PlayStation 3 gamers, much like their Xbox 360 brethren, love to compete online against one another. Good headphones with a quality microphone are a must for competitive and co-op gaming and one company which tries to meet up to this standard is Turtle Beach.
Turtle Beach recently released its new Ear Force X1 headphones for PS3 gamers for around $80. The Ear Force X1 headphones are actually two components – an amplified headset and a sound card which plugs into the PlayStation 3. These two together are what Turtle Beach believes will deliver a solid online gaming experience.
Chat and Game Audio Brought Together
The Ear Force X1 headphones bring together chat and game audio so gamers hear both at the same time while blowing something up or otherwise being involved in online gaming. A chat microphone connects to the PlayStation 3 via the included USB sound card. An in-line stereo amplifier attached to the headphones has gaming volume control, while the chat sound level is set through the gaming console, click over here.
The amplifier, which includes a built-in mute switch, has a pair of 3.5mm jacks for connecting to the sound card or another audio source. The amplifier is powered itself by a USB connection, made by plugging an attached cable into one of the PlayStation 3’s USB ports.
Other Features
Both the headphones and the included USB sound card can be used with other devices besides the PlayStation 3 if desired. The headset works with either an Xbox 360 or PC, though to get the microphone feature to work an additional cable is required. The USB sound card, meanwhile, can be plugged into a PC to convert a headset to a USB headset, while also providing digital audio out to connect to a home theater system.
Other features of the Ear Force X1 headphones include a 16-foot headphone cable, bass boost, soft ear cushions, an adjustable headband and flexibility in the attached microphone boom. More details can be found on the Turtle Beach Web site.