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Our Top Picks: The Best Xbox One Headset

If you’re an Xbox One gamer, life is exciting right now. Gears 4 just came out, the Xbox One S is the perfect holiday present, Project Scorpio is waiting in the wings…and all you need is a really great gaming headset to go along with your adventures. But there’s the problem: Xbox is pretty proprietary when it comes gaming headphones. It can be tricky to find good choice, and even harder to find options that are as good as PC headsets.

Well, we’ve got good news: Here are the top Xbox One headsets for stunning sound, audio customization, chatting, and everything else you need! We did the work for you: Now take a look at the best Xbox One headset options you’ll find:

Astro Gaming Halo A50 – $290

Astro A50

Astro’s specialization in high-end headsets has really paid off for Xbox One fans with the A50, which has some of the best low-distortion sound we’ve heard from a wireless headset, along with a pack of features smartly designed to make gaming better no matter what it is you like to do. Three different sound modes all you to switch between settings for movies, shooters, and general gaming, while the flip-up mic has excellent vocal clarity and very little fuzz around the edges, all with Dolby 7.1 surround sound. The model also comes with a few Halo 5 freebies (not very important these days) and a cool Halo skin (more impressive). Battery life is around 8-10 hours. From sound to features, it’s hard to find a better pair of Xbox headphones anywhere…as long as you can afford them.

We should point out, however, that with the extra-large ear cups and hefty headband, this headset does feel a bit heavier than many other models. If heavy headsets bother you or give you headaches after a while, you may prefer something a little lighter. If that’s not something you usually notice, then don’t worry about it.

Turtle Beach Ear Force XO Seven Pro Premium – $96

Turtle Beach Ear Force XO Seven Pro Premium

Not everyone can spend around $300 on a pair of Xbox One headphones, no matter how great they might be. If you want to spend a lot less cash but still get an excellent model, try out this Turtle Beach unit. It doesn’t have surround sound, but it does come with other features to make up for it, including several presets for both sound (bass, vocals, etc.) and mic (quiet rooms, loud rooms, etc.). There’s a “superhuman” mode for amplifying quiet sounds, although the 50mm neodymium drivers do fine work without the boost.

Additionally, this headset has some extra-durable design features, from the nylon-wrapped cord to the sturdy headband cushioning and pullout mic, which makes it better suited for rougher environments – and people accidentally sitting on it.

Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X Premium – $234

Turtle Beach Ear Force Stelth 500x

This powerful Turtle Beach model is somewhere between our first two picks. It comes with with DTS 7.1 surround sound, so if you have your Xbox set to DTS you may be more interested in this model. The mic features are also particularly robust with both chat boost and variable mic monitoring, so if you do a lot of talking this headset may be even more useful for you.

This fully wireless (no connection to the controller necessary) headset does have genre specific audio options, and while they aren’t quiet as good as the A50 they still give you a pleasant amount of customization. Plus, they sit a little lighter on the head than the Astro model. Battery life is comparable at around 10 hours, too. If you constantly use chat, want a lighter pair of headphones or just like the Turtle Beach aesthetic, this may be your number one choice.

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Astro Gaming officially unleashes A30 & A40 PC editions, drops prices to $100 & $150

Astro Gaming officially unleashes A30 & A40 PC editions, drops prices to $100 and $150

Astro Gaming's A40 headset and Mixamp Pro have generally gotten yearly revisions, but the portability-inclined A30 hasn't received the same love since its inception. That's officially changed this week, as the company's announced its 2013 PC editions (standalone versions) of the A30 and A40 stereo headsets are now available. Although the new units began shipping with the company's Mixamp-packing Audio System bundles last November, this is the first time it's really blasting the airwaves about the A30's revision. Both editions feature re-tuned drivers touting better response for bass and cleaner output, along with a re-tooled approach to the quick disconnect cables and a new media cable with a revised inline remote and mic. The revised cabling setup allows 3.5mm cables to plug directly into the headsets, making for easier replacements and swapping (previous versions had you connect to a short cable hung from the earcup, with a dual-pole connector).

Perhaps best of all, the A30 is now priced thirty bucks less at $100 (finally!), while the A40's been reduced to $149 (down from $199). If you recently purchased one, don't fret either -- Astro also let us know that orders placed the 11th of this month have shipped out with the 2013 editions. Hit up the press release after the break for more info while deciding if one of 'em might be your new ticket to supreme gaming sound.

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2013 Edition Astro A40 Pro Gaming Headset

2013 Edition Astro A40 Pro Gaming Headset

Astro has started selling the new 2013 Edition Astro A40 pro gaming headset that comes equipped with MixAmp Pro. The MixAmp Pro allows users to switch between four pre-set Audio Profiles such as Pro, Core, Media and Sports. The headset supports Dolby Digital 7.1 Surround Sound, a removable boom mic, a magnetic, removable and customizable Speaker Tag system and a 3.5mm audio jack. The 2013 Edition Astro A40 Pro gaming headset and MixAmp Pro is currently available to purchase for $249.99. Watch the video after the jump.

[Engadget]

Astro pulls curtain on 2013 edition of $250 A40 gaming headset, MixAmp Pro package (video)

Astro pulls curtain on 2013 A40 Pro gaming headset, MixAmp Pro

Astro's just refreshed its high-end wired A40 headset and matching MixAmp Pro, a duo that mash together gaming talents with audiophile chops. The 2013 edition of the headset adds an updated quick disconnect system and re-tuned drivers for better bass response and less distortion, with Astro claiming that they're "the most accurate Astro headsets ever." Returning features include a removable, swappable mic, Dolby Digital 7.1 surround sound, customizable speaker tags and multi-system compatibility. The revised MixAmp Pro now allows game sound and incoming or outgoing voice chat to be livestreamed with a single cable, while also bringing new custom audio profiles, a smaller size and an optical port. You'll still have game-to-voice balance controls, Dolby 5.1 and 7.1 surround and a dedicated voice channel with the dedicated mixer/preamp, to boot. The pair are sold together for the same $250 price we saw for the original way back in 2007 -- check the PR and video after the jump to see where to grab them.

Continue reading Astro pulls curtain on 2013 edition of $250 A40 gaming headset, MixAmp Pro package (video)

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Astro pulls curtain on 2013 edition of $250 A40 gaming headset, MixAmp Pro package (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 05:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Skullcandy takes another shot at gaming headsets, quietly reveals SLYR, PLYR 2 and PLYR 1

SkullCandy takes another shot at gaming headsets, quietly reveals SLYR, PLYR 2 and PLYR 1

Giving you the option to Edit your own Aviator headphones isn't the only news the fashionable folks at Skullcandy had up their sleeve for the end of 2012; with a bit of help from Astro Gaming (a recently acquired asset), it's also taking another stab at gaming headsets. The company's touting three new models: SLYR, PLYR 1 and PLYR 2, all of which were quietly detailed on its site within the last week. While Astro caters its full-on gaming audio systems (A30, A40 and A50) above the $200 mark, these Skullcandy-branded headsets essentially bring the ethos of those models to more wallet-friendly prices point of $80 to $180 -- not to mention in closer competition with the likes of Turtle Beach and Tritton. Most notably, Astro was quick to highlight to us that Skullcandy's new batch of gaming-focused earblasters have been created from the ground-up, unlike its models passed which were just tweaks to its existing -- and less than well-received -- headsets. Curious for the initial details on these latest gaming audio aids? Lucky for you, we've got it all listed just past the break.

Continue reading Skullcandy takes another shot at gaming headsets, quietly reveals SLYR, PLYR 2 and PLYR 1

Skullcandy takes another shot at gaming headsets, quietly reveals SLYR, PLYR 2 and PLYR 1 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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