How do you review a product for something that isnât there, and isnât supposed to be there? Thatâs the distinguishing trait of the Turtle Beach X32 headset for the Xbox 360. Itâs identical in nearly every way to its X31 predecessor, released in 2009, except for one. A big one.
Itâs the frequency at which the wireless transmitter broadcasts. As gamersâ entertainment rooms are increasingly jammed with wireless signalsâprincipally from their wireless internet routersâgaming headsets have been found to suffer. Typically, they all broadcast in the same 2.4GHz spectrum. If your router is in the same cabinet as the headset transmitter, you can bank on pop, cutouts and other interference. Trust me, itâs not your batteries. Your options are to move the console or move the router, because most transmitters (including the X32 and its predecessor) use a standard headphone cable, making an extension cord prohibitive to the point of not worth the bother.
Turtle Beach Ear Force X32 Wireless Headset
Price: US$99.95
Product Specifications:
⢠2.4/5Ghz Dual Band Wi-Fi transmitter
⢠50mm diameter speakers
⢠EQ settings: Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Bass & Treble Boost
⢠Sound field expander: Off, narrow, wide
⢠âChat Boostâ +10dB gain to chat audio at maximum game volume
⢠Requires two AAA batteries
⢠Auxiliary stereo 3.5mm line input jack
⢠Game stereo 3.5mm line input jack
⢠Power requirements: 5VDC @ 180mA max
Turtle Beachâs X32 now uses a dual-band transmitter than broadcasts between 2.4 and 5 Ghz to avoid interference with other devices. After spending a week with this headsetâs transmitter literally right next to my router, I can verify that I hear nothing. Well, I can hear solid audio of courseâand a little background hum. But this is key because even with the luxury-upon-luxury PX5 headset (which broadcasts at 2.4 GHz) I had interference trouble until I moved the transmitter out of the entertainment center and onto my desk. That required one long-ass set of audio component cables which, fortunately, its transmitter accepts. Itâs not an option on cheaper models.
In everything else with the X32, youâre getting the X31âs functionality. Youâre also still not getting Dolby Digital Surround sound. Thatâs $50 extra in the X42 modelâwhich also upgraded to the dual-band transmitter. So those who are looking for a set of cans while they watch streaming Netflix (or piggybacking the signal from your cable box, as I tried briefly) should consider that. You can use the DSS2 Dolby Surround Sound Processor with this unit, but thatâs another $80. So if that kind of sound really matters, just get the X42.
The X32 is still a workhorse model at a decent price. The hundy it will set you back is not cheap, but is well worth the investment considering the stuff usually shoveled at you off the shelf for $15 to $20 less. Its versatility extends only to audio; this modelâs chat works only on the Xbox 360, through a cable connecting the unit to the 360 controller. If you donât care for chat, the X32 works with any audio piped into your television or monitor through component cables. I used it with my PS3 and didnât miss anything, but I typically donât use in-game chat unless I am playing with someone I know.
You can hear what youâre saying and not yelling over the mike like youâre talking on a cell phone to grandma.
The same âChat Boostâ feature, which raises chat audio to match sudden bursts in game audio, is resident on this model, but will require a little tuning if youâre a particularly chatty gamer. Jamming the chat volume up or close to the max will produce distortion, as the manual warns. The microphone supplies solid audio and pipes it into your headset, so you can hear what youâre saying and not yelling over the mike like youâre talking on a cell phone to grandma.
You get a good chunk of volume in the over-the-ear cups. My test is a fan that I have on an end table behind my couch. With a soundtrack playing in-game, I couldnât hear it. The headset comes with three equalizer presets on top of its flat audio. Touch the tone button once and you get the bass boost youâre probably looking for. As for battery life, power saving features such as cutting out the audio when the signal is lost, or powering down altogether after five minutes with no audio altogether, helps prolong the juice from two AAA batteries. I played it for a week and didnât come close to running it out.
The lack of Dolby Surround will disappoint audiophiles, though that option is available at a price. For those who just want rich sound without tethering themselves to a console, and want the convenience of putting the transmitter wherever the hell they like it, itâs worth picking up something thatâs designed to get out of the way of your wireless router even when itâs sitting right next to it.
