Before I get into the review let me just say that I have no experience with after market head phones for the Xbox or PC. For the last 5 plus years of online gaming, my audio conversations have mostly come from the Xbox headset held together with duct tape or $10 Best Buy rack sales.
Hopefully this fresh set of ears wont cause would-be Can aficionados to click a different link or simply look the other way, but to be honest my focus with this review is to help first time buyers like myself with the ins and outs of stereo headsets for the Xbox 360 or PC. Also for those of you that don't already know, Cans is simply a cool kid term for over-the-ear headphones. With that said, lets check out the Sharkoon X-Tatic SX
Price & Quality
The problem with most headsets is that quality often comes at an inflated price while mediocrity plagues the low cost products with very few options left in between. One of the main reasons that I personally haven't purchased a set for myself is that I'm to fickle to spend hundreds of dollars on headphones and to much of an audio snob to settle for crap. Luckily the X-Tatic's seem to tip-toe around that line quite well. They retail for around $50-$60 and for the cost of an Xbox title or less, are certainly worth the money you spend on them.
The first thing you'll notice about the X-Tatic SX is that while their price point may be lower, they certainly look and feel every as bit as attractive, sturdy, and comfortable as the higher priced competition. In fact I was a bit surprised when I first opened the package since the white coloring came off a bit cheap to me through product images, which is a shame considering the how they feel when you actually have them on your ears.
As you might have noticed through the liberal use of X's in the product name, the Sharkoon X-Tatic SX are made with the Xbox 360 in mind although they work just fine for the PC as well. They sport both mini plugs for mic and audio, so computer installation is a snap while the Xbox users will simply have to use the provided RCA adapter to fit the outputs of the 360. The only downside to this would be users with HDMI since you wont be able to get a direct connection from the back of the Xbox. I'm sure it would be possible to connect via your TV but the hassle might not be worth it to some.
Features and Sound
The X-Tatic's are powered via USB and can plug into either your Xbox or PC. The sound is all controlled through the inline mix amp which provides the fairly decent kick to the 40mm speakers. The bass and low ends in general are fairy well represented and smooth. The highs on the other hand are a bit to flat for my own tastes but nothing completely game breaking. You might find a small amount of "muddy sound" during the heat of battle, but for the cost the over all performance seems more then respectable.
The headset also features a detachable microphone which is able to turn and flex with ease. I personally liked this design since I have the option to use the cans as headphones for music only. My only concern is that I could possibly see myself losing the mic in the future.
Overall
In the end I'm quiet impressed with the Sharkoon X-tatic SX. They probably wont win any awards for best product name however their more then acceptable sound quality and snug comfort make them a great buy for anyone starting out with their first pair of Cans. They obviously won't compete with the high end Astros, Trittons, or other similar products, but then again at $50 they were never meant to. Defiantly a great buy.
Specs
- Two 40 mm speakers
- Simple connection via analog interface (RCA)
- Flexible, detachable microphone
- Microphone connects to Xbox 360 controller (2.5 mm plug)
- In-line amplifier for powerful games sound output
- Master volume control and microphone mute
- Supports Xbox Live
- USB-powered, no additional power adaptor needed
- Also suitable as PC headset via 3.5mm stereo plug
Specifications (headphones)
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Impedance: 40 O
- Sensitivity: 118 dB +/- 3 dB bei 1 KHz
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Power output: 40 mW
- Cable length: 370 cm +/-10 cm
- 1x USB (power)
- 3x 3.5 mm stereo plug (white/at volume controller: microphone for Xbox 360, green: stereo playback, pink: microphone for PC only)
Specifications (microphone)
- Diameter: 6 x 5 mm (L x B)
- Directivity: omni-directional
- Sensitivity: -58 dB +/- 3 dB
- Impedance: 2.2 k O
- Frequency response: 100 Hz – 2 kHz
- Operating voltage: 4.5 V
