Turtle Beach is a name synonymous with PC gaming. In their younger years, they were known as a direct competitor to Sound Blaster in the manufacturing of sound cards in the early 90’s. More recently, gamers know them for a different type of audio peripheral. Online multiplayer games, LAN parties, Ventrilo sessions and beyond, many PC gamers have relied on headsets from Turtle Beach for years. Today, Turtle Beach are doing better than ever, and they’re at CES to show off their expansive collection of gaming headsets.
I met with John Kopp at Turtle Beach’s spacious booth in South Hall. John explained to me that 2011 was a huge year for Turtle Beach. As the market leader in headset sales, they saw outstanding sales across all of their products, and have moved to expand their lineup in response to the demand. No longer a PC-only company, Turtle Beach now offers an extensive array of headsets built specifically for gaming on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 in addition to their storied PC Gaming headsets.
The Z11, Z6A, and Z2 headsets
Turtle Beach had on display four of their PC gaming headset. The four headsets offered solutions at all of the major pricepoints. At the entry level is the Ear Force Z1, which offers all of the standard gaming headset amenities such as a microphone and twistable ear cups. The Z1 sits on the ears while delivering sharp sound quality, at a modest price point of $29.95.
At the midrange is the Ear Force Z11. This full ear sized headset features 50mm drivers that kick a solid accoustic range. Its 3.5mm mini-jack is a 4 pole configuration, meaning not only can it be used with your PC, but it can also be used on mobile devices such as cell phones. Inline controls for volume and microphone mute are also featured on the headset’s cable. The Earforce Z11 is available at an MSRP of $39.95.
Turtle Beach had two high-end PC gaming headsets on display at their booth, and both were impressive in their own right. The high-end stereo solution is the Ear Force Z2. This professional grade headset offers over-the-ear cups with noise cancelling muffs. 50mm neodymium drivers push strong stereo sound, and not only does the set offer inline volume and microphone controls, but it also features a talkback jack enabling Xbox 360 controller connectivity. The Ear Force Z2 are very comfortable on the ears, and I imagine they would work remarkably well for extended periods of use. The Z2 are available at an MSRP of $69.95.
At the top shelf of Turtle Beach’s PC gaming headsets are the Ear Force Z6A. Like the Z2, the Ear Force Z6A feature professional-grade neodymium drivers with the key differentiator being the 4 speaker setup in each cup, enabling true directional 5.1 surround sound. The Z6A incorporates three 30mm speakers and one 40mm subwoofer in each cup. The headset is powered by a small 5.1 amplifier box that gives control to individual channel volumes, microphone controls, and even an Xbox 360 talkback jack. Beyond the impressive technical specs, the design language of these headphones are fantastic. Sporting a black and blue color scheme, the Z6A were definitely the most attractive pair of the four PC offerings. The Ear Force Z6A have an MSRP of $99.95.
The Modern Warfare 3 headsets for Xbox 360
The products being offered from Turtle Beach become much more elaborate when you look beyond PC gaming-specific headsets. As John explained to me, they’ve seen a great increase in interest of proper headsets from console gamers in recent years. To reach out to these gamers, Turtle Beach have recently launched a series of Modern Warfare 3 branded headsets for PS3 and Xbox 360. Turtle Beach worked with Activision to make these headsets a reality, which feature equalizer presets tuned by the MW3 team. I asked John if Turtle Beach had plans to do any more partner-centric headsets in the future. While he couldn’t give me a direct answer for obvious reasons, I was told that there is quite a bit of desire to work closely with more developers for future titles.
Console gamers are discovering a desire for more comfortable and higher performance audio options to augment their gaming experience. Not content to use the crummy little headset microphone and mono-speaker device that comes standard with the Xbox 360, gamers are looking to higher fidelity options that offer proper comfort and sound. John said that his message to console gamers looking for audio alternatives is to simply try out the products from Turtle Beach. Hearing is believing, and once you hear gunfire surrounding your head in proper closed-ear surround sound, you’ll immediately know what PC gamers have known all along—a solid headset is an appropriate, if not necessary investment, and a headset from Turtle Beach is as good as it gets.
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