Tecware Q5 RGB 7.1 Gaming Headset Review
Kevin Tan 
USER EXPERIENCE
TEST SETUP
| Amplifier | n/a |
| DAC | n/a |
SONG USED FOR TESTING:
GAMES PLAYED:
- Counterstrike Global Offensive
- PUBG
AUDIO/SOUND
SOUND SIGNATURE AND IMPRESSIONS
The Tecware Q5 gaming headset has a warm sound signature. The bass has a slight boost and a little bit muddy but you can customize the EQ through the software which we will discuss later.
Bass
The bass is slightly boosted and it is a little bit muddy. If you’re a bass-head, then you’ll probably enjoy the bass here.
Mids
The mids are enough and you can still hear vocals clearly despite the bass is boosted slightly.
Treble
The treble is tamed. You can feel a “veil” or it’s like the sound is coming from behind a curtain. Nonetheless, you can adjust the treble later via the EQ to adjust the treble and make it sound more open.
SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND ISOLATION
The sound stage is pretty decent for a budget headset like the Tecware Q5. This headset is a closed-back design so the soundstage is not as wide as other gaming headsets with an open-back design. I’ve tested this headset, particularly in CSGO since the sound cues in CSGO are more accurate than PUBG’s sounds.
The imaging of the Q5 headset is impressive. It’s rare to see that a 7.1 function is effective in a gaming headset. Occasionally, it tends to destroy the imaging if you turn the 7.1 surround feature in a gaming headset but in the Tecware Q5, it acts as a gain for the headset. I tried using the 7.1 feature in CSGO and as well as PUBG.
Isolation is obviously good in the Tecware Q5 since this is a closed-back headset with a good clamping force. I wish the stock pads could have been a little thicker to provide better noise isolation.
COMFORT
Comfort
The thickness of the stock earpads on the Tecware Q5 is quite enough. You can easily change this to any HM5 earpads on Lazada or Shopee since it is removable. However, the cushion on the headband is a little bit thinner than my expectations.
MICROPHONE
As you can see, the Tecware Q5 has a detachable microphone with a windscreen installed in it which inhibits picking up unwanted noise such as heavy breathing, hiss, and pops. We have a microphone test done in 3 different ways. 0%, 50%, and 100% gain and we let the AGC option on in every test. Based on the mic test results, the optimal gain is only 50% to avoid picking unwanted noise and also to be able to speak clearly. You can adjust the microphone gain in the software later
SOFTWARE
When it comes to software, I can say that Tecware has one of the best software equalizers right now for a budget gaming headset under 2000 pesos. Upon plugging the Tecware Q5 headset into the USB port, you will see that it has a default (custom) tuned setting and it means that this headset is software tuned already. Nonetheless, it has a warm sound signature which is somewhat preferred by other gamers who don’t like the V-shaped sound signature. In addition, there are also presets which I don’t recommend using and instead, tuning the headset into your own preference is better. I will leave a link for the LAG custom sound EQ setting. Download the link here.
Secondly, you can add an effect like you’re in a theater, bathroom, etc. I really don’t suggest using these settings because it will only mess up your sounds, a useless feature in my opinion. Next in this software is the microphone setting in which you can mute your mic and also adjust the gain of your microphone. In addition, you can also turn AGC (automatic gain control) on always so it will adjust accordingly to the sound input.
Lastly, you can adjust the LED settings through the software. It has 4 modes and you can adjust the colors and speed of the current lighting mode. Moreover, you can save your current setting on your desktop but it doesn’t have any memory to save your settings on-the-go.
Tecware Q5 7.1 software download link here