Headset Info Thread!

[HaZarD SFD]

I am looking for a headset and think this is a good place to start.
I am looking for a Wireless 5.1-7.1 Headset at the moment and
willing to fork out a few bucks to get one.

RULES :

1. Post only what you know 100%

2. Post only about Hardware you have USED

3. Pros and Cons

4. Cost

5. Dependability

[Shawn-XBA]

I own and use the Turtle Beach x41 wireless headset. I have it hooked to all of my electronics, so I get TV, blu-ray, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 sound through the headset.

Pros - 7.1 surround sound (is amazing), great chat sound, works great with numerous electronic devices

Cons - Battery last for about 5-7 hours (recommend getting rechargeable batteries)

Read more about the headset at http://www.amazon.com/Force-Wireless-Digital-Headphone-Surround-360/dp/B002KSPKRS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352856599&sr=8-1&keywords=x41 and http://www.turtlebeach.com/products/legacy-products/ear-force-x41.aspx

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

[HaZarD SFD]

Looking at the X42 or XP500's. They sell for a good price on ebay.

[Symmetric-XBA]

I've had the opportunity to use a wide range of headphones and coming from an audio background there are a few traps to avoid which will save you tons of money. First off, these 5.1 and 7.1 headsets you see from companies like Mad Catz and Turtle Beach claim to have "true surround sound" and that actually is false. Generating seperate sound fields is how surround sound actually works (thats why on a home theater system you have speakers behind you, to the side, in front, etc.) and to generate that in headphones is next to impossible since headphones are near field monitors essentially. The way Turtle Beach and other companies "simulate" the surround sound experience is that in the headphones themselves there are multiple drivers at varying angles and each driver fires independantly so if you hear someone walking up to you from behind, you'll hear 1 or maybe 2 drivers brodcast the sound of footsteps, but as they get closer to you, more of them will fire the same sound, thus just increasing the volume and making you "think" that someone is walking up behind you. It's never going to be true "surround sound" but now that the basics have been covered, lets move onto the headsets.

Turtle Beach:
I actually own a pair of the X41's and I love most everything about them. They are comfortable, however, for extensive long periods of gameplay they will feel "clamped" down on your head which can be uncomfortable, but like I said thats for long gaming sessions. The sound quality is superb but the drawback for that is the headsets eat batteries like crazy. The best way to go would obv. be rechargable batteries but even then, thats an added expense ontop of already purchasing the headphones, but if you're going to do it, do it right. I had the oppertunity to check out the XP500's and they were f'ing great. The comfort feel has increased and I was told that the battery life has also been increased, however, with bluetooth connectivity and more features such as programmable eq's that you can either set yourself or dl, expect the batteries to take an even bigger kick to the gentleman's region. All in all, the XP500's would be the choice I'd make now if I went with Turtle Beach.

Mad Catz:
This company makes a ton of headsets as well, but the problem is, if you wanted good audio quality then you'll have to dump 98% of the products on the side of the road and only focus on their top tier products which will also set you back an arm and a leg, and maybe (depending on your model of choice) your first born child. I had a Halo 4 Warhead headset on pre order, but after listening to the corporate b.s. on why these were so amazing, I heard them for myself and it'll be a cold day in hell b4 i shell out $350 for a falsely advertised product that, imo doesn't sound up to par. They claim to have "true 7.1" which if you belive that, I'll sell ya my stock 360 headset for $300. While the sound quality and comfort are very good, when you factor in that you can get a better sounding headset for cheaper, there really isn't any reason why you would want to spend more money to get a lesser quality headset.

Then there's what I would easily call the best headset I've ever heard and comes from a company called NOX. The headset is called "The Admiral" and has 2 versions, The Admiral, and The Admiral Touch. The main significant feature outside of sound quality is the ability to run Android network right on the headset itself which provides a whole new world of audio enjoyment. Sadly we haven't heard of anything from this new company since E3 two years ago, and the status for The Admiral keeps saying "coming soon." And even more bad news, apparently the company's fb page is no longer in existence, and questions remain whether or not this company is still around or producing The Admiral. We were quoted originally with their stereo headset The Specialist and we were looking forward to doing a review on The Admiral as well, but alas, sometimes the corp. life can be a killer. If The Admiral was out I'd personally slap anyone who bought Turtle Sheep and Mad Hatz over a pair of these. Imagine phenominal audio sex for your ears, and those are The Admirals, but unf. I doubt the public will ever get to experience them.

After all this, imo, I'd go with Turtle Beach. The quality and craftsmanship is undoubtably one of the best in the world and at a cheaper cost than Mad Catz top tier headphones. Snag yourself an XP500 and you'll be thanking all of us later.

[Roujin]

I have to go with Symmetric and Silent on this one. I own the Turtle Beach X-41s as well. These are discontinued now, so unless you're buying from a store or online seller that still one in stock, I guess your best bet would be their successor, the X-42s. That said, I really like the X-41s because the wireless base also doubles as a stand that the headphones can sit on. The X-42s provide no such convenience and while I've been looking to get a second set of surround sound headphones I'm a bit turned off by Turtle Beach's newer offering because of that.

The only negatives of the X41s I can think of is how quickly they eat through batteries (I need to have a pair of AAA rechargeables at the ready just in case the headset dies out in the middle of a match) and that they would be even more awesome if they had a second optical input, so I could have my PS3 and Xbox 360 hooked in at the same time. But hardly any headset out there has that option, so I'm nitpicking really.

That said, Sony really stepped up by providing their own affordable (i.e. $100-150) wireless surround sound options for the PS3 with the 7.1 Wireless Headset and 7.1 Pulse Headset, which also work great as stereo headsets for PC and Mac, and only require the simple plugging-in of a USB dongle. If Microsoft came out with an equivalent product at a similar price I would buy it in an instant.

[HaZarD SFD]

Just purchased a Refurb xp500 set from www.BuySpry.com Headset Link (http://www.buyspry.com/676421/turtle-beach-ear-force-xp500.html)

Paid $168 Shipped.
Paypal asked if I wanted to Pay After Delivery.. HELL YEA!

Will post a review once it comes in and pics of condition. I have an email from them saying "it is the actual headsets in New cosmetic condition"

[Symmetric-XBA]

Just purchased a Refurb xp500 set from www.BuySpry.com Headset Link (http://www.buyspry.com/676421/turtle-beach-ear-force-xp500.html)

Paid $168 Shipped.
Paypal asked if I wanted to Pay After Delivery.. HELL YEA!

Will post a review once it comes in and pics of condition. I have an email from them saying "it is the actual headsets in New cosmetic condition"

Nice man, hope the refurbished work means, they were just cleaned and no drivers had to be replaced.

[HaZarD SFD]

Will find out when they get here. they already hit Cincinnati, Ohio. Will do an Unboxing and review of them conditionally and functionality from the site. Then ill do a nice review on how well they work in games.

[Symmetric-XBA]

Don't forget music and movies man. Hit me up on xbl and ill give ya some info on how to "stress test" headsets lol

[HaZarD SFD]

Headset is already out for delivery. Considering I bought this Friday