So you want to know how good Tritton’s new AXPC Gaming Headphones are? Well, they’re nearly two pounds of metal and plastic that bound to your head like a V8 engine in a 1970 Dodge Charger. These bad boys scream sound into your ear like there’s no tomorrow, and let’s not forget that there’s 8 speakers and a mean rumble that will make your face dance.
First thing is first, what exactly is the AXPC and what can it do? Well, the AXPC (Audio Xtreme PC) is a set of USB headphones (duh) with a detachable microphone, thus, also making it a headset. It can produce real 5.1 digital audio; it comes with an audio controller to fine tune the speakers, volume and bass; it features an audio-related rumble; it can also produce amazing surround sound through the eight available speakers (four on each side, which includes two subwoofers).
All the fore-mentioned audio power comes jam packed in an overly snazzy earmuff-shaped headset, complete with fully adjustable ear-pieces that even fold inward for easy storage. Let’s also not forget about the fit-for-any-position microphone; so gaming sessions be enjoyed with surround sound quality, rumble and the microphone combination that works well enough as a quality headset (there's even support options to mask your voice, like most Xbox Live games). The mic basically rounds-out what is a very technically sound headphone [set] that looks as cool as the audio it produces. If I had to point out any problem with the physical design, it’s that sometimes it can feel a bit weighty while wearing them for a long period of time. But come on, there’s eight speakers in the darn thing. What would you expect?
Speaking of producing audio...the AXPC does a mighty fine job of giving users nearly the exact kind of sound they’re looking for from their gaming/DVD/music experience. The headphone set comes with an easy-to-install utility disc that takes about five minutes to install – plus the customary reboot. From there gamers will have full control over how the sound comes through the headphones and what kind of audio quality their ears will feast on. The Audio Xtreme control center offers up everything that any sound aficionado could ever want to fine tune; with a full-on equalizer intact, along with a testing utility for the surround sound support and various room/distance settings, you honestly couldn’t ask for more when it comes to adjusting the settings for the Audio Xtreme headphones.
But now that we’ve covered the general formalities of the headphones, it’s time to talk about how well they performed under the strain of actually exhibiting quality sound with quality gaming. To put it simply, they performed superbly! The surround sound and rumble features really bring to life situations and scenarios that would have otherwise been experienced with far less intensity. Enemies giving chase and firing from behind will nearly make you turn your own head around out of panic; racing sims have opponents who pull up on the side and you can actually hear the roar of their engine out of the side window; an elf who teleports directly above you can be heard rather clearly, and answered with several shotgun rounds.
While the 5.1 comes through clearly (if your sound card supports it, otherwise it’ll automatically adjust the settings to 2.1 surround sound), and the rumble features are great, I do have a minor quip with the Audio Extreme PC Gaming Headphone set: If you don’t fine tune your settings just right, the experience can sometimes be slightly unpleasant. Too much bass, too much center volume or an incorrect balance of the sound output can just leave your ears on the verge of ringing. It’s certainly not a serious problem, because if you want to avoid it, just don’t mess with the equalizer or any of the effects.
Overall, though, the AXPC is a great piece of hardware, even for its price. For serious hardcore gamers (or DVD buffs) looking for a true 5.1 digital surround sound output, with the inclusion of a high-quality, adjustable, detachable microphone; USB 2.0/1.1 interface support and a handy volume adjuster that’s attached to the headphone cord – so it’ll never get lost – you obviously can’t go wrong with the Audio Xtreme PC.
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Price:$69.99
