Design & Build Quality
Kicking off with the build quality, the Renga Boost feels reasonably well put together though it does lack any kind of premium feel, however, we must remember that this headset RRPs at only £50 in the UK (US: $60/AU: $97) so we can’t expect too much, as obvious economisations must be made in specific areas.
Comfort is perhaps the most important aspect of any headset, and the ROCCAT Renga Boost does fairly well here but I’d definitely like to see the “clamping force” be lessened to a certain degree but I do have a larger-than-average head so you may well fare better than me, depending on your head size. The clamping force lead to a feeling of a headache quite quickly, which obviously isn’t conducive to any kind of pleasant experience. My girlfriend didn’t suffer from the same feeling and found it to be much more comfortable, so take from that what you will. The ear cups are a decent size but they don’t quite encapsulate the ear, instead sitting on top of the ear slightly. This wasn’t an issue at first but resulted in discomfort eventually because of the cushioning pinning my ears to the side of my head.
Thanks to the lightweight in-line control, the headset doesn’t pull noticeably to one side, despite both the microphone and cable attaching on the same side, though the cable doesn’t feel too substantial and tends to retain its shape if it’s coiled up.
Multimedia
Sound quality is next up, which is certainly somewhere I was pleasantly surprised. The “Studio Grade Sound”, with the best will in the world, is an exaggeration, but at this price point, it’s absolutely acceptable. ROCCAT claims to deliver “deep bass” with the Renga Boost, which just isn’t the case, unfortunately; certainly, the bass is present and is clear, but it’s not deep or hard-hitting by any means, this is most likely due to the open-backed nature of the headset, with bass being something they typically struggle with.
Overall sound quality, however, is good and well balanced, but volume is lacking. I found myself pushing the headset to 100% in all of my tests for any kind of real oomph, but even then found myself wishing I could push it a bit further. The Xbox One and PS4 controllers both came up lacking as well, and due to the open-backed design, we found that other household noises could interfere with the immersion too easily.
Microphone
After using the headset for a couple of online sessions with some friends in Battlefield V, I asked for comments on the microphone (Through Discord). It was found to be a little heavy on the bass, but otherwise clear and easy to understand. It would be nice to be able to position the microphone a little better, however, with us struggling to mount the microphone directly in front of your mouth for better pickup.
Kicking off with the build quality, the Renga Boost feels reasonably well put together though it does lack any kind of premium feel, however, we must remember that this headset RRPs at only £50 in the UK (US: $60/AU: $97) so we can’t expect too much, as obvious economisations must be made in specific areas.
Comfort is perhaps the most important aspect of any headset, and the ROCCAT Renga Boost does fairly well here but I’d definitely like to see the “clamping force” be lessened to a certain degree but I do have a larger-than-average head so you may well fare better than me, depending on your head size. The clamping force lead to a feeling of a headache quite quickly, which obviously isn’t conducive to any kind of pleasant experience. My girlfriend didn’t suffer from the same feeling and found it to be much more comfortable, so take from that what you will. The ear cups are a decent size but they don’t quite encapsulate the ear, instead sitting on top of the ear slightly. This wasn’t an issue at first but resulted in discomfort eventually because of the cushioning pinning my ears to the side of my head.
Thanks to the lightweight in-line control, the headset doesn’t pull noticeably to one side, despite both the microphone and cable attaching on the same side, though the cable doesn’t feel too substantial and tends to retain its shape if it’s coiled up.
Multimedia
Sound quality is next up, which is certainly somewhere I was pleasantly surprised. The “Studio Grade Sound”, with the best will in the world, is an exaggeration, but at this price point, it’s absolutely acceptable. ROCCAT claims to deliver “deep bass” with the Renga Boost, which just isn’t the case, unfortunately; certainly, the bass is present and is clear, but it’s not deep or hard-hitting by any means, this is most likely due to the open-backed nature of the headset, with bass being something they typically struggle with.
Overall sound quality, however, is good and well balanced, but volume is lacking. I found myself pushing the headset to 100% in all of my tests for any kind of real oomph, but even then found myself wishing I could push it a bit further. The Xbox One and PS4 controllers both came up lacking as well, and due to the open-backed design, we found that other household noises could interfere with the immersion too easily.
Microphone
After using the headset for a couple of online sessions with some friends in Battlefield V, I asked for comments on the microphone (Through Discord). It was found to be a little heavy on the bass, but otherwise clear and easy to understand. It would be nice to be able to position the microphone a little better, however, with us struggling to mount the microphone directly in front of your mouth for better pickup.
