[Gear] Turtle Beach Earforce Z2 Headset Review

Ghostbear · 10-26-2012, 11:58 AM

[Gear] Turtle Beach Earforce Z2 Headset Review

Product:Turtle Beach Earforce Z2 Headset
Platform: PC/MAC
Developer: Turtle Beach
MSRP: $69.95
Available: Now
Editor: Jeremy 'Ghostbear' Spurlock

Quote:

What's Hot: Great sound, in a well put together package.
What's Not: It can be a bit snug at first.

Turtle Beach has been a PC sound company since 1985, so they bring a bit of a pedigree when it comes to gaming audio. Do the Earforce Z2s manage to uphold this legacy? Or do they wither on the vines of recent history? Let's find out together.

Let's get the technical bits out of the way. This headset has 50mm speakers with neodymium magnets. It has a condenser microphone that can be adjusted to sit just about anywhere that makes you comfortable. The headset uses 3.5mm jacks for the microphone and speakers, no USB here. The ten foot cable has an in line volume control and a port for XBOX Live sound.

I tested this headset in a variety of situations, including hostage negotiation, an impromptu dance competition with a rival street gang... wait, I'm just reliving movies. In the land of reality, I tested this headset in games like Mechwarrior Online, XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Hero Academy. Every PPC blast and sniper rifle round sounded powerful and intense. Everything from the small sounds to the giant explosions were clear and easy to pick out. The headset sounded good in just about every gaming situation I threw at it.

The build quality of this headset is top notch. It feels solid and well put together whether in your hands on on your head. Having fabric ear cushions is a good way to make me love your headset more, no more weird sweaty spots behind around your ears after a long gaming session. The ear cups twist and adjust to your head, increasing comfort over longer gaming time; this also allows them to lay flat on your shoulders if you take them off your head for a moment. I mentioned the mic briefly earlier, but I'd like to elaborate a bit more. The boom is completely flexible and quite long, so it will never be in your way if you don't want it to be. Adjustable in all the standard ways, you'll be able to get this headset to fit any head comfortably.

All in all I don't have many major complaints about the Z2. Some minor ones being that until you wear the headset for a bit, it can be a bit tight. This discomfort is pretty temporary and should not put anyone off from picking it up.

Score: 4 out of 5 CoGs

Jeremy says, "This is a solid, great sounding headset, you can't really go wrong with the Earforce Z2."

Darkmatter · 10-26-2012, 08:02 PM

Why are you blaming a wee turtle for your fat head? j/k

Thx for the review.

Ghostbear · 10-26-2012, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkmatter

Why are you blaming a wee turtle for your fat head? j/k

Thx for the review.

Your FACE is a fat head!

MagGnome · 10-27-2012, 08:35 AM

These look pretty slick! I have a decent pair of headphones for my PC right now, but when it's time to upgrade I may look into these. Thanks!

jpc_theoneandonly · 10-27-2012, 09:40 PM

Did you happen to try out the Astro A50 wireless headset? I have to admit, I am a huge fan of Turtle Beach headsets. I have 3 of them. But the Astros blow each one out of the water.