Ear Force X4: Surround headphones for the Xbox 360
Turtle Beach Ear Force X4 headset
(Credit: Turtle Beach)Turtle Beach has just unveiled its latest surround sound headset for the Xbox 360. The Ear Force X4 offers a wireless connection to the 360 (thanks to a separate base station) and it doubles as an Xbox Live communicator for chatting during multiplayer games (the microphone and headphone-to-controller tether can be removed during solo gameplay). The Ear Force X4 delivers full Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic II surround decoding, and the standard optical digital and analog stereo inputs mean that it can be connected to virtually any other audiovisual source beyond the Xbox 360.
While previous Xbox-centric Ear Force models--the Ear Force AXT and Ear Force X2--have suffered from excessive wiring requirements and other design flaws, we're hoping the X4 will be more in line with the Ear Force AK-R8, an excellent surround headset for the PC. The $200 Ear Force X4 is now shipping; look for a full CNET review soon.
John P. Falcone covers home theater and network entertainment products. He's been writing for CNET since 2002. 
