Ear Force X11 Gaming Headset Review

This will be a short review of the Turtle Beach X11 Xbox 360/PC gaming headset. Why? Because I assume you know how to use Google. Most of the content you’ll find will tell you the technical specs of the product. My goal is to inform you whether or not the headset is worth your while.Turtle Beach makes at least four models of gaming headsets for the PC/Xbox 360. All of them pull double duty as headphones and microphones. It’s a nice feature, especially if you don’t have a decent sound system for your Xbox or need to keep noise to a minimum.

Currently, I have a bitchin’ sound system for my HD TV and Xbox 360. But in a week I’ll be moving to an apartment where keeping noise down is necessary. I can’t speak for all the models, but the X11 does a great job keeping background noise out and game sound in.

The X11 retails for around $60 USD. It’s the second least expensive model; I avoided the $30 headset because it looked cheap (and probably was). Plus, the X11 has inline stereo amplification, giving you a bass boost and surround sound. The headset is wired; you’d have to upgrade to the X31 ($100) to go wireless.
The headphones wrap completely around the ears, so they’re extremely comfortable. The boom mic is fully adjustable, and when turned on echoes your own voice back to you. This is the same principle with phones; hearing your own voice lets you adjust so as not to bother your teammates (mumbling or yelling).

The Good

Pretty good game sound and voice chat. The bass effect and voice echo really adds to your awareness in the game. I don’t know about “hearing enemies’ footsteps,” but the sounds are definitely more distinct when they’re right next to your ear.

The Bad

The cords, man. The cords!

Cords. Lots and lots of cords. If your console is in a weird spot or you sit far away from your TV/monitor, you might want to go with the wireless model. The headset has to be connected to your TV’s audio out, a USB connection for power, and jacked into the Xbox 360 controller for voice chat. There are a couple different setups that are fairly easy to implement, but the mess of cords is an accident waiting to happen.

Like some off-brand Xbox 360 chat headsets, the volume and mic on/off controls are on a toggle located on the cord. If you need to turn your mic off or adjust the volume, you’ll have to take your eyes off the screen and hands off the controller to fumble with them. Again, just the nature of the beast.

The Ugly

This is what really pissed me off: the static hiss. After plugging the headset into a number of devices and researching the problem online, it seems that there will always be a low-level background noise coming through the headset. I don’t know if the wireless models have this issue, but I would image it would be worse. This isn’t a huge issue if there are explosions and gunfire going off in the game. But in a menu or when watching a video with dialogue, the constant hiss is very noticeable and annoying.

The Verdict

I almost regret giving an overall well-made product the thumbs down, but the static problem annoys me to no end. Therefore, my recommendation is to NOT buy the Turtle Beach X11 headset. However, I can’t seem to find any other comparable products that do not have the static problem. You should only purchase the headset if you live with annoying hiss and if you absolutely need to game quietly.

My only recourse would be to return the headset to Best Buy for store credit or something. Exchanging it for another model seems futile. In all, I feel cheated by Turtle Beach and all those positive reviews for the X11. If you had constant hissing coming out of your MP3 player headphones or earbuds, you’d be pissed, wouldn’t you? Maybe I’ll get used to it with time. In any case, choose your headset carefully, and don’t be afraid to pony up for the more deluxe versions.

All images Copyright 2010 by Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc.