Ear Force X1 Stereo Headset with Chat

Comment: I purchased these headsets yesterday at a Best Buy for $59.99 plus tax which was retail price and cheaper than the prices I saw on Amazon currently. Other retailers also carry them but I wanted them now since I just got Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on Tuesday and had been wanting something to use for late night gaming.

Why was this an impulse buy? Well, because the "new and improved" Turtle Beach X11's come out on 3/15/2010 but I couldn't wait until then and from what I read, there was very little improvement on an already solid product. The headset is very comfortable and fits snug so it won't fall off your head if you bend down. The inline amp makes everything plenty loud and chat is audible even with game sounds on xbox live. They are powered by USB which is great especially if you don't have an extra spot for a wall wart but also this means that they cannot be used as stand alone headphones. Mic is a huge improvement on the standard headsets and the boom easily moves out of the way when not in use. The amp controls are accesible to make quick changes if needed and can easily be unplugged for PC use if you use them to switch back and forth from xbox to pc like I do. The sound quality on these headphone are good but not great. A little plasticy but still sturdy. The 40mm drivers really help get all the low end rumble in the game soundtrack but they do have a boost in the low mid bass frequencies. If these are used soley for gaming, then you probably won't notice but listen to music through these and you'll see what I'm talking about. My remedy was just to use a little eq'ing and they sound awesome now though my PC. Cables are fine for me despite what a lot of reviewers state. I don't have problems with the wires getting tangled and appreciate the long cable so that your not stuck sitting close to your TV when your couch or chair is probably at least 8 feet from your TV.

My final thoughts are "GET THESE" A friend of mine has the Tritton AX pro and they sound good but he also paid 2/3 more than I did and these sound better for music than his cans. To me, surround headphones are still a gimmick as the only way to get true surround is with a good home theater setup and good sound imaging and most gaming headsets only do an ok job and to me not worth there price tag. Most people would be thrilled regardless because headphones give you the perfect stereo image off the bat and games sound way better than using your TV speakers or your home theater that may be in a less than ideal spot and have to compromise stereo imaging because of your furniture, etc. You will be able to hear the footsteps and nuances of the game.

If you can't find them anymore then go for the newer X11's and you'll be happy you did. If you want to spend the extra money to go wireless, be sure rechargeble batteries are in your future but for a gamer on a budget or just someone that wants the best bang for the buck like me, get these.

Comment: I got this because mainly it works with both the PC and the Xbox 360. It took me a minute to figure out how to hook it up to the Xbox but once I hooked it up it worked perfectly. I hooked it up via the headphone output on the tv instead of using RCA cables as I have the xbox hooked up via hdmi. I had to adjust the tv sound output as the bass was pretty overwhelming and that had nothing to do with the headphones. According to my friends my voice came through loud and clear. I had no buzzing noise in the background either. Works just as well with the pc. Easy to transfer from one to the other. Construction is solid and does not feel like it will break easily. I have no idea how it compares to the more expensive headphones, but it sounds great to me and I can definitely hear sounds better than just listening to the tv speakers. I wore them for about half a day without any real discomfort on the ears.

Comment: I ordered this headset so I could keep the TV volume down and not disturb my wife while playing online. The sound is excellent. It does come through in stereo and the voice chat can be separately controlled. They are comfortable and the cord is definitely long enough. There have been some complaints about buzz when using rechargeable wireless controllers. If you have the charging cord plugged in and the mike plugged in, you do get a background buzz. I unplug the charge cord when I am using voice chat or I unplug the mic when don't need it. For me its not an issue. I like the headset and I would recommend them but, catch them on sale like I did.

Comment: You can hear footsteps in games like MW2. You can listen to the game while chatting with your mates. It's not the high end model like the others out there, but as a functional gaming headset for a good price, this is one that is hard to beat. It is great for gaming at a high volume without affecting those around you. It's ability to be used as a PC headset is nice as well, although it's not something I've taken advantage of yet.

Comment: I wasn't sure if I was ready to spend $50 on a gaming headset. After playing with these for about a month now, I'd strongly recommend you to buy it if you have money. For me it was worth it because not only do they let you hear everything in the game and know where it's coming from, but they very comfortable too. The only thing I'd like to see would be a gaming headset that ofered surround sound and was affordable.