The Cooler Master CH331 gaming headset is aimed at budget-conscious gamers and aspiring streamers who want understated RGB style at an affordable price. The CH331 delivers when it comes to surround sound quality and comfort.
Designed to compete with the best gaming headsets in its price range, the $49 CH331 is sure to rock you with epic explosions. But it can also tickle your peripheral senses with the crackling of a campfire behind you… or the slurping chewing chew of a monster just beyond that tree line.
The headset works great right out of the box, but you’ll need Cool Master’s Master Plus software to unlock an equalizer and virtual speaker placement app.
Cooler Master CH331 Specifications:
| Driver type: | 50mm |
| Impedance | 16 |
| Frequency Response | 20-20,000 Hz |
| design style | Circumaural (over the ear) |
| Microphone Type: | Omnidirectional, 100 – 8,000 Hz |
| Connectivity | USB type A |
| Weight | 13 oz/371 grams |
| cord length | 7 feet/2.2 meters |
| Battery life | AFTER |
| Relief | RGB |
| Software | Cooler Master, Master Plus |
Design and comfort of the Cooler Master CH331
The CH331 is a standard wired headset that comes in a single color, black. The Y-yoke frame is made from dark gray aluminum, while the headband is steel and wrapped in buttery soft PU leather. The black-on-black vibe is accentuated with a subtle pulsing RGB light on the earpiece that is turned on via the cord.
The ears are quite soft and covered with more PU leather, with oval cups that completely cover the ear. The ears pivot outwards on the Y-yoke, but are otherwise in place. The headband is adjustable, giving you an extra centimeter of length on both sides.
A fabric-wrapped cord is permanently attached to the left earpiece, and a thick 3-inch long inline control panel sits approximately 20 inches along the cord. This placed the inline control on my lap as I sat, but on a taller person it could dangle around the navel. The inline control is made of extremely light plastic, so it doesn’t seem to add any weight.
There is another 61 inch cord from the inline control panel to your USB Type A plug for a total of 84 inches (7 feet) between your left ear and your PC. Since my PC is on the right side of my desk, I can stay at arm’s length from my tower without stretching the cord.
The headset is 13 oz, which is extremely close to a pound of extra weight strapped to your head. It’s quite comfortable, but you’ll notice. Because the headband is wrapped in smooth pleated, it is smooth and will slide around a bit, especially during chair dancing.
The inline control panel is a solid 3.25 x 1.25 x 0.5 inches and has volume and mute buttons for microphone and audio, plus a simple on/off for the lights. The lamps are not programmable.
Between the USB cable and the giant inline control panel, these are strictly headphones for your computer desk, not for walking around.
Performance of the Cooler Master CH331
The CH331 headset performs exceptionally well for such a reasonably priced accessory. It delivers a virtual 7.1 surround sound that really puts you in the game. For example, while playing The Outer Worlds, I stopped to liberate a campground complete with a small cooking fire. I slowly turned my character around and heard the quiet crackle of fire moving from my left side behind me and then to the right ear. Elsewhere along the trail, raptidons lurked on a cliff above and to the left. I could hear them before I could see them.
Not surprisingly, the CH331 puts a lot of emphasis on bass for those booming explosions. But there’s a decent range and separation, allowing me to clearly hear footsteps and birdsong as the game’s soundtrack hovered somewhere above my head.
When I switched to streaming music, I had the same experience. The bass was impressive and loud, but I could still hear Billie Eilish breathing into my ear during Bad Guy, something I don’t get from the Bluetooth earbuds I use around the house.
These are not noise canceling headphones and you can still hear muffled background noise in the room, especially when listening to a conversation. If you bang rock music, people will definitely be able to sneak up on you.
Microphone on the Cooler Master CH331
The CH331 has a detachable omnidirectional microphone that plugs into the left earpiece with a standard 3.5mm stereo jack. It is mounted on a long flexible wire, so you can place it in the right place. The microphone can be muted with the inline control.
Cooler Master CH331 . Features and Software
Cooler Master CH331 headphones are designed to be plug and play. You can tap into an equalizer and adjust the surround sound if you download the optional Master Plus software from the Cooler Master website, free for Windows 10 and 11.
The equalizer didn’t do much for midrange tweaking, and the sound profiles for pop music, movie, and gaming all seemed remarkably similar and bass-heavy.
The software has no options for the RGB lighting, so you’re stuck with the default pattern that runs through a rainbow of soft colors.
Bottom Line
All in all, the CH331 is comfortable enough to wear for long gaming sessions and the black on black color scheme wouldn’t be distracting for a streamer to wear. However, the giant control panel and USB cable keep these headphones on your desk, not out in the real world.
This headset has a very decent quality for an entry-level model, even if it is quite bass-heavy. With a retail price of $49.99, the CH331 would be a good budget-friendly purchase for a new streamer or gamer who wants cheap surround sound.
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