Sennheiser Headset X 2

An unpretentious replacement for your ropey Xbox 360 headset.

The original Xbox 360 headset that you plug into your controller always felt like an afterthought. Sure, it worked after a fashion, but it was very much a utilitarian piece of kit. It was not going to win a fashion contest, and its flimsy design made its long-term use pretty suspect.

A lot of players in the headset market have recognised this and there are now a myriad of replacements on the shelves. These vary from the total headset with full surround sound, to wireless units and cheap knock off replacements. Sennheiser have come to the rescue with their “Headset X 2”, and its "less is more" design direction.

While they're not widely available here in NZ yet, we expect this unit to retail for around $50 - $70. Not the cheapest but certainly value for money if you take into account the Sennheiser name and their attention to quality.

Technical Specifications

This headset is very much in the style of the standard Xbox 360 unit, with a single ear piece and microphone. As you would expect from Sennheiser, the technical specifications are good. The unit can pump out 95Db with a frequency response of 42hz-1700Hz. As the unit is clearly intended for online voice applications, voice clarity is what you are looking for here. Sennheiser don't disappoint, with background noise cancelling technology and a microphone frequency response of 90-15000hz

The X 2 comes with a generous 1.1 metre cord which, considering it plugs directly into the controller, should be plenty for anyone. The cord features an in-line volume and mute control.

Comfort

The word "featherweight" springs to mind when wearing this unit. It weighs in at a low 54 grams. Its light but durable plastic design has an internal telescoping ratchet adjustment that is smooth but positive. It has a slightly bigger adjustment range than the standard Xbox 360 unit.

To keep the headset in place, the X 2 relies on the clamping effect of the over-the-head strap and a foam pad that sits above your "other" ear (where a second speaker would be on a traditional headset). The foam pad is quite firm and, during extended use, we found this pressure point uncomfortable as it clamps just above the ear. This could have a lot to do with the shape of our heads and ears, but a softer padding would have been good.

Robustness

The unit's light weight would at first glance suggest something quite delicate, but the tough plastic and its simple design means that you can throw it around in disgust or sit on it with confidence. The unit survived our cord stretch test; there was no evidence of stretch, and the grommets at both ends of the unit were flexible and looked to be long lasting.

Operation

In operation, the unit is pretty straight forward with the in-line volume control and mute switch set at a comfortable distance from the unit (at around waist level.)

The microphone is of the non-flexible stick variety, with about 170 degrees of up and down movement. This makes the unit for the left ear only (sorry to you righties out there.)

One key area of concern however was the way in which the unit plugs into the controller itself. Like the stock headphones, it is quite a "soft" fit and does not take much of a tug to pull it out again. Unlike the stock unit though, it does not have a locking clip; so,in use, if you do get a bit excited, there is a chance you will disconnect yourself.

Sound Quality (Subjective)

As you would expect from the Sennheiser team, the audio quality is very good. There was no obvious distortion and the clarity was excellent.

Overall

This is a stylish piece of kit. Its black colour, and accented green ear piece, set off the overall elegant look of the unit. This is a very good quality headset and, if you are looking for something that gives you a little bit extra in the understated “cool” department, this is the one for you.

The Verdict: