IMPORTANT UPDATE: 5-23-2013 Like many others, my left ear cup went out. I didn't drop them, never mishandled them in anyway, always took the best care of them, and yet the ear cup still went out. Turtle Beach promptly responded to my issue with an RMA request. They didn't try to troubleshoot it at all (because they know its an issue I assume). So I sent my XP Seven back to them. To their credit, the RMA process was very quick and easy. I received a brand new headset about a week later. While I am happy to have a brand new headset, I am worried this problem will happen again and again. I guess they will just keep replacing them until my warranty is up. Anyway, the entire process has left a very bad taste in my mouth. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN WITH A $250-$300 HEADSET. I am leaving my review at 2 stars, because I absolutely love the headset when its working. I think its amazing. But an inherent flaw as bad as this can't go unmarked.
Intro: This is an unbiased review. I have used other Turtle Beach, Astro, and other audiophile headsets.
The XP Seven is Turtle Beach's new top tier wired headset. While much of it is the same as before, it brings some new things to the table. Is it worth it? Read below and decide for yourself
PRESENTATION/ACCESORIES: The XP Seven comes in a very nice box. It is very well packaged. It appears to be a quality headset from the moment you open the box. It comes with every cable one would need for hooking up to your Xbox 360, PS3, PC/MAC, and any standard mobile device like Ipad, Vita, Iphone. (this includes a specific cable that comes with the standard mp3 player controls on the cord, nice!).
COMFORT/BUILD QUALITY: This is the most solid TB headset I have ever held. It doesn't feel quite as solid as Astro A40's, but it comes pretty close. The memory foam feels better than that which is on the TB Tangos. The headset is pretty tight on my head, but I have a pretty big head. However, it isn't so tight that it bothers me, even after extended gaming sessions. I have kept it on for hours and been completely fine. When I put them around my neck (when I take them off) they pretty much strangle my neck, which is uncomfortable, but not really important. Although at first my ears seemed a little warm after wearing them for extended periods, I don't even notice it now. I am completely satisfied with the comfort so far. On that note, I think Astro A40s are a bit more comfortable. (this isn't an A40 comparison review, I am just trying to give a popular benchmark)
SOUND: It's the best TB headset I have ever heard, and I have tried all of the top tier ones. Everything comes through clearly. It is definitely as good as the A40s in this area. Some people have noticed the sound doesn't seem to go very high. They are right. It doesn't get SUPER loud. However, it does get plenty loud enough for me, which is saying something, because I like things louder than most. This setting can probably be adjusted through the Advanced Sound Editor, but I have yet to try.(SEE UPDATES BELOW FOR VOLUME SOLUTION) You can independently adjust game and chat volume, which is great. There may be one minor sound problem though. Refer to the problems section.
MIC: Works great. It's detachable. It's very flexible and can be positioned exactly where you want it. My friends say I sound great. The optional mic monitoring is great, (this is real mic monitoring, not a joke of a mic monitor that Astro claims to have) but if you don't like it, you can turn it off on the fly. The presets to make your voice change are also very fun. Very useless, but very fun.
FUNCTIONALITY: This is what sold me on the headset. The ability to plug them into anything you want. As I game on multiple platforms, this was an absolute must for me, and the XP Seven delivers completely. I have used it successfully on Xbox, PS3, PC, iPhone and iPad. When using for mobile, you obviously don't have to take the Audio Control Unit with you; just grab the mobile cable and your headset and you are good to go.
FEATURES: The main seller of this headset is the Audio Control Unit that comes with it. It comes with tons of presets for game volume and chat. I have mostly been using the standard ones, but having the option to tune it exactly how you want through the Advances Sound Editor is great. I have tested it, and it does work with the current Advanced Sound Editor available at the TB website. The ACU also allows you to plug in an MP3 device or phone to use while gaming. Never miss another call from your Mom or Girlfriend. Bonus! The adjustable surround sound angles are pretty neat as well, since everyone's ears are different. I have been testing surround sound through COD Zombies, and it's working great. They ACU has lots of little features like mic mute, mute all, running sound through your speakers as well as the headset, and more.
This is also the official MLG headset which is good I guess? I don't really care about MLG, but if you are into that sort of thing, then great. This brings me to my next point...TB plans on having customizable speaker plates in the future. I plan on taking advantage of this ASAP, as I don't care for the look of the currents ones with the MLG tag and all.
FINAL VERDICT: I love it so far. If you need the cross platform capability, get this or the OLD AstroA40's (the new ones are a mess, trust me, I owned them). The sound on these isn't going to blow you away (unless you're coming from weak TV speakers or something), no gaming headsets sound is really going to be amazing compared to some audiophile headphones. But they sound pretty dang good regardless. Yes the Sevens have a hefty price-tag, but if you're a big gamer (especially one who could utilize these elsewhere like in the car or with an ipod) I would say it's worth the price. If you just need a headset for one console, or you want wireless, this probably isn't the headset for you. (note: I have tested other TB headsets (like the Tango) on PC, and while it does "work," it doesn't work nearly as well as the XP Seven does.
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UPDATES: I will update this review as needed with any new problems, any fixed problems, or any other relevant developments. Hit up the comments with any questions, and I will do my best to answer you. Enjoy the headset!
UPDATE 2/7/2013 LOW VOLUME SOLUTION: A lot of people are very confused about the max volume of this headset. They are right, at stock settings, it doesn't get super loud. This is because TB included a feature where you can manually adjust the volume of each surround sound speaker. So, to make your headset louder, each individual volume needs to be turned up. To do this, hit the 5.1 button. Each time you hit this, it will switch to a different speaker set. You need to hit this button, then you will see the speaker indicator lights come on, then turn your volume knob up. You need to do this for each speaker. This will make your headset MUCH louder. Credit for this goes to OLGC2977 on YouTube. I have heard reports that the headset is no longer shipping with the volume turned down, so this may not even be an issue still.
UPDATE 2/9/2013 AUDIO DROPOUT SOLUTION: I mentioned above that on low volumes my audio would cut in and out. I fixed this by adjusting the "Threshold" which you can find under the "Silencer" section of the current preset you're using. This is done through the advanced sound editor. While this has solved 90% of the problem, there is still an occasional game where the sound drops out. Annoying, but not a big deal.
Still wondering if this headset is for you? Just a note, stores like Gamestop have a different return policy for their headsets than they do for their games. You can buy them and return them no questions asked within 7 days, and within 30 if it breaks. If you're trying to decide between this and another, buy both and return one! (I love Amazon, and their return policy is great, but alas, you do have to wait for shipping)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program If you are looking for one of Turtle Beach's great wireless headsets for your video games (PS3/360/PC), then you want to look at any of the other models. If you are primarily a PS3 gamer, check out the PX/P series. If you're primarily a 360 gamer, check out the XP models (though most of the newer sets all seem to work on both systems, it's just that one system is the focus over the other).
To avoid reading the lengthy review, here's a short review:
If want the best surround sound experience possible, with the best possible sound and fully customizable presets, and don't mind being "tethered" with wires, this headset is what you are looking for.
Highly recommended.
Longer review:
Unboxing:
Turtle Beach does a fantastic job yet again at making you feel like you've gotten something of the highest quality. The outer sleeve tells you everything you might need to know (WIRED, PS3, 360, PC, Mac and Mobile) and looks professional. When you pull the sleeve off (I had 2 plastic stickers on the top and bottom holding the sleeve to the main box), that's where the quality really shines. The box folds open and is held closed with a magnet. You pop it open and the headset sits behind a piece of clear plastic. Below the headset is the "Audio Control Unit" (the brains of the headset) in it's own box. Pull the plastic out and beneath that is the accessory box and the CD sleeve with the instructions inside.
The only thing I had an issue pulling out of the box easily was the console interface box. For some reason it sits in the middle of the headset plastic and is very, very firmly wedged in place.
Overall the unboxing was simple, as you would expect and hope.
Connecting:
This thing is RIDICULOUS in how many systems you can connect it to, and I have to be honest, the cable management can be quite a pain. I will stress again that if you want the simpler solution, go for one of the wireless sets. If you, like me, want the absolute best sounding experience possible, you will make adjustments to your gaming to accommodate the XP Sevens.
How you connect this to the PS3 and 360 is exactly the same. As there is NO BLUETOOTH capability, everything is controlled via wires. To connect to the PS3/360 (simultaneous connections only possible if you use a receiver or TV with optical audio pass through!), you plug the optical audio out of your chosen system into the optical audio IN on the Console Interface box. Then you plug the included (and well labeled) USB to USB Micro cable, plug the micro end into the Console Interface box and the other end into the PS3/360.
Once that piece is connected, you plug the USB cable from the Audio Control Unit (ACU) into the USB port on the other side of the Console Interface box. There is also another multipin connector that comes from the ACU that must be connected to the Console Interface box (you can't plug it in wrong as it's the only connector on the box that looks like this).
After that, you plug the headphone jack size connector from the Headset Breakaway cable into the ACU. Then plug the other end into the breakaway connector on the headset.
If you want to be able to chat, just plug the mic into the mic jack on the headset.
At this point, if you are using a PS3, you are done connecting wires and cables. If you are using a 360 and want to chat, there's one more thing to do. Find the included TalkBack cable and plug the 90 degree end into your controller and the other end into the headphone jack with the Xbox 360 controller outline on the ACU. NOW you can chat with the 360.
Connecting to the PC is MUCH, MUCH simpler. Just take out the ACU, plug the USB cable into your Windows PC (or Mac) and let it load drivers. Plug the headset into the headphone on the ACU, then plug the breakaway cable into the headset and you're pretty much DONE. Chat is handled through the USB connection, so no other wires need to be run.
Comparing the PS3/360 setup on the XP Seven to the wireless X41, PX51 and XP400 headsets I have, this setup is simply a bear. The thing is, it's completely worth it given the quality of the sound compared to the other headsets. If this setup sounds like a pain to you, definitely look at the wireless headsets from TB. They are much simpler to use and setup.
Usage:
If you have a PS3, you will need to configure your audio devices. PS3 you can find the mic setup in PS3 Settings -> Accessory Settings -> Audio Device Settings -> Input/Output Device -> Turtle Beach SEVEN CHAT. Then you need to setup the 5.1 surround in Settings -> Sound Settings -> Audio Output Settings -> Optical Digital -> Dolby Digital 5.1. You also want to configure the Multi Audio Out option so that if you are using HDMI with optical, and want audio through HDMI (say you have your PS3 connected to a receiver to watch movies with family, etc), this needs to be configured. Settings -> Sound Settings -> Audio Multi-Output.
For the 360, open your Xbox Guide and head to Settings -> System Settings -> Console Settings -> Audio -> Digital Output and set this to Dolby Digital 5.1. Then head to Settings -> Preferences -> Voice -> Voice Output and set this to "Play through headset."
On a Windows PC/Mac, you don't need to worry about these settings.
This is where the ACU comes in. Once you are ready to play a game, you have a ton of options to choose from in terms of EQ. The best part is, unlike the XP400, X41 and PX51, every preset is available at the touch of one button. No more cycling through all of the presets to find the one you want (thought PX51 is nice in that you can set your MAIN presets and not need to cycle through either).
The presets for Games are (these presets match the Speaker presets, IF you are using speaker pass through on the PC/Mac):
1. Flat: Hear stereo game sound without effects processing or Dolby Surround Sound.
2. Bass Boost: Hear and feel the rumble of deeper bass sound effects.
3. Treble Boost: Boost high frequencies for crisper sounds and greater clarity.
4. Bass Boost + Treble Boost: Rumbling lows and pristine highs come through clearly.
5. Stereo Expander: Stereo processing with a 3D effect that allows you to focus on subtle audio cues.
6. Action Enhancer: Amplify intense sounds from weapons and explosions.
7. Footstep Focus: Focus on the sound of enemy footsteps approaching.
8. Superhuman Hearing: Boosts low volume sounds.
For Chat presets you have:
1. Flat: Straight chat with no processing.
2. Chat Focus: Boosts mid-range frequencies for greater concentration on chat.
3. Chat Expander: Widens the virtual sound field of chat.
4. Voice Amp: Amplifies chat volume.
5. Hi-Pitch Morph: Morph your voice into a high-pitch tone.
6. Lo-Pitch Morph: Bring your voice to demonic depths.
7. Robot: Transform your voice into a metallic sound.
8. Max Chat: Combines presets in an enhanced chat package
In terms of the descriptions of the presets, the PX51 and the XP Seven have the same presets. The difference is the audio quality itself. We'll get to that in the Sound Quality section though.
Compared to the X41 and XP400, their presets are simply anemic, clocking in at only 4 presets each. Though the X41 doesn't have any chat presets.
Sound Quality:
This is where the XP Seven beats the other headsets to a pulp. On the X41s, the sound in the headphones are very good. It's only able to process Dolby ProLogic II though. The PX51 and XP400 are both able to process true Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The only issue here though (and this includes the X41s), is that the audio quality does suffer a little because of the wireless connection. What I find on the XP400 and PX51 is that there is a slight degradation in the in game speech. It seems there is some extra compression going on to allow the audio to be truly wireless. I don't hear this in the other game sounds or music, just in game voices. I will admit that on the PX51 the issue wasn't as pronounced and I could only hear it when I really concentrated, but it was still there. On these? There is no need to compress the audio to send via RF, so what you get is the straight digital audio in all of it's quality. This means that this headset just sounds absolutely incredible.
Another place the XP Seven shines is that you are able to control individual volume on specific channels. For example, say you want more pronounced stereo audio simply click a few buttons and turn the nob on the ACU and you can control JUST the front l/r and so on. The only thing that MIGHT be desired is the ability to control l/r audio separately for those that have worse hearing in one ear over the other. Maybe the next model will include that?
The surround separation on the XP Seven out of the box is phenomenal. Playing Gears of War Judgment, you can very, very clearly hear when someone is behind you, to your right, to your left or in front of you. Sure, you can achieve this with the XP400 and PX51, but I found out of the box the surround sound adjustments were pretty spot on. With the XP400 and PX51 I needed to make some adjustments to get it "good." Out of the box the XP Seven is what I would call "great." The X41 is no comparison, as you don't have any control over the surround mix.
The noise isolation of this set is on par with the XP400 and PX51. The X41s had a more open feel and let a lot more outside "noise" in. I can't tell you how many times my fiance has snuck up behind me and scared me witless. She doesn't mean to, but the sound is so well isolated in these headphones that it just happens.
CHAT SOUND:
In both 360 and PS3 chat, I am happy to say that the sound quality is very, very good. The others I've played with all report that the sound of my voice is as clear as can be expected. Sometimes the X41s had people complaining that I sounded "tinny" at times. The XP400 and PX51 sound just as good.
The Chat Presets are a little helpful, but aren't something I need to enhance. Volume of chat is controlled via a dial on the ACU. On one side you control the audio in your headset, on the other side you control the audible feedback you receive from your own voice. This latter piece is the same as it was, essentially, on the PX51 and XP400, so nothing new. And for those that don't like it, I recommend you turn it up "just" enough to get a little feedback from your own voice, as otherwise you WILL be talking really loud to your chat partners or someone who comes into the room to talk to you.
Battery-
This is where this headset also stands out. Being completely wired, there are NO batteries to replace. Ever. This is great.
Programmable:
In another bit of "awesome," the XP Seven has a fully programmable DSP, just as the PX51 and a few other headsets have before them. Programming it can be a little cumbersome, but in the programming you have the ability to control just about every aspect of the audio coming out of your headphones. It is definitely worth downloading the Turtle Beach program and documentation and reading up on it and trying it out. In this way you can configure the audio to be different for every single game. You can save presets to your computer and load them into the XP Seven at any time. You want Call of Duty to accentuate footsteps? Configure a preset for it. Want Uncharted 2 to accentuate bass and boom? Configure the preset the way you want it. The possibilities are endless, and given the community around this feature, you can also download other user's presets as well and try them out.
If you take the time to learn it, I think you might find you like having this level of control.
AND all this being said, I have to be honest. The presets included out of the box on the XP Seven are very, very good general presets that work on most games. So you don't HAVE to program your presets if you don't want.
Mobile:
One thing that the XP Seven can do is play music from your mobile device (phone, MP3 player, etc) while gaming. I tried it out and it's nice, but nothing astounding.
The other thing it can do, if your phone supports it, is talk through the headset on your phone as well. Because there is no Bluetooth included, this is accomplished through a cable you must plug into the headset and your phone. Audio quality on phone calls is good, and the included phone cable as a button on it so you can pick up the phone from close to the headset. You don't have to have the phone next to you to answer it.
The PX51 and XP400 really kick this in the pants simply because they are Bluetooth enabled. It is nice that Turtle Beach included it in this set though.
Overall:
The XP Seven, as long as you don't mind wired headphones, are nothing short of phenomenal. The sound quality is second to none (at least compared to other Turtle Beach sets). The surround sound truly feels like surround sound.
If you need wireless capability, definitely look elsewhere. I can't stress this enough.
Highly recommended.
Pros:
+Amazing sound quality
+True Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound (don't think it can decode DTS-MA from movies, though I haven't tried)
+Audio Presets can be set to defaults
+Audio Presets changeable at touch of a single button, no cycling through
+Can work with PC/Mac/PS3/360
+Fully programmable DSP
+Every control available from the ACU means you don't need to get up to adjust surround angles, unlike the PX51 and XP400s
+Comfortable (all my other Turtle Beach sets are as well, so this isn't a unique feature)
Cons:
-Expensive
-Wired means a tangle of wires, especially if you use PS3/360
-Programming DSP requires patience, effort and reading
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Used with a 2011 Xbox 360 Standard and Halo 4.
Overall:
The sound quality, features, and comfort of this headset are incredible. The reliability, however, has become an issue within just a few hours of use.
Sound:
The sound is rich in detail and very immersive, not to mention noticeably better than the lower-end headsets like the Turtle Beach X12. As a recording artist and audio technician with studio experience, I have heard several high-end studio headphones and monitors, and although this may not be an ideal pair of neutrally-set cans for mixing, it is definitely clear, accurate, and loud enough to make a severe difference in any competitive game. I find myself paying much more attention to sound cues like gunshots, footsteps, and weapon drops now that I can actually pinpoint the direction they are coming from. Having a noise-canceling headset has made this much easier for me than it was when my Xbox's sound was playing through my Sony BDVN790W 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound system.
Features:
The headset has more than enough features for the typical gamer. Adjustments can quickly and easily made for mic monitoring, chat volume, game volume, presets, voice changer, etc. Presets like "footstep enhancer" and features like the voice changer work well and exactly as described. The directional volumes can be adjusted as well. For example, you can turn up the volume of the back speakers more than the front ones if you want to hear sounds behind you more easily to prevent being snuck up on.
Comfort:
The comfort is outstanding with the memory foam; the ergonomic design allows the headphones to wrap around one's head snugly. A word of WARNING: If you have a considerably large head, this headset may fit too tightly to be very comfortable.
Reliability:
This head was released on February 5, 2013, and with overnight shipping, arrived at my house on February 6th. I have only used it for a few hours total during 3 nights within this last couple days. The left earcup's sound began cutting out last night so I had to uncomfortably put the cable attaching the headset to the audio control unit between my head and the headband just to get sound on both sides before the left side stopped working completely. I have already ordered an exchange through Amazon for a brand new one in the hopes that this one was a lemon. No $300 headset should begin cutting out within a few hours of use, especially if its target market is competitive gamers and tournament players, many of whom play for prizes and cash.
Conclusion:
Although the headset I originally ordered has stopped working, the high-quality experience I was enjoying before the headset failed has me willing to give it another chance. I thoroughly hope that I received a lemon and that the reliability will no longer be an issue since this headset has helped me gain a huge advantage when playing Xbox Live multiplayer while providing me professional game-changing sound quality, a wide palette of easy-to-use features, and a high level of comfort.
UPDATE (February 19, 2013)
I've discovered a new problem. When I plug the charging cable into my wireless controller while it is connected to the XP7, there is an intolerable buzzing that even other people in my Xbox Live party can hear.
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Sound quality is excellent out of the box. Then after amount a month the connection where the cable enters the headset starts to fail causing distortion, static, and sound loss. Huge disappointment luckily amazon took them back and I was able to get a different headset.
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Two headsets, both failed within 30 days!
1st headset require daily power cycles because the audio would stop. On the 30th day, the left earphone cup started to squeak. Within hours the left speaker and mic failed.
2nd headset, 7 days into owning the headset the right ear cup has started to squeak. by the 30th day both ear cups were a squeak mess. And then on the 32nd day the audio cable attached to the headset started to fail. Moving the wire would temporarily restore audio. (this was the non-replaceable part of the audio cable)
I'm on my 3rd headset Day one out of the box, the mic dose not stay in place. The mic keeps drooping. The first 2 headsets did not have this issue. The primary volume nob on the mixer doesn't click like properly, again the first 2 headsets did not have this issue.
AND like the first headset I have to power cycle the headset at least 1 or 2 times a day to get audio to work.
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This plastic holster works just fine, but it's not that easy to get the phone off the holster. The easiest way to get to the phone is to remove the clip from your belt, and the phone will flip open while still in the holster. I guess this is good, as your phone won't easily fall out of the holster
