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By Mindsoup (mindsoup@onepc.net) - November 26, 2000

Infobox

What? Force Feedback Headphones Product Page Who? Xitel Multimedia Home Page How much? $39,95 USD Xitel Online Store

My eternal dilemma: great sound from my PC without getting evicted from my apartment. For years I refused to buy headphones because, if I did, WTF do I have a big subwoofer for? I have one so my neighbors who know just how many frags I get; however, I'm now starting to get tired of moving.

Last week, a friend of mine invited me to an Unreal Tourney at his house: headphones only. So, I thought, "Hey, I'll still do OK with crappy sound," and into my local mass computer store I went. Looking through the racks of headphone designed for dictation and MP3 players, I saw a little red box sticking out of the corner.

The Xitel headset was less expensive than a good set of ordinary headphones and was designed with the games I play in mind. The headphones vibrate in response to the low frequency bass sounds of gunfire and explosions. [Very cool, says Editor.]

Included in the box, are the headphones with remote volume & vibration control, 2-AAA batteries, and a 3.5mm to 6.5mm conversion jack.

Specifications

Features Vibration bass control Built in active bass amplifier Separate bass level control Soft cushion earcup Adjustable headband

Technical Driver Unit - 40mm diam dome 57mm diam actuator Impedance - 32 Ohm Sensitivity - 102db S.P.L. at 1Khz Max Power Handling - 500mW Fequency Response - 5-28,000Hz Power Requirements - 3v Cord - Approx. 4m Battery Life - Approx. 30 hours

Better stats than my speakers at half the cost!

Sound Quality
This is what I was the most worried about--and the most surprised about. Sound was excellent, the bass was exceptional and the range was fantastic. When I took the headphones off, the sounds in the room and on the street almost seemed less real because they didn't have the vibrations simulating incredible bass.

This is also the first time I really got to experience EAX and A3D; I often wanted to look behind me in Unreal. Listening to Nine Inch Nails was almost dangerous.In other words, it was better than reality.

Comfort
Though the headphones are as comfortable as they can be because the ear pieces cover your entire ear, they are still heavy. This caused me to get a headache after a few hours of intense play.

Gaming
If your soundcard supports 3D sound, you are in for a treat. Nobody will be sneaking up behind you anymore--unless, of course, the really cool vibration effect distracts you.

Conclusion
As I sit here with Gravity kills inducing brain damage, all I have to say is Wow! Actually everyone who I've had tried them out on has said the same thing; despite thinking I was insane after I bragged about my new vibrating headphones.

Xitel sells their headphones for $39.95 USD, I picked mine up for a little less than that. If you want headphones, you can't go wrong with these ones.

Pros Kick ass sound and gaming experience. Cons Short Battery Life Weight can get annoying after a few hours Listening to Metalica with the vibration turned to max might cause brain damage!

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