Creative Labs 70GH012000003 Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Alpha USB Gaming Headset Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Build Quality: Overall it was very good. The faux leather on the headstrap was very comfortable. The only thing I disliked was the cheap plastic ear cans. One big plus was the ribbon cables, no tangles, easy to fold on top of each other. I would have liked to see a little bit more reinforcement where the cable connects to the ear cans. The headphones weren't completely noise isolating.
Sound Quality: Excellent. Once of the best I have ever listened to for a headset under 100 dollars. The first time I installed the software I had an issue where the program hanged when I started it up. I uninstalled and reinstalled and it worked fine. They start you off with a bunch of sliders: crystallization (I guess treble) , surround (increasing this made me feel like I was in a smaller room), bass, dialog (vocal), voice normalization. They were all disabled. I fiddled around it and I couldn't figure how to make it sound good. Just when I was about to turn frustrated I found there were presets on the first page. I chose one and wow the sound quality just sky rocketed for a moment I thought I was wearing my Grado SR 80's. Out of the 10 or so presets I found love with the one from the [Fifa] and the Keepers of whatever game. The 40mm driver was powerful in some preset settings you could feel the vibrations outside your ear. The voice morphs were okay just a few pre-made ones woman-to-man, man-to-woman, deep voice, munchkin, orc, demon, etc. No options to customize the preset but can probably be done through the equalizer. Microphone was good no complains about it.
3D surround was good to an extent from the regular left, right, front, rear sound came to me at the right angles I could hear tiny gnomes skipping along through the water, mechano hogs passing by. Up and down was there but to an extent the 3d surround emulation could emulate a diagonal/above your head sound well however I didn't have time to experience up and down I was hoping maybe I could find a game like call of duty where a helicopter would fly over your head.
Comfort: The ear cushions feel soft and very nice on your ears initially after a couple of minutes I noticed my ears starting to feel squeezed because of the ear cans being too tight creating discomfort making it difficult to go though an entire sitting without taking them off at least once. They also weren't very ventilated that sometimes I would just open the ear cans to let a little cool air in.
Overall Impressions:
++ Sound quality is amazing for the price. 3D surround is just like 7.1 sound. Up and down are there but I didn't try to the full extent
++ Construction is sturdy but the ear cans are made of cheap plastic but you easily forget about it
++ Software has a lot of customizations
-- You could get lost in software customizations if you don't know what you were doing at first
-- Comfortable but ear cans are too tight so your ears might end up being tired
If you have been buying 30-50 dollar headsets (regular 2.0 stereo) for a long time this is definitely something you should invest in for 20 dollars more only if you like tight clamping ear phones. The sound quality of this headset is of that of headsets that cost 100-150 with build quality being the compromise.
Updated 11/13/2010
I returned this headset after 3 days. During the time I tested out the Steel Series Siberia V2 and the Corsair HS1.
The Corsair HS1 are the most comfortable. The sounds are really good for the acoustic/vocals/high frequencies but I found that the low frequencies such as footsteps left alot to be desired. Corsair is probably the closest headset you can get to being like Grados but you need the bass. I really underestimated the software as well. The creative tactic 3d's software is by far one of the best.
I really want to return back to using the tactic 3d's I felt their sound was the most immersive out of the bunch performing great on the high frequency but even better on the low but I couldn't pull trigger yet. Not yet.
My wishlist for the Tactic 3D
1. COMFORT. I would trade sound isolation for comfort. If it can be as comfortable as the Sound Blaster Arena I am sold.
2. Improve the volume rocker. It looks very cheap.
3. Wireless version.
I'd pay 100 bucks for those 3. It would match the Corsair HS1's and be better all around if that can be improved. If comfort can be improved I'll be back for 59.99. Promise.
Score changed from 3/5 stars to 4/5 stars. -1 for comfort

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Experience the evolution of 3D gaming audio with the Dual Mode Sound Blaster Tactic3D Alpha gaming headset. Acoustically optimized 40mm drivers combine with THX TruStudio ProTM technology to transform everyday audio into a mind-blowing cinematic experience. Touchscreen software and Tactic Profiles allow you to save and share your favourite settings including THX TruStudio Surround for immersive 360º headphone surround and VoiceFX voice morphing technology. The dual mode design allows you to connect via standard minijacks or use the Dual Mode adapter to connect to your PC or Mac's USB port for the full THX TruStudio Pro experience.

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Creative Aurvana X-Fi Noise-Canceling Headphones Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I compared these headphones to the Bose QC2 headphones for about a week. I was trying to decide which ones to keep. I tried them at home, in an airplane, in busy streets, everywhere I could. It was a tough choice.
I had read other reviews online touting the Aurvana XF-I headphones as the best, and that they blew away the Bose. To my ears, that's not true. The XF-I technology DOES improve the sound of compressed audio, but teh Bose headphones also sound excellent without the XF-I technology. I also read that the Aurvana cans were louder as well; however, my experience was that the Bose were a lot louder -- and I just couldn't get the Aurvanas loud enough to really rock out.
In any case, the XF-I function really does work, and the sound was excellent (with the power turned on). I didn't think they were that special with the power turned off. So as far as sound quality, the Bose and the Creative were close, with the Creative slightly beating the Bose in quality, but the Bose beating the Creative in volume. Both the Bose and the Creative sound excellent, though.
Sound quality Winner: Toss-up with an advantage to the Aurvanas.
In comparing comfort, I found the Aurvana headphones to be bulkier and heavier. The Bose were so much lighter and more comfortable to wear.
Comfort Winner: Bose.
Sound leakage: My major complaint about the Aurvanas is that when turned up, people sitting near you can hear your music. You risk disturbing a fellow passenger with the Aurvanas. I found the Bose QC2 to be much quieter on the outside, keeping the sound in your ears, and not out into the world. Since I sometimes like to crank it up, this was an important consideration.
Sound Leakage Winner: Bose
Finally, I omapared the noise-canceling quality. Both headphones performed admirably, and it was tough to get a read on it, even after switching back and forth 10 or 20 times. The Aurvana headphones did seem a little more quiet in certain situations, but I'm not sure if that was my imagination or not. But on the airplane, it was definitely a toss up. Both headphones did an outstanding job of noise canceling. You may hear a slight hiss with the Aurvanas as they emit the counter-frequency, but it's not annoying at all and very slight. You won't be able to hear it with music playing.
Noise canceling Winner: Toss-up
Conclusion: Since these headphones are so comparable in quality and in noise-canceling ability, I had to base my decision on comfort and noise leakage. I returned the Aurvanas and kept the Bose.
This was a tough call, since the Aurvanas are excellent headphones. I think it comes down to a matter of what's important to you.
If you do love these headphones but find they can't get loud enough either, then I recommend going on ebay and getting a CMOY headphone amplifier. They're around $35 and they will crank up your volume. they are home-made in Altoids tins but very professional. They'll make your Aurvanas louder, but remember that the person sitting next to you will definitely hear everything.
Afterthought: Battery Life. The Bose QC2 uses just 1 AAA battery that is supposed to last for 35 hours. The Creative Aurvana XF-I requires 2 AAA batteries which are supposed to last 9 hours. However, the Aurvanas can still be used without batteries (quality is decreased), while the QC2 headphones will not operate without a charged battery. You decide....
Happy shopping!

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Creative Aurvana X-Fi Headphones are the world's first noise-canceling headphones equipped with X-Fi technology. The noise-cancellation feature lets you enjoy your music without unnecessary distraction. X-Fi technology breathes life into your songs by restoring detail and expanding your music and movies to surround sound. X-Fi Crystalizer technology restores the detail and vibrancy to your compressed music and movies. All the highs and lows are intelligently enhanced, ensuring you hear everything in crystal clear clarity. X-Fi CMSS-3D technology expands your stereo MP3s and digital movies into virtual surround sound over the headphones. Voices are centered in front of you and ambient sounds are moved all around you. The noise-cancellation technology significantly reduces background and environment noise by up to 90 percent. You can even detach the audio cable and continue using the headphones to block out noise while you sleep. Large 40mm drivers are acoustically tuned to produce an accurate and linear response, be it for music or movie enjoyment. You can now connect your headphones to the seat socket of the airplane, your home entertainment system, MP3 players, iPod and even the iPhone. You can easily place the phones and all the bundled accessories into the included travel case and bring it along with you wherever you go.

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