Review of the Turtle Beach EarForce DSS surround sound unit

For those of you following my blog, you know I have the Turtle Beach X11 headset. I love the headset, but it is only stereo. At times it has a hint of surround sound, as I can sometimes tell when something is behind me. Well, last week the TB DSS Surround Sound Unit went on sale at NewEgg. This unit can be used with any stereo headphones, but was designed for the TB line, and essentially turns the X11 headset into the DX11.

The set up was straight forward, but be warned, it needs an optical output. If you have an older XBoX 360 this can be a problem. You will need an adapter with an optical out. These are cheap, but no longer made by XBOX. That and some of the versions by XBOX actually block the HDMI output. You CAN buy the right versions at Amazon for anywhere from 4-8 bucks. mine came with a 6' HDMI cable as well.

Hook up the adapter, then plug the other optical end to the DSS unit. Then plug the usb cable (included) into the XBOX for power (use the rear usb if possible). In the front simply plug in the headphones and headphone usb power (if needed) to the DSS unit. You are ready to go! Now I was a bit concerned, because I used to use the X11s for TV as well. They have thought of this, and there is an additional analog input in the rear of the DSS. Simply plug in the analog from the back of your TV into the DSS, and you will be able to watch TV as well! When you turn your XBox on, the unit senses the optical input and turns the analog input off. When it senses the digital input, it goes from enhanced stereo to Dolby 5.1 or 7.1 mode. Both give improved sound, but the Dolby is truly amazing. There is a bypass button in case you want to hear things as they were before you bought the DSS, but so far i haven't found a reason to.

There are a few adjustment knobs to fiddle with. First is the input volume. This is for the analog input only. Max it out unless you have problems from overload, when you can turn it down. The other two controls are bass boost, and output volume. adjust these to your liking. Since I have controls for game volume already on my headset, it is a simple matter of adjust and forget. No more fiddling with the unit, which is great. For many surround sound systems you have to fiddle with settings for every game. So far I haven't had that issue with the DSS.

To test the system, I played two of the online games I have played the most with the X11 headset, Black Ops and Reach. I noticed an immediate change in Black Ops. The sound was truly immersive. Several times I wanted to take the headphones off and check the Tv volume level, as I was sure I was bothering everyone in the house. The sound seems like it is coming from OUTSIDE the headphones, which is a very good and promising sign! I also noticed more and different sounds in the game itself. I could pinpoint gunfire position and distance, which I could not do before. Gunfire was a bit generic, but now I could guesstimate where each bit of fire was coming from, which allowed me to turn in time when the battle had moved to the side or behind me. I could also hear and pinpoint voices, grenade pins, footsteps, and voices. A big advantage when you are playing. Overall it helped my gameplay a lot.

In Halo the difference was just as, if not more, dramatic. I have not played in some time. After playing a couple of warm up games I quickly went 15-2 in my next DMR slayer match. I could tell where EVERYONE was. Any time a sound was made I knew precisely where it was coming from, and I could adjust and kill. These things are amazing! The combonation of the X11 and the DSS unit makes a truly good, and affordable surround sound system. Oh, and they work with wireless stereo headsets as well.

Now if you are in the market for an affordable surround sound headset, I would not hesitate to buy the DX11's. If you do not want to spend that much money right off, but want the ability to upgrade later, you can now do that. Just buy the best stereo gaming headphones you can afford (I personally think the X11's give you the best bang for the buck) and later add the DSS unit. You will be torching the competition in no time! And yes, it does truly make a difference in your gaming. How many times have you not been able to find the battle, only to be killed from behind or from the side? Now you will be able to locate the battle, and react before they get behind you, or manage to flank you, a definite bonus!

Now for the pics:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5ol0U94Ubg[/youtube]

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