It's been a while since Teufel set foot in the gaming market with the cage and its new edition. Quite successfully, because the cage really wasn't a bad headset and still does its job well on my home PC. Now the Berliners are daring a second attempt and relying on a moderate price with a few customization options - and away from the drab gamer black.
It is becoming more and more common at the moment that headset manufacturers no longer necessarily submit to the gaming clichés, which consist of black headsets, possibly with red decorative elements and occasionally RGB lighting. Gaming headsets are becoming more colorful and Teufel has also jumped on this train. The Teufel Zola is available for a moderate EUR 129.99 and offers a number of visual options.
Even the basic device offers plenty of choice in the store. There are light gray and dark gray as the basic colors for the housing and headband, and there are also a total of six different color variants to choose from for the upholstery, cover, and pop protection. So if you want something a little more colourful, you have a pretty decent selection.
Since the upholstery, cover, and pop protection can be exchanged in just a few simple steps, you can also get other variants. However, this has its price, because a set of cushions and pop protection costs 24.99 euros, and the set with the covers costs 19.99 euros. A nice idea, but the prices of the sets are very expensive in relation to the basic price of the headset. Instead of 130 euros, 175 euros or more quickly come together.
At first glance, there is little to criticize about the headset itself. The construction is quite simple but robust. The earcups hang securely in metal forks that have some play. Soft and comfortable head and ear pads with breathable textile covers ensure sufficient comfort. In connection with the moderate weight of about 330 grams, the Teufel Zola offers high wearing comfort even during longer sessions.
The Zola is connected via a jack cable that can be securely attached to the headset using a bayonet catch. The cable features a small volume control and microphone mute control. There is also a USB adapter with an integrated DSP. This means that the headset can be used in a variety of ways on all devices with a USB or 3.5 mm connection, from smartphones/tablets to gamepads and, of course, PCs. Thanks to the USB DSP, which also supports DTS Headphone:X 2.0 in conjunction with the free Teufel Audio Center, the latter is of course the best option.
In-house 40 mm drivers work in the headset with a frequency range of 10 to 20,000 Hz, which blows a pleasingly balanced, powerful sound into the ears. The basses have a punch but are not overly present, details come out clearly, and speech is wonderfully understandable. Above all, the breadth of the sound stage is already convincing in normal stereo mode. The basses are a bit more muffled when surround sound is switched on in USB mode, but the perception of direction increases significantly.
Compensation options are available because the Teufel Audio Center is easy to use and offers a number of options, including a 10-band EQ. In addition, monitoring, sample rate, surround distribution and much more can be optimized in a few simple steps, which is by no means a matter of course in this price range. The same applies to the detachable microphone, which knows how to shine in this headset price range with very clear voice transmission without annoying background noise.
CONCLUSION
Nice headset, good sound, expensive accessories
As far as the actual headset is concerned, Teufel's renewed attempt in the gaming sector can be described as successful. The robustly manufactured and very comfortable Teufel Zola convinces with a wide and balanced sound for the price range, scores with a pleasantly good microphone, and very decent surround sound when using the simple but effective software. Just under 130 euros is not too much for the high-sounding headset, especially since there are nice color options other than the usual gaming black.
The configuration options of the headset are also a nice idea. With new upholstery and panels, you can give the Zola a new look in no time at all. However, the price for the replacement packages is less attractive. 25 euros for the upholstery and another 20 euros for the panels is a lot of money for some optical variety. The headset is great, the rest exceeds the proportionality a bit, especially in times when the purse isn't that bulging anymore anyway.
Pros
- very convenient
- robustly processed
- good, spacious sound
- simple but effective software
- nice visual variations
- versatile (jack + USB)
- moderate price
Cons
- Accessory packs with replacement elements are relatively expensive
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