 sounding like a less refined iteration of the MH670.


With that having been said, you're still getting a nicely performing gaming headset for $59/€59. Compared to the SteelSeries Arctis 1 (review is pending), one of my favorite $50 gaming headsets on the market, the Cooler Master MH630 sounds significantly airier and less congested in the bass region, but also substantially sharper and grainier in higher parts of the frequency range. If I had to point out one aspect of its performance that's particularly good, I'd go with spatial positioning. Much like the MH650, the MH630 does an excellent job of revealing where enemy shots and footsteps are coming from, and that means Cooler Master successfully avoided one of the main pitfalls of less expensive gaming headsets: boosting the bass into oblivion without caring for anything else.

As already mentioned, the mesh fabric ear cushions leak more sound than pleather ones, but don't get as warm. If you have someone regularly sitting close to you while gaming, this could pose a problem as they will be able to hear what you're listening to, especially when you turn up the volume.