Turtle Beach Ear Force PX51 Premium Wireless Dolby Digital Gaming Headset Review
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Price : $229.99
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Turtle Beach Ear Force PX51 Premium Wireless Dolby Digital Gaming Headset Feature
- Dual-Band Wi-Fi Wireless - Interference-free wireless means clearer chat and game audio
- Music & Gaming Together - Take advantage of Bluetooth and stream your favorite tunes while you play or take phone calls and never have to leave the game
- Dual-Stage Audio Processing - For more powerful and customizable presets and accurate Dolby Surround Sound
- Dynamic Chat Boost - Chat volume automatically increases as the game volume gets louder
- Rechargeable Battery - Built-in rechargeable battery delivers up to 15 hours of continuous play; You can even charge while playing
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Costumer review
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful.
Price is high. Comparing to X41 and XP400
By Stephen M. Lerch
For the short review:
If you don't mind having a wired Xbox communicator, this headset it great. It can be used for PS3 sound and communication as well, though you have to decide which system you actually want to connect as you can't connect both at the same time. Maybe with the next model?
If you have an old 360 (white one) and use HDMI, you will need to purchase a RCA Audio Cable Adapter for XBOX 360 to use optical. This is the only way to get true Dolby Digital Surround out of this headset.
If you think previous Turtle Beach headsets are "too quiet," you won't want this set either, as it also has the Volume Limiter to protect your hearing. Sorry.
Recommended.
Longer review:
Unboxing:
I will say that Turtle Beach knows how to make you think you are getting value for your money. The box that houses the headset is very, very sturdy. Even if it wasn't packed in a shipping box well I'm pretty sure this box would survive.
Unboxing the set was as easy as cutting 2 pieces of tape. Opening the box you see a piece of clear plastic that you can see through. You will see the headset and the receiver. There's a sticker that tells you that all the accessories are underneath the plastic. Lifting that up, there's a nice little box with all of the cables you might need. The EXCEPTION to this is that if you have an old 360 and use HDMI - in this case there is an optical audio dongle that you will also want to purchase (RCA Audio Cable Adapter for XBOX 360 + Slim), as otherwise you can only use RCA (analog) out and without it you will NOT get true Dolby Digital Surround. I didn't need the dongle as I already have owned TB headsets and bought the dongle a long time ago.
Connecting:
Connecting this to a 360 is pretty simple, and is connected essentially the same way for the PS3. Connect the optical out on the system to the Optical In on the black receiver box. Plug the USB to power dongle into an unused USB port on either system. Power up the system and it should begin to play sound through the headphones (once you power them on)
One annoying aspect is that you must decide whether you want your PS3 or 360 to be connected for true 5.1 surround. You have only one optical input, meaning it's one or the other. You can still connect the other system via RCA (stereo only), but who wants that? Maybe with next year's models we will get the ability to use both systems on one headset?
Usage:
One thing I like about this headset is that it talks to you. Unlike the XP400 where you need to know and understand a bunch of esoteric beep sets, this tells you when you power it on, when you power it off and what sound option and chat option you have enabled. Of course, you still need to know what Chat Option 4 is or Game Option 3, but it's a start.
You press the power button on the headset, it powers up. There is also a power button on the receiver piece that needs to be turned on (I always leave it on, as when I turn off my PS3 or 360 I always unplug them, so it powers off anyway).
On the headset itself there are quite a few buttons to get accustomed to. You can pair this headset with your phone so that you can answer a phone call you might receive while playing without having to take the headset off. Because of this, you have BT +/- buttons that turn the Bluetooth volume up and down. There is a Bluetooth button to help pair this to your phone (and also to your PS3!). And then there is a BT Mute button that mutes Bluetooth communication. The BT buttons also work when chatting on PS3.
On the same ear cup with the power button, you also have a Games Preset button. This is where you can control the "equalization" on the headphones. The modes are:
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.
Unlike the PX400, it's easy to set one of these presets as your MAIN preset. Once you find the preset you like, simply hold down the Games Preset button for a few seconds and it will set this one as your Main setup. Now, when you power on the system it will remember what preset you were on. On the PX400s you had only 4 presets and they had to be chosen every time you powered up the headset. Very cool!
On the Game Preset button you can also hold the button down a little longer and release and you will choose Movie or Music mode. Movie is good for movies, and as you can use the PX51s to listen to music, the Music option gives an optimized Stereo equalization. Not bad!
Also on this ear cup is the Chats Preset button which can set these "equalization" settings:
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
You set the MAIN chat preset the same way as you set the MAIN game preset, simply choose the preset you want and then hold the Chat Preset button down until you are notified that it's now the main setup. Power the headphones off and power them on and this one should be set by default as well.
Comparing this to the X41 and the XP400, the PX51 blows them out of the water for presets. The X41 and XP400 have only game audio presets and you have to choose the one you like every time you power up. There are no chat preset options.
XBOX 360 CHAT:
So if you want to chat with the XBox 360, you have to connect the Talk Back cable that is included in the set. Unlike the PX400s, this is wired chat only on the 360. This is the same as the X41 for 360 chat, BUT, there is something that makes this cable FAR superior to the one included with the X41. This cable, somehow, makes a VERY firm, very secure connection to both the headset and the 360 controller. GONE are the days of ripping the cable out while gaming (at least not easily). On the X41 this was a nightmare. If you moved the wrong way, pop, out comes the cable. I think, if Turtle Beach sells just the cable at some point, just use this cable with the X41 (or any older wired set) and realize the greatness of this new cable.
Chat quality on 360:
Not bad. Clear. Crisp. The presets (not the ones that change your voice) make hearing the in game chat quite easy. Reports from people on the other end is that the sound is about as clear as they've ever heard.
Sound Quality:
The PX51 seems to use the same technology as the PX400 in that there is absolutely NO interference from any wireless devices. The X41 would pop and click around your wi-fi router, and don't you dare turn the microwave on with the X41 on your head and powered up! Nothing interferes with the PX51s, just like the PX400. Very nice.
In terms of sound quality, the PX51s seem to have a similar match out of the box to the PX400 sonically. The "flat" setting on both seems to line up and sound exactly the same between the two sets (yes, I actually did unplug and plug in while playing to compare). The Presets, however, really do set the two sets apart. The XP51's presets give better bass and treble performance, and give clearer sound stage to my ears. I was surprised, as in terms of looks the two sets are quite similar.
Comparing the sound to the X41 and the X41s come up a little anemic, not matching the overall sound quality, the sound stage or the quality of presets. That said, the X41s are still a decent set!
Battery:
This is the part I hate about consumer electronics today. The battery in this headset lasted me about 17 hours on the first full charge. About the same the second. That's really, really nice compared to the X41 in that it used AAA batteries (I used rechargeables) and only really got 7-10 hours at best. The part that annoys me isn't the longer battery life, it's that this battery is NOT user replaceable. At some point in the future it will no longer hold a charge and you will either need to replace the headset or pay to ship and have Turtle Beach replace the battery for you. Annoying, but this is the way of digital life today. I did not drop any stars for this, but just something to be aware of.
One big difference:
Turtle Beach have added a "mobile" option to their new headsets. You can plug the audio cable into your phone or other audio device. Essentially it makes the headset stereo headphones. It's a nice feature, but not one I will ever really use, outside of testing it here.
Programmable:
Another great feature is the ability to program your OWN presets. Want to set the audio up the way YOU want. You can control all sorts of things with the presets website, though the configuration can be a little esoteric. If you take the time to learn it, you really can customize this the way YOU want it to sound. Very, very cool.
Overall:
The difference between the XP400 and the PX51, if you already own the XP400, is NOT worth the additional cost this will entail. Plus, this headset is WIRED for Xbox talk back, whereas the wireless talk back on the XP400 is quite nice.
Highly recommended if you don't already own a gaming headset.
Especially recommended if you are primarily a PS3 gamer, given the completely wireless chat capability. 360 Chat is slightly annoying with the cable, but with the newly designed cable I would recommend this set as well to 360 gamers. I might recommend, if you are primarily a 360 gamer, to purchase the XP400, XP500 or XP510 instead.
I received this via Amazon Vine.
PROS:
+Great sound
+True Dolby Digital Surround (X41 is ProLogic only)
+Audio presets are actually useful
+Can store preferred audio presets so it defaults to these on power up
+Talk Back cable for 360 redesigned for less cable pull out
+Zero interference with other wireless devices
+Talks instead of beeps with configuration information
Cons:
-Relatively expensive (all things considered)
-Wired 360 chat only
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Great Improvement from the PX5
By imxron
First off, if your looking for a true home theater surround sound experience go spend a grand on some nice sennheiser or bose headphones and a pre amp. This is a gaming headset. I have owned the px5 headset for over a year and they were great but the pops and the battery life were pretty bad. This review will be from the PX5's point of view.
The greatest thing about this headset is that the clicks and pops are finally gone. The dual band wifi alleviates this issue.
Next, the rechargeable battery is amazing. No more having to run and grab some AA batteries during a game. Another plus is that you can game and charge at the same time. They included an extra long charge cable that can plug into a cell phone DC wall adapter. If I had to complain about anything it would be the way it charges. It would of have been awesome if they implemented inductive charging on the transmitter and headset. You just plug the cable in like you would on the ps3 controller (mini usb). The cable somewhat bends to the surface of where the transmitter is. Not a big deal at all, but it could be annoying to some.
The audio quality is comparable to the px5. The frequency response is 20Hz-20KHz and has a nice mix of lows mid and highs. Not a whole not of bass on this unit. But I always hate having so much bass, as it ruins the audio or true sound.
The presets are pretty much the same as the px5. Everything from low boost, high boost, low-high boost, 3D effect, etc.
The real power in this headset is the custom presets. This is definitively a plus if your an audiophile like me. This should really be the reason your buying this headset. You able to adjust a 7-band EQ which is just awesome.
Other then that, it has the Bluetooth module integrated into the headset like the px5, so music and phone chat while gaming.
Recommend it for it for audiophiles and as a nice wireless solution.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
Good sound, new features, some annoyances
By Turtle502
These were intended to be an upgrade for me, from the XP300 to this, the XP51. While I believe Turtle Beach has managed to improve their offering with this model, I think there are a few things they missed. There are also some things that really annoy me.
I'm using these with an Xbox 360. Hooking these up to my 360 was easy. It supports optical-in, and obtains its power from a free 360 USB port, so the whole setup requires only two cables. The package includes additional cables and connectors so that you can use the headphones with other setups (PS3, PCs, portable players, etc.). The most important cable is the charging cable, which is long enough to use while connected, several feet from the console. For the Xbox 360, there is also the voice-chat adapter which connects to the headset adapter of the controller, and allows for a true wireless solution for 360 voice-chat.
First thing I don't like about these - charging them leaves the unit on all the time. They don't turn off when charging is complete. If you turn them off, and then plug them in to charge, the unit powers-on and stays on to charge. When they are powered-on for charging, they also activate the transmitter base, which means it is also on the entire time. I don't understand why this is necessary; it should be possible to charge the headset without it having to be on. I can only imagine it actually takes longer to charge them because they are simultaneously charging and draining because they are on. This is a big turn-off for me.
The second thing I don't like about these are the voice-samples that announce various modes. These are unnecessary sometimes, annoying at other times, and helpful at other times. For example, when you turn them on, a female voice announces "Powering on", which would be fine, except it is followed by a very obnoxious "BING!", much like the chime you would hear on an airplane. When you turn them off, the female voice says "Goodbye", but why it doesn't say "Powering off" confuses me -- the prompts are inconsistent. The most annoying voice announcement is the "Battery low" warning, in which the female voice says exactly that...approximately every 8 seconds. This is annoying because, unlike a traditional "beep" that has signified a low battery on previous models, hearing "battery low" spoken every 8 seconds will send you running to find the charging cable, because it really disrupts your enjoyment of a game...or music...or movie...or whatever it is you are doing with them.
The voice prompts are useful in announcing the various modes. There are several modes for "game", "movie", and "music", and hearing the mode announced in English with a number, instead of counting the number of beeps is welcomed. It actually makes it easy to confirm what mode you are using.
Compared to the XP300s, these are much lighter. I'm not sure how Turtle Beach managed to make them lighter, but they feel much lighter on my head, and are therefore much more comfortable to wear for a long duration. The drivers are the same size and they have similar features - it's probably just technology improving and overall weight has been reduced. I can wear them for many, many hours at a time with no discomfort.
From a sound-quality perspective, these are very similar to the XP300s. In other words, sound quality has not improved. I don't believe they have enough "punch" in the bass, but midrange, voices, and highs are well-defined. I basically turn them on, and leave them on the basic "game mode" setting. I've found that many of the other modes and presets modify the sound in ways that I don't like. For example, the bass becomes non-existent or very thin, or voices become over-pronounced. I also don't use the "synthesized" surround-sound because I believe it makes the sound "too thin" and tends to add an artificial echo that I just don't think is natural. These "do the job". Fortunately, there's no distortion, no interference, and the wireless signal is always good, even in my very WiFi-busy home. These don't let me walk more than 30 feet from my console, and trip to the kitchen to grab something results in the audio cutting-out completely. This has not changed over the XP300s I was already using.
These headphones also support Bluetooth wireless, which means you can sync the headphones to your phone, simultaneously while using them with wireless audio. This allows you to take voice calls on your phone while playing a game, a useful feature. What I really like, though, is that these allow you to sync Bluetooth audio from your phone, which allows you to listen to music from your phone, as an example. This is actually helpful, because the sound quality is quite decent for this purpose. Depending on your phone, you'll also get alerts through the headset, which means you can hear your email, text, and other alert sounds in the headset while you are playing a game, so you'll never miss another alert from your phone. The Bluetooth audio and the chat audio have separate volume controls, so you can adjust the Bluetooth/chat audio separately from the game volume.
In general, I like these. Moving from the XP300 to these was pretty seamless. However, the "voice" prompts get particularly annoying, and the inability to charge them without being able to power them down is a problem. I do feel these offer all the "bells and whistles" I've wanted in wireless headphones for quite some time, I just wish more time had been spent perfecting them.
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