Plantronics GameCom X10 headset for Xbox and Xbox 360
by
phungus
,
in Movies, Books at Epinions.com
,
Jul 14, 2007
Pros:
Very comfortable, easy to use, has other uses
Cons:
Chord is too short, does not include an Xbox Live Communicator
The Bottom Line:
If you need to replace your Microsoft brand headset, this one is far superior.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I have a beagle puppy named Lucy who just loves the headset for my Xbox. A few weeks ago, she got loose in the house while my wife and I were gone, and she spent her time obliterating my Microsoft brand Xbox headset into about two dozen different pieces. I immediately went to eBay to find a replacement, but then opted to buy one locally and not have to wait. I went to a local game store and found this Plantronics GameCom X10 for a very reasonable $19.95.
The Plantronics GameCom X10 is black and green in color, so it is designed to go along with the original Xbox or Xbox 360. However, it has a multitude of other uses. Even though it is considered a ‘gaming’ headset, it is still just a standard earpiece and microphone that can be put to many other uses. For example, I plugged it into the headphone jack of both my Samsung cellular phone as well as my Panasonic cordless home phone, and it worked great in both.
The X10 does not come with the Xbox Live Communicator, which is the small device that plugs into the top of the Xbox controller and gives you a headphone jack to plug this into. Lucky for me, Lucy only tore up my original headphones and not the Communicator, so I didn’t need to buy another one. If you do need one, you can find them on eBay or at most game stores for about five or six bucks.
This headset is much more comfortable than the Microsoft one because it sits on top of your head instead of hanging on the back of your neck. I always thought Microsoft used a really weird design. This headset uses a big foam-covered earpiece that is very comfortable, and the other side of the headset is a little rubber piece that hold it onto your head. I have a pretty good size head, such as how most ‘one size fits all’ hats don’t fit me, and I still found this headset to fit well.
The performance is just as good as Microsoft’s, too. The day I go it, I went online and tested it out and it sounded just the same. Voices are nice and clear and the other people could hear me well, too. Plantronics included an inline volume control and microphone muting button, even though the Xbox Live Communicator also has a button to mute the microphone.
My only complaint about this headset is that the chord is too short. It’s just long enough for me to hold the controller in my lap and it reach the top of my head. The inline volume controller is located right in the middle of the cable, so it often slips around my chest and ends up under my arm while I am playing. I quickly learned to ignore it, but I still wish the chord had been a couple more feet long. Either way, it’s just a minor annoyance.
In the end, I’m very happy with my Plantronics GameCom X10. It is much more comfortable than the original Microsoft brand headset, and it performs just as well. Lucy also seems to like it, since I’ve had to take it away from her more than once.
