Tesoro Kuven A1 Review
Category : Headsets
Published by Luca Rocchi on 29.11.13
After gaming keyboard and mouse, Tesoro offers now also a headset called Kuven, which is available in black and white. The Kuven is a stereo headphone that offer the possibility to be used in a virtual 7.1 mode. The design is unique and it might not be everybodies darling. Other than that it appears to be a high quality product with attractive pricing.



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On the following pages we will show you the strengths and weaknesses of the Tesoro Kuven gaming headset.

Page 1 - Introduction Page 5 - Wearing comfort/ergonomics
Page 2 - Preview Page 6 - Acoustics
Page 3 - Specifications Page 7 - Software
Page 4 - Test conditions Page 8 - Conclusion
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Preview

   


   


   


Page 1 - Introduction Page 5 - Wearing comfort/ergonomics
Page 2 - Preview Page 6 - Acoustics
Page 3 - Specifications Page 7 - Software
Page 4 - Test conditions Page 8 - Conclusion
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Specifications

Headphones

Microphone

Remote control


Package





Page 1 - Introduction Page 5 - Wearing comfort/ergonomics
Page 2 - Preview Page 6 - Acoustics
Page 3 - Specifications Page 7 - Software
Page 4 - Test conditions Page 8 - Conclusion
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Test conditions


Regarding our Headset respectively Microphone tests we subjectively describe acoustics, microphone quality as well as ergonomics. The endresult therefore relies also on the tester himself. We're doing our best to ensure comparable results if different reviewers were testing different products. We think these review can be seen as a help if you like to buy a specific product and can therefore be seen as subjective consumer advice.

Music


Movies


Games



Page 1 - Introduction Page 5 - Wearing comfort/ergonomics
Page 2 - Preview Page 6 - Acoustics
Page 3 - Specifications Page 7 - Software
Page 4 - Test conditions Page 8 - Conclusion
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Wearing confort and ergonomics

   


The Kuven from Tesoro are very comfortable and lightweight, thanks to the materials used and the soft ear cushions. Even the rubber used for the headband is very good, rather soft and pleasant to the touch. The headphones are made mainly from plastic and there are some small aluminium inlays. The overall quality is on good level and you won't be able to find any manufacturing mistakes at all. The sample is solid like all the products tested so far from Tesoro. The headband is made ​​of aluminium, can be extended up to 35 mm on each side (total 70mm) through 13 steps. One thing that is quite unusual with the Kuven concerns the diagonal positioning of the earcups, completely different from the vast majority of the headset on the market. This particular feature makes Kuven very comfortable.
The cable is not removable, but the bundle includes several adapters and extensions, therefore you won't have connectivity problems with the Kuven. All the cables have been braided with high quality tissue. The Kuven can be connected in two ways: via USB (software Tesoro must be installed) to use the virtual 7.1 surround or through the common 3.5mm jack for use in stereo mode.


Page 1 - Introduction Page 5 - Wearing comfort/ergonomics
Page 2 - Preview Page 6 - Acoustics]
Page 3 - Specifications Page 7 - Software
Page 4 - Test conditions Page 8 - Conclusion
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Acoustics

Headphone

Unlike many other manufacturers, Tesoro decided to use large 50 mm drivers, which means the earcups are quite big overall. The fact, that it's big and features soft bolster helps with wearing comfort. This headset is even comfortable if you wear glasses or 3D goggles. The Kuven fits easily in your bag or on your desk, thanks to the use of a practical joint that allow you to rotate the earcups by 90 degrees. After a few days of use in various fields, we can say that the sound quality is on a good level. The sound was never unbalanced and the preset is surprisingly linear for a gaming headset; only when maximum volume was reached, we noticed some background noise. But listening to music, watching movies or playing games at such high volume won't be too healthy anyway. 
The virtual surround 7.1 performs very well, the audio experience will involve you and it is pretty cool especially in Battlefield 4.

   

Microphone

The microphone is about average. The noise cancellation works well but we believe that it is positioned too far away from your mouth. Despite being flexible and without memory effect, the arm where it's located is still too far away from your mouth. The headphones come with a handy integrated remote control, with which you can adjust the sound volume by a micro wheel and the microphone thanks to a slider. On the remote you'll also find the engraved manufacturer logo.

   


Page 1 - Introduction Page 5 - Wearing comfort/ergonomics
Page 2 - Preview Page 6 - Acoustics
Page 3 - Specifications Page 7 - Software
Page 4 - Test conditions Page 8 - Conclusion
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Software

Unlike other Tesoro software, we've tested so far, the one included in the bundle with Kuven doesn't offer graphical customization. The software is only necessary if you want to use the headphones via USB, otherwise in stereo mode with the 3.5mm jack it will work without the need of actually installing a drvier/tool. The software includes an equalizer, the ability to select the channels (2/4/6/8), various effects and karaoke mode. Other than that it is easy to use and intuitive. We hope for a GUI customization from Tesoro in future.

   

   


Page 1 - Introduction Page 5 - Wearing comfort/ergonomics
Page 2 - Preview Page 6 - Acoustics
Page 3 - Specifications Page 7 - Software
Page 4 - Test conditions Page 8 - Conclusion
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Conclusion


The Tesoro Kuven 7.1 Gaming Headset is an excellent product. The build quality as well as the materials used is really good and they fully comply with Tesoro's standard. The design is unique and unusual in perfect Tesoro style. The comfort is important and that's where the Kuven has been able to excel. The soft cushions fit perfectly and you will never experience pressure points. Thanks to the fact that the earcups have been rotated by 45 degrees it fits just perfect.
The sound quality is very good and well balanced, only the microphone is placed too far away from the mouth. The audio is surprisingly linear and should it already be according to your preferences, an equalizer has been integrated into Tesoro's software. It is not the first time that we've used a headset with 7.1 virtual surround  sound and in this case the sound is pleasant and highly involving.

Many manufacturers often save on bundle to keep down production costs. Tesoro includes a software CD, a 3.5mm Y-adapter (for use audio and microphone at the same 3.5mm jack), a 3.5mm audio extension cable, a manual and a catalogue of all products from Tesoro. Unfortunately the software doesn't have a custom GUI but it's still practical and intuitive to use. We hope for a future update from the manufacturer, where they rework the GUI.

The price of Tesoro's Kuven 7.1 is very attractive and competitive, about 70 Euro. At the moment it is not easy to find a similarly good products with the same price tag. For these reasons the Tesoro Kuven receive 4.5 out of 5 stars.



Page 1 - Introduction Page 5 - Wearing comfort/ergonomics
Page 2 - Preview Page 6 - Acoustics
Page 3 - Specifications Page 7 - Software
Page 4 - Test conditions Page 8 - Conclusion