Hasta La Gadget!

Microsoft’s new Xbox comes with a console, controller and Kinect, but even if you pre-order One for yourself, you may choose to go elsewhere to pick up a matching headset. And, Turtle Beach will be one of the first next-gen headset providers, as it’s just signed a license with Microsoft to build them for the One. Turtle Beach isn’t sharing any more info on the forthcoming headsets, but we’ll be telling you all about them when they’re revealed at E3 in a few weeks. Oh, and before you go thinking that you can save yourself some cash by using your trusty Xbox 360 cans, remember that the One’s controllers have a new proprietary port on them that’s incompatible with your old gear. You were looking for an excuse to upgrade your over-ear gaming audio anyway, right?

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Comments

Get out of your seat — okay, you don’t really have to do that. Turtle Beach, however, is certainly hoping its new headset won’t have you stuck there. After months of teasing, it’s finally here. This is the Seven Series, the company’s first set officially bred for Major League Gaming tournaments. It’s a contractual title that’s already been bestowed upon Astro’s well-performing Mixamp and A40 systems. But for Turtle Beach, this is a first: we’ve never seen the company go after a demographic quite this wide, one that demands not just cross-platform gaming support, but a design versatile enough for everyday listening.

The Seven Series lineup includes the computer-focused Z, the mobile-geared M and the cross-platform XP. For this review, we’ll be focusing on the XP bundle ($280), which includes a headset, a virtual 5.1 surround-sound-enabling Audio Control Unit and a console adapter dubbed the Console Interface. (For the time being, those last two pieces won’t be sold as standalone products.) While the headset itself might seem like the star of the show, in our eyes the ACU and CI offer the most exciting prospects. Together, they allow for virtual surround sound and voice chat with any set of wired headphones on any platform (much like the Mixamp) while also putting Turtle Beach’s tried-and-tested custom audio presets at your fingertips. So what’s it like to use? Join us past the break where we’ll lay it all out.

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio/Video

Comments

Nintendo may be MIA at TGS this year (as usual), but that hasn’t stopped Turtle Beach — it brought a pair of Wii U headsets to the show anyway. We dropped by the outfit’s booth to take a peek, finding seemingly empty boxes in lieu of product. Turns out they weren’t so empty — the Ear Force N11 and NLa headsets are so lightweight, we didn’t even notice they were there. After a brief unboxing, this editor wrapped each set around his head, finding the headband tension of both the over-ear N11 and the on-ear NLa to be just as light as the accessories themselves, squeezing my skull with only the gentlest of pressure. The sets’ earmuffs seemed built for comfort as well, soft, and not the least bit irritating. Staff on hand told us that the internals weren’t quite final, but sound quality aside, we could easily see settling in with either of these products for a long, comfortable gaming session. Both sets arrive later this year — $35 for the white, on-ear Ear Force NLa cans, and $50 for its black over-ear cousin. See our impressions for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Turtle Beach Ear Force NLa and N11 stereo Wii U headsets hands-on (video)

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Portable Audio/Video

Turtle Beach Ear Force NLa and N11 stereo Wii U headsets hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

The crowds that filed towards the hulking Call of Duty: Black Ops II stand at Gamescom prove it deserved all that floor space and nearby, Turtle Beach was finally showing off its range of companion gaming headphones, ranging from in-ear buds to top-of-the-range wireless gaming cans with some heavy-duty audio customization options in tow. We managed to take a look at the whole selection (which repackages several models from the XP series and the incoming Seven series). While these were still developmental models (the Call of Duty decals will be painted on, not the stickers seen here), it should give you a good idea how the headphones will appear when they arrive in the next few months. We’ve got details on all the headsets (and the press release) after the break.

Continue reading Official Black Ops II gaming headsets unveiled by Turtle Beach, coming ‘weeks’ ahead of game release (hands-on)

Filed under: Gaming

Official Black Ops II gaming headsets unveiled by Turtle Beach, coming ‘weeks’ ahead of game release (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments