REVIEW: Exspect Xbox 360 Gaming Headset

Many users of game consoles would agree that manufacturer’s own products are always more expensive than third party producers. For instance my own Xbox 360 headset broke last year and I was left in a pickle on whether to pay £12.99 for just a headset.  In the end I went for  a package that included Xbox Live Gold so it worked out alright.  However what about those other options you don’t hear much about? They’re cheaper but are they as good? I’ve got Exspect’s version of the Xbox 360 Gaming Headset to see what the deal is.

So first of all, lets discuss the build quality.  Headphones are chucked around and need to be strong but also flexible to fit on various different head sizes.  Cosmetically, compared to the official Microsoft headset, it looks exactly the same bar the lack of an Xbox 360 logo on the side yet this really doesn’t matter.  When you feel the weight of the two headphones they are very similar and there is no difference, both providing a good firm construction.  Other than that, you’ll agree it is more important to see how it actually works.

I tried both headsets while playing Tom Clancy’s End War, a game controlled by voice commands, and discovered an interesting find.  There was no difference. Literally none.  If any the Exspect one picked up my commands faster but nevertheless I was surprised that a third party manufacturer could compete with any Microsoft hardware.  If you were given the two and didn’t know which was which, you wouldn’t be able to figure it out just by its function.  There is only one problem I’ve found with the Exspect headset and that is the connection area. As you can see in the video, the Exspect one is smaller than the Microsoft connection and does not in fact fit securely into the 360 controller.  Now it still works but it feels like if you knocked it, the Exspect connection piece could come off.  One other slight annoyance on the little Exspect unit, is that the switch to mute the mic is less pronounced (so harder to use in the heat of online play) than the official Microsoft one. Yet these are little annoyances and in my opinion are balanced by the cheaper price.  Obviously the biggest benefit by using third party vendors, is the lower cost.  For instance the Exspect headset ranges from £5-8 whereas the official Microsoft one is around £12.  Take it what you will, but the cost will heavily influence you on purchasing these products.

So there we go, you don’t always need to opt for official products as there are many great third party makers out there.  For instance Exspect have done a great job with the Xbox 360 headset and provide a great and cheaper alternative if you need a new one. Don’t forget to check out their other products at www.exspect.co.uk