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Is probably one of the more extraordinary headsets I've ever had. I've been playing games for years, and have owned many headsets starting from the x31's moving to Tritton's then to Astro's. I've even had studio quality headsets as my stepfather is a DJ (side job). Now I can't say that these headpsets are up there with the DJ equipment. But that's in the price range of 500+, and to ask for something to outperform something when it costs half as much is simply outrageous.
But let's get to the review part.
Sound:
The sound quality with these are amazing. I've always been a huge fan of Bose because they create speakers that just blow the doors off of the expected. What I mean is that the clarity of these headsets is amazing. If you're in a game and your job is to kill that enemy, you can simply find him because you can hear his every footstep, that click of the magazine as it get's pushed in the well, the cocking of the charging handle. The sound is crisp and clean like a good headset should be.
Astro's? They're good. They're REALLY good. I'll give them the performance of an x41. These blow those out of the water. Listen to music? That's pretty much all I do with these now that MW3 came out and ruined xbox for me (pc gamer now). The clarity of these headsets is simply astounding. The "Main" setting is perfect for all kinds of music. Want that extra bass? Put that switch/button on 4 and lose yourself in the nuance of sound. However; I have found that on this setting I have to lower the overall volume as the bass drowns everything out. Do not fret though, It's still plenty of sound to burn your ears off.
Comfort:
At first, these hurt my ears after long uses. I can't deny that it took about a month for these to "break in". After that month though, they feel as if they aren't on my head. They are one of the lightest headsets that I've had. The only one's lighter are the x41's, but that's a different review. The cushions on these are really comfortable, it's like a soft down pillow around your ears, except without the quills coming through the cloth to stab you in the head.
Durability:
While I have yet to throw these at the wall, I have dropped them many times. And I'm still wearing them as if they were new (except broken in now). Now I have to say that Astro's definitely "feel" more durable, but these are surely resilient to a lot of abuse. The plastic makes a slight squeaking sound when you bend these or move them a lot. But that's why they're so light, so I think if you just make sure not to rage hard enough and not throw them across the room or out the window you should be perfectly fine.
Functionality:
This is where they fall short. It might be that I'm on an Air Force base, it might be because I'm in a dorm room with hundreds of people around me. But one thing I surely had a problem with was the damn receiver. When it worked, it would work fine. No problems at all with sound or in game chat. However; when it didn't work, getting the damn receiver to connect to the headset would be such a pain. I don't think this would be as much of a problem if I didn't have multiple people using Bluetooth devices around me. Whenever the problem would happen the receiver would connect to something else. One time I had my teammates saying that they were listening to a guy "relieving" himself through my headset (receiver), made me cringe.
The other problem I have is now that I have switched over to using a computer, and have not tried Bluetooth with it, I am currently using this annoying 15ft. cord to chat with my teammates. It gets tangled ALL of the time, and the other times it sort of cuts out. I should really give Bluetooth a try on PC, I'm pretty sure it'll be more stable since I can chose what the PC connects too.
Summary:
Amazing headset with a variety of uses is only brought down by an UN-perfected system. It would be nice if TB were to get with Microsoft to create a sort of add-on or download on the xBox so you can chose what your controller receiver connects too. That would make it perfect.
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I bought a pair of these only to end up returning them a week later due to frequency saturation. They run on 2.4Ghz. That means it's competing with every device in your house. The microwave, cordless phone, WiFi, smartphones, etc. most of these devices use 2.4Ghz. Why Tb made a flagship product using a freq that is so over crowded it's comical is beyond me. Avoid if you have a house full of wireless devices. The amount of signal noise and drop outs are legendary.Best Deals for Xbox 360 Ear Force XP500 Programmable Wireless Headset
Let me be thorough yet as concise as I can be--SETUP
Setup is fairly easy considering that there's no extra cables needed, due it it's wireless capabilities, all you need is the usb power adapter that you plug behind your headset dock/transmitter into the usb port of your Xbox. An optical cable is connected the same way (only for Xbox slim) otherwise you would need to purchase other cables and hookups in order to get the 5.1 Dolby that you paid for.
Now let me start with the GOOD stuff
--Wireless, which means no more tripping over cables and no more running wires under the carpet.
--Bluetooth capable which can be paired to up to two devices (one more device if youre already connected thru your XBA during wireless chat). You can purchase a separate item to connect your headset to your controller like regular headsets and do a wired chat that way. The XBA is very small and doesnt get in the way of gaming, however it consumes a lot for juice.
--A standard double-A batteries which means you can simple change it when it's low (there's a voice prompt that tell you when your juice is slow)
--Programmable and loaded with presets. This thing can hold up to 9 presets (18 total counting the ones for PS3) that you can use to enhance your gaming experience. There's 8 preloaded presets + the MAIN. Theres awesome pre-loaded presets such as "footsteps" which is exactly what it sounds like and "superhuman" which enhances all the subtle sounds around you. Its also programmable that you can change your voice or other players voice, perhaps to a chipmunk or a robot if you prefer. You can download hundreds of presets at TB's website. You can also install a free software and make your own presets.
--Comfort. The comfort on this headsets are amazing!!! I can sleep through it if I could. Youd forget you're wearing it.
--Sound quality. There's only one word to describe this "PERFECT" plus its compatible upto 7.1 true Dolby!!! imagine a surround sound directly on your ears.. hmmmmm
now the UGLY and the BAD.
--It runs thru 2.4ghz... do you know what else in your house runs in that frequency?... almost all electronics in your household. Which means that more often you'd hear cracking and popping noises despite the fact that you're sitting 3 feet away from the transmitter.
--Button layouts. I've had this for 2 days and probably used them for 18hrs of game play already...and I still get confused of the buttons. This is more like an opinion tho instead of a fact..maybe other people get used to it faster than I did.
--Quality. Like I've said it's very very comfortable..however for the price you pay, the material seems very very cheap. Everything is plastic (all TBs are) and seems almost fragile. Its also not as good looking as the tritons or the Astros...but thats probably not the reason why you wanna buy this product anyway.
--Price. I wouldn't say its not worth the price but it could be justifiable around $150-$200 instead of $220-$270. Everything you paid for is the programmable feature of the headset..which let me tell you is not that big of a deal and, of course, the name!
Now.. the XP400
I usually don't do a comparison review but since I want you to get your money's worth...
Basically the only differences are
1) XP400 doesn't have a stand/dock. HOWEVER, it uses both 2.4 and 5.4ghz which means you get a WAY BETTER connection because there's virtually no other equipment running on the same frequency.
2) XP400 comes with rechargeable batteries that are also removable plus you can charge it while playing a GREAT asset that the XP500 is greatly lacking.
3) XP400 is not 7.1 Dolby capable, only 5.1.... but this may come surprising to most of you but your Xbox and optical output can only handle up to 5.1 Dolby. So this 7.1 Dolby feature is NOT even existing because you would need a different and complicated setup to do that and I'm already running on both optical audio and HDMI. So really there's nothing to lose here. Plus if you're running on 5.1 I guarantee you won't need anything better!! You can literally hear ambient noises and even a pin getting pulled from a grenade...YEAH!
4) XP400 not programmable. You can't use presets or alter your voice but Like I mentioned earlier, its not really that handy..I often put mine on "main" which is the default. (UPDATED) I just installed a new preset called "footsteps focus" from the website and I really like it.
5) now the game changer..... XP400 is a LOT cheaper!!!!
I bought my XP500 on black Friday for the same price of XP400 ($170) so I still believe it's a good purchase.
That sums it up!!
Just remember that a gaming headset is only an accessory and it won't make you a better player and it doesn't work like you probably imagine it to be. Yes you can hear footsteps but it's impossible to locate where they are coming from exactly.. the only thing that can make you better is by keep playing!
Hope this help.
Good luck
GT IngoingAverage
Im on BO2 :P
Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Ear Force XP500 Programmable Wireless Headset
Just finished playing Battlefield 3 using the XP500 Bluetooth wireless headphones and they are simply amazing. Setup was a breeze and the overall sound quality is great. I was originally hesitant to purchase the product due to the price, but after receiving them am happy that I placed the order. The dual Bluetooth sync with my phone or computer is also a great feature to have.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Xbox 360 Ear Force XP500 Programmable Wireless Headset
Just got these as an early Xmas gift. I am coming from Turtlebeach's X41 and there is a noticeable improvement. Not sure if I would have spent $100 more but I can definitely hear these are better. Better spatial sound, crisper, more depth. No more background hiss when there is no sound as with the X41. My friend's X41 also had this trait so not just my copy. Less popping from interference (mine is right next to my wireless router). Haven't tried blue tooth for chat yet but being totally wireless is great. Overall very happy.Update:
After a month of use I can report only 1-2 incidents of connection hiccup. This is sitting right next to my Plasma TV, AV equipment AND dual band wireless router (Cisco E4200) with multiple devices connected. Also a cheap 1.9Ghz DECT 6.0 cordless phone is 4-5 feet away. VERY good improvement over X41 RF performance IMHO. Observation, if I have Bluetooth connected it appears that my controller (original beige one) always seems to think the batteries are lower than they really are. This is proven by turning of Bluetooth and seeing the battery level go back up. Anyone else notice this? Using Eneloops. Overall still very happy with it.
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