Gaming Gear – Page 5

steelseries Arctis 7 wireless gaming headset review

Wired gaming gear has been a must in the past when playing reaction based games. Especially those fast-paced, action games that require quick, zero-lag responsiveness. However, the cable-less, clutter-free appeal of wireless has always been there, waiting for the technology to improve. With the Arctis 7 from steelseries, there is no longer the need for sacrifice of space for ability with its lagless and cordless audio.

The disadvantage of wired products has always been the nightmare of many tech users: wire clutter. With keyboard, mouse, and headphones the issue wasn’t if they would tangle but how fast and big would the knot grow before having to deal with it. Even by making one input device wireless, it reduces the chaos many times over. Since I’m sharing desk space, this helps the organization of my components when I’m not using them as well.

What is it?

The steelseries Arctis 7 are a set of high-end wireless gaming headphones. The steelseries developers have created a lag-free, cable-free gaming headset using 2.4G wireless technology with 7.1 surround sound and built-in ClearCast microphone.

What’s in the box:

Arctis 7
Wireless Transmitter
Mobile/Console Cable
Micro-USB Charging Cable

Design and features

In addition to being cord-free, the Arctis 7 is sleek, comfortable and well made. These wireless headphones are designed with sound experience and gaming in mind, all adjustment controls are easy to locate and quick to adjust. A unique, comfortable headband and rotatable earpieces add additional function and quality to the already impressive set of headphones.

Build and material quality:

The Arctis 7 is a premium headset for gamers who want a solid set of clutter-free, wireless headphones that take nothing away from the experience or game play. The exterior of the earcups are coated in a soft-touch matte finish rubber layer. This combination gives the entire headset a solid, quality feel.

The headset’s upper frame is aluminum connected to the earcups via a plastic hinge that can rotate 90-degrees. The rotatable ear cups allow for greater comfort and easy storage of the headphones when not in use.

Since Bluetooth can lag a bit especially in fast-paced gaming, the Arctis 7’s uses a 2.4G USB dongle/transceiver that connects to your computer. After plugging it in, Windows 10 quickly recognizes the dongle, making the process of pairing the headset and computer less than 30 seconds. Being about the size of a dollar coin, the dongle is easily hidden away. The dongle also has a line-in / line-out functionality. The line-in allows devices other than your computer, such as a phone, to play music into the headset. If the headset is off, the line-out allows the dongle to connect what the computer is playing to something such as a speaker, and will mute automatically when the headset is turned back on.

The headset controls are located on the bottom of the two earcups: on/off button, power indicator, Chatmix dial, microUSB charging port, line-in, volume wheel, and mute. The power button also acts as a battery indicator, changing from green to yellow to red as the charge is depleted. Though you probably won’t need to look at it often with the headset’s 24-hour battery life. On the opposing side, the micro-USB charger and console/mobile ports can quickly recharge the device and connect it to smartphone or gaming consoles. The ChatMix dial, the wheel on the right ear cup in the photo, allows you to toggle between more chat noise or more game noise without accessing menus. I myself have not utilized this often but it’s a nice option to have. The volume wheel is on the left ear cup and works well with 99% applications. Oddly though, when playing Overwatch, I could only hear the game when pushing the game and headset to their maximum volume. That meant even basic Windows prompts became bombshells as my other applications weren’t affected. I fixed it by starting the game with the volume low and raising it after but that was the only program that I had issue with.

The ClearCast mic maintains the user’s natural tone and can be retracted into the headphones. It may not reach out as far out as you may want but is still effective at catching your voice. The mic’s design blocks out background noise, only picking up audio from nearby sources, such as the user. So if you’re playing a team game the mic can help block out other noises from people or pets in your house.

Comfort and fit:

The ski goggle-like headband is comfortable, replaceable, and adjustable. The elastic fabric is designed to “contour across your head, evenly distributing the weight, eliminating all pressure points.” The suspension bands are available in several colors and designs if you want something other than the patterned black and gray one steelseries includes with the Arctis 7’s.

The ear cushions are extremely comfortable, nicely cushioned, and well made. They are made from a sportswear type material, preventing them from becoming too warm or itchy after long sessions of play. For $15 dollars, you can buy ear cushions of leather and velour materials to replace them.

Overall, the Arctis 7’s provide both comfort and utility in a quality frame.

Sound quality and gameplay:

The sound quality of the headset is superb, with the ability to differentiate between sources and the distances they are away from you becoming incredibly easy. Coming from not the highest quality headphones, it took some adjustment when I was suddenly able to hear steps from miles away, like the super senses scenes in Man of Steel.

Specifications:

What I like

Comfortable and adjustable ski goggle headband
Superb surround sound quality
Retractable and high-quality mic
The ear pads are snug and remain so for hours.
+24 hour battery life
Lagless connection through the dongle

What needs improvement

Weird interactions with a few applications
DTS Headphone: X Surround compatible with Windows 7 and above

Final thoughts

The steelseries Arctis 7 headphones are a high-quality set of wireless headphones with none of the drawbacks that come from Bluetooth devices. Their design is sleek, the audio incredible, and the mic said to be the best in the business. However, being so specialized for gaming I would not recommend them for consumers looking for a basic set of wireless headphones. The Arctis 7 is definitely worth its asking price of $150 for those searching for a premium set of lag-less, wireless gaming headphones.

Price: $141.99
Where to buy: The Arctis 7’s are available from steelseries or Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by steelseries.

The post steelseries Arctis 7 wireless gaming headset review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Gaming Gear, Headphones

steelseries Arctis 7 wireless gaming headset review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 16, 2018 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 600 wireless gaming headset review

As some of you who read the Gadgeteer on a regular basis may have seen, I previously reviewed the Turtle Beach XO THREE gaming headset. If you read my summary on that review you saw one of my issues with the XO THREE, or any gaming headset in general, is the lack of a removable/replaceable cord. Turtle Beach does have a wireless gaming headset, as a matter of fact they have a new wireless gaming headset for the Xbox One, the STEALTH 600. The STEALTH 600 is part of their Ear Force line and the folks at Turtle Beach were nice enough to send me a set to review.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

While wireless headphones are not uncommon for console gamers most of them in the past required a transmitter that you had to attach to your Xbox to use, but the Ear Force STEALTH 600 uses the native Bluetooth from the Xbox One to send sound to the headset.

The Turtle Beach STEALTH 600 headset comes with the following:

Headset
Micro USB to USB cable
Quick start guide

The Turtle Beach web page list the following as the headsets features:

Xbox wireless
Flip up mic
Independent game and chat volume controls
Windows Sonic Surround Sound
Super human hearing
15- hour battery life
Glasses friendly
Mic monitoring
Powerful 50mm speaker
Audio presets, including bass boost

The only issue you may have with the setup is if you are using an older Xbox One,, the instruction are made for the new Xbox One X.

The left side of the STEALTH 600s ear cup has the three position boom microphone, the on/off button, and the preset button. The right side ear cup has the Turtle Beach logo.

The bottom of the left ear cup has an indicator light, a Micro USB port, and the connect button.

Located on the rear of the left ear cup on the Turtle Beach STEALTH 600s are the game volume dial and the chat volume dial. The right side ear cup has no controls.

As mentioned previously the boom mic has three positions. All the way to the rear is the off position, halfway between the rear and all the way down is mute mode and all the way down turns the mic on. This design is fine, but it can be difficult to try to mute the mic when in full on battle mode. A nice feature is an audio chime that lets you know when you mute and unmute the mic.

The insides of both the left and right ear cups are cushioned with a soft cloth cover. Covering the actual speaker inside the ear cup is soft cloth with the Turtle Beach logo. I have been using this headset since I got them to review and I will say they are pretty comfortable. I wear my headsets for several hours at a sitting and find these more comfortable than my Turtle Beach XO THREEs, but not on the same level as my Polk Striker Pro Zxs.

The top of the headband on the STEALTH 600 headset is made of a flexible material with “TURTLE BEACH” stamped across the top.

The inside of the headband has soft padding covered by a soft cloth material.

On both the right and left sides of the STEALTH 600s are the swivel mount points that holds the ear cups to the headband. They swivel a full 90 degrees to the back allowing them to lay flat for packing, but only swivel a little forward. With the height adjustability and swivel of the ear cups the STEALTH 600s should fit most folks comfortably.

Set up and play out of the box was fairly simple, charge the headset with the included Micro USB to USB cable (you can do this thru the USB port on your Xbox), sync the headset with your Xbox One and play. One caveat here, the quick start guide seems to have been written with the new Xbox One X in mind so you may have to look around or remember where the Bluetooth sync button is on your Xbox (it is the same button you use to sync your controller).

Positives

Wireless
Easy to sync
Rechargeable
Price

Negatives

None

Final thoughts

So, what’s my bottom line here? I think Turtle Beach hit a home run with the STEALTH 600 headset. The first thing that comes to mind is the price. Based on previous and current pricing for wireless gaming headsets, the STEALTH 600 is great at $99.95. Ease of use is another place where Turtle Beach has done it right. Being able to sync the headset straight to the Xbox without having to have an external transmitter means there is one less thing to break or loose. Although the muting feature on the mic is not the easiest to use, the mic itself is well made and everyone I gamed with said my voice was clear. Having a separate volume controls for gameplay and chat is another nice feature. In the heat of battle, you want your sound priority to be on the enemy, not your buddies. Being able to recharge the STEALTH 600 headset means no more battery replacement. Like the Xbox controllers, Turtle Beach has the ability to push out firmware updates to make the headsets work better. Like I inferred above, I really like the Turtle Beach STEALTH 600 headset, it is not the most feature-rich wireless headset that Turtle Beach makes but for $99.95 they may be the best value. Let’s face it even though my ego says I am on a pro gamer level my wallet lets me know I am not.

Price: $99.95
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Turtle Beach.

My mouse pad can beat up your mouse pad

Serious PC gamers are a discerning group of users. To give them an edge over their competition, they look for the best equipment like the fastest rig (computer), largest monitor, great speakers, headsets, programmable keyboards, and mice. Speaking of mice, even mouse pads are an accessory to consider for gamers. Does it provide enough traction and speed? And is it big enough?

Antlion can answer that last question. No, your mouse pad isn’t big enough because it’s not 3 foot x 1 foot like the Pro Gaming Über-Wide Mousepad from Antlion. This cloth mouse pad is large enough for your keyboard to sit on top of it for a seamless mousing experience. Even the edges of this gigantic pad are sewn to prevent fraying and with a price tag of only $20, you’ll still have cash left over to buy a new game. Head over to Antlion for all the details and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Gaming Gear, Mouse

My mouse pad can beat up your mouse pad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 12, 2017 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

New Ataribox coming Spring of 2108, pricing info, and more

Back in July Atari announced that they would be jumping back into the gaming console arena with a modernized take on its popular Atari 2600, the Ataribox. In an email to their fans Tuesday the company released a few more tidbits regarding the highly anticipated console. Having owned a 2600 back in my youth the news definitely sparked my interest and nostalgia.

What we already knew

There will be two editions of the Ataribox, black and red and wood. The front panel of the console will be either glass or (real) wood and it’ll have one HDMI port, four USB ports, and one SD port.

What’s new

Atari plans on releasing the console via an Indiegogo campaign in the next month or two and it will begin shipping sometime in the Spring of 2018. Fans who get involved with the campaign will have access to special editions and exclusive pricing. Prices will run $249-$299 depending on specific editions and memory configurations.

The console will be driven by custom AMD Radeon graphics technology and it will run Linux. With Linux, you will be able to customize and run the console like you would a Linux PC. According to Atari “Ataribox is also a full PC experience for the TV, bringing you streaming, applications, social, browsing, music, and more.”

You can also expect the unit to come preloaded with “tons of classic Atari retro games”, as well as “current titles from a range of studios.”

Details about the Ataribox have been slow in coming and we still don’t have any details regarding which classic games will be included with the console at launch although the company says it’ll “start talking titles soon.” Another big question is whether or not the console will come with Atari’s classic joystick controllers.

Atari says it will have “lots more in the weeks ahead.” In the meantime, you can head over to the official Ataribox website and sign up to be the first to know when more info is available.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Gaming Gear

New Ataribox coming Spring of 2108, pricing info, and more originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 28, 2017 at 8:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Don’t flip a coin to see who goes first, spin it

Are you a bad coin flipper? You know the type who flips to resolve an issue only to have the coin go rolling away never to be found again? The Tempus Spin Coin from J.L. Lawson & Co. provides a better way to find out who goes first in a game or who has to pay for the next round of beer.

These coins are not your average quarter. They are larger and thicker and feature a small ceramic ball in the center that allows you to easily spin the coin on a flat surface. The embossed hand on the top of the coin will determine the “winner”. Think of it as spin the bottle, only with a coin.

The Tempus Spin Coins from J.L. Lawson & Co. are minted in the USA from metals like bronze, silver, copper, and Mokume (yea, I have no idea what that is either). Prices range from $48 to $145 depending on the metal. For more info visit jllawsonco.com

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Gaming Gear

Don’t flip a coin to see who goes first, spin it originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 8, 2017 at 7:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.