Practical testing …
Although the fit is literally always a matter of the head, the Spettro headset fits the test ears perfectly and comprehensively, without bumping anywhere or leaving gaps for sound bleeding. The hybrid material earpads are soft and slightly thicker. In terms of feel, the headset is, in a sense, the counterpart to the previously tested OXS Storm G2. Due to the thinner earpads, it offers less space for large ears inside and, due to its size, does not fit as snugly to the ears.
In terms of design, the models could hardly be more different, as OXS tends to target the gaming sector and Cougar the mobile sector. Since the OXS Storm G2 from the previous test is currently available, it makes sense to compare the two in terms of sound transmission.
Music test …
The same music tracks as for OXS were selected for practical testing. Sound transmission was initially carried out via cable with the device switched off in order to test the connection to a normal PC. In subsequent tests, the model was switched on and ANC activated.
| Sound aspects – Title 1 | |
| Title and band/musician | Sunlight – Lane 8 |
| Spettro – Cable operation, switched off | Strong reverberation in the narrow shells, stage setting more deep than wide, piercing voice |
| Spettro – Cable operation with ANC | The room becomes visibly smaller, bass gains a stronger impact |
The Cougar headset has slightly less bass pressure than OXS, but something else is more distracting. There is an unfavorable reverberation in the ear cups that distorts the music. In addition, the upper midrange frequency range is apparently heavily overemphasized, which can make female voices sound somewhat piercing to the ears. Interestingly, there is a suggestion of a small but very deep space.
With ANC activated, the voice seems as if it has been confined to a much smaller space, as it moves closer to the listener. On the other hand, the bass has significantly more power, making the headset reminiscent of classic Bose models. Nevertheless, the OXS remains more controlled in the lower range.
| Sound aspects – Title 2 | |
| Title and band/musician | Second Sight – re:jazz |
| Spettro – Cable operation, switched off | Piano and electric guitar sound too shrill, clear separation of instruments on the left and right |
| Spettro – Wired operation with ANC | Full-bodied bass, high-pitched sounds significantly reduced |
Jazz generally benefits somewhat from the emphasized mids, making it sound particularly “lively,” but this results in shrill tones reminiscent of scratching on a blackboard.
With ANC, the shrill tones are somewhat reduced and the piano notes sound audibly longer in the lower frequency range. The double bass at the end of the first minute gains a little more body. The same applies to the bass drum. Once again, there is more energy in the bass and the piece of music seems “darker” than before. The low frequency range is therefore conveyed in a slightly more dominant manner.
Transmission type test …
| Sound aspects – Title 3 | |
| Title and band/musician | Dragonborn aus Skyrim 10th Anniversary Concert – London Symphony Orchestra |
| Spettro – Cable operation, switched off, smartphone | Powerful male choir with clear spatial development, shrill wind instruments |
| Spettro – Cable operation, ANC, smartphone | Spatial depth significantly reduced, voices muffled and washed out, wind instruments more moderate |
| Spettro – Bluetooth, without ANC, smartphone | Powerful male choir with beautiful reverberation, wind instruments comparatively restrained |
| Spettro – Bluetooth, ANC, smartphone | Very full, rich sound, slightly confined space |
As with OXS, Bluetooth is the clear winner when it comes to balanced sound. Despite the spatial depth, pure cable operation is simply not recommended, as the music quickly becomes shrill. With ANC, the bass range stands out more, but the soundstage seems a little more confined. As long as you don’t compare it to open headphones, Bluetooth is impressive. There is one small issue with the volume control: the first few levels are consistently too quiet, especially on smartphones, and then suddenly become very loud at one of the subsequent levels. This suggests an unfavorable impedance profile in relation to weak mobile sources.
Apart from the sound aspect, we found that the Ambience Amplify mode worked well and that the ticking of the timer in the background was clearly audible during the test.
Comfort and fit …
Apart from a very slight pressure from the headband, the headset fits really well. There is no noticeable pressure, yet the headphones sit very neatly and allow hardly any sound leakage.
As already mentioned, the ear pads are very comfortable to wear and offer sufficient material depth so that your ears don’t bump into anything.
Cougar Spettro Headset general impression …