List Price: $289.99
Sale Price: $267.66
Today's Bonus: 8% Off
Back Story:
I purchased these on the Friday before they were released from a local Best Buy. I had originally gone in to purchase the Tritton Warheads but I was surprised to see these on the shelf when I got there. I ended up buying these on a gamble in the hopes that these would be better than the 3 Headsets I had owned and returned over the past month. I had previously returned the Turtle Beach XP400, Astro A40, and Astro A50 because all of them had microphone problems. As much as I liked the sound in the Astros for the price you pay I had expected them to be perfect. Then that's when I found this headset.
Comfort:
This headset is very comfortable. I'd say that the Astros I tried out were a little more comfortable on the earcups but this headset is not bad at all. I'm a little over 6 feet and have a fairly large head and these fit me very nicely with plenty of room to adjust bigger if you really needed to. The top band has plenty of padding so they rest nicely on your head. The earcups also twist flat if you like to rest the headset around your neck when you're not playing. I've done a 5+ hour gaming session with these and not once did I get the urge to take the headset off because it was uncomfortable. The earcups are the closed design type so your ears do get a bit warm but it never gets to a level where it is bothersome for me even in a long gaming session.
Sound:
The sound on this headset is nice, really nice. I'd say even better than the a40s/a50s. The problem I saw with the Astros was there was way too much bass for my taste. This headset is not overpowering at all in the bass department. I have tested it out in Forza 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and the sound is extremely nice. Cars sound amazing in Forza and the directional sound in Black Ops 2 is so useful when you're trying to play well. The 8 different sound presets on this headset is one of my favorite parts. From normal surround sound, to bass and treble boost, and to a footstep preset, this headset has a preset for every situation. The footstep preset is almost like cheating. Even in Black Ops 2 where people say that footsteps are hard to hear I can hear them perfectly fine from a good distance. The individual game and chat volume on this headset is a nice thing to have if you're really trying to pay attention to the game.Out of the 3 headsets that were returned I'd definitely say that these had the best sound out of all of them.
Microphone:
Bluetooth and wireless chat is nice on this headset. You plug in the small bluetooth dongle into your controller and pair it then you're all set for chat. The problem I had with the Turtle Beach XP400 and its wireless chat was that my friends said that I sounded like I was talking in a tunnel. That is not the case with this headset. The mic is loud and clear and my friends can hear my perfectly fine. I have also tried pairing the headset with my phone and answering calls. I have an iPhone 5 and had no problems pairing and answering calls with the headset. People say I sound fine when answering calls with this headset and I have no problems hearing them. The individual chat volume is a nice feature so I can always hear my teammates just fine. Just like the 8 game sound presets the mic also has 8 presets of its own. There are some presets that alter your voice which is a little unnecessary but there is also useful ones that provide a larger focus on chat over the game. The mic is also very flexible and detachable from the headset which is a nice feature.
Batteries:
The battery life on the headset is great. I've never needed to charge once while I was playing even when I was using bluetooth. Even if I needed to charge the cable provided is pretty long. The box advertises 15 hrs of battery life before a charge is needed. I have not tested that so I cannot confirm but it has always lasted long enough for me. I just plug it in when the headset is not in use so that I always have a full charge when I'm ready to play. My only major concern is the fact that the battery is built in. After years of use the battery life will decrease and I bet it will have to be sent in to Turtle Beach for replacement as it is non user serviceable. But hopefully it will last for a long time.
Accessories:
The headset comes with everything you need. It has the standard optical cable, power cable, and charging cable for the headset. The base station also doubles as a stand for the headset which is useful. The XP400s and the A40s I had did not have a stand so it was nice finding that this one did. As I said before the mic is detachable if you like to be able to do that.
Overall:
I've finally got a good headset after all the ones I've tried. It was not exactly cheap but the quality that I received with it was worth the price. It is a very comfortable headset. The sound is great and the mic has no problems for me whatsoever. The battery has a long 15hr life but is not user serviceable although that is my only real concern with the headset. The headset has everything you need to get it working and comes with clear documentation. The setup may be tricky for some but if you know what you're doing or you read the manual you shouldn't have too many problems. Overall, 5 stars and thanks to Turtle Beach for providing a quality product when others could not.
Pros:
-Great Sound
-Mic works great
-Detachable Mic
-Base doubles as a stand
-Comfortable
-Sound and mic presets
-Long battery life
-Wireless chat
Cons:
-Expensive for some
-Non user serviceable battery
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Wow the TBP510 Wireless Headset is great for so many reasons, where should I start? I can wear these for hours and my ears feel comfortable and don'teven get that hot. They kind of fit over my ears, and it first I kept read justing them, but then I just let it alone and everything felt fine! So far I have used this with my XBOX, PS3, iPhone and iPAD, and have had no problem with it at all. Battery life is excellent, and it charges relatively quickly.....which brings me to my one annoyance. At this price level, there should be an AC adapter, too. I'm not a fan of USB charging....but this is so good that I still leave it at 5 stars. Sounds quality is very good. Bass is a little weak for such a high end headset.Pairing is easy, I had no problems and everyone could hear me fine with no echos! It doesn't look like a high-end head set, but it feels like one. There's nothing like a good sounding headset, I have a couple....but wireless! That's a completely different experience! I love it, and while my other headsets have better bass, the wireless is hands-down a no brainer.
Surround sound is good. It has nothing on my home theater, but for headsets, this is more than acceptable and offers a GREAT gaming experience if you don't have the space for a full HT or if you do not live alone. ;)
I can highly recommend the XP510!
Buy Turtle Beach Ear Force XP510 Premium Wireless Dolby Digital Gaming Headset Now
I bought these to replace my Pioneer SE-DIR800C's, which I used for over 8 years and loved. Super comfortable and great sound, but, IR, and they started failing...These are the first TB headphones I have tried, and thought I would post my thoughts after using these for almost a week and also the Astro A50', along with the TB X42.
What I wanted:
Surround Sound (Simulated or "true" with multiple drivers in each headphone, pros and cons to each)
Optical Input
5Ghz Wireless (no 2.4 or IR)
Comfort is #1, then Sound quality, then features.
SO....
XP510 = Great sound, for me better than A50, and better overall than X42. Too small and tight, headband does not have enough padding and becomes painful after 30 60 minutes (for me). I am probably a little more sensitive than most when it comes to comfort, because a lot of people think these are very comfortable...or I am just very picky..
Bluetooth mic sound was not good, my friend said there was a delay and overall not great sound compared to wired options we had used.
Astro A50 = Muddled heavy bass sound, and the 3 options in sound templates, none sound really good. I know most folks love these things and say they sound great, I just don't hear it. I tried games, movies, all via optical input from Xbox, PS3, Tivo. They are more comfortable than XP510 but not by much, still not super comfortable.
X42 = Sound not as good as other 2, but actually decent for the price (less than 100). I really like the dual AAA batteries and wired option for Mic, sounds much better. Not super comfortable but they are lighter so helps a bit, also the ear cups don't feel as snug, ie, round vs. oblong so not as contour. Overall though a great solution for under 100. May keep them for another room in the house.
I sent the A50 and XP510 back, got an Astro MixAmp 5.8 and the Sennheiser PC360 and also the Audio Technica ATH-M50, going to test that setup this weekend and keep the best headphone.
I read a ton of reviews and watched Youtube etc. Those combos seemed to be popular for the "under $300" package.
*UPDATE*
Received the Astro MixAmp 5.8 and the Sennheiser PC360 and AT ATH-M50.
Sennheiser PC360 = Very little bass, sound overall is OK but I realized while testing these, I do NOT like open headphones. You hear everything around you and although not bad it means that even the hum of the air conditioning etc. requires you to crank the volume up to compensate. These are comfortable but I think the ATH-50 inch them out just a bit. Again, if you like Bass, do not get these.
Audio Technica ATH-M50 = Amazing sound, the reviews are right, I can only describe the sound as "smooth", lows to highs, everything is crisp. Amazing Bass, ie, the lowest sounds can be heard in movies and games, these are the best sounding out of the whole bunch I tried. The headband is OK, could have more padding, but better than the Turtle Beach by far. I love the coiled cord, not super long, and they fold up. I am stretching them over the couch arm overnight to loosen the fit a little. Will keep these for movies and gaming for sure.
Astro MixAmp 5.8 = Sound is amazing, I don't even need the Surround feature enabled, if your source is surround then you will get clean surround in any decent "normal" headset. I am buying another for upstairs. One bummer is that the analog in only works with console audio or something like that, strange. Not a problem since most of what I have is Optical. There is a hiss that can be heard with Mixamp but only at the HIGHEST volume level on both master and game/voice volume. It is not noticeable at all during normal use and normal volume levels. Well worth the money!
I am going to get the Klipsch IMAGE S4 in ear headphones and use those when my head gets sore or I don't need the extra sound quality.
I am going to return the TB X42's, I wanted to use them in another room where I have Tivo and another xbox, but the X42 will not auto switch between optical and analog aux in. I tested 5+ times, it will switch to Optical as primary if it senses a signal, but would not switch back to Aux in (Tivo) when I turned off Xbox. I had to pull power completely to the X42 before it played analog Aux In again, not sure why.
Anyway, getting another Mixamp 5.8 + Audio Authority 1177A-1 optical toslink switch (have one already and love it), I think I am done with all-in-one Wireless headphone solutions, the Mixamp is the way to go...
Read Best Reviews of Turtle Beach Ear Force XP510 Premium Wireless Dolby Digital Gaming Headset Here
I did a lot of research and these were the best and most versatile wireless headphones I could find. They work with my XBox 360, my PC, and my cell phone. No problems and very happy with my purchaseWant Turtle Beach Ear Force XP510 Premium Wireless Dolby Digital Gaming Headset Discount?
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program After about three weeks of usage, I can safely say these Turtle Beach XP510's are the best headphones I've ever used for gaming. When considering sound, functions, options, and comfort, these simply can't be beat at this price range (and I'm guessing more expensive headphones might still not be as good as these). I've used many video game headsets from Turtle Beach, Creative Sound Labs, Tritton, Monoprice, and others, but these are the hands down winner among them all.The first thing you notice is the slick presentation. They come in a lavishly made, embossed box that holds the headphones and all the accessories in one stylish case. You'll look forward to prying these out of the box each time you get your game on. These are also the most comfortable headphones I've ever used, and this is continually a major issue for me. Even when I've used other headsets that sound great, they get cumbersome and extremely uncomfortable after only minimal use. There is some nicely stitched padding on the head ring, and the ear cups are soft and plush like those of a pair of nice Sony monitor headphones.
The sound that pumps through these is amazing. Like their corded counterpart, the XP Sevens, these headphones produce a perfect mixture of highs, mids and lows. I've found that most video game headsets in this price range cater to the bass fanatics more than they should, but this pair of phones just get it right. There are eight different presets that will cover whatever situation you're in. I tested tested these with Skyrim for the Xbox 360, Black Ops II for the Xbox 360, Bioshock Infinite for the PS3, and Tomb Raider for the PS3. The ambient noise in Skyrim, the explosions and helicopter chatter from Black Ops II, the clang of metal in Bioshock Infinite, and the lush jungle sounds of Tomb Raider were all perfectly presented and I used a different preset for each one. Really stunning detail, and I've never heard their equal.
The bluetooth function works like an absolute charm. I used this with my iPhone 4 and iPad 3, and it all worked like a charm with minimal hassle or headaches. I had no problems hearing the other party on my phone, and they heard me just fine as well.
Another nice bonus of this headset is it comes with all of the cords you'll need. I can't count how many times I've broken open a pair of gaming headphones and realized I needed to purchase a separate sound enhancer, optical cable, or whatever. It's all here, and you won't need to scour the internet for what you need.
The best part is that this is a wireless set. That fact alone, mixed with all the other factors, is what makes these the absolute best headphones you can buy for under 300 dollars. Turtle Beach's XP Sevens are just as good as these sound and comfort wise, but those are wired. If you're going to spend the cash, why not get a nice wireless set and free yourself of hassle and cords? I've had no trouble with connection, wifi, or signal issues, and sound mixed with voice integrate flawlessly through the wireless connection. I've experienced no lags, drops, or distortion, even whilst cranking the volume and speaking into the mic at the same time. Perfect.
I've used at least 20 headsets in the past five years, and these are quite simply the best I've ever used. Sure, they're pricey, but if you want the complete package with no detail uncovered, these are the hands-down pick you need to make.
