A perennial force in the gaming accessories industry, Turtle Beach took off the wrapping yesterday on it’s latest and greatest new headphones and gaming accessories, as well as some updates to some of its most popular headsets already on the market. We got a chance to get an “ears-on” look at some of their new sets, and we’re here to tell you they don’t disappoint.
Seven Series to rule them all
Check out our review of the Turtle Beach Ear Force XP Seven gaming headphones.
For the serious competitive gamer, Turtle Beach has created an entire new headset called the Seven Series, which works across all consoles. The headset’s innovative cable connectors allow you to easily transition from gaming platform to gaming platform, and even take phone calls from your smart phone. With the new connectors, the single set becomes the Ear Force XP Seven for console gaming ($279.95), the Z Seven for PC gaming ($249.95), and the M Seven for mobile gaming($149.95). We got a chance to listen to the new cans, and our initial impression is that the sound is phenomenal. The tone is surprisingly balanced for a gaming set, delivering a smooth, clear sound up and down the frequency spectrum. Couple that with the versatility of an adaptable EQ for up to 64 different available presets, the ability to receive input from anything that puts out sound, and the Seven series will be a formidable new option in gaming and beyond. It will be available to the public some time in the next month.
TM1 Audio mixer: Organize your gaming party
Gaming competition and multi-platform versatility is also the main focus of Turtle Beach’s new audio mixer, the TM1. The TM1 is the one product in Turtle Beach’s CES release that is already available in stores, offered at a price of $229.95. The unit allows users to set up a local area network (LAN) to connect up to six players for closed, zero-latency chatting, as well as a broadcast feed for tournament announcers and production teams. The device also includes noise-gating technology, allowing for clear team communication during those loud, chaotic gaming competitions. Though it’s a bit pricey, the TM1’s private connectivity and enhanced audio could bring an edge to those who are serious about team gaming. The fact that it’s loaded with buttons and knobs and looks crazy cool is also a plus, especially for audio nerds.
Z Series PC-only headsets
We also checked out Turtle Beach’s two new headsets designed exclusively to enhance your PC gaming experience: the Z300 and the Z22. The Z300 takes a page from the Ear Force series, bringing Wi-Fi wireless connectivity, extended battery life, and Bluetooth versatility to your PC. The new Z22 offers mobile compatibility, and analog inputs, as well as on-board chat volume control, and equalization to boost treble and bass. Both sets are looking to dominate the PC gaming market and should help give TB an even broader footprint in the category.
XP and PX: Newer is Better
Check out our review of the Turtle Beach Ear Force XP510 headset.
For those who revel in Turtle Beach’s highly regarded 5.1-channel surround sound replication and wireless technology, the company has a new version of its popular Ear Force series, the Ear Force XP510, and the PX51, for the Xbox and PS3 consoles respectively. The XP510 and the PX51 offer a wide breadth of functions including: dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, a promised 15-hour battery life, and Bluetooth technology that allows you to use the headsets for making phone calls, streaming music from mobile devices, and more. The latest additions to the new Ear Force sets are the newly designed DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and the unique ability to adjust the angles of the drivers to personalize your surround-sound experience. We mowed down a few zombies on Black Ops 2 at the Turtle Beach booth, and even without EQ or speaker adjustment we enjoyed a very real firing sound from our rifle as we took down the undead, as well as a well-designed surround environment.
The PX21 2.0
Check out our Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 gaming headphones.
As expected, the Ear Force PX22 stereo gaming headphones are one of the most affordable sets that Turtle Beach brought to CES, offered for $79.95. Like its award-winning predecessor, the PX21, the PX22 is constrained by wires. But for those who want a multi-platform headset at a low price, the newest model could be an enticing option. Turtle Beach claims the PX22 maximizes the features of the previous version, including enhanced bass, treble, and chat boost, as well as a connector for your mobile device.
Plenty for gamers in 2013
As you can tell, Turtle Beach isn’t kidding around this year. Aside from the Seven Series, which is rapidly approaching launch, and the TM1 out now, the rest of the company’s huge line-up will be available some time at the end of the first quarter or into the second. We’re pretty excited to get our hands on some of the new models to test (and hopefully hang onto) for ourselves. For now, we’ll all just have to wait.
