I'm typing these very words on a Hatsune Miku keyboard, so you can bet my interest was piqued when I stumbled upon this cat-ear headset that's styled after my favorite virtual diva.
The Yowu Hatsune Miku NX Cat ear headphones take after that kitty aesthetic that some of the best gaming headset brands like Razer have been pioneering for a while now, but with some Vocaloid details. It features turquoise-colored accents and matching LED earcups that pay homage to Miku's iconic green pigtails, and her 01 tattoo marking is even located above the yokes. However, it's the fact that this pair actually speaks that has me scouring to save for its $219 MSRP.
The headset features audible voice lines read aloud by Miku herself, letting you know everything, including that Bluetooth has paired, to alerting you that its battery is about to run out.
Of course, these aren't read out in English, so you'll have to have some vague understanding of the Japanese language to get a kick out of this unique feature, but that's part of what being a Vocaloid fan is all about. Miku herself originated as a mascot for the voicebank for the Japanese music software, Vocaloid. Developed by Crypton Future Media, who have collaborated with Yowu to produce this headset, the voice bank works by attaching Japanese syllables to music notes, which in turn allows its users to compose music tracks.
A lot of very clever people have managed to write English Miku tracks over the years, and the diva herself has spoken more in English as her popularity has risen. However, it's not entirely surprising to see that this headset sticks to Japanese voice lines. Honestly, that doesn't put me off wanting it, as I'm sure after the 10th or so time of Miku telling me that Bluetooth is connected, I'll understand what she means. The headset is so adorable, I'd be willing to do thehomework of learning more Japanese words just to adorn it on my head.
Asus Tuf Gaming H1 Gen II Wired Gaming Headset | $98 at Best Buy
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The voice lines aren't its only appeal. Much like other Vocaloid headset collabs, like Audio Technica ATH-M50xSTS headset or Asus TUF Gaming's Gen II Hatsune Miku Edition headset, there are a lot of details fans would appreciate. The pair comes with an app that includes some stunning Miku art and lets you customize the lighting of the cups as you see fit. It also comes with a Hatsune Miku-themed carrying case and extra collectible goodies from a print of the illustration used for this unique collab.
I do worry that the headset is more about the aesthetic and design than its specs. I haven't had any experience with Yowu products in the past, but this pair is only equipped with Bluetooth and a 4-10 hour battery life if you have the RGBs on full Miku-beam. It's not advertised as a gaming headset despite its retractable microphone, so the lack of 2.4GHz isn't surprising. I'd just have expected more with its $200+ price.
While you can grab Yowu's other cat-ear headsets at US Amazon, the Hatsune Miku NX Cat ear headphones are only available for $219 at the official Yowu online store, at least for the time being. As the second-generation version of this Miku collab, I'm hoping it'll make its way across other US and UK storefronts, but myself and fellow Miku collectors can only hope. In the meantime, I guess I'll have to stick with my cat-ear-less Asus Miku pair for now.
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