Customer Reviews

PS3 Ear Force PX21 Gaming Headset

5 star:		(208)
4 star:		(99)
3 star:		(35)
2 star:		(57)
1 star:		(72)

 

 

....then you absolutely have to have this. The sound quality and the ability to adjust the different volumes is outstanding. I play Call of Duty about 90% of the time online and this just makes the entire online experience better. I use to get into games with kids making annoying noises etc. Now with the push of a finger I don't have to listen to it but I can still hear the game perfectly. In fact, a buddy and me went into a private match on shipment. I could hear him from across the map setting up claymore's, pulling grenade pins, moving and even swiping his knife. The only negative thing I have to say about this headset is that it's not wireless but I am sure that would add quite a lot of money to the price. They are also extremely light and comfortable and .................................................You know what, stop reading this and just go buy a set of these already.

I was researching headsets that mixed chat and the game sound in stereo in the earphones, with the chat mic all as a single unit. I came across the press release of the PX21. Not available at the time, but coming soon. I almost didn't wait for it. I almost bought the P21. I'm glad I waited.

Features:
- You hear chat and stereo game sound in the earphones.
- Setup was easy for me and they provide all the cables and adapters you need.
- The cable is looong. I play on a 58" TV and I wouldn't want to sit as far away as the cable
would let me.
- A control cluster for mic and sound that gives you:
* Separate volume controls for game sound and chat volume
* Mute switch for the mic
* Bass boost
* Expanded stereo mode

What I liked:
- The stereo effect is good especially with the stereo expansion mode turned on.
If there's an enemy behind me and to the left, I hear him behind me and to the left.
As noted in other reviews there *is* a hiss. More on that later.
- The sound quality is good. And by that I mean for playing video games. I have a set of $120
Sennheiser can headphones I use for home recording. Music sounds great in them. Before the
PX21 I used those plugged into a Dolby 5.1 amplifier getting an optical sound feed. The PX21
is much better for playing video games because the sound is crisper. Music may not sound
great on them, but I can hear the enemy sneaking up on me.
- Mic. The mic boom has a great range of movement and stays in whatever position I put it.
Other people tell me I come across good and clear. The mute switch is great, of course...
why would you make a headset without one?
- Comfortable. Again, compared to my Sennheisers, these are much more comfortable. The earpads
are fabric covered and the headband isn't tight. You don't develop a headache or aching ears
after a couple of hours of play. The mic boom is long, flexible and comfortable to use.
- And mostly what I liked... I play better. From the first time I used it, I consistently
scored higher.

What I don't like
- Hiss. Yes, it hisses. A little in normal mode, significantly more in expanded stereo mode.
Again, it might be a problem listening to music or quiet passages in other games. But you
really only need expanded mode in games where directions of sound cues are important. Turn
of the stereo expansion when you don't need it and the hiss is negligible. If you want to
listen to music, get a pair of $120 Sennheisers and leave the headset for the games.
- The clip on the control cluster is backwards. Hard to explain, but whenever I try clipping
the control cluster to my shirt, the wires hang awkwardly.

If you're a gamer, buy this headset. I researched before I bought it and it looked like the best thing on the market for what I was looking for. And I believe it is.

My husband is a remarkably talented gamer. He's plays everything from "Ghosbusters" to "Little Big Planet," from "Modern Warfare 2" to "Rock Band" to NSMB. He's played almost every system available in the USA, but prefers the diversity of PS3. Out of necessity, he mastered the art of playing with the TV on mute (a courtesy to me, we all know how late things can go). But all that changed, this past holiday season when his amazingly thoughtful wife (that would be me!) bought him a brand spanking new pair of these! So far, he's had nothing but positive things to say. Specifically, he's mentioned the volume controls, overall flexibility and comfort, chat boost, the surround sound effect, and crispness of in game sound. So he gives it an A in gaming and I give it an A+ for letting me sleep :)

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE EARLIER P21 HEADSET. WHY AMAZON PUT MY REVIEW ON THIS PAGE FOR A DIFFERENT PRODUCT, I DON'T KNOW. SEE THE BOTTOM FOR DIFFERENCES OF THE 2 STRAIGHT FROM THE TURTLE BEACH WEBSITE.
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I bought this based on someone talking about it in a SOCOM match. The reviews here also were good. First off, I don't have a true surround system. You really need that when playing shooter type games to hear where your enemy is around you. This headset does a pretty good job in helping you locate the enemy. But it is far from perfect. First off, its not built that well for the price. In "Stereo Expander" mode there is a loud background hiss. Chat Boost does not work at all. The quality of the headphone speakers are what you would expect from a $[...] pair of headphones. I know headphone quality, I have headphones ranging in price from $[...] to $[...]. And one of the most annoying things about this headset is the noise the plastic makes every time you move your head. All that being said, you can hear much more in a game then you would normally. I play SOCOM and my gameplay got better because now I can hear people walking around and tell which direction they are from me. The increase in my score was enough that if offsets all the negative things about this headset.


PROS

Long Cord
Easy Set Up
Helps you locate the enemy in shooter games
Separate game and voice volume controls
Bass Boost works moderately well
Seems sturdy enough to last awhile
You can turn the mic off
Good for when you want to not play and wake people up


CONS

Background hiss in expanded mode
Materials make noise whenever you move
Sound quality not that great
Earphone cups are a little small
Chat Boost doesn't work, at least not in SOCOM: US Navy Seals Confrontation Stand Alone



Overall, if you don't have surround and play shooter type games I recommend it. Otherwise, I would not bother.





UPDATE: Keep an eye on the metal pin that holds the clip in place. It barely locks in and can work its way out. Took about 15 minutes to get it back in, pain in the butt. So check to see if its working its way out every so often.

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FROM THE TURTLE BEACH WEBSITE

Ear Force P21 vs. PX21 Comparison

If you're wondering what improvements have been made in the Ear Force PX21, here's a summary of how it compares to its highly acclaimed predecessor, the Ear Force P21:


The PX21 Works With XBOX 360®.

An XBOX LIVE® mic jack on the PX21 amplifier makes it compatible with the XBOX 360. All of the features that make the PX21 a great PS3(tm) headset also function on the XBOX 360.

Works With PC & Mac® Without Adapters.

The PX21 replaces the P21 dual RCA jacks with a 3.5mm audio plug, so it works with PC's and Mac's without the need for an extra adapter.

Acoustically Tuned Ear Cups

The PX21 ear cups, ear cushions and speakers are acoustically tuned for optimum fidelity. That means you'll hear crisper highs and deeper lows for an improved gaming experience.

Improved Headband

The PX21 headband has been increased in size for greater comfort.

Improved USB Audio Connection

The PX21 uses a stereo USB audio chat channel with improved fidelity, compared to a mono USB chat channel on the P21. This means you can use the PX21 as a stereo USB headset for listening to music and other stereo sources on your PC or Mac.

Improved Ear Cushions

The PX21 ear cushions use the same soft fabric weave as the popular X31 and X41 headsets, with deeper and softer cushion material for even more comfort than the P21.

Improved Design

The striking chrome rings on the PX21 make it stand out as a high-quality headset that looks like a natural companion to the PS3.

First of all, with the correct setup, you can use HDMI sound. If your TV is equiped with a(n) "Audio Out" then you are in buisness. TV Audio out is almost always on, even if not being used. It transfers all sound on TV to the componant plugs so you can run your tv through a sterio or any other device yo want. If you run your PS3 on HDMI, than the sound is already being transferred to this componant plug. If you already forward this sound to a tuner, you can put the P21 RCA plugs in line and reconnect to your tuner. Now, sound will go to your P21 and you DO NOT need to turn your tuner on. If you dont have sound running yet, simply buy a small 3 foot length rca set, hook up to tv, put P21 plugs in line.. and Walla! you have game sound. Doing this, you do not need to re set up your ps3 sound, and you will run full HDMI all the time. ( just make sure the red and white plugs are not touching if they are dangling )
Now, the Headset themselves, they are awesome. the buzzing sound some people here is because the red and white sound connectors are close or touching. There is still a little ambient sound but it is gone during game play.
I am currently trying to get the rest of my MW2 team to get these. I was hiding in afgan and I heard footsteps a mile a way. I got the drop over and over again... SWEEET Setup!

I got my pre-order of MW2 on release date... my wife couldn't sleep that night. After researching dozens of ps3 headsets, I finally settled for these because many people said "Perfect for Call of Duty". They were absolutely right!!! You can hear your enemies closing in on you.... every foot step, every reload, EVERYTHING so damn clearly that it's almost like a Universal Studios ride.

Yes... there is a hissing. I was concerned at first but after actually listening to it, it's NOT A BIG DEAL! I compare it to listening to your boombox or computer speakers... you can also hear a slight hissing on those but after the music starts, you'll forget it's there. Trust me... the sound that this baby does will blow you away. The mic is perfect too!! Noise cancelling and you can hear your own voice so won't yell at the mic. It's very comfortable; I wore them for 5 hours straight (I wear glasses) and it never bothered me.

Even though most people are gonna be broke this holiday (Assassin's Creed 2, MW2, God of War Collection, Uncharted 2...) try to make a little budget for these. You will enjoy all those new releases (and old ones too) x 100. Totally worth it!

I bought these headphones because I was sick of using a cheap blue-tooth devices and wanted a set of nice headphones. After doing much research (obviously not enough), I came across these headphones sold at a local retailer for eighty dollars. They seemingly had all the features I was looking for and purchased them in hopes of many hours of enjoyment. Little did I know how few hours of life the headphones had in them.

At first they worked exactly as advertised. I mainly used them for my PS3, but also hooked them to my 360 occasionally. I used them overall about a half-dozen times as I'm a very infrequent online gamer with select friends. I used them without incident for a couple of months and then set them aside, not using them at all for a few months.

The other day I hooked them back up in hopes of playing with some friends online. The very first thing I noticed was that the left speaker was crackling in & out. I thought it was a loose connection and diligently checked all connections to the console to make sure it wasn't just an operator error, which it was not. A few minutes later, I noticed that I had absolutely no sound from the left side at all and remained in this awful state since! The headphones went from working perfectly a couple of months ago to now not working properly without any use at all.

So I went to the Turtle Beach website in hopes that my replacement due to a manufacturer defect would be handled quickly and promptly, boy was I wrong!

The first thing I noticed was there was NO phone support whatsoever for Turtle Beach and I was at the mercy of only emailing support. I jumped through all their hoops, scanning my original receipt, which I luckily kept and emailing them my address and phone number (how ironic they wanted my phone number, yet had no phone lines). The very next thing I noticed was that my email took a VERY long time to receive an answer from support.

My situation finally was escalated to the RMA department.

As a side note, I should also mention that all of the emails that I mailed contained personalized questions about my situation and were only answered with very impersonal robotic responses. The agents handling my emails did not ONCE address my actual questions. They just kept pushing me along the escalation ladder.

One of the questions that I posed in my email had to do with the fact that I did not see why I had to pay for shipping on a device that was clearly still under the year warranty. It had been less than six months, well under their limited one-year warranty, and since the headphones had become unusable not due to any misuse or mishandling on part of the owner I believe the fault lies with the initial production at the factory.

I still have not received a response from the RMA department to my query and that was about two weeks ago.

I find it completely ridiculous that Turtle Beach expects me to pay for shipping the headphones back to their RMA department when the fault with the product clearly lies with the company. They issued a defective product and now will not stand behind their product to the extent of gaining back customer satisfaction.

I am writing this review in hopes that readers understand what they are getting into when choosing to purchase a product from this company and in hopes of making Turtle Beach change their policies with how they handle customer issues.

A professional company stands wholly behind their products with phone support lines, expedient responses and resolutions, and waiving return shipping fees due to faulty craftsmanship. These above components spell ultimate customer satisfaction and because of lack in all areas, I am a very dissatisfied customer with this company.

This headset rocks, that's all you need to know. Unless you need more, here's some Pro's and Con's.

Pro's
1. Affordable Price
2. Long Cable
3. Lightweight Design
4. Adjustable Microphone
5. Chat Boost / Independent Game and Chat Sound
6. Stereo Expander

Con's
1. Slightly Complicated Set-Up
2. Cheap Ear Cushions

The hissing sound people complain about is negligible, it disappears after just a few minutes of use and is otherwise drowned out by game. Amazing quality and durability at an affordable price, highly recommended.

UPDATE: 2/18/11

The microphone served me very well for only 17 days before the Right Earphone ceased to function. A day later, the right earphone completely fell off. I got off recommending the product initially, but the fact that the headset can stop working so quickly is terrible. I am returning these for a refund and am going to try another headset. I no longer recommend these headphones.

Quick review on the PX21 with pros and cons.

Background: Bought this based on necessity for headset + mic combo. This is a review for the PX21, the replacement for the P21 which as far as I know adds a chrome ring, slightly different physical specs, and supposedly support for stereo (?)

Pros

*Headphones and mic in one item
*Mic is adjustable, very flexible
*Great quality mic, very strong standalone headphone
*Headset itself is pretty flexible, material is very durable
*Cord provided is insanely long
*All sound settings are adjustable on the minimodule
*Mic doesn't pick on breathing too much
*Bass boost (increase bass) and sound expander (increases left and right sound while decreasing middle) are nice
*Support for PS3, Mac, XboxLive, and PC
*Game at night, or quietly!

Cons
*Headphones wont fit those with larger ears
*Sound static can be heard when nothing is going on (this is drowned out by game noise)
*The mic doesn't seem to be long enough for some facial structures
*Setup is convoluted; my PS3 looks like an octopus
*Still no support for surround sound (this would probably make it +50 bucks)
*Requires you to use the RYW wires, HDMI cable only used for visual
*Cord is insanely long
*Sound leaks out to environment... people around you WILL hear what's going on

Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons. The cons are really specific but will make the overall experience worse if you do possess these facial features/structures. If you're looking for a headphone + a mic, this is pretty much the only product on the market that supports Playstation Network (the other one is the Tritton AX Pro, which does support 5.1 Dolby but is about $160)

Oh yeah, no matter what sort of design... you will look geeky, especially with the mic.

For the record, I have 5.1 surround sound but wanted this headset so that I could play while the rest of the family was sleeping. However, my new main reason for this headset is the ability to hear things that I never thought were even in the games. I play PS3 MW2 and SOCOM mainly and was blown away (no pun intended) by the various sounds I could hear. Like footsteps, magazine reloads, etc. I highly recommend this headset!! It is comfortable during short and long sessions as I have played for 6 hrs with no problems (sore ears, head, etc). My only gripe is that I wish the mic mute was a button rather than slide activated. Other than that, if you're looking for a headset, I don't think you can go wrong with the Turtle Beach P21.