Turtle Beach Ear Force Z6A PC Gaming Headset

Unnecessary features are easy to forgive in most devices, but when those features are implemented in a way that hinders, it's a problem. For example, 5.1-channel surround sound in headphones is unnecessary, because even with individual drivers for the channels there isn't enough space or acoustics for the channels to image accurately and give a real surround-sound experience. That's not to say that they can't still serve as great stereo headphones, but when the design of headphones requires you to have a 5.1-channel surround sound card, the unnecessary feature limits the usefulness of an otherwise-solid product. That's the main problem with the Turtle Beach Ear Force Z6A ($99.95 list). It's a 5.1-channel gaming headset that feels and sounds great for its price, but requires a special sound card in your PC to work, even if you want to listen to content in stereo.

Design
The headset has an attractive, metallic aesthetic to it, with mostly black ear cups trimmed in chrome and blue. The ear cups and headband are lightly padded, and hinges and pivots where the ear cups meet the headband ensure a comfortable fit with little adjustment. I popped the headset on my overly large head and it sat comfortably without having to mess with the headband. A very long mic on one ear cup flips down in either direction and can bend to the best position for voice chat. The headset has no lights and no controls, leaving everything to the separate in-line remote module, which connects to the headset cable and the PC or Xbox 360 with optional adapter kit.

The remote is a small, black block with multiple dials, including wheels to control front, center, surround, and subwoofer volume, a mic muting switch, and a main volume knob (which you'll likely use far more than the individual channel wheels). For the Xbox 360, the remote has a microphone input for connecting with and Xbox 360 controller, since the 3.5mm plugs on the cable aren't compatible.

Hooking up the headset is easy, because it relies on you having a 5.1-channel surround sound card with 3.5mm outputs. Just plug the different parts into the matching colored ports, plug in the USB connector for power, and it's ready. Unfortunately, unlike the much more complicated Tritton AX Pro ($169.99, 3 stars) with its Dolby Pro Logic II and optical input, you can't simply flick a switch and distribute stereo sound across the headset's drivers. It doesn't even work with just the front channel plug in a headphone jack; sound doesn't come through. The Z6A can work with an Xbox 360, but only with an optional kit that splits the stereo RCA output to the surround cables. Turtle Beach offers a stereo adapter cable with 3.5-mm and ?-inch plugs, but the adapter seems very short, considering the headset's cable is only about two feet up to the break-away connector (the 5.1-channel cable that holds the control unit and connects to the computer is, fortunately, much longer).

Performance
Like the more expensive Tritton AX Pro?and the Logitech G35 ($129.99, 3 stars), the Ear Force Z6A boasts surround sound. And like the other headphones, the Z6A doesn't really deliver a compelling surround-sound experience. It has several individual drivers placed around the cup to produce the surround sound effect, like the AX Pro. Even with individual channels and drivers, there simply isn't enough room or acoustic surfaces to give a sense of being surrounded by audio sources. The different channels blend together, making listening sound more like an enhanced stereo experience. You can make out the different drivers' channels occasionally, but when everything's firing, there isn't much of a sense of being bombarded from all directions.

The headset handles movie and music very well, with generally great stereo audio quality. During testing, I listened to That Handsome Devil's "Rob the Prez O Dent" and "Viva Discordia," and they both had a lot of punch in the songs' rhythmic bass and sharp drum kicks. The higher notes, like the banjo, kazoo, and trombone in "Viva Discordia," sounded overly bright and kept the headset from offering a truly well-rounded listening experience.

For a $100 pair of headphones, the Turtle Beach Ear Force Z6A offers some nice bass. Despite not having the sound isolation of more expensive, dedicated over-the-ear headphones that focus entirely on keeping outside noise out of the ears (and making voice communication sound awkward, since you can't hear yourself well), deep notes sound full and undistorted. In our bass test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," the headset handled the intense, flat bass notes without cracking or distorting. The low end had a decent amount of punch, but the ear cups' lack of a solid seal kept it from really hitting hard.

The Turtle Beach Ear Force Z6A gaming headset sounds very good and feels remarkably comfortable. It doesn't quite deliver on the surround sound experience and actually requires a 5.1-channel sound card unless you get an optional adapter, which holds the headset back. If you have a sound card that supports surround sound and don't want to spend more than $100 on a solid gaming headset, you've got a winner. If you don't have a surround sound card, consider the slightly bulkier, less expensive Tritton AX 180 ($69.99, 3 stars).?If you're willing to pay a little more for a headset, consider the USB-based Editors' Choice Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 ($159.99, 4 stars).?

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