Turtle Beach X41 Headsets

Verdict so far:

Summary:

I wanted a new set of surround sound headsets so I didn't have to lug my Tritton AX360 headsets back and forth from work. So for my birthday I got these and I have to say they are pretty sweet. My setup at home requires me to use headsets only since I don't want to disturb my son while he sleeps from my loud ass speakers. They are extremely light weight, lighter than the AX360's and have a better cup around the ear. The headsets are wireless, which is the best feature. Able to game without some tiny chord constantly moving around. The mic is pretty good, I've had some issues where my PC does not pick up my volume very well, but that's my on-board sound being dumb. However, you have to have the mic connect a wire from the headset to the 360 controller or PC (note the dislike about this). It also has a jack for normal stereo headsets in the front of the Headset Station, in case you want to share audio with dual headsets. Comes in handy, especially if the batteries die on the Headsets.

Check out the Spec on their website.

Likes:

Wireless - By far the best feature, wireless surround sound.

Comfort - Really light weight, I still cannot get over how light they are. They feel good around my ears. I'd imagine if you have big ears they'd get a big uncomfortable.

Quality - I was surprised by the quality of the sound. I have a pair of Bose (wired) headsets and I'd say it sounds more crisp than them!

Volume - No wire means not having to find that little gizmo connected to it just to adjust the volume... Nope, it's on your left ear. Easy to find, and easy to adjust.

Dislikes:

Batteries - It takes 2 AAA batteries, which feel like they go out just after 10 hours of use. Having to change the batteries every 4-5 days is a drag. I'm going to invest in some rechargeable batteries and see how that goes.

Only 1 Optic Input - I constantly switch between the PC and 360, and since this headset was primarily intended for the 360 it only has 1 input for Optic audio... So I constantly have to disconnect / reconnect the proper cable. I may invest in a Optic switch.

Popping - Yes, there is popping. More than likely due to interference with the 2.4GHz frequency than a hardware issue. I've read wireless routers can cause this, but I disabled my internet one day and I still got the popping. The good news is that it's not as frequent as some may say. I get it around 2 - 10 minutes, but it's still annoying.

Mic - Ok... this is probably the worst part about the headset. The design is not very robust. You connect a cable under the left ear which connects to your 360 Controller. However, if for whatever reason you drop your 360 controller, and since the cable connects under the left ear, it disconnects the mic cable from the headset. After awhile you get used to getting the cable back in without having to take off the headsets, but be prepared to take them off a few hundred times cause you cannot get the cable connected. Oh! Turtle Beach does have a "fix" for it. On their website (tech support) they have instructions, I think a PDF, which shows you how to hook up a rubber band (yes, a rubber band) to keep the mic cable connected. WTF!?

Now... For the PC, there's a whole other issue... The mic cable is a 2.5mm jack, like the ones used for the 360 controller or cell phone! Which means you will have to run to Radio Shack  and buy a 2.5mm female to 3.5mm male adapter. Of course Turtle Beach does not have a cable for this, cause they are LAME!

WTF:

Effects Button - On the left ear of the headset there are 3 things you can play with... Mic input, volume, and a button that is labeled Effects. I have no f'n clue what this does nor care enough to look it up. I know it beeps when I accidentally press it while trying to shove the mic cable back into the headset after it falling out.