Turtle Beach - Ear Force X42 - Premium Wireless Gaming Headset with Dolby Surround Sound - Xbox 360 (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

These finally, finally arrived - were they worth the wait?Let's start off with what's different from the X41, XP500 and earlier models - things that can be downright confusing. I'm NOT talking specs, which you can read on your own; I'm talking operability.(For sake of reference, I've owned the EarForce Deltas (which are remodeled XP500s), the X41s and the earlier analog-version X4s.)* The Unusual (and Not So Good) *Unlike earlier Transmitters which were always "On" so long as they were attached to an active USB port and powered on, the X42 Transmitter and its LEDs will turn OFF when you turn off the headset OR if there is no active audio signal for around 5 minutes. (For this latter, the headset will also turn off - this information is hidden at the back of the User Manual in the "Technical Specifications" section - something we never read, right?)There are two ways to turn the Transmitter back on: (1) power on the headset or (2) unplug/replug the Transmitter's USB connection. (Obviously, turn on the headset.) It takes a few seconds to power all the way back up, which is, again, an issue we never had with the previous, always-on Transmitters.Frankly, this is a little confusing if you're expecting the X42s (and probably the XP400s) to function the same as previous wireless Turtle Beach models.Build quality. I hate to say it, but these feel definitively cheaper than ALL of the models I've mentioned so far, especially the XP500 branch. The smaller and very portable X42 Transmitter feels flimsy and delicate. The headset feels like a light, hollow-plastic housing. And out-of-the-box, they're not as comfortable or well-fitting as previous headsets. This may change after a break-in period, so I'll update accordingly.Paired Out-of-Box? My headset and Transmitter were not properly paired upon first use. Took a minute to figure out how to pair them, but it's something I shouldn't have had to do. The manual itself says they should be pre-paired to work together. Oops!* What's good - or even great - about the X42s? *Interference? NONE. Unlike other reviewers, I am NOT having any sound/buzzing issues. As a matter of fact, the X42s have eliminated all of the cracking issues I had with the X41s and XP500s. The sound is super-clear. We run a dual-wireless household here, with 2.4GHz/5GHz active, and the X42s have performed flawlessly. I am VERY happy and impressed by this.Sound quality? Better. The lack of interference is no doubt at the heart of this, but I can't help but notice a marked improvement.Transmitter Size? Excellent. Think 'the size of a square hockey puck.' While it feels incredibly delicate, it is SO SMALL compared to previous Transmitters, that you can put it pretty much anywhere. Early transmitters suffered from 'where the heck do I put this thing?'-itis. No more.* The Questionable *The Transmitter and USB cable are now hard-connected. I'm NOT a fan of this, as I used to move the Transmitter from one room to another. It was much easier to have two USB power cords, one in each room, and just move the Transmitter between the two. Can't do that anymore. Also, if anything happens to the USB cable, you can't buy a replacement cable. If you're crafty, perhaps you could open the Transmitter and replace the cable if something happens, but there are no obvious open-points on the Transmitter.No Stereo Output Port? Previous models had a stereo output port, which allowed you to hook up a wired headset. Personally, this will be sorely missed, as I would hook up a wired headset for visiting friends if we were playing late at night, or if the batteries in my wireless headset were running low, I'd switch to wired. But no more.Missing: An Additional Optical Input. With so many digitally capable audio devices, it's just unfortunate that there isn't more than one optical input. If you've got two of any of the following - Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Cable/DVR, Boxee Box, Apple TV, Google TV, Roku, etc. - you can only hook up one of these to the Transmitter at any given time. Some of these play well via HDMI->optical sound on some televisions and audio receivers (to date, the PS3 plays fine this way, but not the 360), but it's an unfortunate and missed-opportunity for Turtle Beach to make a more functional wireless headset.* Conclusion *A competent headset that suffers from change: eliminating inference and improving sound quality comes at the price of strange power issues and unexpectedly poor build-quality; a smaller form factor is offset by loss of functionality.Whether or not the X42s are right for you will depend on whether you experienced interference with earlier 2.4GHz models. If you did, these should be a huge improvement.If you've ever owned (touched or even seen) the XP500s, you'll be severely underwhelmed by the X42s sturdiness. For everyone else, they'll feel hollow.If you've never owned a Turtle Beach surround sound headset, you won't be thrown-off by the changes. If you have, just be aware of the changes and differences, and set your expectations accordingly.Personally, I haven't decided to keep them or send them back. I still have time to decide. Perhaps something more impressive is on the horizon. Your move, MadCatz?

I am not a hard core gamer. I'm just your average one who upgraded from the Turtle Beach x3's from many years ago. I expected these headphones to be better than the older ones from many models ago. I must say that overall I'm pleased. In most categories they are better than the old x3's. Although, you would expect them to be.Better because:*They look cooler.*Dual Band WiFi. There was no interference with my router,*There was no buzzing, or humming, or noise of any kind. They are very quiet!*Microphone is removable!*Range works well for me. I can hear throughout most of my (small) house. Almost got the 30ft they claim.*The wire to hook up to my controller for chat now will work with my "Chatpad."*They do a much better job at letting me hear where the noises are coming from.*Sound quality is good enough to allow you to hear the subtle things you want to hear.*No more infrared blackout areas if I bend down, or leave the room.*Uses optical audio cable to deliver 5.1 Surround Sound*No more faulty/crackling/noisy microphone to controller connecter that plagued the x3's.No different because:*Sound quality is no better than the old x3'a. I thought it would be much better. But it is hard to tell any difference.*They feel about the same quality. Not too bad, but certainly a lot of plastic. Not a major problem though. They don't feel flimsy or feel like they'll break.Worse because:*The bass on these is for sure worse than my old x3's. The bass on those was actually impressive. These headphones do a very poor job of giving you any punch. After playing more games, I'll update.*The bass boost or treble boost give only a very subtle change.*The instructions are STILL wrong on how to pair them. But a simple youtube video later, you're golden.Overall, I really like them. And when I picked them up at $120... they weren't so bad of a deal. Whenever I am in an online battle, I never really like the bass up too much, so I can hear the more important sounds. I would recommend them for sure for anyone who is looking for a good inexpensive gaming headset.UPDATE(11/28/2015): Just wanted to add, that these are compatable with Xbox One. With the original Xbox One controller, you need an adapter, but with the new one, you don't. I've had these headphones now for about 2 years. I still like them! Battery life is really good. They sound nice and are still surviving life with two children. The foam over the microphone is on there tight and is still there. The foam on my old x3's fell of quickly. Great for gaming, great for music. Really nice headphones, and for $99, that's not bad. They can be a bit finicky though. They don't seem to like weak rechargeable batteries. When they start to beep to let me know the batteries are low, sometimes they will start to squeal at me. It's really the worst sound in the world, I can't even begin to describe it. They stop responding and the squeal won't stop until I pull out the batteries. This is a behavior that Turtle Beach knows of, and they do blame the batteries. Just an inconvenience. Also, when they are connected, they are great, but sometimes the transmitter receives some stray signal when it is off from some other source and it turns on randomly. After a few times of this they must be losing their pairing and the headphones won't turn on the transmitter. Usually just means I have to pair them again. Just an inconvenience. So for the price the inconveniences are minor and are usually pretty rare. Still a great set of headphones, just wish they wouldn't scream that awful sound at me. I lose sleep over it.

So for starters when you recieve this item the microphone is only going to work for your Xbox, if you want it to work for your PC your going to have to order a couple of adapters and additional wires you can however use the headset to listen to things on your computer via wireless however I tried multiple sets of batterys only to have them run out after a day off use, Theres also a buzzing noise when the sound is turned up and the volume of the buzzing is determined on how high the volume is set too.

Los resultados han sido gratificantes. De hecho nos ha sorprendido enormemente la gran calidad y las amplias prestaciones que nos ofrecen los Ear Force X42.Tanto las pre-configuraciones, como las tecnologías Dynamic Chat Boost y Bass Treble Boost, hacen que el sonido envolvente Dolby Surround se magnifique y disfrutemos de un headset de alta gama. Y si a ello, le sumamos la capacidad de cambiar el ángulo del sonido 5.1, en seis posiciones distintas, obtenemos unos resultados de mayor calidad y configuración a nuestro gusto.También señalar su gran comodidad y adaptación. Su tacto es muy agradable, y los auriculares muy cómodos. El peso de los Ear Force X42, podríamos pensar que es un inconveniente, pero aún con las pilas (2 pilas AAA) su peso no resulta influyente, no nos provoca no dolores ni molestias; y además están completamente equilibrados.

Los audífonos funcionan de maravilla, la verdad es que por el precio que tenían 6xx no esperaba mucho pero funcionan a la perfección, en mi caso si alcanzan los 7-8 mts y con una pared de interferencia (lo mencionó ya que hay personas que dicen no llega a los 5 mts pero yo lo comprobe y da mucho más), usa dos baterias AAA que aun no se me agotan, lo compre para usar en un Xbox One y todo perfecto, sólo un detalle, mis controles aun no tenían la salida para audio y tampoco tengo el adaptador para conectarlos(ojo esto solo es por si los quieres usar para el chat)El audio es muy bueno de verdad

Works as advertised. Comfortable to wear and works well with rechargeable (Sanyo Eneloop) batteries.Build quality is great and connections fit very tightly so no disconnects when moving around.Sound quality is very good and really improves the gaming experience.The mode select on the headphones is, unfortunately, too easy to press if adjusting the headset.Update: After over a year of use I'm still happy with the headset and its performance.

This is the third and final pair of gaming headphones I will be buying. After trying in vain to save myself money on gaming headphones and being utterly disappointed with the products, I bit the bullet and bought a grown up pair.They require a digital optical cable hookup to your xbox or TV and I just about flipped my sh***when I found out since my xbox doesn't have that hookup (or the space for the adapter hookup which would have been my only other option). Thank the stars my TV has a digital output option, or I would have lost it.It also took about an hour to get the system to pair so I could have sound; however, Once I did? Oh mama. So pleased with the headphones. They're really sensitive, so I can hear myself breathing which is kind of gross, but otherwise they're awesome. With standard game volume I barely had them turned up and I was blasting out my eardrums.In summary, they're a pain to set up, but so worth persevering. Not to mention I saved $50 vs going to future shop.