Value and Conclusion
- The Cougar Megara goes for €30 including taxes or $35 excluding taxes.
- Good for gaming audio environments
- Microphone audio quality very clear
- Solid build quality
- Quite loud at low volume settings
- Modular design with detachable microphone and audio in-/output adapter cable
- Two microphones for gaming or mobile use on the road
- Flat cables, so there is no tangling
- Very comfortable fit
- Functionality on the in-line controller
- Standard tip shape, so you can use your own
- Pouch and three sizes of tips included
- Not the best for music
- Controller buttons of limited use in most scenarios with the FWD and RWD buttons not offering their labeled functionality
- Rather bulky for mobile use
- Audio soundscape changes heavily towards highs at high volume
- Differently sized silicone hooks would have been nice
- Design may not be for everyone
Alright, let's get one thing straight: the Cougar Megara isn't meant to be primarily used for listening to audio on the road, for example. Its purpose is gaming, where highs and mids are more important than bass when it comes to sound. That is where it works best - even by providing ample volume at low volume levels. For music, the audio is not balanced enough to keep up with plenty of other options out there intended for just that type of playback at this price point. But in gaming, you should clearly hear footsteps, gunfire, or other unusual sounds that have to stand out for you to perform your best. Coupled with a very good microphone, you are good to go even though the microphone tends to pick up some ambient noise as well.
The construction quality is very good, with the solid, straight plug design, sturdy protection for the split point, and use of flat cables. There are plenty of €30 headset out there that do not offer this level of craftsmanship. Some may think the Megara is a bit big, but it fits well due to its silicone hooks, and while Cougar meant these hooks to be "one size fits all", it would have been nice to have a few more differently sized options within the package.
A bigger issue are the extra buttons on the controller, as the RWD and FWD buttons do not work by default regardless of whether you use Android, iOS, MacOS, or Windows. This is the reason most companies just eliminate them in the first place. The center button takes over their functionality, and the only added benefit was in Android, where they acted as volume buttons - which actually makes sense as other manufacturers label them as such.
So you need to be clear about what you want to use the Cougar Megara for. It is a great option for a gamer who wants portability married with function. If you intend to use it to listen to audio, you may find it lacking in comparison to others in the hard-fought-over market it is in. You should see the Cougar Megara as a gaming headset with the added benefit of being usable on the road should the need arise, which means you won't have to go without personal audio entertainment in a pinch.