Ear Force HPA2

by Turtle Beach

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000KRVE9Y
• Item model number: TBS-2112
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 18, 2006

Product Description

The Ear Force HPA2 Surround Sound PC Headset's combination of 8 speakers with dual sub-woofers, powered by a multi-channel amplifier with bass enhancement, lets you hear critical audio cues all around you while blocking out distractions. A removable microphone also lets you communicate with other gamers while hearing every nuance of the game.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Head to Head against the Medusa 5.1 Surround Headphones, December 16, 2007

By 

Christopher Bomicino - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ear Force HPA2 (Electronics)

I also own a pair of Medusa 5.1 surround headphones, and as luck will have it, they both share the same 9 pin DIN connector, and both share the same wiring, thus interchangeable, which really makes for a great comparison.

Comfort: Medusa 5.1. I have never had a pair of headphones that were so comfortable as the Medusa 5.1. Now, the Turtle Beach aren't that bad, but they do have a noticeable snug factor over the Medusa, so after a few hours just a minor shift on the Turtle Beach and it's fine. The Ear cup size on Turtle Beach is smaller than that of the Medusa, so larger ear folks might want to lean towards Medusa.

Sound: Turtle Beach. Bass is far better, fidelity is better. Best way to explain it, is that the Medusa's are a bit more 'muted' than the Turtle Beach. Having great bass again is well worth these.

Microphone: Tie: Both microphones have done well. The detachable microphone for Turtle Beach is more of a novelty for me, I never plan on taking it off. Neither, however, have a Mute button on the microphone. A small button on the boom so you can Mute your voice would be great, especially when you just need those few moments of silence to yourself.

Design: Tie. The Medusa requires a large clunkly amplifier to rest on your desk, the Turtle Beach uses a slim in-line amp. I personally like the design of the Medusa Better, but at night, who cares....

Final thoughts:
To me it's a tie. If I want the heavy bass on clear sound, I connect my Turtle Beach. If I plan for a marathon of gaming, I grab the Medusas. Both are excellent, and since they share the same DIN connectors and wiring, interchangeable, except for the Mic. Medusa kept the microphone a seperate connector, Turtle Beach integrated it into the 9 pin connector. Not a big deal, just leave an extra connector to the microphone when swapping out headsets.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Broke twice; uncomfortable headphones., August 23, 2007

By 

J. Weber - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ear Force HPA2 (Electronics)

1 month after purchasing this headset, the clip that holds the ear speaker onto the headpiece broke with ordinary use. I had to send it in for repair under warranty. Now it's 4 months later, and the microphone no longer works. I take care of equipment, and there was no reason for 2 things to break.
Otherwise, the sound was good, though not mindblowing by any means. The headphones are stiff and uncomfortable.
Overall, this product has been a lousy experience.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not really my style., April 10, 2007

By 

Douglas L. Graham (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ear Force HPA2 (Electronics)

The Good:
The bass is fantastic (a real nice rumble).
Build quality top notch.
Comfort needs work (although breaking them in by putting them on a vase all night works wonders)


The Bad:
In line amp is very noisy (and there is no real way around this)
The 3D sound positioning is all but non existent. (deal breaker)
Some of the channels were faint and not well matched; requiring a lot of fine tuning to make all the volumes level.
You really have to crank the inline amp high to hear any detail in game. (Bad for your ears)

Conclusion:
While I thought these headphones would be unique by having all of the speakers for multiple channels, I have come to the conclusion that the basic principle is just not viable. Because of the proximity of the surround speakers in the headphones, there is no way for the ear to accurately interpret the direction of the sound.

We only have two ears, and the brain interprets the direction of sound by the different pitch and timing of when the sounds hit the ear. What it really comes down to is that >>>anyone would be much better off just buying a good set of stereo headphones<<< (like a pair of Sennheiser HD 485's) and hooking them up to a X-Fi sound card that has CMSS-3D to replicate surround sounds on headphones. What is the point of surround headphones that don't sound surroundish...