CM Storm Ceres-500 – Hardware Review
A few days ago we were able to introduce to you our opinion about the Ceres-300, today we’re able to present you its big brother, the Ceres-500, which can be used for your PC as well as your consoles. The Ceres-500 has a lot of resemblances to its lower priced counterparts but also a lot of extra features and options the 300 model does not have. Still being lower priced as many headsets on the market, will the Ceres-500 also prove to be a quality piece?
Again for a fair priced headset we get a great design in return. The design is fairly smooth even with the option to fold your headset for traveling purposes. The blending of colors, namely black and white are still done in a modest and subtle way, presenting you with a design piece instead of just another headset.
The Ceres-500 still remains quite light in weight and thus the weight will not become cumbersome or annoying after longer periods of time. The headset however is a bit tighter than the 300 model but with the right adjustment this is no issue either.
Of course the necessary amount of padding is incorporated in the headband to keep the usage of the Ceres-500 pleasant and comfortable for all your gaming sessions.
Coverage of your ears is fairly the same for both models. This means the ear cups of the Ceres-500 will once again cover up your entire ears and will also allow environment noises to come through. This is once again a matter of personal taste but in the end it might not be a bad thing to stay in touch with your environment.
You’ll be able to use the Ceres-500 for much more than simple PC usage. The headset has the option to be connected to your Xbox 360 system as well as your Playstation 3. For PC usage simply connecting the USB plug will allow you to enjoy the headset right away. When using the headset for your consoles you’ll have to perform a bit more work to get the headset up and running. You’ll have to connect an extra cable, which is provided to you, to your television set for audio purposes. This cable is connected to the extra jack that’s already incorporated in the cable of the Ceres-500. After following all the steps of the manual you’re pretty much good to go. You can easily leave the extra cable in your television set without causing harm, if you want to switch back to your PC.
Of course you’re paying a tad more for this model and thus you are rewarded with a better control mechanism incorporated in the cable of the headset. You’ll be able to perform the basics like turning your microphone on or off, arranging volume settings for sound as well as chat and a switch to choose if your headset is connected to a PC or a console. A nice touch was given to show if your microphone is on or off, namely a LED light will show you to prevent misunderstandings.
Sound wise the Ceres-500 does not disappoint either. Again we are treated to pure sound, a decent bass and you’ll be able to hear your counterparts decently.
The microphone is sensitive and can be adjusted to your needs. The piece is very flexible and it can be inserted and removed from the left ear piece at any given time.
A fun extra feature the Ceres-500 has is the ability to fold it up, to a certain extent. This will make it easier to take along with you when going to a local LAN party or simply getting the headset in one piece in your headset.
Own opinion
The first impression of this headset was pretty much the same as for the Ceres-300, namely the black design with the white influences simply shows as if you’re dealing with a quality piece.
Comfort wise there were no issues either. The headset is easily adjusted to your personal preference and thus you’ll be able to provide yourself with the needed comfort for gaming sessions to come. The padding feels sufficient and the ear cups don’t annoy you after longer periods of time.
The 500 model also uses the same short reach for the microphone as the Ceres-300. Again probably a matter of personal taste, but it’s regrettable the piece is so short that it doesn’t even reach my mouth.
A personal like goes out to the fact that this headset is a ‘multi-purpose tool’. The fact you’ll be able to use it for more than simple PC is pleasant for those who actually have several consoles in their gaming room and love online play as well as having the option to play on their own without having to disturb others in the same house.
Connecting the headset for the very first time is an adventure I would personally not love to go on that many times though. It takes some time to actually get the thing going but when you finished the connection you’ll be able to leave the cables as they are for future usage.
The fact the headset if fairly foldable is great. It will save space even when you simply leave the headset on your desk. It will provide you with more security that the headset will not break during transport and it actually looks fairly fancy to show off to your friends. Your own pocket transformer, that is.
Conclusion
The Ceres-500 has earned the right to call itself the bigger brother of the Ceres-300. In many facets this headset equals or bests its lower priced counterpart. The extra options will surely be appealing to hardcore gamers that have more than one platform at their disposal. The folding is a nice extra touch but will certainly please those that are on the road more often than at home. If you’re looking for a new headset and you are multi-platform gamer, be sure to look further in to this model.
Note: Click here for a full list of specs.
CM Storm Ceres-500 - Hardware Review,
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