Two reviews, one negative, one positive.
Oct. 10th, 2012 09:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theweaselkingSo, I decided I wanted actual headphones and a new mic for my computer. Walking past a neat display with working demos, I tried out and then bought a Turtle Beach x32 wireless surround-sound headset.
As is happens: FILTHY LIES.
First: It's not surround sound, inherently. That's a separate add-on. So it doesn't work, without additional hardware. (The web page doesn't lie about this, but the demo did.)
Second: It doesn't include the wire to get sound from your source to the transmitter. So it doesn't work, without additional hardware.
Third: It's NOT FUCKING WIRELESS. It's wireless only if you ONLY want audio. Want the microphone to work? Requires a physical wire running to your headset, also not included.[1] So it doesn't work, without additional hardware, AND getting that additional hardware defeats the purpose.
Fuck that.
I returned it and bought the X12 model instead, which ADMITS to being wired. So, instead of needing to buy my own wire and then wire up a battery-powered "wireless" headset, I bought a much cheaper one that includes all the necessary hardware, powers from USB without requiring batteries, and Just Works. Sound quality is decent, earpieces are comfortable, mic is good enough for skype and gaming.
And then Borderlands 2 released the Mechromancer a week early, and I started that up, played briefly, and then spilled my beer on my keyboard and had to stop in a hurry. But that's not the point. The point is, don't buy the not-wireless not-surround "wireless surround sound" headset, because it is made of lies and wrong. The "lower-end" product that actually does exactly what it says on the tin, though? Is pretty good.
NB: The MSRP on the website? Totally not what the retailers are actually charging.
[1]: The wire required to connect the microphone to an X-Box 360 is, in fact, included. However, that uses a nonstandard plug, making it useless on a PC. And since the box advertises PC compatibility....
As is happens: FILTHY LIES.
First: It's not surround sound, inherently. That's a separate add-on. So it doesn't work, without additional hardware. (The web page doesn't lie about this, but the demo did.)
Second: It doesn't include the wire to get sound from your source to the transmitter. So it doesn't work, without additional hardware.
Third: It's NOT FUCKING WIRELESS. It's wireless only if you ONLY want audio. Want the microphone to work? Requires a physical wire running to your headset, also not included.[1] So it doesn't work, without additional hardware, AND getting that additional hardware defeats the purpose.
Fuck that.
I returned it and bought the X12 model instead, which ADMITS to being wired. So, instead of needing to buy my own wire and then wire up a battery-powered "wireless" headset, I bought a much cheaper one that includes all the necessary hardware, powers from USB without requiring batteries, and Just Works. Sound quality is decent, earpieces are comfortable, mic is good enough for skype and gaming.
And then Borderlands 2 released the Mechromancer a week early, and I started that up, played briefly, and then spilled my beer on my keyboard and had to stop in a hurry. But that's not the point. The point is, don't buy the not-wireless not-surround "wireless surround sound" headset, because it is made of lies and wrong. The "lower-end" product that actually does exactly what it says on the tin, though? Is pretty good.
NB: The MSRP on the website? Totally not what the retailers are actually charging.
[1]: The wire required to connect the microphone to an X-Box 360 is, in fact, included. However, that uses a nonstandard plug, making it useless on a PC. And since the box advertises PC compatibility....
(no subject)
Date: 2012-10-10 01:41 pm (UTC)... Yep, still sitting on my desk near the computer.
ETA: EarForce DX11
(no subject)
Date: 2012-10-10 02:06 pm (UTC)They what? I just finished work for the night and was just about to go to bed, too....
(no subject)
Date: 2012-10-10 02:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-10-10 07:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-10-10 11:38 pm (UTC)