The Ear Force XLa is a low cost way to get a dedicated gaming headset without breaking the bank, and it’s a great product for almost every gamer. The game sound is fairly clear for folk who want to enjoy gaming without disturbing the family/flat-mates/neighbours, while the VoIP (in-game) chat is super crisp – besting many dedicated chat headsets.
I’m not a fan of the cheap-feeling plastic of the headband, but thankfully that cheapness isn’t felt in the speakers. Game sound is only in stereo and I’ve definitely heard better, but it’s outstanding for this price point and it’s unlikely to bother you unless you’re an audiophile (and if you are an audiophile you wouldn’t only be spending $79 on your headset).
The in-game chat was so good it took me by surprise. Plus the headset does a great job of blending the voice and game sound together. There are separate volume controls for team-chat and game-sound, which means you can adjust the sound mix yourself. It’s very slightly distracting that the controls are on the earpiece, not on the cable, because that inevitably translates to having to fish for the dial if you need to change the volume while you’re playing, but it’s a very minor complaint.
The advantage of being USB-powered can’t be overstated and it’s a great that you don’t have to mess about with batteries. I also own a wireless pair of headphones from Turtle Beach that cost a lot more, but I tend to use the Ear Force XLa headset more often just because they are more convenient (and are more comfortable – but more on that in a sec).
The headset is pretty easy to setup. On the console side the cables plug into your Component Cables or into the sound out on your TV, and there is a USB cable (for power) that you can plug into to your Xbox. On the player side there is a smaller cable for plugging into your controller for voice-chat. It is a minor inconvenience that the chat cable isn’t detachable, so if you are playing a single-player game you’ll need to flip it over your shoulder or wrap it around the headband.
There is one big drawback to the Ear Force XLa, and that’s that the Turtle Beach X12 Gaming Headset is just about the same price – if you can catch it on special you might even find it for exactly the same price as the XLa (it often is here on Mighty Ape) or slightly less. The X12 is technically the better headset – but be warned, the Ear Force XLa earpieces rest on your ears, while the X12 earpieces (like most earpieces on expensive headsets) fit over/around your ears. That means that if you wear glasses (like me) the X12 can be quite uncomfortable, pressing the arms of your glasses into your head – thankfully the Ear Force XLa avoids that.
So, by all means, check to see if you can find a X12 on special, but if the X12 is full price or you wear glasses, the XLa is a solid 2nd choice.