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(More customer reviews)After finding a disheartening lack of comparative reviews online I decided that I would write about my own experiences with the above headphones. This review is targeted only at headphones for gaming based on sound from a PS3 slim connected via Monster Ultra Fiber Optic and set to Dolby Digital. I understand there are significantly more options than those I have tested. However, my wish is to give a first-person detailed and reliable account regarding the phones I currently or have previously owned. For a summary of what I found just scroll to the bottom of the review.
As a sidenote I have watched just about every youtube video, read every gaming website review, and scanned through every forum in my search for audio bliss. This is the cumulation of my knowledge and experiences.
Originally I had wanted an all in one processor for DTS and Dolby Digital with a simulated surround sound. I watch most movies and play most games at night, and was trying to "kill a few birds with one stone" on this one. After round 1 of extensive research I settled on the Sennheiser RS130s. I bought two sets. The sound was pretty good. I could not detect ANY simulated surround, but for watching movies the dialogue was VERY bright and enjoyable. In addition there was no interference with my Wii or PS3 due to the RF and the charging system was a good setup. Unfortunately, the wireless was also the problem. I tried switching through every single channel and resetting the base unit. I consistently got a weird "modem" buzzing and clicking sound in the background. Some people might be able to overlook it, but I definitely could not. Back they went and back I went to burning my eyes reading everything online.
Round 2 I decided to bite the bullet, and ordered the Sony MDR-DS7000 headphones from Japan, complete with a second set of phones. They cost me a pretty penny. Once they arrived I tested the voltage coming through the adapter from Japan and found it was much higher than the 9V required for the processor and phones when plugged into a US 120V outlet. After shelling out another $120 for 3 adapters from the Sony MDR-DS6000 series available in the US (courtesy of Sony Style) I was finally able to make sure I hadn't been ripped off from overseas. (The headphones each use 1 adapter to charge the lithium ion batteries. The 3rd is for the Processor.) I was quite satisfied to learn that my bluray, ps3 and wii could all be connected to the same unit. Also, the sound was absolutely crystal clear without a single beep or incoming fax noise. Lord of the Rings sounded great and the VPT surround sound cinema mode made the movie sound like it was being played in a large theatre room. Pretty cool, but not really the "surround sound" I had hoped for. Still....it was an improvement from the Sennheisers. And so I proceeded for a few months before deciding that I'd like to get a system more suitable for the PS3. The large hall effect didn't really seem like it was cutting it anymore. So I considered: Should I try ordering the newly improved MDR-DS7100? Hmm...probably not since they just increased the battery life by 3 hours, and increased the drivers from 40mm to 50mm. The surround effect would be the same. I also considered the Pioneer SE-Dir800c once again, but decided against it based on a few factors. The headphones break in nearly 60% of consumer reviews at a swivel point, the batteries (AA) must be charged separately from the unit, the system only has 1 fiber optic input, and additional headphones are only sold in Japan (unless you want to buy a 2nd transmitter as well). It seemed like a lot of trouble, even though I've read almost 2 million times by now that Dolby Headphone technology is vastly superior to Sony's Virtual Phone Technology. And so we come to Round 3: The Tritton Ax Pros.
A long time ago, before my head was filled with all sorts of useless information on headphones, I owned the Tritton AxPros. This was back when people cared less about how they sounded and more about getting sent the wrong set from Amazon or having to look for places to plug in 2 adapters. OMG! 2 adapters! Yeah...I have a surge protector...not a big deal. Back in those times I was very impressed with the quality of the Trittons for 3d mapping in games. Resistance: Fall of Man and other games from way back in the long long ago sounded significantly better when played through the headphones. The only problem was that finding the proper EQ was a pain and my neck felt like I was wearing Rampage Jackson's chains around my neck after playing. After contacting customer service and adjusting the delay to +10, and decreasing the rear speaker and sub (which felt like it would blow out my eardrum on normal) I was satisfied. Looking back I can safely say that my complete satisfaction was, in part, due to my lack of anything to compare sound quality towards. Fast forward to now. After not quite getting the full experience from the Sony headphones, I decided to repurchase the "newly improved" Tritton Axpros I had been so fond of. When I got my new set I looked over it for a long time. The AC adapter is definitely "cheaper" than both of the older ones (lighter less durable plastic), even though there is now only 1. The break-away cable is a good feature, although you still have to roll it up the same as if you just disconnected it from the decoder box. The microphone has gotten a MUCH needed improvement and is now rubberized/bendable and works a lot better. The headphones still shine a halloween orange glow through the Tritton logo. They also still induce serious headaches from squishing your head like a vice. Funny enough, they actually do not weigh much more than my Sonys. The difference is that Sony has a second band to turn the headphones on that takes most of the pressure off from the top and sides of your head. Tritton has no such feature, but feels much sturdier (like it was carved from a plastic tree). The Tritton also has the individual speaker adjustment, as before, with different colors for different sound levels. This works fine, but a digital +1, +2, +8 numerical readout would be much better. Each color level has 3 or 4 levels before bumping to the next color. Between white and red (medium and max) is "cyan" which is the high volume level. This would be fine if you could ACTUALLY TELL a difference from the white. I believe the Cyan simply leaves the white light on while simultaneously turning on the blue. The problem is that the white light completely overpowers everything else. It looks like the volume goes straight from white to red after about 8 clicks. Pretty dumb. Use purple or yellow or a black light. Don't try to combine colors to cut costs Tritton! The newer model also has the feature of being able to turn off the inline controller by holding the "mute and front speaker" buttons for a few seconds. Here's the problem with that: 1.)when turning the system back on you're usually holding the mute button so it mutes everything. The way the mute/volume is set up you usually end up also raising the volume as you unmute it. You probably shouldnt have the headphone on when turning the inline controller on anyway since it makes a HUGEEE POP noise when powering on that almost makes your ears bleed. This doesn't even power the unit itself on though. It just powers up the phones. The Dolby decoder box has a completely separate power on button. So.....they took away one AC adapter, but actually made it just as much of a pain in the A*$ to turn on and off. Here's the rub though - when you turn off the main decoder box, it resets your settings. That's right. All of the DRC, Sound Delay (Center and Surround) and master volume settings you pulled out the decoder box to program have all been reset. At first I kept thinking to myself, dang...the game sounds different everytime I turn it back on again...I must have not put the time delay on the right setting. After testing it though...I found the cause. Maybe mine's defective because I don't remember my old unit ever doing this. Must be an "improvement" eh? Now for the sound quality.
Discrete sounds and directions. This is where the Tritton Axpros start to do something right. I switched the fiber optic input from my Sony MDR-DS7000 into the Pros back and forth about 50 times. I tried it with Uncharted 1 + 2, God of War 3, God of War Trilogy, Infamous, Killzone 2, Modern Warfare 1 and 2, Battlefield: BC2 and Bioshock 2. Results were surprising. The AxPros actually blew the Sony's out of the water. In Battlefield, when I swung the knife I could hear it echo in the winter mountains and the fires flickered on different sides as I walked. Riding the vehicles sounded like I was right there. Modern Warfare 1 and Uncharted 1 were actually the most remarkable. In Modern Warfare 1 I could hear the helicopters flying overhead and DIRECTLY pinpoint where they were. I tried about 10 times to close my eyes and see if I could locate a circling helicopter. I was right 9/10 times. The Sony headphones (playing on the dedicated PS3 "game" mode) were extremely muffled. Gunshots sounded tiny and shallow. The Trittons just made it seem like I was right there in the environment. In Uncharted I kept restarting the 2nd scene in the jungle and testing the sounds while running through the creeks, in and out of the waterfall, and through the group of birds. With the Trittons it sounded like I was right there. With the Sony's it sounded like I was listening through a set of headphones. Then---slowly---as I listened to Sully talk about finding his "bride in a brothel" for the 20th time, I realized I was missing a vital part of the puzzle. Dialogue. Take this into perspective. The Sony's have 2 dedicated 40mm drivers. The Trittons have 8- 30mm drivers. Usually dialogue is only going through 1 set...Read more›
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Introducing the AX Pro - the most versatile gaming headset in the world. Finally, a true Surround Sound headset with a microphone that will work with your PS3, Xbox 360, and PC/Mac. For the audio or movie enthusiast, the AX Pro is also compatible with any device that features a digital optical or 3.5mm analog 5.1 outputs. Built on the successful AX360 Platform, the AX Pro features hardware Dolby Digital decoding and eight independent speakers to deliver true 5.1 surround sound audio. Upgraded speakers have been repositioned to provide crisper sound and more accurate 3D positioning. The vibration feature of the AX360 has been replaced by a new subwoofer that delivers improved low end punch and skull rattling bass. Other advancements include an easy to use illuminated inline controller with a microphone mute switch, independent volume control for game chat, and the ability to custom tailor volume levels. With the ability to connect the microphone via the Xbox 360 controller port, USB, and analog 3.5mm inputs, the AX Pro is the most versatile headset on the market and the only headset you'll ever need.
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