Ear Force X3 Headset: Chat + Wireless Game Audio, for Xbox 360 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I play combat games for the most part: Call of Duty 4, Halo 3 ... but others, too -- like Rock Band, which as you might guess can also get LOUD.

My wife hates the noise. That means I need headphones for game play. And I've tried/tested pretty much all of them, including the earlier versions of Turtle Beach (wired and wireless, like the X2) as well as many other brands, like the Tritton True 5.1 Digital Audio Headset with AX360 Audio Xtreme 360.

Until the Turtle Beach Ear Force X3 Wireless Headphones (which I got for Christmas), my two favorite were:

* the Turtle Beach EarForce X2 (wireless)
* The Trittons (wired)

Both of the above had pros and cons.

The pros of the X2s was that they were wireless and had decent Xbox Live Chat capabilities. The pros of the Trittons was the fantastic sound quality. There are 4 dials for sound alone! If you don't play games that require Xbox Live, these are fabulous headphone. They use an optical sound cable. Fab sound quality.

Cons of both the X2 and the Trittons: depending on the game, is that it can be hard to clearly hear your teammates during the heat of battle -- even in the lobby if there is default game music playing (in Call of Duty 4, there is no user option to turn this music off).

You also can't hear yourself talk -- both of your ears are covered, naturally, so when you talk, you tend to get LOUD because you can't hear yourself. Your own voice is muffled.

Turtle Beach Ear Force X3 Wireless Headphones for Xbox 360 solved this problem. Now you can "hear" yourself talk. Much like when you are on the phone, you can hear a little bit of your voice through the earpiece part of the phone.

The wireless base station is also MUCH smaller than the X2's base station. Which was huge mainly because it was designed to needlessly hold the headphones when not in use.

Pros of the X3s:
* Set up takes about 3 minutes. Plug and play.
* The earphones are comfy -- even on my big, adult head
* Wireless
* Can "hear" yourself talk through the headphones
* "Bass boost" option mode (a switch near the volume)
* TWO volume dials: one for overall gameplay, another for Xbox Live chat. For example, I love Call of Duty 4, but you are unable to turn off the lobby's default music in between games. With the other headphones, I had trouble hearing folks. The X3s enable you to dial down the music altogether -- so you just hear the chat in the lobby.
* Mute button
* Surround sound is good ... you can tell where the bad guys are coming from

CONS:
Sound quality is good -- but not amazing. But remember that these are wireless. The wired headphones have a bit of an advantage in overall sound quality.

Tip: With the Turtle Beach X3s, unlike ALL of the other headphones, under the "voice" personal options 360 menu, select the default "Play Voice through Headset" and not "both headset and speakers."

You are going to love these headphones.

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Product Description:
With Xbox 360 Wireless Headsets you can pump up the volume without disturbing friends, family or neighbors. Wireless Xbox 360 gaming headsets allow you to freely move around as you play. 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 at the same time. The Turtle Beach Ear Force X3 wireless xbox 360 headsets are everything you need for an amazing gaming experience.

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Astro A40 Audio System - White Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had my A40 system for about 6 months now, and it's the best purchase I've made in a while. I've tested all the major headsets available, and this one is by far the best. It sounds amazing, it's extremely comfortable to wear, and Astro Gaming is a great manufacturer. It's obvious to me that Astro takes great pride in all of their products, and I highly recommend buying directly from them, rather than amazon.

The Headset:

The headset is very easy to adjust, and fits all headsizes. On both sides of the headset are speaker tags. These tags are detachable, and comes in packs of three. Two solid ones, and one with a hole (for the mic). If you don't need the mic, you can remove the tag with the hole and replace it with a solid one, giving the headset a more symetric look. Astro allows you to upload images and design your own speaker tags, which is great for customizing your headset. The mic is a single boom with no wires. The mic is very high quality, and will attach to both sides of the headset. As far as sound goes, I give the Astros a 9/10. I think the bass could be a little deeper, but I'm not complaining at all.

The Mixamp:

The mixamp is pure genius. There is only one wire going from the headset to the mixamp. If you're playing Xbox, you will also have a wire going from the controller to the mixamp. I strongly suggest that when you buy this system, you get the TOSlink cable for the best possible sound. The mixamp has two knobs on it. The main one is the master volume control. The smaller controls the game sound to voice sound ratio. The mixamp runs of USB power, which is great because the Xbox has two USB ports on it. You can also get 4 AA batteries which will give you 12-14 hours. Astro just released a new version of the mixamp, which now supports use with the PS3 right out of the box.

The cables:

The system comes with tons of cables, allowing you to connect it with just about anything. It includes a cable to plug your headset into a headphone jack and a mic jack, a cable to plug your headset into a headphone jack, and a few other cables that I have never used. Astro makes sure that you have all of the tools necessary to maximize your headset.

Customer Support:

My headset got a short in the wiring a couple months after purchase. Astro responded quickly to my emails, fixed the headset in about 3 days, and got it back to me just over a week after it broke. They clearly care about customer satisfaction.

Astro Gaming:

Astro offers many accessories and replacement parts for the A40 system. If you have any gaming needs, Astro probably has something just for it. You can also download product manual on their site before making any purchases.

I love my A40 system, and as soon as Astro comes out with a new model, I'll be grabing that one as well. Hopefully it will be wireless.

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Product Description:
The Astro A40 Audio System combines crystal-clear voice communication with pinpoint-accurate 5.1 Dolby Digital and Dolby Headphone surround utilizing the most user-configurable headset on the planet.In addition to the A40 Headset's removable speaker tags (which are high-quality collectibles in their own right), you'll find a completely user-configurable microphone boom. It attaches to either side -- or removes completely for solo gaming and music sessions.The A40 Audio System includes the external A40 MixAmp, providing Xbox and and Xbox 360 users with combined voice and game sound -- ideal for tournament play and discrete "midnight gaming" sessions. A discrete game/voice balance control enables you to find the ideal in-game setting.PC Gamers benefit as well, by offloading surround decoding and voice communication duties to the A40 system. Combine multiple A40 MixAmps and you'll be provided a private, hands-free, full-duplex voice communication channel -- much higher-quality than VoIP systems, with zero network and system lag.Every A40 MixAmp is daisy-chainable, and each comes complete with everything you need to connect the built-in voice communication feature of multiple MixAmps.The A40 Audio System gives in-person teams the competitive edge by selectable/mutable Xbox Live communication while maintaining a dedicated, private chat channel when daisy-chained.The A40 Headset comes with a quick-disconnect cable and multiple ends: an A40 MixAmp cable (also compatible with portable audio players), and a standard dual-jack PC connector with in-line volume and mute control. Inject your games with your own soundtrack. Connect your mp3 player through the mixer itself with the included cable. Free up valuable system resources, and put your music within arm's reach.*Please Note: This version of the MixAmp is compatible without an adapter for use on the PS3

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Ear Force X4 Dolby Digital Wireless (Headphones) Review

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(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 DSS 7.1 Channel Dolby Surround Sound Processor Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you are traveling, and you need something that can handle optical 7.1 channel audio, this is a fine item to bring along. It's a little smaller than a pack of smokes and can be run off of a usb to ac adapter. I live in a small apartment in Japan, so I don't have space for a huge sound system. Also, I suffer from insomnia, and sometimes I want to play a game or watch a movie late at night. This gadget allows me to hook up some good headphones and enjoy my movies and games without being a pain to my roommates or neighbors.

It's also worth noting that the surround sound, even on standard headphones, is remarkably well-done. I have been testing it with Metal Gear Solid 4 on my ps3, which I connected to the unit with an optical cable. I'm hearing things I never noticed before in the game, and I really can sense the location of enemies and other things by sound alone with this device.

I think audiophiles would prefer other DACs for listening to cds or lossless music, but if you want a surround sound system that can fit in your pocket or go with you on a trip, or want to be able to listen to surround sound without disturbing your neighbors or flatmates, this is what you've been waiting for.

My only other suggestion is to use good headphones with this unit. It'll work with whatever you hook into it, but better headphones will reveal the high-quality bass, mid, and treble sound that this unit produces.

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Product Description:
The Ear Force DSS 7.1 channel Dolby surround sound processor transforms any stereo headset into full, immersive surround sound for playing Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PC games and watching movies with Blu-ray or DVD players. It works with any set of stereo headphones and is the perfect complement to the Turtle Beach Ear Force series of stereo gaming headsets (X31, X11, XLC, Z1, Z2 and PX21). The optical digital input easily connects to a game console or media player for Dolby 7.1 channel surround sound and the analog input can also be used to upgrade analog stereo audio sources to Dolby Pro Logic IIx for virtual surround sound. A bass boost control adds sub-woofer effects for enhanced realism to any audio source.With the Ear Force DSS, video game and movie fans will be able to hear distinct audio events happening all around them, greatly enhancing the overall experience and rewarding gamers with a newfound competitive edge. DSS users playing games and watching movies on their game consoles will actually hear the 7.1 surround sound from certain 5.1 channel audio tracks via additional 'hidden' channels called Dolby EX.

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Tritton TRIAX-720 AX 720 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I did this video review to help anyone out there with the same issues I had.

Hopefully this will help gain the insight you'll need to make a decision.

Please leave feedback, did I miss anything?

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Product Description:
Introducing the Tritton AX 720 high performance gaming audio system. Specifically designed for the XBox and PS3 systems, the AX 720 delivers superior voice communication while creating an immersive 3D surround sound environment utilizing Dolby Digital and Dolby Headphone technology. The convenient inline audio controller features independent voice and game volume controls so that you can clearly hear your teammates during those crucial gaming moments. From the casual gamer to the hardcore gamer, the AX 720 is sure to improve your game.

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

Average Reviews:

(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

Average Reviews:

(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!

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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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