Ear Force X4 Dolby Digital Wireless (Headphones) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just received my Ear Force X4 a few days ago and have been busy "testing" it for several days now. I have played with it in Gears of War, COD4, Battlefield:BC, Rock Band, Guitar Hero 3, and more. I have played online and off, with voice and without. After all this, I am finally ready to give my opinion on if it was $200 well spent, or a costly mistake.

First, let me say that I have a bit more experience with 5.1 headphones than the average consumer. I have owned many, made by everyone from Kinyo to Zalman and Tritton. With this knowledge it carries some weight when I say these offer some of the richest and clearest sound of any of them. I hear details in the sound and a wider range than with any of my previous headsets. The 5.1 is also quite good, I can pinpoint where sound is coming from pretty easily, and the sound fields sound a lot more balanced than with something like the Tritton AX360. Finally, the bass is very good even without the boost enabled, with it on it can almost be overpowering. The sound continues to impress even when watching movies or TV, and the Pro Logic 2 is nice when you only have a 2 channel source. The X4's are easy to hook up, with Optical in and RCA in you can easily hook up any audio source for use with them.

Overall, I would say the sound is some of the best I have heard from a 5.1 headset. That isn't to say it's perfect, there is a very slight hiss at all times when the headphones are on. You can only hear it when there is no other sound so it's not detrimental, as you don't notice it while using them, but it is there. Honestly though, I'm not sure if it is really anymore prevalent than the hiss found in most of the other headphones I have tried. It seems like they all had this to some extent. As for the wireless, it works very well and I haven't had any problems with it, the hiss doesn't really seem to be associated with the wireless, because if I cover the receivers on the headset I get different white noise.

The headphones themselves are very comfortable, easily half the weight of the AX360 and don't make my ears get nearly as hot. It is easy to forget they are even there.

The thing that really sets these headphones apart is not the great sound or comfortable design; it's the expert implementation of voice chat. Unlike the AX360 and every other 5.1 headset the X4 allows you to adjust the chat volume independently of the other sound. This works very well, you can clearly hear people talking even over a cacophony of other noise. On the AX360 I would have to turn the in-game music off, and lower all the other sound to be able to hear the other players reliably, the X4 takes care of all that. The microphone for speaking to other players is good and clear, it is easy to remove and attach. Additionally, some of your voice is transmitted back into the headset, so you can more easily hear yourself speak, and thus speak normally unlike with other headphones.

However, as great as the voice is, it also is not perfect. When you hook the voice up the hiss I mentioned before intensifies significantly, I attribute this to the controller putting out some white noise, but it is noticeable. It won't bother you while you are talking and playing, but I found myself unplugging the voice when no one was talking because the hiss was a bit disruptive. I wouldn't call this a deal breaker, but it is a minor imperfection and worth mentioning. Even with that small problem, the X4 is easily the best implementation of voice in a 5.1 headset, and a must own if you plan to play multiplayer while using your headphones.

Overall, the X4 is a very good attempt at a gaming centric pair of 5.1 headphones. The wireless is great and does not seem to degrade the audio. The headphones are comfortable and provide clear and rich sound, with good sound fields for the 5.1 support. The voice implementation is the best found anywhere, and works great aside from some slight background noise. I would recommend the X4 headphones to anyone wanting a great pair of headphones for use with their Xbox 360 and other game consoles and audio sources. With gaming in mind they are the best solution available. However, if you do not own a 360, I can't really recommend the X4 over other headphones, because the thing that really sets them apart is the voice support. They are very good headphones in their own right, but for less you could get a similar pair of headphones for movies and music and such without the voice that would sound just as good.

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Product Description:
The Ear Force X4 wireless headphones push your Xbox 360 gaming experience to a whole new level with the thrill and realism of Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound. Pump up the volume without disturbing friends, family, or neighbors. Freely move around as you play. Hear every nuance of the game - from an opponent sneaking behind you to your teammate's voice right next to you. Trash talk online. Block out distractions. Feel the game expand all around you and become a better player. Conventional Xbox 360 communicator headsets compromise the gaming experience by covering one ear for chat, leaving only a single ear for game audio from the speakers.The Ear ForceX4 Wireless Headphones overcome this problem by playing both the game audio AND the online chaton a single set of high fidelity headphones.The result is the intense experience, privacy, clarity, and competitive edge of PC headphones on the Xbox 360 platform.The Ear Force X4 Xbox 360 Wireless Headphones let you totally focus on your game play and not become distracted by the noise around you. With Dobly surround sound pumped right into your ears, you can hear every nuance of the game all around you in a way that isn't possible when hearing it as background sound with speakers. In addition, because the Xbox Live chat is mixed in with the game signal, you can hear what everyone is saying right in the middle of your head, enabling you to communicate more effectively with other players. As a result, the Ear Force X4 can actually make you a better player. By combining the best of both worlds, avid Xbox 360 gamers no longer have to make the no-win choice between using headphones or talking online.When you're ready to get serious about your gaming, it's time for an X4.

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Ear Force PBT Bluetooth Communicator for PS3 Review

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(More customer reviews)Enjoyed playing XBOX360 with my X31 headset ,but then wanted the same enjoyment with PS3.
Not possible till ear force PBT was brought to my notice,now i get the best out of both game consules
Thank you Turtle Beach.

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Product Description:
The Turtle Beach Ear Force PBT is a Bluetooth communicator device for the PlayStation 3. It allows wireless connectivity to the PS3 for live chat with others over the PlayStation Network. The PBT is unique because unlike other Bluetooth communicators, in addition to pairing with your PS3, it can simultaneously pair with your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone too. The PBT's dual-pairing feature maximizes convenience when gaming because you can instantly switch from in-game chatting to take a phone call - with just a single press of a button. With the PBT's 2.5mm mic jack you can even use the wireless Ear Force X31 or X41 headsets on the PlayStation 3. All the innovative features that make Turtle Beach's X31 and X41 excellent XBOX 360 headsets can now be enjoyed on the PS3.

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Ear Force W3 Stereo Wireless Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)Overall I like the headphones, but mostly because they are wireless and work with the Wii.I have no major complaints with the sound and it's adequate for what I use them for (casual gaming).I like the on/off switch and the volume control, which are both on the headset. My one complaint is that my ears get tired/sore after having them on for an hour or so and normally when I finally get a chance to play I play for a couple of hours so I generally come away with sore ears when using them.The soreness goes away after a 1/2 hour or so of not wearing them, but the design needs to be improved for a more comfortable fit.

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Product Description:
The Ear Force W3 Wii Headset is designed specifically for your active movements while playing Nintendo's new flagship console, the Wii. The W3 Wii Headset's comfortable padding and behind the neck ergonomic design guarantee that they'll stay in place during the most active Wii Gaming sessions.

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Ear Force X1 Stereo Headset with Chat Review

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(More customer reviews)Bought the Turtle Beach X1 headset, worked great initially. GF was happy the 360 would no longer disturb her with sounds at night. However, once I plugged the puck and mic into the controller, all went downhill. I play on LIVE in games that needs a mic to communicate with friends (Call of Duty 4). Whenever the mic is plugged in, there is a LOUD annoying buzzing sound that won't go away until I unplug the puck and mic from the controller. Without the mic attached, sound works great, but the left speakers had a tendency to go out intermittently. Really had high hopes for this headset, will probably return.

Update 5/22/08:
Buzzing sound problem: I was able to identify the source of the buzzing sound from the headset. After plugging in different controllers, mics and set-ups, the culprit is the wired charge kit adapter that connects from the 360 to the wireless controller that is being charged. The solution is to use only a wireless controller with the headset. That means now I have to charge the wireless controllers when I am not using the headset or purchase a separate battery pack charger. Turtle Beach website support is not that easy to navigate, but the FAQ does mention a ground AC connector causing interference, and I assumed it meant the charge kit cable. I wish the FAQ/support site was more clear in their wording.

Left-side speakers losing sound: The problem was identified and solved. Reason was hook-up to Onkyo sound system. Onkyo sound system is hooked up to 360 by digital connection and then the Turtle headset uses analog. Had to turn off digital surround sound, which caused the fluctuation in right/left headset speakers and switched to stereo sound. This also reduced the loud bass BOOMs. (Shotgun blasts in COD4 are incredibly LOUD). I decided to connect to the Sharp Aquos LCD directly and avoid having to switch settings on the Onkyo sound system.

My previous review gave 2-stars. Amazon does not allow for changing of stars but I would say 4 stars now. After troubleshooting, I have decided to keep the Turtle Beach headset. Future buyers be aware that you may need to troubleshoot depending on your set-up.

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Product Description:
The Ear Force X1 Xbox 360 Stereo Headset's integrated design overcomes the limitation of Xbox communicator headsets that block game sound from one ear and eliminates voice chat interference caused by the headset microphone picking up sound from external speakers. Pump up the volume without disturbing friends, family or neighbors with these Xbox 360 Stereo Headsets.Hear every nuance of the game - from an opponent sneaking up behind you to your teammate's voice right next to you. Trash talk online.Block out distractions.It's everything you need for an amazing gaming experience.

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Ear Force DPX21 PS3 Headset and 5.1/7.1 Channel Dolby Surround Sound Review

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(More customer reviews)This pair of headphones has a truly spectacular frequency response range.Despite the fact these are headphones, you will FEEL the bass reverberating between your ears!The fact that these work with pretty much any audio source you'll run across from stereo analog input to digital fiber optic is pretty sweet.

I've owned many headphones.Be it from cheap stereo to "pseudo-surround", such as the Plantronics Gamecom (pseudo-surround) and I even have a pair of the mid-line SHURE headphones (they have reasonable bass response), this pair will blow them away.

Sound is crisp in the mid/high range as well.For the price, you certainly won't be dissappointed!If you're a SHURE headphone fan, these will really impress you.

The only downside to these are the MASSIVE amount of cables that accompany them.It's not that there's many, it's just that they're really LONG (which is GREAT in most cases!)...Just remember you're going to have to bundle them if you're going to use them on your PC (as I do) so they aren't strewn across your entire desk.

Overall, best headphone purchase I've made to date.Turtle Beach really knows their audio!

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Product Description:
Immerse yourself in dynamic surround sound while enjoying crystal-clear communication on the PlayStation Network with the Ear Force DPX21 Headset for the PlayStation 3. An integrated in-line amplifier keeps audio controls and a mic mute within easy reach. Combining high-fidelity 5.1-/7.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound with the included digital optical cable allows you to experience 3D audio that envelops you. A comfortable ergonomic design, exceptional audio quality and convenient online communications make it possible for the Ear Force DPX21 Headset to enhance your overall gameplay experience. The lightweight Ear Force DPX21 Headset for PlayStation 3 features a twist-cup design and oversize fabric mesh ear cushions for comfortable wear during long gameplay sessions. Hear the position of every sound in your games thanks to the Dolby Digital processing that re-creates the sound of 7.1-channel speakers. An optical connection for Dolby Digital sound, an adjustable bass boost and stereo expander let you enjoy premium audio during gameplay. The integrated USB microphone lets you communicate clearly on the PlayStation Network. Become a better player while experiencing games as they were meant to be heard with the Ear Force DPX21 Headset.

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Ear Force X41 (XBOX LIVE Chat + Wireless Digital RF Game Audio with Dolby Headphone 7.1 Surround Sound) Review

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(More customer reviews)Some readers may remember me from my X4 review. Here we are a little over a year later and I am once again tearing into the box of a shiny new pair of Turtle Beach headphones. I liked the X4s, so why did I invest another $200 on the X41s? Because the X4s had some issues, common issues included sound glitches at certain frequencies (press the B button in Shadowrun), interference from other IR sources (like the Wii sensor bar), and a noticeable hiss when using the voice function. These issues did not ruin the X4s, in fact they were still one of the best gaming centric headphones, and THE best wireless gaming headphones, but the issues could be annoying. Thankfully, the X41s claim to fix everything wrong with the X4s and add some new features to boot. Do they live up to the hype or have hidden issues?

For the rest of my review I will be doing some comparison to the X4 in every aspect of these X41 headphones, as well as comparing them to the other options available. I may leave out some details that I already covered in my X4 review, if something doesn't make sense or you would like more detail check my X4 review to see if I covered it there. In this review I will mostly be pointing out what has changed from X4 to X41. Finally, I personally own 6 pairs of gaming headphones, from the aging AX360 to the Astro A40 and X4. I will be giving my opinion of the X41s performance compared to my experience with most of the other competitors on the market.

Headphone design and feel:
The X41s really shine in this area, like the X4s they are extremely light and comfortable. In addition, they have added a new type of breathable fabric to the pads which keeps your ears cool and comfortable through hours of play. They have also increased the size of the space for your ears. The end result is headphones that are easy to forget exist. The headphones are well built in every other respect. The Bass boost switch is now a button, the headset is black rather than grey, most of the other changes in this area are minor. The X41s are an improvement over the X4s and one of the most comfortable of all the headsets I have used.

Audio Quality:
One of the big draws of the X41s is the new DigitalRF which claims to increase sound quality while decreasing interference and hiss. This claim is completely factual; the X41s have excellent sound that rivals even top level wired headsets. In addition, the X41s have fixed all of the X4s sound glitches, no more will you hear disturbing static or interference when a certain frequency is played. In my experience the X41s reproduce the game sound perfectly without any degradation from being wireless.

On the other hand the extremely low level hiss is still present in the X41s, though perhaps even quieter than the X4 ambient hiss. As I said in my X4 review this constant hiss is impossible to hear if any game sound is playing, and is probably mostly amp noise created by the 50mm speakers an inch from your ear. It is nearly impossible to engineer something like the X41s and completely remove this type of hiss. Thankfully, the X41s do remove the increased hiss when using voice chat that was present on the X4 headset. With the X41s you cannot tell the difference between having the voice chat hooked up and not using it. With the X4s as soon as you plugged in voice chat the normally unobtrusive hiss would double or triple in volume and become quite noticeable. This is a pretty major improvement for the X41s, as the hiss while using voice chat was a common complaint of the X4s.

The X41s have also enhanced their Dolby DSP to handle up to 7.1 surround sound and PL2X. This is not as noticeable as the Digital RF but it is an improvement. The excellent surround sound from the X4s is made even better, and it is even easier to pinpoint exactly where a sound is coming from. The surround sound here is really fantastic, don't believe the hype about "true 5.1" headsets that have multiple speakers in each ear, this Dolby processing creates a better surround sound experience. In addition, because there is only 1 speaker per ear the speakers are much larger which makes the excellent audio quality possible. Comparing the X41s to my Tritton headsets is really one sided, the X41s are hands down better in every way when it comes to audio quality. Bottom line, 2 great speakers and Dolby Processing is far better than 8 tiny speakers.

The short version here is that the X41s are a worthy improvement in terms of audio quality. They have fixed essentially all of the major problems the X4s had and added some new features as well. The X41s perform very well when compared to wired headsets also, for the same price you could not find a 5.1 headset with better audio quality than the X41s, and the X41s are wireless.

Other Features:
The X41s don't change very much in this category from the X4s. You still get the excellent voice chat implementation, which will balance voice and game audio so that you can always hear everything clearly. As I already mentioned the noticeable hiss while using voice chat has been removed, so that is a major improvement here.

One notable change to the X41s is the new talkback cable that is now free of the puck. This new cable is simply 2 standard mic connections with volume control and mic mute on a little box in the middle of the wire. This cable uses heavier wire than the old X4 cable, and seems like it will resist the rigors of use more efficiently. In addition, because they did away with the puck the X41s are now compatible with any headset connection. This means with the right USB adapter and cables the X41 voice chat can be used with a PS3 or PC as well as the Xbox 360. This is really a pretty awesome addition, and one that is not touted on the box.

The X41s also have a headset jack for a wired headset with its own volume control. This headset receives all the Dolby Processing and the same sound the wireless one receives. This is nifty if you want to have multiple people listening to the same audio on headphones, and is a better option than the X4s "buy another $100 headset" approach.

The X41s are now powered via a USB cable, which you can hook to your Xbox or any other powered USB port. Not sure if I find this positive or negative, but it is a change from the X4s.

Overall:
The X41s are a worthy improvement over the X4s. The decision to upgrade is something each individual will have to consider, but if some of the X4s flaws or glitches have been bothering you the X41 does a great job of solving those issues. In addition, the X41s add a lot of great features, from Digital RF to the new talkback cable. These features make an already excellent headset even better. As far as gaming headsets go the X41s are among the best. The implementation of voice chat is second to none, and since the X41s eliminated the loud hiss found during voice chat on the X4s, this feature is nearly perfect. The sound quality is excellent, and the Digital RF really does rival wired headsets, and is completely free of audio glitches. You no longer need line of site, and the signal seems very robust and interference free even around multiple wireless networks. The X41s are also significantly more comfortable than the X4s, and the new fabric for the ear pads makes a noticeable positive difference in keeping your ears cool and comfy. In the end, for anyone looking for a gaming headset that incorporates voice and surround sound, the X41s get my unwavering recommendation. They really are the best gaming headphones available right now.

I have rated the X41s 5 out of 5 stars, compared with the X4s 4 out of 5 stars. I would not say the X41s are perfect, just surprisingly close.

Update (Roughly a year later): After a year of using the X41's, with hundreds, or perhaps thousands of hours of play across all platforms. I just want to reaffirm that I still think they are an amazing pair of headphones, and the best wireless sound solution for gamers. A few things that I have noticed in the last year.

First, when the batteries die the headphones often make a violent crackling screech noise (for perhaps a second, very short). This is annoying, not something I find bad enough to reduce the score, but I hope in the next iteration Turtle Beach fixes this, even if it means I get 30 minutes less battery life. I would rather the headphones beeped at me when the battery was low, or perhaps some indicator on the base station could show when the batteries are getting down there. Then when it got critical just make the headphones power off gracefully, rather than dying in a screech and crackle of rage.

Second, they are actually susceptible to interference from 802.11G wireless. In general they work great, but if you position stuff such that some wireless device (be it a router or a wireless client) is closer to you than the base station you can get interference. In general this is easy to fix, for instance I put my wireless devices on the opposite side of the TV from the base station and interference is a thing of the past. It is something to be aware of though, depending on your situation, especially in an apartment or dorm with tons of wireless everywhere, you could have trouble avoiding interference. To fix this perhaps Turtle Beach will switch to the 6 Ghz spectrum and use something similar to DECT. This would increase range, and should completely eliminate interference.

Finally, a quick tip on hooking these up. I found that the best way to hook the headphones up to any modern TV was to plug the X41 power USB cable into the USB slot on the TV (generally used for displaying pictures or similar features). Then use the Optical out on the TV as the connection to the X41 base station. Then you just plug all your devices in with HDMI cables...Read more›

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Product Description:
The X41 is the third generation of wireless headsets from Turtle Beach for the Xbox 360.The X41 combines XBOX live chat with wireless game sound so you can hear the game sound and the voices of other players in the headset. That means you don't need your XBOX communicator headset or external speakers. By hearing the XBOX Live chat in the center of your head rather than in one ear, you can communicate better online. By eliminating speakers you can turn up the game without disturbing others. And, by having the game sound right on top of your ears, you can hear even the softest sound cues that are impossible to pick up with speakers.Better yet, because of the Dolby surround sound, you can also tell where the sound is coming from. That's because unlike stereo headphones, where the sound is either to the left or right of you, the X41 has 7.1 channel surround sound that lets you pinpoint the exact direction of every sound cue in the game. So if someone is quietly sneaking up behind you, you'll know it instantly. You can turn around, react faster and take them out before they take you out. It's actually like having a secret weapon because it gives you a significant edge over the competition.The X41 uses digital 2.4 Giga Hertz Radio Frequency wireless technology as compared to the X4 which used an analog infra red light beam. This new digital RF technology is a huge improvement over analog IR because it delivers CD-quality sound with no background hiss, no interference from plasma TV screens and no line of sight restrictions between the transmitter and headset.The X41 uses a proprietary uncompressed digital signal with super low latency for dramatic improvement in sound quality. The bass is deeper with more kick. The highs are so crisp and clean that you can hear a pin drop.There's also a headphone jack and volume control on the transmitter. This lets you connect a wired headset, like our Ear Force X1 or Ear Force XLC.

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Ear Force X31 Digital RF Wireless Game Audio + Xbox Live Chat Review

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(More customer reviews)I waited to write my review until a week after receiving my headset. I have owned two sets of Turtle Beach headsets, I have an audio background, and I wanted to write a definitive review from somebody who has used multiple sets of their products and had knowledge in the audio field. The Turtle Beach X31's are a repackaging/redesign of the popular Turtle Beach X3 headset. I've owned the Turtle Beach X1's and now the X31's.

I'll start with the good. The X31's have some great features! Here is a list of basic features and improvements:

-Almost everything is updated! The X31's improve on everything that was decent in previous Turtle Beach headsets and you can tell Turtle Beach is definitely ironing out some of the complaints from previous model headsets and starting to get it "right."

-Newly redesigned 40mm drivers/speakers. You can hear a difference in the quality! Upper mids and highs/treble frequencies are a lot better represented, providing more clarity to the game sound.

-Chat boost. When the game audio gets louder, it slightly increases chat volume to match it so the game audio doesn't drown out chat voices.

-Effects. Bass boost button. Stereo widening button. Stereo widening + bass boost button. (each are all on the same button, you click it a number of times and hear an audible beep in your headset each step of the way)

-Power. Runs on two AAA's. I recommend Duracell rechargeable NiMh batteries. Battery life is what the package claims from my personal testing. It has a circuit in the headphones that helps use up every bit of power from the batteries. Typical battery life is around 20 hours in regular use with Bass Boost engaged. Also, the headset will shut off automatically if no signal is detected for five minutes, which is nice.

-Comfort. They redesigned the headphone cups to go around your ears better. The material on the cups is also softer and less plastic like. It's fabric mesh that is more breathable.

-Wireless. Truly wireless. Wires all plug in near your TV then you only have one wire to your controller to pick up the chat. The wire is redesigned as well, there is no "puck," it's a straight shot into your controller so that you can use the chatpad if you have it as well. =)

-Technology. 2.4ghz RF that is no longer "line-of-sight." In testing, the unit worked anywhere around my TV from within about 15 feet of the sender unit.

-Basic functions. Boom mic that bends out of your way easily. Being able to mix the chat/audio on separate controls. You can actually hear in older emulated games like Halo 2! (emulation makes the voice really soft in a game like Halo 2 if you're running it on a 360)

-Audio quality. This is a very nice headset compared to Turtle Beach's older models. I really enjoyed my X1's, but they were overly bassy, especially in the chat. This time around, it seems like the chat and audio go through separate processing. There's more mids and highs, not "bass all the time only with a bit of highs sprinkled in." The dynamic range is a lot clearer, there's more frequencies represented and better separation at loud volumes.

-Online advantage. I play mostly first person shooters online. I would say this headset has saved me at least 2-3 times PER MATCH that I've tried it out in. The better audio quality makes footsteps stand out better than with previous Turtle Beach models. The games I tested were: Doom, Halo 2, Halo 3, Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: 1943, Call of Duty 4, Ghost Recon, and some other non-FPS games. In each game, I could clearly hear when there were footsteps around me. Also, even though the headset is only stereo (no 5.1 Dolby Digital), you can hear a distinct direction each sound is coming from with this headset. I could even hear when there were snipers around me, I could hear the bolt cycling on their sniper rifle! (even if they were upstairs...play Bad Company with this headset, it's a real treat!)

-Mic monitoring. Mixes in a bit of your own voice so you don't talk too loudly with the headset on.

Now here's a list of the negatives/improvements I think Turtle Beach could make:

-Price. Still a bit rough at $99.95. They are worth it, but a $79.99 tag seems a bit more realistic to me for Turtle Beach going forward.

-Mic monitoring. It mixes in your voice and you can hear yourself in pre-game lobbies, but let's get realistic here, as soon as all the game audio comes in, you can't hear yourself AT ALL. You still end up talking too loudly with the headset on.

-Material on earcups. The headphones are way more comfortable, but I noticed all around my ears you'll get some kind of black ink wear-off. The material they used rubs off on your skin and leaves black marks all around your ears? I can't believe somebody didn't notice this when playtesting the headphones before the company gave the green light to ship them?

-Chat. I know it's hard to take a low-level, noisy chat signal that is using really small bandwidth from Xbox Live and increase it real loud and make it sound good. The chat is a HUGE improvement, don't get me wrong. I still think they could make it better. They mention that there is no "hiss" from game audio. There isn't. The game audio itself sounds uncompressed and great. The problem is, you get a noisy chat signal, plus if you're using a wireless controller with batteries, you get an annoying hiss from that with the chat signal. I do not know for the life of me why Turtle Beach (an audio company, mind you) could not implement a "noise gate" into the chat processing so low level hiss could be eliminated and the gate would open up when speaking or voice comes through. That could be a simple button you could use to turn the noise gate on or off.

Also, with the chat, they took ALL the bass out of chat. It would be nice to have a little bass in there. Games like Halo 3 have the chat so loud that it starts to break up and distort, it's almost too much treble all the time in your ears! (and yes, I have the chat set up correctly, it's not boosted too much and my sender unit is set correctly as well along with dashboard/guide chat volume)

-Audio levels. A big one for me. It seems like you don't get audio out of the headset until it's up 1/3 of the way, then it starts increasing. You wish there was just a bit more audio that you could push the volume level to. You wish there was just a bit more bass that was added in as well. You still get a full bass sound, but it's not close to the X1's. I know it's wireless and they made them a bit quieter and with a little less bass to conserve battery life since low frequencies take more energy to reproduce notes, but you still wish there was a bit more, especially after using the X1's that get LOOOOUD and have a ton of bass! I was expecting the bass boost button to do a tad bit more...

-Battery life. Great at around 20 hours. I wanted to point out once again to buy rechargeables, because you will definitely go through batteries!

-Effects. I found the "stereo widening" function absolutely useless. It's not something they needed to add in and they could have made some other better effect or maybe another click to the bass boost instead.

Over all, I gave this headset a 4 our of 5. It's a great headset and a nice step up in features from the X1's and X3's. I think if Turtle Beach does one more headset, they will get everything right and put out an even better product. Worth the money, I would buy this headset again and recommend it to friends.

Thanks for reading my review!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Ear Force X31 Digital RF Wireless Game Audio + Xbox Live Chat

Product Description:
The Ear Force X31 is our third generation of wireless headsets for the XBOX 360. Like the X3, the X31 combines XBOX live chat with wireless game sound so you can hear the game sound and the voices of other players in the headset. In other words, it replaces your XBOX communicator headset and external speakers. By hearing the XBOX Live chat in the center of your head rather than in one ear, you can communicate better online. By eliminating speakers you can turn up the game without disturbing others. And, by having the game sound right on top of your ears, you can hear even the softest sound cues that are impossible to hear with speakers. For example, you can hear when someone is quietly sneaking up on you and react faster. That means you'll have a totally immersive gaming experience while becoming a better player.Just like the X3, the X31 includes a headset and small transmitter. As you can see, the colors have been changed so it's easy to see it's a new model. What is different, however, is that we made the headset more comfortable by increasing the size of the ear cups so they sit around your ears rather than on top of them. We also replaced the vinyl ear cushions with these soft, fabric mesh cushions that let your ears breathe. The most significant improvement is that the X31 uses digital 2.4 Giga Hertz Radio Frequency wireless technology. This new digital RF technology is a huge improvement over analog IR because it delivers CD-quality sound with no background hiss, no interference from plasma TV screens and no line of sight restrictions between the transmitter and headset. Sound quality is improved with new 40mm speakers that use the same design as our high-quality X41 50mm speakers for better frequency response and improved clarity in the game sound.Inside the headset is a digital signal processor for bass boost and stereo expander effects, which can be turned on by pressing this button. This makes the expander more dramatic than the X3.

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Ear Force PX21 Gaming Headset for Playstation 3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)....then you absolutely have to have this. The sound quality and the ability to adjust the different volumes is outstanding. I play Call of Duty about 90% of the time online and this just makes the entire online experience better. I use to get into games with kids making annoying noises etc. Now with the push of a finger I don't have to listen to it but I can still hear the game perfectly. In fact, a buddy and me went into a private match on shipment. I could hear him from across the map setting up claymore's, pulling grenade pins, moving and even swiping his knife. The only negative thing I have to say about this headset is that it's not wireless but I am sure that would add quite a lot of money to the price. They are also extremely light and comfortable and .................................................You know what, stop reading this and just go buy a set of these already.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Ear Force PX21 Gaming Headset for Playstation 3

Product Description:
The Ear Force PX21 integrates premium stereo game sound with crystal-clear communication on the PlayStation Network (PSN), XBOX LIVE and PC/Mac to create the definitive audio environment for playing popular game titles on all platforms. The PX21 is two headsets in one—a stereo USB headset for chat sound and an amplified stereo headset for game sound. That means you can independently control chat and game sound from a single control box whether you're playing PS3, XBOX or PC games. Large, comfortable ear cups with a lightweight, rugged design provide the ultimate in comfort during extended game play. The PX21 gives you a significant advantage because you can hear sound cues others can't, so you'll react faster and take them out before they take you out. Unique gaming features such as variable bass boost, chat boost, stereo expander and convenient volume controls for chat and game audio, provide a competitive edge that can make the difference between winning and losing. If you're serious about your PS3, XBOX 360 or PC gaming, then get serious about the sound. Move up to the Ear Force PX21 and become a better player while experiencing your games as they were meant to be heard.

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