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Xbox One headsets/headphones

Anyone have any recommendations?

I'm looking at the XO Sevens and now you guys make it seem like the 4 Shot are pretty good, too. I plan on doing a ton of streaming starting next week and want the best quality offered out of these for voice input.
 
Earlier this week I pre-orderd the chat adaptor and when I went to pick it up today they handed me this

xboxonestereoheadset-291x300.jpg


adaptor is still in it so looks like I scored.
 
I've never purchased a gaming headset for a console before. Thinking about stopping by Best Buy on my way home from work to pick up the Xbox One Headset.

Good idea? Bad idea?
 

Anion

Member
I've never purchased a gaming headset for a console before. Thinking about stopping by Best Buy on my way home from work to pick up the Xbox One Headset.

Good idea? Bad idea?


I'd like to know this too. If the voice quality is great, I'm down for this until I could afford some Astros.
It's pretty good, actually. The headset is fairly light (although this is my first gaming headset so I can't compare). The ear cushion is really soft too

I would recommend
 
Got the official Xbox headset today. Quite happy with the design. Feels well thought out, like the controller.

Sound quality is good. However, I too am getting some mild fuzzy crackling while using them on the XB1. I hear no crackling when I plug the headset into my iPhone and listen to music. I tried plugging my iPhone earbuds into the headset adapter and I still hear the crackling. So clearly the headset is fine. The problem exists somewhere between the XB1 controller and the adapter.

Very disappointing. I hope a fix is found soon.
 

mjc

Member
It kinda sounds like there's some kind of issue across the board with the headsets, maybe the software fix claim from Polk has some grounding? We're hearing that a lot of the official MS headsets have crackling sounds or weird distortions...maybe the 4 Shots mics are affected by that too.
 
Man, it's pretty disappointing to hear about all these various issues across all the new headsets. Sounds like they may all be software related too. Come on, MS you had 3 months to get this right...
 

OverHeat

« generous god »
In game with the chat adapter...my voice chat is not good, other have reported with my astro a50
 
Earlier this week I pre-orderd the chat adaptor and when I went to pick it up today they handed me this

xboxonestereoheadset-291x300.jpg


adapter is still in it so looks like I scored.
can't complain getting a £70 headset for £20 if that happened to me.

The adapter is part of that headset right? unlike the separate one with some extra buttons and a jack port.
 

statham

Member
The best thing is to never buy a "gaming headset".

Buy a good pair of headphones (you can get advice right here in GAF's headphone thread) and a clip-on mic.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00029MTMQ/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Then you also buy the latest Astro Mixamp and rock shit in quality you have never dreamed of before. Sure it seems like a more expensive investment but at least you get something good for your money.
woulds these work alright without the mixamp? Thinking of grabbing the adapter and using headphones I already have.
 

MrBlonde

Member
Xo fours were cutting in and out when watching you tube, I hope this is a you tube thing and not something wrong with the headset
 
Using the xbox headset adapter with with my old Xp500's and im very impressed- basically having to be tethered to the controller (like I do with my PS4) is a small price for clear 5.1 DD and nice chat.
 

Zafir

Member
woulds these work alright without the mixamp? Thinking of grabbing the adapter and using headphones I already have.
Since the new xbox adapter is 3.5mm, you should theoretically just be able to grab something like this. That said, I don't have one of those cables to test it out myself so don't take this as a confirmation or anything, just something to try.
 

Dandalf

Neo Member
Dear GAF,

I spent about two hours with my 4Shots last night, here's my unofficial and very amateur review. I'm by no means an audio expert, but I do enjoy these headphones I use on a daily basis. Don't take my opinions here as gospel, just thoughts from a guy who's been using Turtle Beach X31's for the last two years:

Sound and microphone: In the two hours I played with the 4Shots the sound proved very, very good. The headphone highlights the highs and mids, but still makes the lows feel very strong. As I'm not someone who prefers a ton of bass in my music and gaming, I felt the 4Shots provided a great mix of sound that felt balanced regardless of what was happening on screen. Explosions sounded deep, gunshots cracked, and ambient noise filtered through in the quiet moments. Compared to the X31's I'd been using, the Polks were a definite upgrade.

There's no EQ or sound mixer on the headphone, meaning you plug in the headphone, update your controller, and you're away - but it didn't need it. With the X31's I felt I'd need to change the sound mode for each game. Racing games forced me to turn on the bass, while shooters made me take it off. I could never really find a mix of good overall sound for all game types, which was a major frustration I had with the X31's that's alleviated with the 4Shots.

While in a party chat with a few friends, none of them had any issues hearing me speak, but we weren't playing any games while in Party Chat. I can tell you that the mic does not move towards your face - see the pictures below. Early on I thought that people complaining about not being able to hear 4Shot users only needed to ask the users to pull the mic towards their face. In fact, the mic only comes out of the headphone when you want to use it, and clicks into the earcup when it's "on". It doesn't come down or out towards your mouth, just out of the earcup when you want it to be on. If you don't want people to hear you, simply click the microphone back into your earcup and you'll only be getting audio.

I thought it was a pretty slick design move, and when Microsoft and Polk eventually patch the mic issues people are talking about, I don't think the distance from your mouth to the mic will be an issue.




Build and comfort: The 4Shots' build quality is fantastic. They feel sturdy, and when adjusting the headphones to fit my head I felt a solid *click*click*click* when pulling down the earcups. While the earcups on the X31's were porous, the earcups on the 4Shots are a smooth, leather(y) material that is incredibly comfortable on-ear. My ears never got hot, and I was impressed for how "adult" they felt. I'm used to plastic and cheap feaux-leather on the X31's and other headsets, but other than a few bits and pieces the 4Shots are all metal and leather.



The build quality is a step up from anything I've previously used while gaming, and I'd feel completely comfortable using these for regular, every day music and not just gaming.

Overall: if you're in the market for a ~$150 headset for gaming on an XBox One, or just want a headset that you can use for music as well as gaming, I'd recommend the 4Shots without hesitation. I'm not trying to spend $300 for a set of earphones (because I'm not getting paid to play video games), and to be honest anything more than the $160 I paid for these would've been a stretch. The build quality is really, really, really great. The sound is very, very good, and once Polk patches the mic issues (which again, I didn't have any of, but this could be because no one in the party was playing a game and we were just chatting) I think Polk will have a hot seller on their hands.

This doesn't feel "kiddy" like the Turtle Beaches I've had in the past. It feels very well built, mature, and comfortable while on your ears. If you can't tell from my pictures above there's a lot of metal and leather used, they skipped on the plastic that typically is associated with gaming headsets. See:


I didn't have any ear aches (in or around my ears), the sound was consistently strong while playing games, chatting, and watching YouTube videos, and the headset felt... I guess the only word is "matured". Looking at other headsets that people are posting, you can tell they sacrifice the materials and build quality to save a few dollars. The headsets tend to be light or very bulky, both of which the 4Shots are not.

I'm very satisfied with my purchase. If mic volume is going to be an issue I'll simply turn on my Kinect for chat and keep my microphone clipped into my earcup until they've released the update. It's rather elegant to know that your microphone is barely noticeable, and not having to adjust a mic in front of my lips or flip it up and down when I want to take my headphones off is something I won't miss.

If you have some extra cash lying around I'd recommend this headset. I can't vouch for any other XBox One headsets because I haven't tried any, but thus far I can say I'm very pleased with the sound quality, build construction, and overall feel of the 4Shots.*

*Reminder - I'm not a hardcore audiophile. I don't listen to songs in Lossless format because I want to hear the hisses and pops that the artist intended you to hear.

EDIT: Also, none of the hissing or crackling that I'm hearing from other GAF'ers. To those hearing it, I can only say to make sure your cords are securely plugged into the adapter and your headphones. Hopefully this alleviates it.
 

OverHeat

« generous god »
I'm about to throw the xbox one stereo adapter in the garbage and buy one of DYI adapter on eBay because of the chat issues.
 
Wondering if I should go swap out my chat adapter for a new one. If others are truly not experiencing this it must be defective.
 
can't complain getting a £70 headset for £20 if that happened to me.

The adapter is part of that headset right? unlike the separate one with some extra buttons and a jack port.

no its not. They package the new adaptor with the headset. The new headset is like a regular audio headset that you plug into the new adaptor.
 

QuartKat

Banned
Got the official Xbox headset today. Quite happy with the design. Feels well thought out, like the controller.

Sound quality is good. However, I too am getting some mild fuzzy crackling while using them on the XB1. I hear no crackling when I plug the headset into my iPhone and listen to music. I tried plugging my iPhone earbuds into the headset adapter and I still hear the crackling. So clearly the headset is fine. The problem exists somewhere between the XB1 controller and the adapter.

Very disappointing. I hope a fix is found soon.
I believe your problem can be fixed rather easily.
Maybe I'm wrong, but what it sounds like to me is you haven't updated your controller yet
Go to settings, then go to system I believe
The last option there will be "update controller"
You have to plug it in via USB to do this.. it takes about 30 seconds
This makes your controller compatible with the new adaptor/etc.
The sound issue should disappear after this. You are welcome sir :D
 
I believe your problem can be fixed rather easily.
Maybe I'm wrong, but what it sounds like to me is you haven't updated your controller yet
Go to settings, then go to system I believe
The last option there will be "update controller"
You have to plug it in via USB to do this.. it takes about 30 seconds
This makes your controller compatible with the new adaptor/etc.
The sound issue should disappear after this. You are welcome sir :D

Updated both my controllers. Both exhibit the exact same problem with the adapter.
 

Raptor

Member
Do a X32 Turttlebeachs work on the one?

If yes somebody could provide a link on how to make them work please?

Thanks
 

mjc

Member
Has anyone picked up the new Turtle Beach sets? (XO4/XO7/Titanfall) I'm thinking of going that route.
 
The pop/hiss problems with the adapter are being reported a bit too widely for my liking. I am just going to return my XOfours since gamestop's return policy for opened items basically seems to be non existent. Disappointing, but will revisit the situation once the dust settles on all these issues.
 

Lima

Member
woulds these work alright without the mixamp? Thinking of grabbing the adapter and using headphones I already have.

Yeah it works. I was just recommending the mixamp because of the good virtual surround it does. Who knows how long it will take MS to get some virtual surround software going.
 

mjc

Member
Have any of you guys with the 4 Shot tried the headset and mic with your phone to see if your voice is picked up better?
 
So are the Polk just stereo?

Yes. Technically, all of the new X1 headsets and 95% of all others are, anyway. It's the addition of the 7.1/5.1 Dolby Digital Headphone amplifier/DSP that produces the virtualized surround through your headphones. The 4 Shots are just the same exact headsets as the Melees with an X1 chat adapter included while the Melees include the surround DSP and connecting optical cable. Not sure what the bandwidth requirements are for sending a wireless surround signal from console to controller/adapter nor the performance hit on the console hardware to handle the mix there first, but it would possibly enable built-in virtualization of stereo and surround. If the talk about the sound hardware in X1 is as generous as many seem to believe, it would be a nice feature for MS to implement, saving everyone with a headset the trouble of spending for a separate DSP.
 

k_klown

Member
I have these:

Anyway I can use them with the Xbox One headset adapter?

I couldn't get mine to work yesterday. I could talk but couldn't hear anything. I tried using the cable splitter as well with no success. If anyone figures out how to use the Siberia v2 let us know.

I am thinking about getting the xo four if I can't get mine to work or the xp300. Anyone tried both?
 

malfcn

Member
With the Polk, can you hear yourself talking? I have a stereo set of Trittons and I can't hear myself, so sometimes I could get loud.
 
I bought the XO Four. Took it back. Plastics are cheap and as a result it's very hard and hurts my head on top from the band and the ears.

I now have MS's stereo headset and WOW. Very impressed for $80 it is great. Audio quality is as good as the turtle beach and my 360 X31 for what that is worth. Also the build quality is better and it's cheaper.

MOST IMPORTNATLY. If you own a PS4 and a XBO all these headsets work flawlessly on both systems.
 

CyReN

Member
I just got the Xbox One adapter and it keeps asking me to update the controller, I did it beforehand with the update earlier this week. I tried with the Play N Charge kit and it won't update, then I tried with the micro USB thing they sent and it updates to 100% then said it fails. What the hell is going on and why is everything so difficult on this console? Xbox 360 was so simple.
 
I bought the XO Four. Took it back. Plastics are cheap and as a result it's very hard and hurts my head on top from the band and the ears.

I now have MS's stereo headset and WOW. Very impressed for $80 it is great. Audio quality is as good as the turtle beach and my 360 X31 for what that is worth. Also the build quality is better and it's cheaper.

MOST IMPORTNATLY. If you own a PS4 and a XBO all these headsets work flawlessly on both systems.

Are you hearing any crackling? I can hear it even moving around in the console menus.
 

RedAssedApe

Banned
Like in the other headsets threads I'm going to vote for the skull candy plyr1 if you are going for a wireless headset.

Best bang for buck for a gaming headset that works on both last and current gen consoles (adapter needed for xbone of course) as well as PC. Much better than the Turtle Beach xp400 I owned in both sound and wireless range. The latter would drop audio even with it's claimed 5ghz/ dual band receiver. Astros are out of my price range but Plyr1 are supposed to compare favorably and are less bass heavy (one of the main complaints I hear about Astros).

On sale ATM on Amazon. :)
 

xray49er

Member
I just got the Xbox One adapter and it keeps asking me to update the controller, I did it beforehand with the update earlier this week. I tried with the Play N Charge kit and it won't update, then I tried with the micro USB thing they sent and it updates to 100% then said it fails. What the hell is going on and why is everything so difficult on this console? Xbox 360 was so simple.


Happened to me too I had to remove the batteries and it worked immediately
 
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