Turtle Beach

Turtle Beach announced some of the new XBOX 360 and PS3 gaming headsets at CES last week, one of them, the XP400. It's Turtle Beach's flagship gaming headset, featuring adjustable Dolby 5.1 virtual surround sound, a non-AD2P dual-pairing Bluetooth radio for picking up phone calls during gaming sessions, a 15 hour rechargeable battery and dual-band 2.4/5GHZ built-in WiFi. The actual over-the-ear pieces have a much better layout from previous models, though there are almost as many buttons as there are on the controller with volume up / down, chat volume up / down, mute, Bluetooth pairing, limiter button and tone buttons. The included dual-band WiFi adapter that connects to your gaming console of choice is small and pretty minimalistic in design. The adjustable surround angles feature is a nice edition.

The XP400 has a crisp and loud sound, and noise-cancellation also worked well. Turtle Beach also announced the XP300, a stereo version of the XP400. They're essentially the younger siblings of the company's PX5-rooted XP500, featuring a similar design with totally wireless connection to the Xbox 360, thanks to TB's Xbox Chat Adapter, and a dual-pairing Bluetooth radio for taking calls while gaming. Both headsets improve upon the XP500's in a few key areas including better button placement on the earcups, a new 2.4/5GHz dual-band WiFi 2.4GHz transmitter to avoid interference from nearby wireless devices and an included 15-hour rechargeable battery.Read more

The holidays are right around the corner…with so many choices out there, what on earth should you get the gamer in your life? Here are a few suggestions from all of us at BestStuff.com:

Cedemo Video Game Barcode Scanner app
Before you hit the stores, iPhone and Android owners need to download the free Cedemo Video Game Barcode Scanner app – probably the most useful tool for video game shoppers available today. With a simple scan (using your phone), the app lets you view game trailers, screenshots, ESRB/PEGI/BBFC ratings and descriptions for over 20,000 titles dating back to 1999. Additional features include a top 10 list of the hottest games, trailers for classic games, and the ability to search for a game without a barcode. You won't know how you ever shopped without it!

See a preview of how it works at the iTunes App Store, or by visiting the Android Marketplace and searching for "Cedemo". Price: FREE; http://mobile.cedemo.comRead more

Turtle Beach has a new headset for Xbox 360 and PC gamers, the Ear Force X11. With improved sound over the Ear Force X1 and an ergonomic design, it is even better for playing games such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, HALO 3, Assassin's Creed II, and Guitar Hero.

The X11 sports a black and white design and has larger, deep-cushioned ear cups and a cushioned headband. It also has an adjustable boom mic and an extra-long 16-foot cable.

Features include:

• Independent volume controls for game and voice signals to balance XBOX LIVE chat and stereo game sound.
• Large, acoustically-tuned ear cups with 40mm drivers produce superior audio with deep bass
• Integrated bass-boost makes explosions, gun shots and other deep-bass effects more dramatic by increasing the impact of low frequency sound cues.
• DC-coupled amplifiers provide super-wide bandwidth down to 0Hz while eliminating the distortion
• A microphone with an oversized, flexible boom accurately reproduces the gamer's voice during chat sessions.
• A microphone monitor keeps gamers from raising their voices louder than necessary and avoids the "under water" feeling that results when you can’t hear yourself speak.

Turtle Beach has a new, affordable gaming headset hitting store shelves soon. The Ear Ear Force Z1 is priced at just $29.95 and is comfortable, foldable, and helps block out outside noise.

The headset includes an oversized, flexible boom mic and can be folded for storage. Twist-style ear cups let the headset rest on the shoulders between gaming sessions, and the noise-reduction ear cushions help block out distractions. The Ear Force Z1 has a ten-foot cable with an in-line remote control with volume and microphone muting. The headset can also be used with voice communications programs such as Ventrilo and Skype, and for watching TV or listening to music with MP3 players via the 3.5mm connector.

The Ear Force Z1 headset will be available this month at retailers as well as the Turtle Beach web site www.turtlebeach.com.