+Mystic MVC Posted March 17, 2009 MVC Share Posted March 17, 2009 I am considering getting some surround sound gaming headphones but have a couple requests. I don't want to go so cheap where I start to lose a lot of sound quality. I also need to have headphone/mic input on it as well for use over Xbox Live. What price ranges will I be looking at and does anybody out there actively use headphones to recommend me a good set? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sethos Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 I always see Turtle Beach being recommended when the 360 is involved, http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/efx4/home.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoJo Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Turtle Beach aren't up to much. They're OK if you want to keep the volume down while the kids are asleep (or that sort of thing), but if you want much of an improvement on TV speakers then I'd stick to Trittons/Sharkoons ;) I am considering getting some surround sound gaming headphones but have a couple requests. I don't want to go so cheap where I start to lose a lot of sound quality. I also need to have headphone/mic input on it as well for use over Xbox Live. What price ranges will I be looking at and does anybody out there actively use headphones to recommend me a good set? I use a pair of Tritton AX360s, which are awesome. If you're in the UK then these are called Sharkoon X-Tactic IIs. I think Brad made a thread looking for similar advice a while back - link. There are some more expensive headphones, in the form of Tritton AXPROs or Astro A40s, but unless you want to get into pro-gaming circuits then I wouldn't bother. There's a pretty good guide on GB forums, which I'd recommend taking a look at: Turtle Beach X1These are your entry level headsets. They cost $50 from Newegg.com and it doesn't come much cheaper. The main advantage to using these is that they seperate the left and right audio channels better than a TV, allowing you to distinctly tell what side of you the opponent is on (left or right). However, since they're stereo, not surround sound, they don't offer any front/rear differentiation, meaning you could get confused if you heard a noise on your left, assuming he was in front of you and to the left, when actually he was behind you and to the left. Stuff like that can make a difference. These are sold at Best Buy (for $60), making it easy to purchase one if you don't have a credit card/ willing parents. I recommend you only buy them if you absolutely can't afford to buy something of higher quality. Here's what a user had to say about them... "These headphones are wired and don't eat batteries like the x3's. This is one of the better headsets for the money, it does not have as many features as the x3's like bass boost, and a transmitter however, does get the job done when you are playing. They block out noise from your surroundings and also keep the sound they produce enclosed. The headset is very comfortable and can be worn for hours upon hours without feeling uncomfortable. From the casual gamer to the competitive one the x1's are the place to go if you are on a budget." - Jimmy is Nasty Turtle Beach X3 These offer comparable sound quality to X1's. However, they are wireless, eliminating wire clutter. They also eat through batteries like a fat kid on cake so you'd wanna invest in rechargables. I found them for $97 at Newegg.com and Best Buy. So you would be paying twice enough for the same playing ability, plus you'd have to get batteries. I don't recomend them unless you're a wire freak. Tritton AX 360 (Sharkoon X-Tatic 5.1 for you Europeans) Probably the best value for a headset. They cost $94 at Newegg.com and included free shipping. The sound field (area of sound created by the drivers) is extremely good. You can tell when people are in front of you, behind you, how far to the left, and how far to the right. Often times I'll pull the trigger before the opponent even turns the corner, because I can tell when they're about to step into the reticule. These will improve your playing ability by leaps and bounds over TV speakers or even Turtle Beaches. There are some minor complaints that I have though. I can hear a slight static sound, the kind of sound that lets you know when a pair of speakers is turned on though. It's not too bad. I don't even think about it most of the time. Astro A40 The best headset designed for gamers as far as I'm concerned. It'll cost you $240 though. That's a lot of money to be shelling out. From everyone I hear, they say it's worth it. I don't know how much better it would be to justify paying the $150 premium over Trittons, but they are the best, and that carries its own premium. They're not wireless. To give you an idea of their ability, I can hear a guy about 10m away with Dead Silence. My old teammate Flipnotic had Astros, and he can hear a guy with Dead Silence across Shipment. That should let you know, these headsets are serious. They're good for Live events too, you can daisy chain them together to communicate easily with your team. If you're serious about competitive gaming, this is the headset to get. Sennheiser I don't know much about them. But Phoenix2005 had something to say . "If you just want a good pair of headphones for a decent value (and you don't care about a mic), then the old school Sennheiser HD555's are always good." You have to wrap a regular 360 mic around your neck in order to communicate, so it can get kinda cluttered. They cost $100 from Amazon.com so I would recomend Trittons over these. "I own a pair of X1s and a pair of X3s, and I find myself using the X3s more because they are wireless, and because, due to the bass boost, the sound is better. I have also invested in four rechargeable AAAs, along with a base charger, from WalMart for about 20 bucks, which is something you NEED if you buy the X3s because it munches on batteries. Soundwise, it's great, but not stellar. Sound is extremely 2D - that is, you hear things from the left, and you hear things on the right. Fowards and backwards aren't as great. Sound is much better on the X3s than the X1s, especially with bass booster on. I also like the control for the voice better on the X3s because it's on the puck that connects it to the Controller, whereas the X1 has it's control on the wire connecting to the Xbox. That kind of annoys me." - FatalFlaw thanks for your help If I left anything out, feel free to correct me. Also, I think this should be stickied so we don't end up with 100 headset threads... Feel free to PM me if you have any questions :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mystic MVC Posted March 17, 2009 Author MVC Share Posted March 17, 2009 Thanks, that is very informative. I currently play on a surround sound system so I know how big of a difference it makes when gaming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goji Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Personally I would suggest going with the real 5.1 experience, but if you do get the headphones, please report back. I'd like to know if they are any good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mystic MVC Posted March 18, 2009 Author MVC Share Posted March 18, 2009 Personally I would suggest going with the real 5.1 experience, but if you do get the headphones, please report back. I'd like to know if they are any good. I just thought they would be nice to have sometimes so I don't have to blow everybody away when I have the surround sound cranked up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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