Noted gaming headphones manufacturer, Turtle Beach, has been active at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, announcing a slew of new models and venturing into somewhat new territory to boot.
The iSeries i60 for Mac lovers
Check out our reviews of the Turtle Beach Ear Force i60 and Turtle Beach Ear Force i30 headphones.
This one probably came as a surprise to a lot of people, not just gamers, because the Mac and gaming haven’t always been a match made in… well, anywhere. It’s Turtle Beach’s first-ever gaming headset exclusive to the Mac.
They have noise-isolation, 50mm speakers with 7.1 surround sound and voice morphing for anonymity online. They connect to the Mac using Wi-Fi and can also simultaneously pair with an iOS device via Bluetooth to stream music or take phone calls to talk using the hidden microphone. The i60’s battery is said to last for up to 15 hours on one charge and can be charged back up through USB.
There are also two other mac-centric models in the i30 and i10, both of which share the same design, but not all the tech frills of the flagship i60. Pricing and availability are still unrevealed.
Green with envy for Xbox One early adopters
Turtle Beach did also announce a partnership with Microsoft that will culminate with the Ear Force XO Seven and XO Four headphones made for the next-gen Xbox One console. Both are wired headphones using a standard 3.5mm jack, which means they can be used with any mobile device. They will also have the option to adjust volume for gaming and chatting from a single device.
There are differences in design and construction, which mainly amount to the XO Seven’s using memory foam ear cushions and interchangeable faceplates compared to the mesh and set design of the XO Four. Otherwise, the two have the same features. The XO Seven’s will go for $150 and the XO Four’s will be $100 with availability tied to the launch of the Xbox One.
Limited edition Ghosts
A two-year exclusive agreement with Activision leads to a new line of limited edition headsets made for Call of Duty: Ghosts. This one will be optimized for Ghosts with branding, premium finishes and bonus content in the form of exclusive audio prompts and presets. No pricing on those just yet.
Marvelites rejoice
The Marvel Seven premium headset will be officially licensed, featuring interchangeable speaker plates and compatibility with game consoles, PCs, Macs and mobile devices. Though positioned largely as gaming headphones, Turtle Beach says they will work just as well for watching movies (no word on whether Marvel superhero movies will sound better), listening to music or for just Skyping. Again, no pricing and availability has been confirmed yet.
What about PCs?
Not to leave them out, but PC gamers will also get a refresh with a trio of new headsets. The Ear Force Z Seven, Ear Force Z22 and Ear Force Z300 have all been unveiled at the show. The Z Seven promises uncompressed surround sound on both PC and Mac via USB, and is proclaimed as the first and only PC headset with an Audio Control Unit (ACU) with single-touch controls and audio preset switch.
The Z22 is a wired USB headset, with the distinction as the only wired set in the lineup to offer Chat Boost, plus the Variable Mic Monitor and the ability to answer voice calls while gaming. The Z300 is a wireless headset that features dual-band Wi-Fi (free of interference, they say) and dual pairing Bluetooth.
The Z Seven’s release date hasn’t been revealed, but the Z22 and Z300 have been confirmed for August and October, respectively. Pricing for all three will be revealed at a later time.
We’ll be sure to update you on more details for these headsets, as Turtle Beach starts straddling the line between console and PC gaming and mobile devices. E3 is still ongoing and we’ll know more about what to expect with these when the show comes to a close.
