[Gear] SteelSeries Spectrum 7XB Review

[Ghostbear]

SteelSeries Spectrum 7XB Review

Product: SteelSeries Spectrum 7XB
Platform: XBOX 360, PC
Developer: SteelSeries
MSRP: $179.99
Editor: Jeremy 'Ghostbear' Spurlock

What's Hot: Great sound and great feeling headset.

What's Not: No rechargeable battery pack, some minor sound issue with physical obstructions. Price

Those of you who use the headset that came with your 360 probably have a lot of the same complaints I do. It starts to irritate your ear after awhile, tv volume can overwhelm it, and it can occasionally be hard to hear your gaming pals. The SteelSeries Spectrum 7XB alleviated these concerns for me. While there are a fair amount of third party headsets compatible with the 360, this is one of the few wireless options available. What makes this one worth your money? So let's dive right in and find out.

The Spectrum comes with three major pieces, the headset itself, the cord to connect it to the controller and the transmitter. To get it working with your 360 you plug the audio cables from your 360 into the back of some pass-through audio plugs that are wired to the transmitter. Plug the USB cable into your 360 and you are set to transmit to the headset.

Speaking of the headset, it should be noted that it can be broken down into three pieces for easier traveling. The ear cushions are changeable. So, if you're like me and prefer a cloth cushion that is an option, though you have to buy the cloth cushion separately. The leather ones seem to block out external sound pretty well, a lot better than the cloth ones. The microphone is retractable and when out can be bent in any direction you want. The cable that connects to the 360 controller can be removed from the headset and the controller, so if you don't feel like chatting with friends, you do not need to have a cable dangling around your neck. It should be noted that you can use this headset with your PC if you like. just hide the 360 cable and get to gaming.

The headset is comfortable, I wore it for long stretches of time without feeling any fatigue. While a bit heavier than I like, I can't say it bothered me too much, otherwise I probably wouldn't have used it as much as I did. It also manages to not feel like a helmet, like so many gaming headsets do.

I'm afraid I'll disappoint any audiophiles out there when I don't give out info about highs, lows and mid highs and the sound it makes while reflecting off a monkey. I can assure you though, to my untrained ear it sounded great while watching movies, playing games or listening to music. It has three special settings for audio, one for directional sounds like footsteps and gunfire. A setting for "immersion" that is supposed to enhance game music and environmental sound. Finally, a third setting for increased bass and environmental sounds for movie watching. You can also disable these and just run vanilla.

The headset also features Livemix, which basically means you can have the headset lower game volume when one of your teammates is talking to you, increasing your ability to communicate. I was told by folks on Xbox Live that I sounded clear and that my dulcet tones carried through.

You can run up to 32 feet away from the transmitter and still hear your television, though I did notice some pops and cut outs if I had a wall or heavy objects between myself and the TV. I would wander around my apartment listening to music and rarely had any trouble. It was designed to avoid interference from other devices and I attempted to confound the headset with my microwave, cell phone, WiFi and it managed to defeat me at all turns.

I only have a few complaints about the headset, it does not come with a rechargeable battery pack, instead you put in two AAA batteries. I would highly recommend the rechargeable kind. The headset lasts anywhere from 15 to 20 hours on a full set of batteries. The cost is also a bit prohibitive. It retails at $179.99 and I think that will keep some people away from what I think is a pretty great piece of hardware.

The headset should be available soon.

Score: 4.5 out of 5 CoGs


Jeremy says, "If you want a headset for your 360 that can replace your TV speakers, that is leaps and bounds better than the default 360 headset and the price isn't too much, this is a really great headset that you should get."

[Ghostbear]

Here are some numbers:

Headphones
Frequency response: 18 – 28,000 Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms: 112 dB
Cable length: 3.3 ft. (Detachable from headset to controller with 2.5 mm plug)
Jacks: 3.5 mm
Microphone
Frequency response: 50 – 16,000 Hz
Pick up pattern: Uni-directional
Sensitivity: -38 dB
Transmitter box
USB Powered (from Xbox 360)
3.5 mm stereo jack input
Input level control
2.6 GHz radio interface
Range: 9 m (30 ft.)
Dimensions: 83 mm x 83 mm x 26 mm

[Iron Past]

The Monkey Reflective Wavelength Measure is the single most important quality metric, so review fail!

On a serious note, the write up makes these sound great, but not having an internal rechargeable battery completely kills it for me. Still, I'll keep them in mind; maybe they'll release a different version down the road.

[Purple Santa]

A good wireless headset would be nice. My wired ones are fraying and i'm tired of all the wires. The price won't scare me since this is what I paid for my wired headset. Thanks for the review.