Turtle Beach is one of the leading manufacturers of gaming headsets, and at E3 2014 me and editor-in-chief Richard Bailey Jr. got to find out why first hand. Not only has their audio technology evolved over the past few years, but Turtle Beach are also showing originality with their gaming partnerships. Its partnerships include Call of Duty (Activision), and Heroes of the Storm (Blizzard). Not only do Turtle Beach offer branded headsets for each of these games, but purchasing some of these branded headsets will also unlock unique content within the games.
As well as its branded partnership headsets, Turtle Beach also prides itself in manufacturing some of the best pieces of audio kit ever made. Turtle Beach have a range of headsets targeted at the Xbox One, Playstation 4 and the PC. Each range has a new, impressive headset set to launch this year.
XBOX ONE HEADSETS
On the Xbox One side there’s the Ear Force Stealth 500X, which has been fine tuned especially for driving, shooting and action games (because that’s really all Xbox One gamers play, right?). You can create or download pre-sets that enhance the sound of each type of game. The Stealth 500X also delivers digital audio from the Xbox One’s optical connection, and separate wireless channels for chat and game audio. Utilizing immersive DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound and a completely reimagined preset system, players can use surround sound modes that are finely tuned for different types of games, movies and music.
Also available is the The Ear Force XO ONE, a lightweight stereo headset with finely tuned 50mm drivers, multi-step Bass Boost and Microphone Monitor.
PC GAMING HEADSETS
On the PC side there are many options for those who are fans of specific games, with a selection aimed at those who just want a neutral headset. The Heroes of the Storm Stereo PC Gaming Headset is the ultimate headset for fans of Heroes of the Storm, a new raucous online team brawler that draws iconic characters from more than 20 years of Blizzard gaming history, including the award-winning Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft franchises. It includes swappable speaker plates, 50mm speakers, noise isolation, and clear chat audio.
The Ear Force Recon 320 brings surround sound gaming to the PC market at a very competitive price. Amazing Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound allows players to pinpoint enemy locations and hear accurate, immersive surround sound with any type of content. The Z60 features ‘DTS Headphone X’ surround sound technology that promises increased depth of sound compared to the usual Dolby surround sound.
PLAYSTATION 4 HEADSETS
On the Playstation 4 side of things, we got to check out a very impressive piece of kit known as the Elite 800. The Turtle Beach Elite 800 is hands down the most technologically-advanced wireless gaming headset ever made. It utilizes DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound and active noise cancellation to create an incredible, immersive audio experience. Like the other headsets, pre-sets can be fine tuned for any game, movie or music genre; furthermore, pre-sets can be customized and managed using a mobile app. Its a first for console gaming headsets, and it might be a long time before this level of quality is matched.
Other noteworthy Playstation headsets from Turtle Beach include the Ear Force Stealth 400 and the Ear Force P12.
TOURNAMENT AUDIO CONTROLLER
On top of all the fine headsets I’ve already highlighted, Turtle Beach also offer a tournament audio controller. This gives the competitor full control over audio so they can adjust their audio mix to match changing game conditions. The Tournament Audio Controller (TAC) is compatible with PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, PC and Mac. It features Dolby AC3 decoding to DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound, and TAC also outputs audio for professional-quality live streaming or recording of full gameplay and chat audio. The Elite Tournament Audio Controller will be available in the winter of 2014 and integrated into future tournament gaming headset systems.
Below is a summary of Turtle Beach’s E3 2014 offerings.
New product highlights:
• The first gaming headsets for the PlayStation®4 and Xbox One with DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround sound.
• The first gaming headset to provide fully wireless game and chat audio for the Xbox One.
• The first noise-cancelling headphones for the PlayStation®4.
• A Tournament Audio Controller (TAC) that sets a new standard for console and PC professional gaming, with unique advanced features for audio control and broadcast streaming.
• New additions to an expanding portfolio of PC headsets.
• An Elite Membership Program which offers exclusive benefits to competitive gamers.New partnership highlights:
• A new Heroes of the StormTM PC gaming headset with swappable speaker plates featuring characters and artwork from the award-winning Warcraft®, Diablo®, and StarCraft® franchises.
• A sneak preview of the new Turtle Beach Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare limited edition gaming headsets.
• Several partnership announcements that will be revealed for the first time at the Turtle Beach E3 booth during the show.
Programming at the Turtle Beach E3 booth:
• A powerhouse panel discussion featuring three of the most notable voice actors in the industry, Troy Baker, Nolan North and John DiMaggio, and moderated by director and producer Keith Arem. (Video above)
• The ultimate Borderlands panel discussion featuring Ashly Burch, voice of Tiny Tina, Dameon Clarke, voice of Handsome Jack, David Eddings, voice of Claptrap, and audio producer Mark Petty from Gearbox Software.
• A three-day Major League Gaming (MLG) Pro-Am tournament featuring some of the best known Call of Duty® players and streamers as well as celebrity guests, with walk-up opportunities for show attendees.
Credit to TechRadar for the Elite800 image above.
