Tritton AX Pro Headset Review

written by Chris Hart on 12.5.11

Bringing the battlefield alive with True 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound through 8 individual speakers, yes that’s right 4 in each ear. And they’re comfy too.

Gaming headsets are big business now, whether it’s the responsible father and husband being sympathetic to the rest of the family or the competitive fanatic looking for an edge over his friends on Black Ops – more and more  people are appreciating the extra level of immersion that comes from having two cans strapped to the side of their head whilst battling it out.

When it comes to surround sound the AX Pro’s from Tritton and Mad Cats have gone for separate speakers to deliver True 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, as well as options for enhancing stereo sources to make use of the extra speakers at their disposal.

• Likes

  • Stunning sound
  • No batteries
  • Comfortable

• Dislikes

  • Voice controls position
  • Sound leaking

Boom, boom shake the room

Its a trade off ultimately, the software created 5.1 effect allows for a headset to rid itself of cables, but there’s definitely something to be said for the Surround Sound coming through physical speakers. The sound quality is terrific, with directional sound clearer than ever. Without a doubt though, its the separate sub speaker in each ear that’s sure to be a favourite, the bass its capable of producing is stunning, the sound of distant gun fire and explosions in Battlefield Bad Company 2 have never sounded so frighteningly real.

The strategic advantage of surround sound as long be lauded in the FPS genre, knowing whats coming and where its coming from can make your life a whole lot easier. But the AX Pro’s bring new levels of atmosphere to games of every type, from Splosion Man with its extra thump to the shacking stands in FIFA 11 you’ll be hearing sounds you’ll swear weren’t there before.

There are no presets available and the separate volume levels for each speaker set can be daunting, but add some extra bass to the default setup and you can’t go far wrong. Volumes are indicated using a colour coded system with the names of the speakers changing colour as you increase or decrease the levels. Its not the easiest thing to get your head around, but chances are you’ll get a setup that works and then just change the global volume.

There is some leaking of sound compared with headsets I’ve used previously, disappointing when the temptation to ramp up the volume is quickly tempered by others being in the room.

Build

Being wired means the AX Pro’s don’t have to carry the extra weight of batteries in the set itself, but of course there are 8 speaker domes rather than just two. All in all the headset feels sturdy but not overly heavy, the cushions and passing on the cups and the top of the head are nice and firm, so every fits snugly.

The control unit feels a little cheaper though, the lightweight plastic no doubt used to minimise any pulling on the cable from the headset, but it just feels like a hollow shell that’s bigger than it needs to be, the ‘curvyness’ of the container feels out of place next the the more masculine squarer shaped headset.

The detachable microphone feels good and produces very clear voice, even at low levels, there are a few connection issues however, to connect the mic to the main unit you insert in facing outwards and then twist in inwards towards your face, it doesn’t always connect first time, I’d feel more confident with a fixed mic that slides out the way when not needed.

Cables, cables, cables

There are a lot of cables included with the AX Pro’s, but considering this set is designed to work with the Xbox 360, PS3, PC and other analog sources, chances are your not going to need everything in the box. I managed to set everything up with the new model Xbox 360 without the instructions, although I did plug in the USB cable that’s bundled for voice support on the PS3. You will get some buzzing if this cable is in as well as a play and charge kit, a clear sign you’ve setup incorrectly.

Once your up and running it gets much simpler, you’ll have one cable running from the main decoder box through the volume control unit and up to the headphones, with another cable springing from control unit to the control pad for voice support.

All in one place

All of the game and voice levels are control on one central block thats not quite far enough down the cable from the headset, this is great for initial setup, everything in one place, but becomes a little troublesome for quick muting of chat or turning down of voice volume in game. Its a little disappointing that the voice controls haven’t had the same LED light treatment as some of the other areas of the control unit have, again adding to some scrabbling around when the inevitable ‘Timmie’ jumps into a peaceful lobby.