Be careful purchasing Tritton/MadCatz headsets

nfs3freak

nfs3freak

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Just thought I'd let everyone know. I had purchased a Tritton AX Pro headset I use while gaming on PS3, it broke after a few months, so Tritton (after mishandling my information and taking over a couple months to respond and send a replacement) sent a replacement, and as of a few days ago that replacement has broken as well.

I contacted them if there was anything they can do since the product clearly can't make it to 6 months of barely any wear, and they ask I just buy a new one.
So just a word or caution, these headsets are great but they are not meant to last long at all.
 
Can you be more specific on how it is broken? Crack on the plastic, no sound, and etc. Because I have one of those and have no problem with it. It could just be you chucking them around when not using them or spilling some liquid on them.
 
[quote name='laaj']Can you be more specific on how it is broken? Crack on the plastic, no sound, and etc. Because I have one of those and have no problem with it. It could just be you chucking them around when not using them or spilling some liquid on them.[/QUOTE]

Sure. The first time my headset 'broke' one of the speakers stopped working in the right ear and one in the left started outputting a high pitch "squeal".
A few days ago, the left side broke open. The part where you adjust to lengthen or shorten the middle piece, it came apart from the ear attachment.
None of it was due to force or being thrown around. I've made sure to take good care of them. I can see where on the right side this could happen by the way it's pieced together.
It's good that yours hasn't had any problems. I didn't mind so much the first time, but for them to send me a new one and in less time break, is unfortunate.
 
I've had my Tritton AX720 headset since last year without any problems with mine and I've use them both for my PS3 and Xbox 360. Best part with the AX720 is that I can interchange headsets because the dongle can be separated from the headset...

 
I have some AX720s too and they seem pretty durable. Had them for a few months now and have had no problems. Don't know about the Pros though.
 
sucks to hear. ive always read that tritton was good about sending you replacements. the pros have been more susceptible to failure because it has 5-7? tiny drivers. if you lose one, its really noticeable.

if you have the $, on the bright side, you can go ax720, a40s or mixamp 5.8 wireless + your choice of cans.

scorch - in high end headphones, you need to go third party. nothing else compares. and of course, theres the madcatz TE fighting sticks that have become the gold standard (oddly enough, made by madcatz too. madcatz has changed for those that havent been paying attention.)
 
[quote name='Scorch']never buy third party anything for the PS3 or 360..[/QUOTE]

Pretty much. I have 2 Madcatz PS3 controllers that no longer work because of a PS3 firmware update.
 
[quote name='Scorch']never buy third party anything for the PS3 or 360..[/QUOTE]

Actually I've found many of the third-party 360 headsets to be superior to the crappy OEM Microsoft ones.
 
Had the same issue with the AX Pro's.

They do break(specifically the mic)

They sent me a loner which i kept(LOL) while they replace my headset, but the mic cuts out still. If you want a reliable surround sound headset go with Astro's
 
[quote name='Brainberry']Had the same issue with the AX Pro's.

They do break(specifically the mic)

They sent me a loner which i kept(LOL) while they replace my headset, but the mic cuts out still. If you want a reliable surround sound headset go with Astro's[/QUOTE]

Brainberry, do you happen to know if the Astros are true surround sound cans? At first I thought they were, then read in another CAG thread that they have only two drivers (simulated surround) instead of 6 (like the AX Pros or Sharkoon X-Tactics).

My pair of AX720s lasted fine during a year of ownership, though the microphone did have some significant issues... I found a cheap Bluetooth headset that sounded clearer anyway. Let's hope my upgrade to the 720 Pros can last longer, because so far I'm satisfied with their performance.

I hear that Tritton's CS isn't very good, so I might just contact them pre-emptively... ;)
 
[quote name='eLefAdEr']Brainberry, do you happen to know if the Astros are true surround sound cans? At first I thought they were, then read in another CAG thread that they have only two drivers (simulated surround) instead of 6 (like the AX Pros or Sharkoon X-Tactics).[/QUOTE]

More drivers doesn't mean better surround. In fact the sound quality will suffer with such small drivers.

Just check this out using good pair ($100+) of headphones: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BinauralPaper.ogg

No multiple drivers needed on each ear for awesome surround on headphones.
 
Some people prefer the "authentic" sound of the small drivers. Honestly, it probably isn't really important whether the headset has the drivers or lacks the multiple drivers.

Tritton's reply, after I showed them the receipt and the previous correspondence I had for the first replacement model, was that if they were meant to replace headsets that broke within that period of time/warranty, "[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]You would have an endless supply of our headsets that way". I don't know if, then, they know that their headsets (at least the AX Pros) have shown to not last.

I've heard good things about the AX720s, as well as Astro headsets. I'll figure out what is the next best option since obviously I'm not replacing my AX Pros with another set of the same headset.
[/FONT]
 
I got the Mixamp wireless 5.8 with Nuforce earbuds. saving money up for another actual good headset though to use on it.
+1 for working awesomely though and being well built, 4 months in and not broke which is great for me.
 
[quote name='Scorch']never buy third party anything for the PS3 or 360..[/QUOTE]



what he said. i learned my lesson back in the nm64 days all those mad catz memory cards. though i think nowdays you can find non sony branded items that will work well.
 
[quote name='nfs3freak']Some people prefer the "authentic" sound of the small drivers. Honestly, it probably isn't really important whether the headset has the drivers or lacks the multiple drivers.
[/QUOTE]

There is nothing authentic about small or multiple drivers. Multiple drivers are purely marketing gimmick. Human brain determine where the sound came from based on time it took for that sound to reach both ears. It might reach the right ear first just few millisecond before the left ear which tells you how right of center that sound came from.

Headphone are different than speakers, so it requires some kind of processor to account for the fact that sound from one side won't reach the other on headphones and the delay it takes for sound from speakers to reach your ears aren't there.
 
[quote name='lokizz']what he said. i learned my lesson back in the nm64 days all those mad catz memory cards. though i think nowdays you can find non sony branded items that will work well.[/QUOTE]

Lots of third party stuff is fine. My MadCatz Street Fighter IV Arcade Stick has been going strong for two years now. My Plantronics Headset on the 360 is superior to the authentic Microsoft ones.
 
[quote name='whoknows']Pretty much. I have 2 Madcatz PS3 controllers that no longer work because of a PS3 firmware update.[/QUOTE]
That's likely because they're USB dongle controllers and Sony blocked those because of people attempting to hack their console via USB flash drive. Many other people had the same issue.

There are Bluetooth third party ones out there, you just have to find them.:D
 
Great. I just ordered AX Pro's. Everything I read about the AX Pro's had been positive... Now I wish I would have just bought MixAmp to use with my Sennheiser cans.
 
[quote name='snowsquirrel']Great. I just ordered AX Pro's. Everything I read about the AX Pro's had been positive... Now I wish I would have just bought MixAmp to use with my Sennheiser cans.[/QUOTE]

Well, I guess my threat was more or less a word of caution. Alot of people have had non-issues, or none as severe as mine. It'd just be dumb for me to replace my AX Pros with another set.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. I'm going to look into the Astros possibly.

[quote name='enufs8d']in case anyone hasn't read it yet:

all you need to read about gaming headsets. period.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1285726

disclaimer - im part of the camp that thinks Dolby headphone >>> "true sound" on tiny drivers[/QUOTE]

BTW Wotcher, thanks for the link! It's going to come in handy
 
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The more I searched, the more people I have found having problems with AX Pro's. But it seems that Tritton have updated the AX Pro's about 6 months ago, so I am willing to take a chance on them.

~S
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']That's likely because they're USB dongle controllers and Sony blocked those because of people attempting to hack their console via USB flash drive. Many other people had the same issue.

There are Bluetooth third party ones out there, you just have to find them.:D[/QUOTE]

They are USB. I find it ridiculous though that they don't work anymore because of that.

I hate hackers/people who pirate games.
 
[quote name='snowsquirrel']The more I searched, the more people I have found having problems with AX Pro's. But it seems that Tritton have updated the AX Pro's about 6 months ago, so I am willing to take a chance on them.

~S[/QUOTE]

if you ordered online, can't you just refuse the shipment?

ill make a last plea for Dolby Headphone(Tritton ax720, astros mixamp) vs ax pro. the ax pros use 5-7 tiny drivers/speakers that fit in each earcuff. you get a surround sound from the differences in the each speaker. but since its next to your ear, you'll definitely notice the gaps between each speaker. dobly headphone use alogrhythms to convert digital sound to any stereo headphones (including your senns.. great fit) by changing sounds' frequency or amplitude. it really trips out your brain to get surround sound.
 
[quote name='whoknows']They are USB. I find it ridiculous though that they don't work anymore because of that.

I hate hackers/people who pirate games.[/QUOTE]
Those USB controllers never worked right for me anyway. The Rocketfish ones from Best Buy are tolerable and only $10 each. They're styled after a 360 controller with the left stick and d-pad switched. They're pretty good for the money and they run on Bluetooth.
 
The buy-out of Tritton to Madcatz resulted in a lesser quality headset being built. A couple of guys swear by the original Tritton AX Pros about build quality and I expected Madcatz to screw up that quality in favor of cheaper parts since Trittons were originally more expensive than what Madcatz is currently offering. It was bound to happen, pretty much why I didn't bite on the Black Ops branded sets.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']That's likely because they're USB dongle controllers and Sony blocked those because of people attempting to hack their console via USB flash drive. Many other people had the same issue.

There are Bluetooth third party ones out there, you just have to find them.:D[/QUOTE]

No the fightpads work fine and they're 2.4 Ghz dongles. Plus the Sony Buzz buzzers are a 2.4 Ghz dongle. The old Mad Catz and other controllers that don't work anymore were made before 2007 so like 1st gen PS3 ones.

In terms of headsets I'm no audiophile, but I've had the Turtlebeach PX21's for 2 months now and they've been awesome.
 
[quote name='Scorch']never buy third party anything for the PS3 or 360..[/QUOTE]

Thing is there is no first party stereo headset for either system. Microsoft has actually contracted Mad Catz to make the first official wireless stereo headset for 360.
 
[quote name='enufs8d']if you ordered online, can't you just refuse the shipment?

ill make a last plea for Dolby Headphone(Tritton ax720, astros mixamp) vs ax pro. the ax pros use 5-7 tiny drivers/speakers that fit in each earcuff. you get a surround sound from the differences in the each speaker. but since its next to your ear, you'll definitely notice the gaps between each speaker. dobly headphone use alogrhythms to convert digital sound to any stereo headphones (including your senns.. great fit) by changing sounds' frequency or amplitude. it really trips out your brain to get surround sound.[/QUOTE]

I'm in your camp, good sir
 
I would like to add that Dolby Headphone aren't the only option on the market. There are other companies who do include in-house developed headphone processing on their receivers. So some people with high-end Yamaha A/V receivers won't need to spend any more money for this.

Dolby are the only ones licensing others to use them because other companies are scared they infringed on Dolby's patents.
 
[quote name='Brainberry']Had the same issue with the AX Pro's.

They do break(specifically the mic)

They sent me a loner which i kept(LOL) while they replace my headset, but the mic cuts out still. If you want a reliable surround sound headset go with Astro's[/QUOTE]

YOUR AVATAR.

I LOVE YOU.

Anyways yeah I've nary a problem with my Tritton AX180s
 
[quote name='GTmaster39']I'm kind of on the fence to buy these now. The turtle beach dpx21 are just as good right?[/QUOTE]

it depends. if you can't hear a hiss, theyre golden. buy them best buy. free 30? day return no restocking fee to try them out.
 
I bought a new Sony headset for playing Prince of Persia, I was taken aback with the sound quality it had. I had never experienced such quality in my entire life. I suggest gamers out there, to test the sound quality before purchasing the headsets, do not make the mistake of buying the headsets and then repenting about your purchase.
 
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