We’re not done with E3 or gaming audio just yet! At E3 2015, RFMag also visited the well-established gaming audio company, Turtle Beach. We always seem to like what we see whenever we get our hands on a Turtle Beach unit, as we did most recently with the Stealth 500X we reviewed. So we were sure to pay them a visit to check out what they had to offer at E3 this year. Turtle Beach showcased products meant to bring flagship quality performance and features while playing a bit nicer with gamers’ wallets. Three of those products are the EAR FORCE Stealth 420X, the EAR FORCE PX24 and the EAR FORCE Stealth 450. Let’s go into the highlights of each one by one.
EAR FORCE Stealth 420X
Following in the footsteps of the EAR FORCE Stealth 500X and the even higher end ELITE 800X, the EAR FORCE Stealth 420X is Turtle Beach’s third 100% wireless solution for the Xbox One. The EAR FORCE® Stealth 420X shares many of the Stealth 500X’s traits such as Mic Monitoring, mic removability, 50mm drivers, and on board controls for volume, mute and audio presets on the right ear cup. This time around, Turtle Beach went with perforated synthetic leather-wrapping for the ear-cups, as opposed to the 500X’s mesh and the 800x’s non-perforated leather. The Stealth 420X will house 4 audio presets and will run for 15 hours of gameplay on its rechargeable battery. The EAR FORCE Stealth 420X will noticeably undercut its predecessors in cost when it launches on July 18, 2015 for $179.95.
EAR FORCE Stealth 450
Whereas Turtle Beach’s PC gaming solutions often come through their multi-platform headsets, they have been giving a more direct approach to the PC as of late. Their latest PC gaming headset, the EAR FORCE Stealth 450, is 100% wireless as well. The Stealth 450 sports DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Surround Sound and custom DTS Surround Sound modes, similar to what we saw in the Stealth 500X. Beyond that, it will also have a removable mic, sport Variable Mic Monitoring and Superhuman hearing, and house a rechargeable battery that supports up to 15 hours of gameplay. The EAR FORCE Stealth 450 is coming your way later this year for $129.95.
EAR FORCE PX24
The new multi-platform gaming audio solution comes in the form of the EAR FORCE PX24. The EAR FORCE PX24 will be usable on the PC, Mac, PS4, mobile devices, and on the Xbox One with either the use of an Xbox Stereo Adapter or on Xbox’s newly announced Elite controller. This 50mm driver headset will also include a brand new creation by Turtle Beach, the EAR FORCE SuperAmp. The EAR FORCE SuperAmp is an in-line amplifier that is battery-powered, giving you amplified sound in listening and gaming arrangements where USB power is either unavailable or unpractical. Listening through a 3.5mm jack with no amplification is fine, but you’re not going to appreciate the full potential of your headset without power. This is definitely an interesting approach.
The EAR FORCE SuperAmp is also a controller that opens up the EAR FORCE PX24 to handy in-game functionality such as Superhuman Hearing, Variable Bass Boost, Turtle Beach Virtual Surround Sound and Variable Mic Monitoring. The EAR FORCE PX24 is packed with features that look like they can handle any gaming scenario. Considering all you’re getting here, it’s surprising that it is launching later this year for the very modest price point of $79.95.
Turtle Beach showcased new headsets which are all under the $200 price point. Yet from what we see from these new products, especially the $80 EAR FORCE PX24, Turtle Beach didn’t skimp on the quality and features just to be cheaper. Now more affordable alternatives are coming our way from Turtle Beach. Keep your eyes peeled for specifics on these headsets and more at www.turtlebeach.com.