Microsoft Headset

...360, there is very little Microsoft have got wrong (other than the 3 red lights problem that we have all had!) but they did get the wireless headset seriously wrong.

So why am I so keen to share with you my experiences with you? Well I dont want you to make the same mistake i did with the wireless headset.
This is because most people on here seem to rave about it. I dont know why. I must be missing something!

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...Considering the wired ones from Microsoft are half of this and th non microsoft wired ones a quarter, they do not perform very well, I do not think they are priced well enough. Too expensive for something that claims to be better than it is.
==Overall==Just dont buy it. Go into the shop, ask the guy in the shop to show you how to set one up and try out the sound and functions as a demo and you will turn around and walk out.
Given the ... more

After investing in a wireless headset some time ago, it was not many minutes before i realised what a big mistake i had made.
Dont get me wrong, with the Xbox 360, there is very little Microsoft have got wrong (other than the 3 red lights problem that we have all had!) but they did get the wireless headset seriously wrong.

So why am I so keen to share with you my experiences with you? Well I dont want you to make the same mistake i did with the wireless headset.
This is because most people on here seem to rave about it. I dont know why. I must be missing something!

Why Wireless?

Well I think that wireless is totally unecessary. At all time you will have a controller in your hand. The wired headset that comes with the console plugs into the controller and has ample cable.

Wireless, I guess would come into its own where you are using a dancemat and playing online. With the mat on the floor and the headset on your head and plenty of movement, the socket provided will not be able to give enough length for an adult using it.

What annoys me is that the The Xbox 360 is one of the most popular computer games consoles around yet it provides a wireless headset option that is difficult to set up, has rubbish battery life, a long recharge time and poor quality sound.

Look and feel

As you can see from the picture it is a small device that fits over your ear and operates totall wirelessly. Its small size means that the earloop is very restrictive to people with bigger ears (I am one!) and proves very uncomfortable to wear. They do supply 2 sizes in the box but even the largest earloop is a bit too small.
The microphone is a pinhole in the end of the mic boom that finishes around the middle of your cheek which can lead to poor quality sound pick up. I find a lot of people tend to keep saying "WHAT?" as they cannot hear very well.
The up and down volume controls are recessed buttons in the middle of the earpiece but they tend to be hard to press when the earpiece is in place. I find myself fiddling around with the controls and trying to remember which way is up and which is down.
The on off button (which i find i forget to press) is located right inthe centre of the earpiece and makes a sound when activated. You know when you turn it on or off by the sound it plays.
==Setup, detection and install==Useless! that is the only way to describe it. When detecting wireless devices, the Xbox is supposed to "associate" the headset with the controller that is connected. However, more often than not it ends up placing it on its own channel. This means that the controller and headset are not linked and you end up chatting away and no one can hear you! I think the PS3 wins this hands down with its bluetooth connectivity options.
To connect, you are supposed to hold the connect button down on the Xbox and the headset. It does find it fine and sets it up, however it just does not connect the controller to the headset very often.
==Sound quality==Quality is pretty average to be honest, on full volume the sound is very "digitized" compared to the cable headset and quite muffled.
However it is not the quantity that is the main issue. You just cannot hear it! Its not loud enough.

Microphone. Is it any good?

No Its not. As mentioned the location of the pinhole mic is in the end of the long boom piece as shown in the picture and this flexible to bend. Im not sure where you are meant to bend it as its not long enoughto do anythign with. I dont know why they did not model it on the wired version and just change the way it connects.
==Battery Life==Extremely poor. Within an hour of gaming and communicating, it was dead. Totally Dead. It then needed to be plugged into the charger again for 4 hours to charge up. Not good when you do the amount of gaming i do! I have now lost the charger too which may be a blessing in disguise. Not only that but i had to re sync the headset again once it was charged and this again took time. In the end i got so fed up with it i went back to my wired headset.

Price

I bought mine about a year ago and have used it literally a couple of times. Once when i bought it and once more when my children decided to fight over my wired headset and pulled the cable off! I went out and bought myself a non-microsoft replacement for £7 The Wireless one retails at around £35.
Considering the wired ones from Microsoft are half of this and th non microsoft wired ones a quarter, they do not perform very well, I do not think they are priced well enough. Too expensive for something that claims to be better than it is.
==Overall==Just dont buy it. Go into the shop, ask the guy in the shop to show you how to set one up and try out the sound and functions as a demo and you will turn around and walk out.
Given the choice, I would stick with the wired headset. The technology is just not developed enough yet and perhaps a bad design to consider this the automatic choice when buying a headset. Its a pain to set up, runs out of battery in a flash and even when its charged, does not really work all that well. Poor marks to Microsoft as their controllers are spot on. Its just a shame their headsets do not follow suit. 

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