Ear Force X4 Dolby Digital Wireless (Headphones)
by Turtle Beach
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Our Price: $40.00
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Category: Video Games
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Product Summary
Brand: Turtle BeachRelease Date: 2008-07-15
Platform: Xbox 360
Model: TBS-2067
Publisher: Turtle Beach
Product features:
- Dolby Pro Logic II provides surround sound from PLII encoded audio and also enhances stereo
- Hear XBOX Live Chat plus stereo game sound with a heart-thumping bass boost that adds sonic realism
- Dynamic Talkback lets you hear chat even when the game gets louder; Separate controls for game and chat volumes.
- Eliminates game sounds picked up by chat mic; mic monitor lets you hear what you're saying
- Digital input for highest XBOX sound quality, plus analog input for TV and other audio sources
Video Game Reviews of Ear Force X4 Dolby Digital Wireless (Headphones)
Customer Review: Excellent solution, however not without its faults.
Summary: 4 Stars
I've owned the Ear Force X4 headphones for about a year and a half now and I have been very satisfied with their performance. They deliver on their promise of a wireless 5.1 sound experience with a few caveats.
First, the headphones succeed in providing you with 5.1 sound. If you're skeptical that a pair of headphones can provide a decent surround sound experience, don't be. The bottom line is that all 6 channels will be accounted four in your movies and games.
Second, the wireless component of the headphones works relatively well. The base station literally beams IR light at the headphones to provide this functionality. Turtle Beach, in their documentation, explains that they use IR because had they used a wireless radio signal (similar to a cellphone or wireless router), the headphones would have issues with interference. As it is, the headphones don't experience interference from wireless signals of any type. However, because IR beams are, essentially, light, any bright source of light -- be it from a strong lamp or a computer or TV monitor -- can cause an irritating static in the earpieces. You can combat this by sitting farther away from the screen, turning off the lamp, rearranging the base-station, etc., but it can be annoying to have to restrict yourself within your environment when freedom of movement is often the reason for purchasing a pair of wireless headphones. It is important to note that the most recent version of these headphones, the Ear Force X41, actually now uses wireless signals instead of IR beams. If you're considering the X4, it may be worth your time to investigate the X41 as well. Because of the IR beams, the X4 requires a moderately strict line-of-sight to the basestation in order to function. I say moderately strict because, like a remote control, the IR beams can bounce of surfaces to reach your headphones, to a degree. It's best, however, to have as direct a line-of-sight as possible for the best results.
Next, arguably the most useful feature of these headphones is the "Dynamic Talkback" feature. Typically, when gaming on Xbox Live while using headphones, it is a chore to use both your headphones and the Xbox chat headset at the same time. This is because a.) both are supposed to go on your head and b.) if you put the headset around your neck, you have to route the chat audio through the game speakers (i.e. headphones), which causes you to lose a lot of control over the game audio and the chat audio. The X4 solves this by essentially combining the Xbox chat headset and the headphones into one system. The X4 comes with a "puck" that you can plug into your Xbox controller and into the headphones themselves. You can then adjust the voice chat volume on the puck and the game volume on the headphones. This works great, but as you might expect, adds a slight tether to your wireless experience. With the puck plugged in, you are essentially semi-wireless as there is a wire connection between the headset and the controller. This isn't a huge deal, though, and as a bonus you can be out of range of the IR beams of the basestation and still hear Xbox Live chat because of the direct link between the controller and the headphones.
A few other notes; the battery life of the headphones is decent. With a lot of use you'll find yourself changing the batteries relatively frequently. I recommend getting two pairs of rechargeable AAA batteries. The audio inputs/outputs on the back of the basestation include a pair of RCA jacks (white and red), an optical input and an optical output for "pass-through" use. This means that you can have the X4 plugged into an audio system and be able to use your speakers without having to take the headphones out of the loop. These headphones were designed for use with the Xbox 360, but can obviously be used for any audio setup that uses RCA or optical audio. You'll lose the functionality of the chat headset on, say, a PS3, but the audio will work just fine. Also, occasionally you'll notice an absence of sound in certain circumstances. There isn't really a term for this, but here's an example: When navigating the Xbox dashboard, each time you switch menus there is a short tone followed by silence. The X4 is setup in such a way that if no sound is present, the basestation stops sending signals to the headphones. This is meant as a way to save battery life, and if there is no sound after a minute or so, the headphones will shut down. So, in the case of any short tones flanked by silence, the basestation will detect the sound and "wake up," but by this time it's too late and the tone has ended. The result is that you don't hear the tone. This is not a big deal at all, but it gives you some insight as to how the X4 works.
Overall, I can recommend this pair of headphones. Consider looking at the more recent X41 reviews to see if they may be a better fit. If you're not concerned with surround sound, but want to have wireless functionality, Turtle Beach has some other, less expensive options you can search for.
Description of Ear Force X4 Dolby Digital Wireless (Headphones)
The Ear Force X4 wireless headphones push your Xbox 360 gaming experience to a whole new level with the thrill and realism of Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound. Pump up the volume without disturbing friends, family, or neighbors. Freely move around as you play. Hear every nuance of the game ? from an opponent sneaking behind you to your teammate?s voice right next to you. Trash talk online. Block out distractions. Feel the game expand all around you and become a better player. Conventional Xbox 360 communicator headsets compromise the gaming experience by covering one ear for chat, leaving only a single ear for game audio from the speakers. The Ear ForceX4 Wireless Headphones overcome this problem by playing both the game audio AND the online chat on a single set of high fidelity headphones. The result is the intense experience, privacy, clarity, and competitive edge of PC headphones on the Xbox 360 platform. The Ear Force X4 Xbox 360 Wireless Headphones let you totally focus on your game play and not become distracted by the noise around you. With Dobly surround sound pumped right into your ears, you can hear every nuance of the game all around you in a way that isn't possible when hearing it as background sound with speakers. In addition, because the Xbox Live chat is mixed in with the game signal, you can hear what everyone is saying right in the middle of your head, enabling you to communicate more effectively with other players. As a result, the Ear Force X4 can actually make you a better player. By combining the best of both worlds, avid Xbox 360 gamers no longer have to make the no-win choice between using headphones or talking online. When you?re ready to get serious about your gaming, it?s time for an X4.Xbox 360 Games
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