Thrustmaster Hotas Cougar PC Flight Stick Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have been using the Cougar for over a year now and have concluded that it is a combination of the best and the worst in consumer products. In the end analysis it is ok for someone who doesn't mind tinkering, modifying and repairing. If it wasn't for the online community I would have thrown my Cougar away a long time ago. These guys are the BEST thing going for the Cougar. Support from the manufacturer is far from acceptable. Now for the good and the bad.
This product has a great feel about it. Largely because it's all metal, heavy and seems durable. The metal, however, is very soft and, consequently, easy to strip threads. The switches and pots are low quality. Replacement pots are only available through the manufacturer as they were specially made. (I think by CTS) The Throttle Quadrant has a speed brake switch which is on in the forward position, off in the middle position and momentary on in the back position. The switch itself is the toggle variety. It is guided by a plastic guide that works well when properly aligned but there is nothing designed into the product to insure alignment. You'll have to fix this yourself or the guide is likely to break. Fortunately the procedure is detailed in Frugals World Cougar forum.
Programmability is a big plus with the Cougar. Again, if you are not up to tinkering and just want to plug and play, look for something else. If you don't mind spending some time with your face in the manual and working through a profile or two you will have incredible flexibility.
The throttle itself is rather sticky through its range of motion and there are two detents for idle and afterburner. All in all it is clunky and I opted to remove the detents. As far as the sticky motion is concerned I have yet to find a way to fix it.
The Cougar is not really a desktop item. Sure it's heavy and you would think it would stay put but it doesn't. It is a lot more enjoyable when anchored to a platform. If you are contemplating this purchase I suggest that you go to and get familiar with http://cougar.frugalsworld.com/. They will be your primary support group and you can get some insight to the problems and soulutions that the rest of us are working through.
Pay special attention to the instructions when loading the software. There seems to be a problem with version 2.04 that damages the throttle pot.

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Product Description:
The most realistic flight simulation controller is here: the HOTAS Cougar, lifelike in design, lifelike in performance. This is truly "Hands on Throttle and Stick" gameplay. Based on the actual controller found in F-16 fighter aircraft, the HOTAS transports you to the furthest reaches of flight-simulation technology.From the second you grab hold of both the stick and the throttle, you notice the difference. All metal, black, and ready for business--that is the HOTAS. This controller offers up to 28 programmable buttons, multiple programmable hat switches, and adjustable resistance for the throttle, afterburner, and idle detent. These are just a few of the many features of this revolutionary stick and throttle combo. Without question, the HOTAS Cougar is the controller for true flight enthusiasts.

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Logitech G35 7.1-Channel Surround Sound Headset Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)These headphones are a lot of fun.

I'm not a gamer - can't play many games because I get dizzy, but I am sort of a collector of headphones.Frankly, I expected these to be awful and was more than pleasantly surprised to find that they are really quite good.

OK, so they look like some kind of boy toy science fiction gizmo.For me, I could do without all the buttons.But having a volume button on the headphone and a mute for the mic is very useful.

Most headphones depend upon the right combination of source and headphone to get a good sound.If you plug most high end headphones directly into your ipod or computer soundcard the sound quality is atrocious.The right mate of source and sound can mean that the right $20 headphone in your ipod can give surprisingly good sound if it is a good match.

The good (and the bad) of a USB headset is that it bypasses the amp in your computer soundcard.Instead, the digital to audio processing occurs through USB.This approach can allow very high quality sound, and in the case of this headset, it succeeds.

As to sound quality.I am impressed with the surround sound where normally I find surround unbearably processed and artificial, the software does a good job.With the surround sound turned off, and these headphones are in pure stereo mode, forget it, it's awful.But that isn't what these headphones are for.Bass is excellent with good low extension and not even the slightest touch of boominess.Artifical bass enhancement is one of the things I hate about most processed sound, and I was delighted to find that none was present.Logitech is to be commended for making that choice in the design because most people equate sloppy boomy bass with high quality (think car stereo woofer).

The mid range is outstanding.That's where the sound really excels.I have a few very high end headphones where the midrange is weak.With these headphones subtleties of tone and shading in human voices are easy to hear.

The high end of the sound spectrum is the weakness of the sound signature.Lost highs are the big price for processed sound.Imagine a bell ringing.After the bell rings the sound hangs in the air and slowly fades.When the highest highs are lost, and the sound is processed, the sound gets artifically cut off and the "air" is gone from the sound.At the present state of technology this seems to be unavoidable in all processed sound.The good news with this headset is that this loss of highs is not too horribly bad.I could listen to music (which is not what these are for) and it was not too distracting.The offset was the beautiful mids and the realistic sound stage.

Listening to movies, other than gaming, is where this headset excels.This is where location of sound can make a huge difference, and the ambiant sounds contribute to the experience.Watching a movie with these headset while sitting right in front of my computer screen is immersive and exciting.I can imagine that in games, where location of sounds is critical, that these would greatly enhance the experience and give the player an extra edge.

Finally, they are pretty comfortable.The choice of cushioning is very appreciated.

My partner and I both want to use them.I was given these to review but I might have to buy another set.The price, when you consider that it includes the digital audio converter and amplification, is very reasonable for a headset of this quality.

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Product Description:
The Logitech G35 headset. Game-changing immersion with 7.1 surround sound powered by Dolby technology for a detailed soundfield. Featuring three swappable headband pads; three customizable G keys; on-ear audio controls; and an adjustable, noise-canceling microphone.

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