CompuExpert is an ambiguously named distribution company that would seemingly match up as well selling PC power supplies and printer cables as it would gamer-caliber hardware. In fact, CompuExpert typically specializes in higher-quality European-originated gear like headsets and mice. Two of its marquee product lines showcased at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show are headsets from Sharkoon and mice from Mionix.

Sharkoon

Sharkoon is a German company that offers a line of headsets for gamers, two of which I had a chance to try out at CES. The Xtatic SP is a solid middle-of-the-road headset for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A detachable and ruggedly built metal boom mic comes with the package and should prove durable enough to outlast even gamers who treat their hardware the way rockers do when they smash their guitars at the end of a show. The headset expands over both cans, comfortably fitting my head, and the padded headband is generally comfortable. The foam over the speakers sat nicely on my ears. As for the sound, the first-person shooter demo was a great way to showcase the sound quality of any headset but was better suited for a good surround sound headset, which the SP is not. Nonetheless, for a gamer who wants a solidly built headset without surround sound, the SP seems like a reasonable option. The SP retails for $69.99.

The Sharkoon flagship product is the Xtatic Digital, a Dolby 5.1 Pro Logic Surround Sound headset, which, like the SP, is compatible with the Xbox 360 and PS3, tricked out with four speakers per earpiece. The Xtatic Digital shares the SP’s solid construction and flexible and well-made mic but offers much more under the hood. The Digital offers a Dolby Digital Sound control unit, which offers master volume controls, inputs for two Sharkoon Digital headsets for multiplayer action, among other controls. A precise control module is included to control the front, rear, center and subwoofer sound control. The build quality at first blush makes the Digital on the heavier side as a side effect of its solidness and yet rested easily on my head without too much of a sense of gravity. For the few minutes I listened to the demoed sounds of gunfire, grenades, explosions, screams and shouts, the sound quality was exceptional, especially in the surround sound modes. The Xtatic Digital retails for $159. If you are more of an audiophile with your gaming or music in general, it’ll be worth the upgrade.

Mionix

From audio now to interface, I also took a look at a pair of mice from the Swedish-based company Mionix: the Naos 5000 and Naos 3000 mice, with 3200 DPI optical sensor and a 5040 DPI laser sensor, both for Windows PCs.

The 3200, priced at $59.99, is a smaller mouse that comfortably fits in the palm of my hand, with plug-and-play capability, customizable LED lighting system, adjustable polling rate and seven programmable buttons.

The Naos 5000, priced at $89.99, shares all the features of the 3200 but is more feature-loaded and was the mouse I had more hands-on time with. The Naos 5000 feels like a larger device even though it is not, with a tilted topside of the mouse, an ergonomic design that takes some getting used to. For gamers that like a little heft to their mouse, a customizable weight system with eight separate weights of 5 grams apiece is part of the package. In terms of sensitivity, gamers can adjust the very twitchy maximum DPI on the fly. The software that comes with the Naos 5000 makes it possible for players to store profiles for button assignments and other settings. One nice feature is the ability of the laser on the mouse to process the surface it’s being used on and adjust its performance to the surface. Of course, the optimal surface that was demoed was the counterpart of the mouse, a Mionix PVC plastic-coated mousepad.

With both Sharkoon and Mionix, the baseline models that were shown are more than capable models that would cover what most gamers need for audio and interfacing with their games. It’s the top-end models, though, that really stand out based on my impressions. The Sharkoon Xtatic Digital and the Mionix Naos 5000 are obviously pricier but products designed for long-term play sessions comfortably, with plenty of control and customization over the options.