The xbox live business model, as we know, is very big business.  To encourage as many gamers as possible to get involved, Microsoft bundles a basic headset and mic with every console sold.

The problem with these headsets is that they are very basic, enabling communication capabilities only and are very easy to break.  I for one have gone through about 7 headsets since purchasing my 360 five years ago at launch. With that in mind and the gap in the market for a quality headset with boom mic for online play, Turtle Beach heads the way with a range of headsets to cater for every budget.

The Ear Force X11 headset retails at around £40 and is a great introduction into a quality headset that not only delivers online communication but creates atmospheric audio to enhance your gameplay via the inline amplifier which delivers stereo sound as well as Xbox live chat.

Build Quality

Turtle Beach headsets have become synomynous with quality audio gaming which can be played for a long period of time without discomfort.  We put the X11′s to the test by dishing out the damage in an extensive 8 hour session to feel how comfortable this headset can be.  Although a little bulky to handle the tech inside, we found the X11′s to be right on the money in terms of comfort.  The Ear Force X11′s sport oversized ear cups to keep the sound in without disturbing other people that may be in the room and fit over my super sized ears very comfortably.  An adjustable padded headband also helps hold the headset to the ears perfectly without pinching or being too tight which will allow you to game forever and not feel as though you have the weight of the world sitting on your head.

Setting Up

Setting up the X11′s is not as difficult as it may initially seem.  Being a wired headset you could be forgiven for thinking that the headset will turn itself into a wired mess that may detract from playing a game.  Upon unboxing the headset we found that it can all be set up within a couple of minutes and the instruction manual was very clear on where to plug everything in.  The amplifier, powered by USB, acts as the main hub between the 360, headset and controller.  One set of audio splitters plug straight into the back of your tv with the traditional audio leads feeding from them and the chat lead plugs straight from the amplifier to the controller with the amplifier connected to the headset.  As I said, the headset is very easy to set up and will deliver an immersive gaming experience within a minute or two.

Ease of use

Everything that is controlled on the X11 headset comes from the amplifier.  Separate chat and game volume wheels allow for  adjustment at a slide of these wheels and are very easy to get your hands on in game.  There is also a separate mic muting switch too for those rare times when you have to go and do something else.  Being able to adjust everything from one little hub allowed myself to set everything up perfectly without affecting my gameplay too much.

Sound and Mic Quality

No matter how good everything else seems, you buy a headset to provide enhanced sound quality over what can be provided by tv speakers.  We tested the Ear Force X11 headset with three games, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Call Of Duty Black Ops and Enslaved as well as Black Hawk Down on dvd to try and get a feel of how well the headset would perform in online play as well as those deep single player experiences.  The testing showed a remarkable difference in sound quality compared to TV speakers and also a base 2.1 speaker setup via an external amp and speakers.

As headsets are so personal to your gaming experience the X11 headset delivered some good quality sound which you would not normally hear via the speakers.  Sniper bullets whizzing past give you an idea of where a particular sniper was but unfortunately as they are only stereo and not Dolby 5.1 it was very hard to pinpoint precisely where the bullets were coming from.  That said, the little sounds that were picked up with the X11 headset allow for  an immersive experience that puts you into the heart of the game.

The additional bass boost that is featured in the X11 headset explodes around your head giving real depth to explosions, gunfire and sound effects in game.  When all is quiet there is a slight hissing noise in the background but as soon as any game or film kick you will not notice this at all.  Also, I ramped up the volume to maximum level to see how the headset copes but unfortunately is starts to distort at around 75% of its capacity.  This is not really a problem in the main as, believe me, three quarters of the maximum is more than enough to take away any external noises that may creep into your gaming experience.

The online experience provides huge leaps and bounds compared with any normal audio device with the X11 picking out even the softest of footsteps to make you aware of any enemies creeping near you.  The ability to hear these sorts of noises, including reloads really will put you ahead of your opponents as you will be able to hear those distinct times when they are at their weakest.  The mic was also reported by people on my friends list as being clear with only the sound of the mic cutting out after I have said what I needed to say but that was only in a lobby and not in game.

Overall

The Ear Force X11 headset goes above and beyond what other headsets of the same price have produced.  Soft mesh cans with a padded headband make these super comfortable for those long gaming sessions.  The sound for the price is outstanding with only minor problems with noise when there is not other sound present.  Setting up the headphones is very easy and with over 16ft of cable you are even able to kick back, relax and take in a film to wind down after those tense and sometimes frustrating online sessions.  At £40, the X11 headset is an ideal piece of kit for those who want superb quality sound at a cheap price with all of the comfort of something you would expect to be a lot more expensive.

Specifications

Headphones

• 40mm diameter speakers with neodymium magnet
• Speaker Frequency Response: 30Hz – 20kHz, >120dB SPL @ 1kHz
• Condenser Microphone Frequency Response: 50Hz – 15kHz
• Cable length: 16 ft. (4.877m)
• Weight: 6.4 oz (233g)

In-Line Amplifier

• Headphone Amplifier: Stereo DC-coupled, 35mW/ch, THD <1%, Frequency Response: DC – 30kHz
• Mic mute switch
• XBOX controller 2.5mm input jack
• Maximum analog input level with volume control on maximum setting: 2Vpp (700mV rms)
• 3.5mm plug for mic output
• 3.5mm plug for line input
• Weight: 1.3 Oz (36g)
• USB connector for power (5VDC @ <50mA max)
• Dimensions: Height .5in (1.27cm), Width 2in (5.08cm), Depth .75in (1.905cm)