Another day, another gadget out of CES; this time it’s a gaming headset. Gaming headsets have been around for a long time on the PC, but it has only started to catch on with console gamers over the past few years. One of the leaders in this field is Turtle Beach, and they recently unveiled their latest offering on the floor of CES.
It’s called the Ear Force PX5 and it’s the newest addition to a long line of Ear Force headsets. So what makes the PX5 stand out among what is becoming a crowded lineup of headsets? Have a look above, and now below.
- 50MM speakers and 5.1/7.1 Dolby Digital surround sound. I’ve been using headsets for a long time and to the best of my knowledge, these are the largest speakers you can find in a gaming headset. Speakers that large not only provide a big punch for bass but they also add a wider range of depth across all sound-types. Pair that with full Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound and you’ve got a winning combo.
- Fully wireless. The downside to a lot of headsets out there is that you’re forced to drape a cord across your gaming space. This is especially annoying if you play games in your main living area. The PX5 offers a completely wireless solution with a 2.4Ghz RF band.
- Bluetooth support. This is a first for Turtle Beach and it’s extremely rare for headsets such as this one. Don’t have an extra USB port on your PS3 to hook a chat cable to? No problem with the PX5 as it has bluetooth built right in. The bluetooth also makes it possible to pair your phone with the headset and take calls while gaming. The input/output of your phone is mixed right in with the game sounds so you don’t have to make any sacrifices.
- Optical pass-through system. Another downside to most headsets is that you lose the ability to hook up your console to a receiver via an Optical cable. The PX5 again has a solution with a full pass-through system. If you’re gaming by yourself, the headset is the way to go, but if you’ve got other people that want to hear what’s going on, you can also run the audio to a separate source via optical without having to swap any cables.
- Full game and mic input/output customization. This is where the PX5 could really shine. Not only can you customize the game sound with several different EQ presets but you can also modify your mic input/output. Others on your team being too loud? You can independently turn the chat volume down. Players telling you that you’re too quiet/loud? You can also adjust your own chat level on the fly so others can hear you better. There’s even a built in voice modifier similar to the one on the XMB, and you can connect the headset’s receiver to your PC for even further EQ customization.
- Chat Feedback Loop. This isn’t new to either Turtle Beach or headsets in general but I can’t stress enough how important it is. The chat feedback loop takes a small percentage of your own voice output and loops it back in your headset for you to hear. Doing this keeps you from being too loud when chatting with others. As someone who has tried headsets that don’t have this feature, I can tell you that it becomes very easy to start screaming if you can’t hear your own voice.
The Ear Force PX5 is compatible with the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. It’ll be hitting retail shelves this April for the cringe-inducing price of $249.95. No price has been announced for Europe as of yet but you can probably bet on a figure between £150/€180 and £180/€215 based on Turtle Beach’s current pricing scheme. It’s no doubt a steep price tag but if you play in a small area or do a lot of on-line gaming, headsets like this don’t come much nicer… and even if you don’t, you may find that gaming with a headset is far more beneficial than with a full surround sound system. I know I do.
Source: Official Turtle Beach Website
icuyesido
That looks very cool indeed but it’s not worth the money in my mind. The official one is annoying, I have to swap ears every 30 mins because my ear starts to ache.
Matt W [Echo]
You mean the official Sony bluetooth one? Yeah, it did the same to me but most gaming headsets are different. The ear cups wrap all the way around your ears so you don’t even feel is after a while.
cam the man
If I hadn’t of bought a AV receiver I would have been very tempted to get a pair when/if they come across the pond.
Matt W [Echo]
All Turtle Beach headsets are currently available at various EU on-line retailers so I see no reason why this one should be different.
It is a tough sell if you already have a receiver, though.
Snoopy_92
i still prefer my steelseries, i have the 5xB and its much easier to live with
nemesisND1derboy
I’ve been looking at getting a stereo headset, but I think this is just too expensive for my budget. I’ve been looking at one of the cheaper Tritton headsets though…
l C0D3 M0NK3Y l
Fair warning… be careful which Tritton’s you get. I have the Tritton AX 180s and have already had to use some zip ties to keep them together. I did a little research, and found that this is a pretty common problem for this particular model. Here’s a link to a YouTube video showing the exact same thing that happened to mine… my AX 180s broke in exactly the same place… so fair warning. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b1ODZL1PRU
Spence1115
I just bought a pair of X41s. Mostly for the offline play anyway rather than online, and most of my mates who play online do so on the Xbox, so not too fussed about returning and waiting for these for PS3, and I can always get the PS3 adaptor if I wanted. These just look nicer, no other difference is there?
Matt W [Echo]
I believe the speakers are larger (50MM instead of 40MM but I’m not 100% on that), the ear cups are larger, dual bluetooth integration and all the EQ presets for game sound, mic input and output.
Also, I believe they changed the 2.4Ghz banding so that it doesn’t get so much interference from routers and such. I had all kinds of issues with that when I had the X41’s.
But, if you already have the X41’s, it might not be worth the upgrade.
l C0D3 M0NK3Y l
I recently received a Turtle Ear Force X11 headset for Christmas, and I love it! I started off with a Tritton AX180, but the Turtles are way more comfortable. I am absolutely sold on gaming headsets… even if I didn’t need to use them, I still would. Being able to hear those faint foot falls of an enemy walking up behind you is priceless. I will definitely keep the PX5 on my radar… and hope the price drops over the next year or so. :)
Matt W [Echo]
I doubt you’ll see a price drop. The X41’s have held steady for almost 2 years. Although you can occasionally find deals on Amazon and such.
I think Turtle Beach knows that the gaming audiophile crowd will probably pay the price.
l C0D3 M0NK3Y l
Nice… “gaming audiophile”… I think I found my motto for this week. :)
gordon_strange
I was going to pick up one of the turtle beach headsets in the sales. I checked some reviews and there are a few that say the sound can go in one side. Anyway the specs on this are floating my boat, I just wish we were able to view the gallery via the iPhone. Suffice to say when I get a look at these, and if I like them, then I may well treat myself.
Ossy
I recently brought a Turtle Beach headset, the PX21’s I use on my PS3 and PC both for gaming and chat. They also work on 360 but I don’t own one. They are brilliant, sound quality is great and very comfortable and with individual dials for game and chat, also bass which is great. I paid £40 for them as I got them off very.co.uk with a voucher, there are only £59ish in Tesco & I’d recommend them to any gamer particularly for online such as Battlefield or Call of Duty. As there Universal on all platorms are easily disconnected and re connected to each system. BTW I don’t work for Turtle Beach or get commision ;)
gybrocker
i just got a plantronics 367 headset for my ps3 but unable to get mic working. I
have adapter does anyone know how to get it working?
hol
Been using p21’s for the last 18 months, don’t game without them now but the one thing I’d prefer is a wireless set, think I’ll be getting a set of these ;)