Ear Force X3 Headset: Chat + Wireless Game Audio, for Xbox 360 Reviews

• The best headphones to date for Xbox Live game play. Period.

  
  By A379DLIAF0MFM5 on 2007-12-26
  I play combat games for the most part: Call of Duty 4, Halo 3 ... but others, too -- like Rock Band, which as you might guess can also get LOUD.
  
  My wife hates the noise. That means I need headphones for game play. And I've tried/tested pretty much all of them, including the earlier versions of Turtle Beach (wired and wireless, like the X2) as well as many other brands, like the Tritton True 5.1 Digital Audio Headset with AX360 Audio Xtreme 360.
  
  Until the Turtle Beach Ear Force X3 Wireless Headphones (which I got for Christmas), my two favorite were:
  
  * the Turtle Beach EarForce X2 (wireless)
  * The Trittons (wired)
  
  Both of the above had pros and cons.
  
  The pros of the X2s was that they were wireless and had decent Xbox Live Chat capabilities. The pros of the Trittons was the fantastic sound quality. There are 4 dials for sound alone! If you don't play games that require Xbox Live, these are fabulous headphone. They use an optical sound cable. Fab sound quality.
  
  Cons of both the X2 and the Trittons: depending on the game, is that it can be hard to clearly hear your teammates during the heat of battle -- even in the lobby if there is default game music playing (in Call of Duty 4, there is no user option to turn this music off).
  
  You also can't hear yourself talk -- both of your ears are covered, naturally, so when you talk, you tend to get LOUD because you can't hear yourself. Your own voice is muffled.
  
  Turtle Beach Ear Force X3 Wireless Headphones for Xbox 360 solved this problem. Now you can "hear" yourself talk. Much like when you are on the phone, you can hear a little bit of your voice through the earpiece part of the phone.
  
  The wireless base station is also MUCH smaller than the X2's base station. Which was huge mainly because it was designed to needlessly hold the headphones when not in use.
  
  Pros of the X3s:
  * Set up takes about 3 minutes. Plug and play.
  * The earphones are comfy -- even on my big, adult head
  * Wireless
  * Can "hear" yourself talk through the headphones
  * "Bass boost" option mode (a switch near the volume)
  * TWO volume dials: one for overall gameplay, another for Xbox Live chat. For example, I love Call of Duty 4, but you are unable to turn off the lobby's default music in between games. With the other headphones, I had trouble hearing folks. The X3s enable you to dial down the music altogether -- so you just hear the chat in the lobby.
  * Mute button
  * Surround sound is good ... you can tell where the bad guys are coming from
  
  CONS:
  Sound quality is good -- but not amazing. But remember that these are wireless. The wired headphones have a bit of an advantage in overall sound quality.
  
  Tip: With the Turtle Beach X3s, unlike ALL of the other headphones, under the "voice" personal options 360 menu, select the default "Play Voice through Headset" and not "both headset and speakers."
  
  You are going to love these headphones.
  
  

• Headphones With ATTITUDE!

  
  By A6T1RHMQ9NSE4 on 2008-02-10
  My son plays a lot of LOUD war type shooting games on his xbox 360! I was a little uneasy about purchasing this because of some of the negative reviews that are posted here. I'm glad I went ahead and got them! I don't think he's had them off for more than ten minutes since they arrived!
  
  A very good gift idea. If you're tired of hearing LOUD games or your child/husband "yelling to himself" just to hear what he's saying during a game, than these are definitely the answer...lol There are two volume control knobs that help with that. There is one for your voice and one for the game that you are playing...genious!
  
  As for not playing near a plasma TV. I have to disagree, we have one and they work perfectly. I also did a little research and found out that the X4's are due out this April, which is only about two months away. However, they are more expensive. I have to say that for the price, these headphones really can not be beat.
  
  He hasn't had any background static or white noise. Just crystal clear sound. Plus, I don't have to hear Call of Duty 4 or Halo 3 (Not to mention my son screaming over the background to talk with his friends on line). These are great for Xbox Live AND they are WIRELESS so no need for even more cords behind your TV and the signal to them is perfect!
  
  This has to be one of the best investments I've made so far this year. I'd definitely recommend these to anyone looking for a great set of headphones.
  
  

• Do Not Buy If You Have A Plasma TV or HDMI XBOX 360

  
  By AD9A6IY5KMGJO on 2008-07-10
  While reading the manual to setup the X3, I find out that the manufacturer says that these don't work well with plasma TVs due to IR distortion. Would of been nice to know that BEFORE I ordered it. While the manual gives "suggestions" on how to reduce the feedback, none of them work. Also, if you connect your XBOX 360 via HDMI, DO NOT BUY THESE. You have to have a "premium" XBOX 360 with a special HDMI cable with a dongel in order to use this. Otherwise, you have to do audio out of your TV or get rid of your HDMI connection. Again, would of been nice to have known about this BEFORE I bought it.
  
  

• Quality control needed

  
  By A2RZ6EK0P3YPLC on 2007-10-22
  After using the X3 for 2 days, the microphone quit working which negates their usefulness while playing online. The background hum that is mentioned is always present (ambient noise) but its not too noticeable while playing.
  
  Follow-up note. Turtle Beach's support site says about the connecting cable to the controller :
  
  "In fact this issue appears in 'epidemic'
  numbers, overshadowing any other issue with our Headphones. No kidding here!We are sorry but this is not a manufacturing defect as some have suggested."
  
  I'm sorry but there is a design or manufacturing defect with this cable. Mine was not abused and stored when not in use but yet it promptly failed.
  
  
  
  

• Good deal BUT>>>

  
  By A3EGCWPS3V8I72 on 2007-10-25
  First thing first, Amazon has the best price for this than anywhere else. The headphones are good. They produce good sound and the mic is good. The headset has the function to control your volume as well as in game volume. Here is where it kind of goes down hill. I was recently playing HALO3 with it. I noticed that EVERY time there was a grenade toss, vehicle explsion, and even the 50 cal on the back of the warthog was fired the sound would just cut off. It seems as though the headset just cancels it out completely which of course takes you out of the game. I tried turning off the bass boost, and yet the samething happened again. It's like a dropped call, you can get it back but its so annoying. I tried it with other games and the best thing to do is lower the game volume which kinda sucks cause that was the point of the headset to HEAR the game without diturbing others.
  The red & white plugs right to the back of your 360. I have home theater with digital sound so it left the R&W slots open just for this device. The sensors are on the headset but the signal box must plug into the wall. If your like me you already have a jungle of cords behind the tv and not enough room for another plug for power. Why it couldn't use the usb for power, I don't know.
  The device loses cool points for being so blocky. My fiance constantly laughs when she sees me with it and can't understand why she is marrying a geek.
  Also, you can listen to movies without disturbing neighbors. You don't even have to turn on the controller. It uses 2 AAA which doesn't suck power from the controller.
  Good price, good quality, Hear ambience you may not have noticed before.
  Lose cool points, Too many explosions the headset just cancels out the noise.
  
  
• Good for games and Movies
  By ASWBQLLO1T2RJ on 2007-10-11
  I have never used headphones so I am still getting used to them. After having them on for about an hour it hurts my right ear a little from the way they fit but it is probably just an adjustment thing. As far as sound they are fantastic. They are not surround sound but they work very well. I can stay up and play XBOX with them on the TV in the bedroom and my wife can sleep no problem. It really immerses you in the game. They also kill outside noise in the room. If my wife talks to me (she is 3 foot away) I dont hear her and when she touches my arm to get my attention it usually scares me because I am so into the game. They are also great for my insomnia because I can watch a movie and she can sleep at the same time. Ok, it doesn't HELP with the insomnia but makes dealing with it better.
  Oh, they also almost weigh nothing. This makes them feel a little cheap but they are very well made. You just have to get over the "heavy is quality" mentality. They are designed that way and you don't even notice them on your head about 20 seconds after you put them on. They work exactly like they should.
  
  
  
• Awesome
  By A21HXBJOB2TUO2 on 2007-10-19
  Since I cannot change the star grade a provided originally, I am writing this new review and providing a full 5/5. I had a snaffu with batteries, thinking this puppy was consuming batteries at an abnormal rate. After realizing that the batteries I originally used were not Alkaine and the rechargeable batteries were not fully charged, well how the heck was I expecting over 10 hours of use?
  
  It's a great headset that has helped me listen to sounds I did not know existen in my games (since I always played with the volume down).
  
  As a wishlist for the next headset, if an X4 is in design and development - lithium batteries and 5.1 audio.
  
  Turtle Beach has fantastic customer service. They are quick to answer and on the money when providing guidance.
  
  Peace
  
  
• Turtle Beach X3 Headsets REQUIRE fresh non-rechargeable batteries!
  By A30Y2B4TCMQMDS on 2008-02-29
  Love the Turtle Beach X3 headset. The ability to independently control the background noise from the chatter of fellow players is key! The default headset Microsoft gives you sucks. If you play Call of Duty 4 your game stats will improve by more than 20%. You can now play late at night and not wake anyone. You can hear fellow players foot steps in the game. The ability to turn up/down your fellow players is critical. I love being able to mute racist lobby chatter, but crank critical team mate intel in the game.
  
  One KEY piece of info is that if you hear clipping in voices or folks complain that they can't hear you it means you need fresh batteries.
  
  DON'T use Rechargeable batteries! My brand new Sanyo Ni-MH AAA batteries create too much static (totally weird but true). A fresh set of Duracell Ultras cleared up my mic issue with the X3.
  
  
• Headphones don't work near plasma TV!
  By A3R9GDUNPCHKGH on 2007-12-29
  Be aware that the headphones use infrared technology. Plasma tvs give off a lot of IR. If you plan on using these headphones anywhere near a plasma tv, think again. Completely inaudible.
  
  
• Pretty good, two hours max for large heads though
  By AJBPLTDE9NW3B on 2008-02-11
  For Xbox 360 users who need wireless headphones and Live chat support, this is a great solution. You piggy-back onto the audio L/R plugs a tiny transmitter (which requires its own power supply, ug), then put batteries in the headphones and you are away. Its not entirely wireless: you do have to plug the headphone into your (wireless) Xbox controller if you want to chat though. It worked well for me, though my left ear started to hurt after about two hours (I have a big head which may be the reason). The Live mic seems to be a better quality than the normal one. Sensibly the headphones will turn themselves off after a while of not being used. It is a bit expensive though.
  
  
• headphone / mic
  By A8TRL2RC6HOI2 on 2007-11-05
  The product is awesom,w ,,,, BUT >>>> it can only be used for the XBOX system. I was looking for a PC compatible product. The ad did not mention the limitation to Xbox only,
  
  
• Good, but definitely not for audiophiles
  By A2J8DE8R94ZB02 on 2008-03-14
  Let me give you the bottom line before getting to the details. If you hate messing with a lot of wires, have a need to play games without disturbing others in your house, and are not an audiophile, then this is a good product for you. If you are an audiophile, you will likely not be happy.
  
  Here are the details:
  
  Setup is really easy and it really works quite well. It is no longer stressful for me to get setup to play games when I need to do so while being quiet. My wireless controller with this headset work really does the trick.
  
  The reason you wouldn't want this product if you are an audiophile is that there is a constant white noise sound in the background. It is actually somewhat similar to the white noise you get with noise canceling headphones, just a lot stronger. Once you get used to it, you don't really notice it too much, though.
  
  The headphones are quite lightweight and work well with my energizer rechargeable batteries. The battery life seems pretty good, even with rechargeables.
  
  I really like being able to independently control the mic volume and game volume. The headset does a good job with keeping a constant level between them even when the game gets loud. It took me a few games to get used to hearing my own voice, but now I actually like it. I do however wish there was a way to turn off the microphone when you don't want it to be on. I think that the lack of microphone kill switch contributes to the white noise (yes you can mute broadcasting to the xbox from the mic so other players don't hear you - however it still continues to pick up room noises and play them in your ears).
  
  There is still the wire that connects the headset to the controller. I don't find this to be an issue though.
  
  Overall, I would buy this product again, because it really met my needs. I had the X1 earforce, but the wires on it were just annoying. I chose to give up a little sound quality in favor of not having to mess with the wires. If this profile fits you and you are okay with pretty good sound, then you will probably be happy too. Otherwise, you probably will be unhappy.
  
  TIPS:
  
  * Set this up with your receiver so that the broadcaster attaches to your receiver via the headphone jack on your receiver. I simply use the adapter for the headphone output so that the mini-plug on this unit works with it. I then have just the jack sitting next to the receiver with the rest of the wire winding around the back out of site and simply connect the headphone jack to the receiver when I want to use the wireless headset. This makes for almost hassle free switching between wireless broadcasting and normal speaker usage.
  
  * If you have a receiver, check to see if it supports simulated surround sound over the headphone jack on it. My Yamaha does (called silent cinema), which means that using the setup I described above allows me to still get simulated surround sound over the stereo speakers on this headset.
  
  
• Comfortable and Crystal Clear
  By AY6OR7NV3TPOS on 2008-01-01
  I almost didn't buy these because of some of the negative things I read about them, but took a chance.....boy am I glad I did, I am a adult and these fit absolutely great, comfy and flawless sound. no breaking up. the separate adjustments for the game sound and chat are perfect. this product is awesome for xbox live play......highly recommend.
  
  
• Not a game - Awesome Gamer Headphones :o)
  By A2ISZWY5532TT1 on 2008-01-08
  These headphones are so good I no longer have to sit and listen to my husband playing his shoot em up games and even better, I no longer have to listen to my 10 year old murdering cats whilst playing guitar hero!!!
  My husband who they were purchased for is very happy with them also, he says there is a slight hiss during quieter game moments but overall they are great.
  
  
• Good But Not Great!
  By A232SM3Z4HVZB5 on 2008-02-08
  When I first came home with this new head set, I was almost sick that a dropped $100 for a mic. After 30 seconds of getting it hooked up I was a completely happy satisfied customer. The independence of game volume and chat volume I loved. I ofter listen to music while I play halo so I could really turn up the game volume and rock out. Funny thing however, like a nother review I read earlier. After 2 days (15 hrs gaming), as fast as it was to fall in love with these the mic stopped working. Then my game sound got really fuzzy sounding. I eventually got the game volume to be clear again, but the mic still does not work. I took great care of this headset for just 2 days. I had just spent $100 so I wasn't about to break it. I've read about plasma's giving off high amounts of IR but what about LCD. I have a vizio LCD. I"m taking them back tommorrow for another pair. I'll update you on what happens.
  
  
• Almost awesome.....
  By A37BJWMSKOXBQ2 on 2008-02-10
  Bottom line in the plus catagory, it's a really good product. Great for cranking up the volume without disturbing others. I have two small boys and always had to turn the TV volume down low at night which would always have me crouching 6" in front of the TV to hear the game. Now, I can play late at night and hear the bullets off in the distance on Halo 3 or the plot driven dialogue in Mass Effect.
  
  Range is good, very comfortable fit, lightweight headset that seems well made. Also easy to set up. XBOX live chat is with a small cord (not quite wireless for chat) and I can live with that.
  
  Now for the minus. My one and only complaint is the everpresent and noticable static hiss. You can always hear the static when playing. At first I thought that it was just my set-up so I swapped headsets with a friend. Same static. It's not a deal breaker, but I wish that it was a little less or not there at all.
  
  I would purchase again, and it is still the best option out there for my needs but the next model could have a little less static.
  
  
  
  
• Got issues...
  By AIOPD46ZIV8K2 on 2008-05-28
  Here's where it fails for me:
  - the simple audio hook up of the transmitter to the XBOX 360 console does not work with HDMI only connections. To make a long story short:
  My 63" plasma is built into a home theater wall. The xbox is hardwired to it via HDMI. I would think this is VERY common since HDMI is the best possible quality AND the fewest cables. In order to make this puppy work I have to now use the ANALOG XBOX cable octopus and put that to my TV OR hardwire the X3 transmitter via my wall to my TV out. That's just silly and poorly thought out. The issue here is that you're running unnecessary cables for just this headset.
  
  - the sound comes with lots of white noise / hiss. Certainly not fit for 100$ headphones.You have to control this with multiple(!) dials on different components.
  
  - There is absolutely NO spatial / surround effect. I.e. you play COD and have no idea if someone is coming from behind. For 100$ no 5.1.... I guess I should have read the description better instead of assuming it but again, for that kinda money it should be included.
  
  Sorry, used to love TB soundcards but this is not up to snuff. Rave reviews are coming from lack of viable alternatives. We need more entrants in this market space.
  
  Not sure how this made it as best in class.
  
  
• Great Upgrade
  By ACRFENRSE5YM0 on 2008-06-16
  The Ear Foce X3 are a great improvement over the X2 headset. The gameplay and chatting is amazingly better. It sounds clearer and richer. The cutscene sounds make you think it's in the room with you through this headset. The bass effect is nice and being able to hear yourself chat is so helpful so that you know how others are hearing you. The X2 were very flimsy and loose fitting, but that's not the case with the X3. They fit snug on your head so that no gaming sound will escape your ears.
  
  *Here's an unadvertised secret: I also use these for my regular gaming on the PS3. Though 1if I want to go Online, I'd have use another headset.*
  
  
• The Best
  By A2U3OJT6Q3NIKI on 2008-06-23
  The X3 is the best purchase I every made for my Xbox. Once they are set up the sound is beyond amazing.
  
  
• pretty pleased with product
  By A1EGWGKR5WAWH7 on 2008-01-10
  I like the headsets alot they work great, the only thing about them I dont like is I would like to get a plasma tv some day and these will not work with plasmas, there is to much interference. other than that they work good for xbox live.
  
  
• Outstanding item
  By A2AFU9VES5HBEH on 2008-03-11
  I've been a semi-professional gamer for a few years now with counter-strike for the PC. In that game you needed perfect sounds in order to pinpoint your enemies. I've now been playing COD4 for the 360 and was looking for the same kind of sound that I had with counter-strike. I bought this item with low prospects from the reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised. This headset is AMAZING. The features it has are perfect and the sound is even better. I can pinpoint any movement in COD4 and can still hear and talk to my teammates clearly. I would recommend this to anyone. GET IT. =)
  
  
• Buy these you wont regret it
  By A36SXAB3ST6VHG on 2008-03-12
  I dont play the xbox without these any more as they provide much better sound than the TV. You don't miss a thing with these strapped and ready to go on your head, primarily bought them for late night gaming when playing in bed whilst my wifes asleep it was becomnig virtually impossible to play Call of Duty 4 without the sound especially online when you cant here anything coming or your online frineds offering you advice (go on you try it), so needed a solution.
  
  Amazing sound sound quality, bass boost and expander switch, wireless and it automatically adjusts the voice sound so that its not drowned out by the game volume, comfortable to wear, only gripe is that there is a slight hissing noise when in use but you dont notice it that much. Easy to install.
  
  Although I do wake my wife up now and then when Im suprised and jump during gameplay...lol buy these you wont be disappointed.
  
  
• NOT WITH A PLASMA
  By A17OO4FNOEGG32 on 2008-03-28
  It is true... if you have a plasma these are not for you... Work great with lcd but pitiful on a plasma... but if you have lcd they are UNBELEIVABLE
  
  
• Good buy
  By A189TDGJ1RYQV8 on 2008-03-30
  $100 is a lot to spend for headphones, but these things are well worth it. I've had mine for a month and I can hear footsteps of enemies in halo 3. Totally recommended. If you're having problems, don't forget to change the batteries!!! These things do weird things when the batteries are low - muffled sounds, inaudible mic, etc. The batteries that are included are GARBAGE. Don't plan on using them long.
  
  
• Go Wireless?
  By ARIS0LYOOVCFO on 2008-04-12
  I thought this would be a good Headset but I'm a COD4 Player and then headset just goes blank on every loud explosion...Not a good headset for COD
  
  
• Best of a bad selection
  By AV1YU7SUT7ZO8 on 2008-04-14
  I've tried the Tritton and this is, unfortunately, the best of the breed. The functionality is good but there is an ambient hiss that simply refuses to go away, so the sound quality can be considered terrible, and the line of sight restriction between headphones and transmitter is severe.
  
  
• Not too shabby!
  By AAT6FHH17G138 on 2008-04-24
  I'm a 38 year old gamer who plays online quite a bit with friends. This headset sounds amazing, though you do have to tweak it to your preferences. The only sore spots would be the location of the power button and the fact that it is a button, which really isn't a terribly big deal. You can hit the button inadvertently on occasion. Otherwise, for a wireless headset, it sounds great and the microphone works as advertised...
  
  
• Good alternative to an expensive 5.1 surround sound system
  By A3SUXBVOWMYGCK on 2008-04-27
  Let me get this out of the way, I did buy this item from Amazon.com and I have had the item for more than a week. I have experienced the product to write a good review. These headphones are great! The sound is good not spectacular, there are better headphones out there but for $100 it is a bargain deal. The setup is extremely simple and works great. There are some issues, on some games there is audio dip or phase out but mostly it is the games fault for making the game for a 6.1 system and not a 5.1 system, an example is the Call of Duty games where in Call of Duty 2 it happens more often that in Call of Duty 4. When when I am playing Bioshock it works flawlessly and immerses you in the world of the game, it is really nice to hear the little things that make a big difference. A worthy note is the headphones them selves. The xboxlive mike is really easy to use and the headphones are snug and comfortable. These headphones are not just good for games, when I watch audio great movies like Saving Private Ryan or Star Wars the headphones actually sound better than when playing an xbox360 game. Overall if you want a great product for only $100 bucks it is a must have, if you don't want; or can't afford; a fancy 5.1 audio system then this will get you by. It works great and you won't bother the people sleeping around you for late night gamers. I was very hesitant at first about buying the Turtle Beach x3 xbox360 headphones at first but that all went away when I heard the detailed sounds in Bioshock or the realistic gun fire in Call of Duty 4 and the screams of alien foes in Halo 3. If you want a cool product, that is wireless, then go out and buy these headphones!
  
  
• This product could save your relationship
  By A1DXD4IJFXZD17 on 2008-05-29
  My original headset for the Xbox just stopped working. I didn't want to replace it with the same kind because I don't really trust a product that would just stop working so while I was on the hunt for a new and better headset I came across the Turtlebeach website and decided to order a pair. Not only is this a great headset for chatting online, it's also great for playing and not disturbing loved ones. If you do a lot of gaming and at night you can keep the volume low (or off) on the television and still get the hear the sounds from the game. Amazing product. So good that I bought their headset for the Wii as well.
  
  
• Turtle Beach X3 is awesome but it does have issues
  By A1O1XPLOTTI6VE on 2008-06-12
  I'm not a real audiophile like others have said about them selves but it does have better sound quality than most headphones I've tried for the 360 so far. The wireless aspect of it is very good too as well as being able to control both voice chat and in-game volume individually as well as hear yourself. But the big issue I've found is that if there is alot going on ingame with audio and voice chat, the speakers tend to cut out for a split second, and another issue is that if you have hair that covers the recievers it will create static through the hesdset. Overall it's a good headset if you don't want to disturb the other people in your house.
  
  

• Xbox 360 Live 12 Month Gold Card plus 1 Month Bonus
• Call of Duty: World at War
• Xbox 360 Quick Charge Kit
• Gears of War 2
• Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter