Ever since the release of Razer‘s Kraken Kitty headset, more and more manufacturers are offering cute, feline-oriented headsets for those that way inclined. The Edifier Hecate G5BT CAT headset offers a solid alternative that is good-looking and comfortable to boot.
Build Quality
From as early as sliding open the box, it is easy to tell that the Hecate G5BT CAT is a premium product. Removing the lid reveals a stylish, rounded headset case carefully shrouding the headset itself, and a snugly organised box that contains the input jack, charging cable, instructions and cat ears.
Opening the rubberised headset case reveals the headset which is neatly folded inside. I was immediately taken with how small of a footprint they have when folded, especially as I have generally only used headsets where the ear cups twist in line with the headband, but retain the same overall size.
Unfolding the G5BT CAT headset into its usable form makes it obvious that this headset is of exceptional quality. The hinges snap back into place solidly and don’t feel flimsy at all as the plastic headband is reinforced with aluminium. Despite the plastic elements, they do feel durable and hard-wearing, which you would hope for a headset in this price range.
The ear and headband cushions are made from a skin-soft leatherette and offer a lot of comfort when worn for long periods of time.
Audio Quality
The Hecate F5BT CAT headset advertises Hi-Res Certified sound. In layman’s terms, this means it meets the requirements of a sampling frequency of 96kHz and a dynamic response range of 24bits. Despite this, in order to experience lossless sound the headset should be used with a 3.5mm audio jack. I had been looking forward to using a wireless headset so frankly, I didn’t bother.
When testing the headset during some online games, the headset seemed to do a good job of recreating the sounds that the game devs intended. Sound effects such as gunshots and footsteps were accurate thanks to the 45ms latency chip that the headset features.
Unfortunately, I did feel that the headphones didn’t quite have the clarity that I’m used to when talking to others over Discord. This is because all of the participants of the call sounded a little bit muffled. Despite this, they did report that my voice sounded clear so the microphone seemed to be doing a good job at repressing any background noise. I also found that the microphone could be positioned quite far from my mouth for them to hear me, which I prefer over ones that need to be within licking distance to work properly.
When using the headphones to listen to music, I found that the bass especially didn’t seem to quite hit the required depths. When listening to a few STARSET songs, and others where there’s a lot going on musically, the bass and treble don’t particularly come through and it sounds like all of the sounds are competing for the middle space. This caused the overall sound to feel very muddied and flat, which was rather disappointing.
Aesthetics
If the whimsical anime catperson is your niche, then this headset doesn’t disappoint. The ears themselves are magnetic and so can be taken off at a moment’s notice but unfortunately, this also means that they are quite easily knocked off. The ears are also made of a soft silicone material which means they are magnets for dust and debris – although this is easily wiped off.
When compared to other cat-eared headsets, I personally find the Hecate G5BT CAT‘s to be the best-looking. They do have somewhat of a futuristic, sci-fi appeal, which you will either love or hate. Each ear cup features light-up circuit board lines which aren’t too flamboyant when lit up, instead emitting a gentle glow.
On the sky blue edition that I reviewed, the headband is adorned with two rose gold coloured chrome details that feature the Hecate logo. I like that the branding is unassuming and the rose gold elements add a touch of glamour.
The Hecate G5BT CAT carry case is a welcomed addition and aids the user in protecting their headset whilst not in use at home or out and about. The headset fits snugly inside when folded and even has enough space for the ears and cables.
As for the Hecate G5BT CAT‘s RGB capability, there are limited options. You are able to choose between four colours: blue, red, green and purple – which can either be solid or pulsating. Not only are these options wholly unsatisfying, it wasn’t easy to figure out how to change them in the first place.
Instead of having a dedicated RGB button or a standalone program, Edifier has settled for a button with multiple uses. On the right ear cup there is a button marked ‘G’, short pressing the button changes between game mode and music mode; long pressing the button turns the RGB on or off; and double pressing the button changes the RGB colour. This isn’t exactly what I would call intuitive and when wearing the headset it can be hard to manage the controls on the back of the ear cups.
Availability & Pricing
The Edifier Hecate G5BT CAT headset is available at a few different outlets in the UK, including Amazon – although not all colour options are easy to obtain. Pricing is around the £129 mark, although Amazon currently has stock available at the steeper price of £159. This price does seem to be a little on the high side, especially when the audio isn’t quite as good as it should be.
Edifier Hecate G5BT CAT Specification
- Connection: Bluetooth or 3.5mm audio jack
- Driver: Φ40mm dynamic driver
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Audio codec: SBC
- Microphone sensitivity: -38 ± 1dB
- Battery life: 36 hours (RGB off) 20 hours (RGB on)
- Charging time: Approx. 2 hours
- Charging port: USB-C
- Weight: 350g
Edifier Hecate G5BT CAT overall thoughts
Overall, the Hecate G5BT CAT headset offers a good-looking piece of equipment which feels durable with a premium edge. The functionality is a little frustrating as the headset controls aren’t intuitive and it can be a little difficult to adjust the volume on the back of the ear cup whilst in the game. At its greatest detriment, the price isn’t that competitive compared to its rivals and I doubt that its visual appearance is worth paying £50 more.
To read more about the Edifier G5BT CAT headphones, click here. You can also check out more of our hardware reviews here.
