Turtle Beach Ear Force Z2 - First Impressions

I have to say, this seems like a pretty high quality piece of technology. The durability seems higher than some other others I've used, and the comfort is definitely much higher (although the 'over the ear' design does make my head get kinda hot, haha). The sound quality is better than the $80 TRITTON headset I bought (the AX 180), and considering these are $50 on Amazon and Newegg, I'd say that's a pretty nice perk.

The only problem is, there is no separate volume dial for the game sound and voice sound. Instead, they're just controlled by one general dial. Now, that isn't so bad when the game lets you turn down the volume in the options, but in the case of Halo: Reach which doesn't have that ability, it's pretty damn hard to hear people.

I have yet to figure out how to make it so that the voice sound goes to the headset while the game sound goes to my surround sound, but that would fix the issue. That is what that blasted AX 180 headset did, and yet I don't think its possible with the Z2, sadly. So I might just sell it off to my brother, who needs a headset for more than just voices, as he has no sound system.

Still, all in all, I recommend this headset. It gets my seal of approval.

Halo: Reach + Headset = Yay!

OK so, I don't actually have Halo: Reach yet. Infact, it'll probably be a week or two before I get it (damn you Walmart shipping). But I did indeed decide to buy it. Might not seem like a big deal for most, as everyone and their dog is a fan of Halo, but truthfully, this will be my first real Halo experience. I've played the first and the second games, but only after they were way outdated, and never online. Reach will be my introduction to the competitive online play of Halo.

Though I really was unsure as to whether it was worth $60 or not. But the pre-order perk on the Walmart website (as well as Amazon) is a $20 credit, which I can trade someone for actual cash. That plus the pre-order bonus item which I will sell on Ebay for what I estimate to be maybe $10-$15, and I've managed to nab myself a brand new game for about $30, which is exactly what I did with Red Dead Redemption. Yay for being a cheap bastard! 8]

Oh yeah, and I also went ahead and got that headset I was talking about. I'll let you guys know what I think about it. Hopefully Turtle Beach is a little more trustworthy than those TRITTON sonsabitches.

The Cable Dilema

So after calling numerous stores I have found out that practically the only place to get Turtle Beach's "Talkback Cable" is on the Turtle Beach website. Figuring out that it was simply a 2.5mm Male to 2.5mm Male audio cable, I figured if I called around about that I would surely find what I'm looking for. That was a no-go.

I'm actually quite surprised. Here I thought there was a cable for everything! But apparently you need an adapter, which brings the price above what I'd have to pay if I just bought it from Turtle Beach.


TLDR: If anyone knows of a place to buy a 2.5mm Male to 2.5mm Male audio cable for less than $15 shipped, do let me know!

Possible New Headset: Turtle Beach Ear Force Z2

Whew. That was a mouthful.

So I think I may of found the headset I am looking for. The Ear Force Z2 by Turtle Beach seems to have everything I need: compatability with both the PC and 360; the lack of a static sound during silence (which is something nearly every Turtle Beach headset has, sadly); a price tag of $50 on Newegg. Yep, can't go wrong!

... But just incase, I'll be buying the extended 1-year warranty, too. :P

The only thing that bothers me is that in order to get it to work with the 360 I'll have to buy an optional cable from Turtle Beach's website. It might only be $5, but the shipping is $10... damn them. Looks like I'll be calling up some Best Buys and seeing if I can get it in-store.

TRITTON Headsets: Don't Buy Them

No, seriously. Don't. I bought a pair of their AX-180's, which cost me altogether about $80. Not a cheap-ass pair of headphones, no sir. And it was exactly what I was looking for: a decent headset under the price of $100 that would play on my PC, PS3, and 360. I was happy.

Sadly, the happiness was cut short when the damn thing broke apart about 5 months afterwards. A flaw in the design of the headset makes it so that as it is used it slowly cracks the plastic just above the earmuffs. I repaired it numerous times and it got worse each time it broke. Finally, with two earmuffs dangling about (quiet you), and the mic-hole pushed in (...OK, now I'm just asking for it), I gave up.

TRITTON customer service ignored me. Literally. I didn't even get any customer service copypasta bullshit, I was just ignored. THIEVERY.


TLDR: Anyone got any recommendations for a headset that works on at least the 360 and PC, and isn't known to break just as the warranty's up?