CES: Ears-on with 3 new Turtle Beach headsets

Multiplatform headsets debuted

I had a chance to listen to a few of the newly announced headsets from Turtle Beach at CES today. Their top option is the new Seven series of headsets, which comes in three configurations: XP Seven for consoles, Z Seven for PC, and M Seven for mobile. Interchangable cable kits allow you to use these sets on any platform, and removable booms let you customize them for different uses. They’re the official headset platform of MLG, but you can have them for yourself this year for the first time.

Turtle Beach tells us that the headsets are wired and passive, with their Audio Control Unit doing all of the heavy lifting. It’s a small, touch capacitive affair with a universal knob that changes function depending on which option is touched. Eight numbered preset buttons allow you to pick from customized audio mixes, made by Turtle Beach or yourself. 

The headset is lightweight and comfortable, and looks sharp with its black and white coloring. They sounded like winners in my trial session with their high level of detail and solid output power. 

The XP and Z Seven models will be priced at $279 and $249, while the M is set at $149. All three will be released in about a month. 

On the lower end of the scale, the Ear Force PX22 is priced at only $79. This MLG licensed set looks to be a deal with its multiplatform compatibility. A small in-line box features chat, volume, and EQ dials for customizing sound, though it’s a shame that the bass and treble dials do not feature default indents. Also, cranking up the treble dial feels like it could cook your eardrums out at high volume; maybe they overdid it on the treble setting a bit.

While not as fancy as the Seven series in the sound department, the PX22 are comfortable and plenty loud. They will be available some time this summer.

Finally, I checked out a new wireless headset for PS3 called the PX51. It sports dual band wi-fi for sound, and Bluetooth for voice. They’ve upped the audio processing with better presets over last year’s model, says Turtle Beach. The PX51 will be available in a month or so for $269.

Check out our gallery for images of these headsets.