Cooler Master MasterPulse

Comfy convertible cans.

- Alex Cox

We Generally Don’t Use extended theme park analogies to describe PC peripherals, but rarely has a headset ever taken us on a rollercoaster ride like this one did. We started sweating in the queue. The MasterPulse’s prime gimmick, a set of neodymium-magnet mounted plates, which click on to the outside of each ear cup, is a new experience. Properly installed, the plates infer a closed back design; removed, the headset converts to a semi-open configuration, and activates Cooler Master’s Bass FX tech for a far fatter sound. Two distinct sounds in one headset, with a completely analog way of converting from one to the other. Either this is a feat of audio engineering, or something we really don’t want to be riding.