Turtle Beach XO Three review

I prioritise my audio experience when it comes to gaming, so when it comes to choosing the best headset to match my demands I’m very particular. The trouble is, it’s expensive and not everyone wants to be spending £250+ on their headsets. Turtle Beach know that and as a result have headset at the lower end of the price scale to capture the market.

Their latest headset The XO Three does exactly that and for £49.99 you are a getting a great headset that won’t break the bank. The overall presentation of the headset is good, you know straight away that you are wearing a turtle beach headset, the black accompanied by the bright green on the ear cups stands out yet I’d still wear them out and about on my travels. The leather wrapping round the headband gives a premium look and feel while the ear cups offer plenty of padding.

Despite the low price, it’s a well built headset that has already had quite a rough ride thanks to my 9 year old and his “I promise I’ll be careful” attitude. The strong frame has held together despite being stood on twice and dropped way more than a headset should.

My longest game session in them was around four hours and I never felt uncomfortable or sweaty despite the recent hot weather. The ear-cups fold flat when not in use which is great for placing around your neck so that you comfortably hold your head in your hands as you suffer a last second defeat on Rocket League (cries).

Setting up the headset is as simple as plugging the headset onto the 3.5mm port on the controller and you are good to go, although the headset doesn’t offer surround sound, it is surround sound ready. If you head into the audio settings of the Xbox you can select the output as Windows Sonic giving you a surround feel – it’s really impressive.

I couldn’t quite hear footsteps around me but while playing Mass Effect Andromeda I quickly got immersed into my adventures, the bass levels were excellent and I was pleased with the overall results of the set. The XO Three has online controls allowing you to quickly adjust Master Volume and Mic Mute.

The detachable boom mic is excellent – in fact the comments from the TiX team suggested that I was even clear than I am on my mega expensive set, bonus points for this set.

Because you have a 3.5mm connection, you can plug the set into your mobile or tablet with ease and take them on your travels, which is great, although they do leak sound a fair bit, so I have had to limit the amount of Spice Girls I could listen to.

For £49.99 you are getting an excellent headset, which is perfect for those of us on a budget. It sounds great, is well made and comfortable to wear. Sometimes cheaper is better.