Ear Force X11 Amplified Stereo Headset with Chat

 

Ear Force X11 Amplified Stereo Headset with Chat

 

Price : $94.00

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
The Ear Force X11 is the perfect headset for XBOX gamers who want immersive game sound and XBOX Live communication at a great price.
Overview:
With an in-line amplifier and separate connectors for mic and line signals, the X11 also makes a great PC gaming headset. Playing your favorite game with the X11 gives you a significant advantage because you can hear sound cues that are missed with speakers, such as the soft footsteps of an enemy sneaking up on you, or the click of a loading weapon in the distance. That means you’ll react faster and take them out before they takeyouout, giving youa competitive edge that can make the difference between winning and losing. You’ll also enjoy unsurpassed comfort during extended game play thanks to the large, deep-cushioned ear cups and rugged, lightweight design.
If you’re serious about your XBOX or PC gaming, then get serious about the sound. Move up to the Ear Force X11 and become a better player while experiencing your games as they were meant to be heard.

Amplified Xbox 360 Headset! Click here to enlarge

Take your gaming to the next level by experiencing how your Xbox 360 was meant to be heard! Click here to enlarge

Enjoy late night gaming without disturbing others! Click here to enlarge

In-Line Stereo AmplifierThe X11 includes a powerful in-line amplifier unit with built-in volume controls to adjust the game audio and incoming chat levels. The amplifier uses DC-coupled technology for a wide frequency response, low distortion and deep, clear bass. A built-in mute switch lets you turn off the headphone mic when you don’t want to be heard.
Bass BoostThe X11 amplifier incorporates a built-in Bass Boost feature that produces deep, rich bass tones by increasing the volume of low frequency sounds – just like turning up the volume on the sub-woofer on your home theater system. Bass Boost improves your gaming experience by kicking-up the sound level of explosions, gun shots and other deep-bass sound effects, making them even more dramatic.
Microphone MonitoringIt's hard to hear yourself speak when a headset is covering your ears, which causes you to talk louder than normal. The X11 corrects this annoyance with its Microphone Monitoring feature. Just like a telephone, the X11 adds a portion of the microphone signal into the headset signal, so you can hear some of your voice along with incoming chat and game audio. It’s just enough so you can easily sense what you're saying, but not so much that it's distracting. Microphone Monitoring not only keeps you from talking too loud, it also eliminates that annoying "clogged ears" feeling when talking while the headset is covering your ears.
Independent Chat/Game VolumesConventional communicator headsets compromise your gaming experience by covering one ear for hearing chat audio and leaving the other ear for hearing game audio pumping from speakers. The X11 overcomes this problem by combining stereo game audio with online chat in a high fidelity stereo headset, so you’ll get a better gaming experience with privacy and clarity. Separate volume controls on the amplifier let you adjust the game and chat levels, so you can easily balance them and never have to worry about missing a cue from your teammates.
Works with PC and MacThe X11 can also be used to enjoy games, movies, music, or VoIP chat on your PC or Mac. All of the on-board features that make the X11 a great XBOX® headset also work on these other platforms. The cable includes separate 3.5mm plugs for the game audio and microphone signals which easily connect to your PC/Mac sound card.
Powered By USBThe headset amplifier is powered by a single USB port on your XBOX, or from a nearby PC/laptop or Mac - so there is no need to fuss with a separate AC power adapter or batteries.
The Turtle Beach Ear Force X11 is an amplified stereo headset with microphone for Xbox 360 Live Chat The X11 allows you to push your XBOX 360 gaming experience to a new level with thrilling stereo game sound and crystal clear online communication on XBOX Live (261) The Ear Force X11 replaces the Ear Force X1 and the upgrades include microphone monitor for so you can hear what you are saying, larger black mesh ear cups with acoustically tuned 40mm speakers, and a new universal talk-back cable that eliminates the puck connection.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B003A7HHKG
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 3.4 inches ; 1.1 pounds
• Media: Accessory
• Release Date: March 15, 2010
  

Product Features

• Large acoustically-tuned ear cups with 40mm drivers produce superior audio with deep bass for all types of games digital music and entertainment
• Integrated bass-boost makes explosions gun shots and other deep-bass effects more dramatic by increasing the impact of low frequency sound cues
• A microphone monitor keeps gamers from raising their voices louder than necessary and avoids the "clogged ear" feeling
• Connects to TV or sound systems with XBOX stereo audio plugs to easily choose between speakers or headset with 16 foot cable

Customer Reviews

I purchased the X11 for use with Xbox Live because of the problem of being able to use a mic if you also play with headphones for game sound. It seems there is a distinct lack of headphone-mic solutions that have the proper size plug to fit the mic jack on the controller, and that also have independent chat and game volume controls (kind of important if you want to be able to hear chat over game sounds). Thanks to Turtle Beach and their line of headphones this problem is solved. I went with these because I don't mind a wired solution since I play at my computer desk using my monitor and distance isn't a problem.
These headphones work exactly as advertised. If you follow the directions and set your chat settings on Xbox to work through the headphones and turn the volume up to 10 you will not have any problems hearing voice chat without having to crank your chat volume to max, as a previous reviewer wrote. After a week and a half of using these for various games (mostly Bad Company 2) I would say the sound is decent and the controls work quite well. The game and chat volume controls as well as the mute switch are all on the little inline control box for ease of use. The cord is very long so even if you are sitting across the room it should not pose a problem. There is even a velcro strap for tying up excess cord. The earpieces are nice and big so they cover the whole ear instead of crushing your ears plus they are nice and soft, overall very comfortable. The mic boom is much better than typical ones found on other headsets. It's a little longer than most and flexes easily to get it exactly where you want, yet is sturdy enough to stay in place. The pickup on the mic seems excellent also, plus with mic monitoring playing a portion of your talk back into the headphones there is no need to shout into it.
I do have three gripes with these headphones though. One is that the cloth lining on the inside of the right earpiece ripped on the second day of use for no apparent reason. All I did was wear them a few times and just placed them on my desk when not in use. I have no kids or pets who could have damaged them. I fixed this by taking a covering off another headset I had, cutting it down a little and placed it inside the earpiece. I did this because the plastic that was exposed was bothering my ear and this solution worked great without degrading the sound at all.
My second gripe is that there is a constant hiss in the headphones when they are plugged into the USB port for power, even without the volume turned up much at all. I tested it on various ports on the Xbox and on my PC also and it remained. It is not overpowering and does not detract from game play once game sounds are going because you don't notice it over the game sounds. It's just a bit annoying during quiet times when you can hear it. I feel a wired version of headphones should not have this problem if proper noise reduction is put in to counter the powering of the amplifier.
My third gripe is that when I wear these for awhile and then place them down on my desk a blackish type stain is left behind after awhile. I think it might be sweat interacting with the dye on the headphones then dripping out. It is still doing this even after a week and a half of use.
Overall I am satisfied with the headphones because they do the job and fulfill a need for Xbox Live that most other headphones and mics do not, combining both into one. The gripes are minor except the hissing so I took a star off for that one. Otherwise they have decent sound, a pretty good mic, and are simple to use.
PROS:
+ Decent sound, certainly loud enough to hear both game and chat.
+ Very long cord.
+ Independent volume controls for game and chat, and mute switch, all in the same place for ease of use.
+ Excellent mic with great pickup so you don't have to shout.
+ Comfortable to wear long term with big earpieces to cover your whole ear.
CONS:
- The right cloth lining inside the right earpiece ripped, exposing the plastic (maybe just bad luck on my part).
- Seems to leak black dye from the earpiece, possibly interacting with sweat.
- A constant low level hiss when powered, not bad enough to overpower game sounds but still shouldn't be a problem on more expensive headphones.
EDIT (5-10-2011)
I have been using these headphones for over a year now and they still work just as described in my above review. I would have to say that speaks nicely as to their durability.

Before I had this headset, I was using speakers from an acer h223 monitor, and the sound was horrible. This will review will be based on me playing Modern Warfare 2 since this is why I bought the headset, that and my fiance always complaining about the sound at night.
The Good:
Now, I am able to hear EVERYTHING. At first it was overwhelming, I hear things in the game I didn't know existed. I use the Ninja Pro Perk so my steps are silent, so that I can hear everyone else's steps. Now I can hear when someone is walking in a house, on metal stairs, or in a grassy field. I can hear "boosters" place their insertions and hunt them down. I hear silencers going off in the distance. I know when someone is to my left or the right.
The mic is great. I was previously using original Xbox headset and I had to speak a little louder than normal, which kept waking up my significant other. With the X11 mic, I can speak softly and people still hear. But the mic isn't sensitive, it doesn't pick up breathing even though it is an inch or two from my mouth. The mic is extremely adjustable, you may bend it which ever way you please.
The Bad:
I think the only complaint I have is the light hissing, which is why it gets four stars. You won't it hear during gameplay but when it is quiet, you can hear it. And I think I have gotten used to it. And if you're wondering, If had connected it correctly or something else I haven't thought of, I emailed Turtle Beach Support and they confirmed that the light hissing is due to the amplifier and the hardwired mic monitor. But if anyone else figured out how to get rid of the hiss let me know!
Overall:
I've never used any other headsets before, but I am loving this headset. It's easy to use. You can adjust the volume of the game and the chat on the remote to your comfort level. It has a mute switch. I die way less. My ratio quickly climbed from 1.25 to 1.36 in the last week. It's comfortable. It's affordable, when compared to all the other headsets out there. What more can you ask for?
PS: if you're using a HDMI cable, and your monitor/tv does not have an "audio out" output then you may need to buy a R/L RCA adaptor for your XBOX, which is cheap on this site. Don't spend (...) to buy the HDMI/RCA adaptor combo at retail stores.