HardwareHell

When it comes to playing games sound is a very important aspect. It’s difficult to play games online without a 5.1 setup since it does give you an advantage. Since most gamers are nocturnal it’s not easy having a large 5.1 speaker setup running at 3am if you have other people living in the same building.

When gamers buy headphones they usually look for 2 things, comfort and features. Since we, gamers, wear our headphones for long periods of time we tend to put comfort above all else, after all, who wants to wear headphones that pinch your ears.

LTB has put out a set of 5.1 headphones that sound great and are very comfortable. There are a few minor problems, but it seems to go across most all 5.1 headphones so it’s nothing new. With the 5.1 headphones plugged in, it’s not possible to also use 5.1 speakers unless you have a splitter for each connection.

Also, since the unit is power over USB it has some static that comes across the headphones. USB power is usually dirty on most PCs so when your mouse moves, HDD access files, or CD/DVD drive access files you might hear some grinding or static. When playing games or watching TV/Movies the sound seems to subside and the main audio covers it up. Alternatively, you can power the headphones with an external USB power supply which will make the static disappear.

Aside from those two minor problems the headphones are great. They sound incredible and the bass definitely pumps in your ears if it’s turned up. The headphones also come equipped with a removable microphone for those that enjoy chatting in games or on VoIP programs. The microphone picks up sound very well and doesn’t get in the way at all, which is sometimes a problem with other headphones. The microphone is bendable so it can reach your mouth for better quality if need be.

The positions of the speakers inside of the headphones are perfect. When playing Oblivion you can hear people talk to you from all sides and find positions of enemies in the dark when they move around or yell at you. The audio is crisp and very clear and you can hear everything that goes on in a game. The subwoofer built into the headphones pumps in a good amount of bass, far more than I have heard in other headphones.

The bass isn’t overwhelming or distorted; it’s a perfect balance of quality and quantity.The headphones come with a little hub that the headphones plug into. This hub has the power and 5.1 connections. The headphones can be removed from this hub and plugged into a normal speaker connection if the need arises.

The hub has a blue LED that indicates it’s being powered. The only thing that’s missing from the hub are volume controls, other than that it serves its purpose. The final piece that’s included is an extension cable for the microphone input. The plug is the same length as the main headphones plug so it doesn’t get in the way. This allows you to use the headphones with and without a microphone. The extension cable is long enough to reach around almost any PC, but if you plan on routing it through your desk and around a few corners it might come up short.

Conclusion:The headphones are great for gamers. If you have a nice 5.1 speaker setup then I would recommend some splitters so they can both be plugged in at the same time. The static in the headphones is there but it’s not as bad as a lot of people make it out to be. Using 5.1 headphones in games really does make a difference, especially if you play online.

Playing with normal headphones and then trying these, I realized what I was missing. The positioning of the speakers in the headphones can easily help you identify the location of the source.These headphones come with a lot of nice features and aren’t too expensive. The removable microphone is a definite plus and the fact that you can use these as standalone headphones is nice too. For a price of $65.00, it’s definitely worth it when other headphones are twice the price. Hardware Hell Recommended