Ultra Cool Gadgets

The StarTech ICUSBAUDIO USB 2.0 to Audio Adapter turns a USB port to audio jacks and lets you to add headsets and microphones to your computer without needing to unplug other devices. The adapter is USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 compliant and supports the USB audio device specification 1.0. Installation is as simple as plugging it in and the sound quality it outstanding.
The StarTech ICUSBAUDIO USB 2.0 to Audio Adapter works with Windows 98SE and up, and Mac OS 9.x and later.

Technical Details

* Adapter turns USB port into two audio jacks
* Supports the USB audio device specification 1.0
* Compliant with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1
* Compatible with Windows 98SE and up, and Mac OS 9.x and later

Customer feedback:

1. I have a Dell laptop (Precision M20) with pretty poor sound quality – lots of background noise and hiss no matter how I adjust the volume. I often like to listen to headphones both at work and at home to avoid distractions, but the poor sound quality of the built in sound card made the experience barely tolerable. I took a chance on this StarTech product and have been very impressed. I just plugged it into an unused USB port and after about a minute Windows XP had found a driver (did not have to use the included CD) and told me it was ready to go. I plugged in my headphones and immediately began to enjoy great sound.

2. So anyway, bottom line for me, for the price, not a bad purchase. The sound is good. I haven’t tried the mic portion. It DID fix some of the crackling and it’s certainly easy to transport. You just MIGHT get annoyed with it if your laptop only has 2 open USB ports since it’s a slight squeeze to get anything to fit with it, but it DOES fit.

The Ear Force X4 wireless headphones push your Xbox 360 gaming experience to a whole new level with the thrill and realism of Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound. Pump up the volume without disturbing friends, family, or neighbors. Freely move around as you play. Hear every nuance of the game – from an opponent sneaking behind you to your teammate’s voice right next to you. Trash talk online. Block out distractions. Feel the game expand all around you and become a better player. Conventional Xbox 360 communicator headsets compromise the gaming experience by covering one ear for chat, leaving only a single ear for game audio from the speakers. The Ear ForceX4 Wireless Headphones overcome this problem by playing both the game audio AND the online chat on a single set of high fidelity headphones. The result is the intense experience, privacy, clarity, and competitive edge of PC headphones on the Xbox 360 platform. The Ear Force X4 Xbox 360 Wireless Headphones let you totally focus on your game play and not become distracted by the noise around you. With Dobly surround sound pumped right into your ears, you can hear every nuance of the game all around you in a way that isn’t possible when hearing it as background sound with speakers. In addition, because the Xbox Live chat is mixed in with the game signal, you can hear what everyone is saying right in the middle of your head, enabling you to communicate more effectively with other players.

Product Features

* Dolby Pro Logic II provides surround sound from PLII encoded audio and also enhances stereo
* Hear XBOX Live Chat plus stereo game sound with a heart-thumping bass boost that adds sonic realism
* Dynamic Talkback lets you hear chat even when the game gets louder; Separate controls for game and chat volumes.
* Eliminates game sounds picked up by chat mic; mic monitor lets you hear what you’re saying
* Digital input for highest XBOX sound quality, plus analog input for TV and other audio sources

Customer feedback:

1. Lightweight and everything as advertised. I wish the ear cups were a little larger, but the wireless feature is a huge blessing. I recommend if you can afford them. I have had two other 5.1 headphones, and these are the best.

2. I bought the X4′s hoping they would have addressed the hissing and they had not. That being said the X4′s have very good 5.1 sound. The hissing is at its loudest when the cable from the puck is plugged into the headphones. If I’m playing single player games I do not plug it in and they sound great. Even with the cable plugged in the hissing is only detremental when there is no game sounds or in a lobby and hardly noticeable in the heat of action.
A nice feature is the fact that I can receive 5.1 surround on my X4′s and X3′s at the same time which is nice for watching movies with the wife and not waking up the baby (and yes the X4′s do sound better than the X3′s in a side by side comparison over 5.1). Another nice feature is that it has an optical out so if I want to play the sound through my receiver and surround speakers I just turn on the receiver without rewiring.

Unlike most gaming headphones on the market, the TekNmotion Pulsar SX was designed to offer PC gamers the opportunity to customize their audio experience. The Pulsar SX not only delivers quality sound, but it awards gamers an important option. The Pulsar SX supports both 7.1 channel virtual surround sound using a USB 2.0 connector and 2.1 channel stereo sound using a standard 3.5-millimeter audio plug. Now gamers can choose which type of connection works best for them with the flick of a switch. Regardless of your sound card, PC or Mac, Pulsar SX delivers both superior audio performance and compatibility.The Pulsar SX comes loaded with innovative features that gamers want and need. To communicate with other players, the Pulsar SX has a detachable noise-canceling microphone.
Pulsar SX also sports immersive Sonic Force Feedback vibration effects, allowing you to not only hear the sound, but feel it too. Pulsar SX also puts on a pulsating and dazzling light show tied to the game action or music making you the center of attention. Both the vibration and lighting effects can be adjusted using the Dynamic Master Control unit.

Technical details:

# Pulsar SX Features Include USB or Standard Mini-Jack connectors. Dynamic Master Control box with Master-Mode and Sub-Mode switches.
# Detachable, Full Duplex Microphone with Mute button. Vibration intensity adjustment control. Sound volume adjustment control. Fully Adjustable Headband with Padded Leather Cushion. Soft & Comfortable Full-Surface Ear Cups.
# With the Pulsar SX, your game audio not only sounds great, it feels great too due to “Sonic Force Feedback” vibration effects. This gives the gamer a realistic and uncompromised audio experience.

Customer feedback:

1. The Pulsar has lights, vibration and you can connect with either USB or the usual Stereo Audio jack for your sound card. I liked that option because I have a Dell laptop that does not have a good sound card so I use USB. On my gaming computer I plug it into my X-Fi sound card. The sound is really good for the price you pay. The bass seems pretty deep for these speakers. Probably due to the extra vibration effects. I got a little tired of the vibration so I turned it down using the control box. The control box has several switches and dials that allow you to control the strength of the lights and vibration or turn them off completely. I wore them to a LAN center and the lights were a big hit. In a low light setting these lights are really cool. I can’t see them, but everyone else could, which is kind of neat because they let people know if you’re listening to something. They look good with the lights off too. I also would think that a DJ would like to have these since the lights blink with the game or music.

2. Good:

Affordable
Comfortable
Mic works great
Sound is better than expected
Good looking

Bad: (If I really want to be picky)

Gets a little warm when wearing for two hours in an 80 deg. room

Empower the most technically advanced audio headset in the world with true 5.1 digital surround sound. Dolby Digital and Dolby Prologic certified ensures optimum sound separation and quality. The Audio Xtreme 360 (AX360), is designed for the ultimate gamer with Rumble Headset Technology and includes a removable microphone that is XBOX Live compatible. True digital 5.1 sound is achieved through 8 strategically placed speakers, 4 in each ear cup. The external 5.1 audio controller can connect two specialized AX360 headsets, includes Fiber Optic and Digital Coaxial inputs, 5.1 analog outputs and multiple adjustments for volume and digital sound processing. The AX360 give total control with inline volume adjustments for front, side, rear, and vibration to customize the users own audio extravaganza.Not only has the graphics of games improved but so has the audio with most games being encoded with Dolby Digital and 5.1 adding a new dimension to the gaming experience. With the AX360, gamers can hear when their enemies are sneaking up behind them, the roar of engines as they pass the competition, bullets flying from side to side and explosions emitting from all directions over the battlefield. PC gamers can connect via an optical port or the 5.1 inputs on a sound card through a specialized G9 adapter provided.

Technical Details

* Professional-grade gaming headphones with rumble headset technology
* True 5.1 digital audio, with Dolby Digital
* 8 speakers, 4 in each cup
* Fiber-optic and digital coaxial audio inputs
* Compatible with PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PC games

Customer feedback:

1. I play my 360 on my computer monitor at home which is in the living room with my wife. She’s usually watching TV so I wanted something that would give me the super quality 5.1 audio, but I needed it in a headset so I wouldn’t disturb my wife. I also needed something that would work as a 360 headset so I wouldn’t have to wear 2 headsets (one for xbox live and one for game sound).
This is the perfect solution. The sound quality (now that I have a replacement headset) is 2nd to none. They’re very comfortable which is important for hours of gaming play. Did I mention the sound quality is great? It works very well with xbox live and they give you PLENTY of cord for the headset. It even includes an optical cable and has an adapter for hookup up a 5.1 computer sound card. That’s a nice touch. I can use it for my computer too…. Like I would go back to the computer after the 360 though…

2. I use these for my Xbox 360 and recommend them to anyone who wants to enjoy games at full volume without bothering others (in my case, my wife). I nearly reached for the phone when, in Rainbow 6 during a Live game, the phone rang in one of the office cubes. It was to the right and behind me, where my phone is in the “real world.” However, this time the ringing was in the game! I could also hear that someone left a radio on in their cube to the right of me. I also love that you can hear explosions and gunfire – even gun casings as they hit the ground – all coming from a specific direction.