Socializing with your friends is a huge part of the Xbox Live service, whether you’re taking advantage of the Kinect’s video chat feature (interesting late night sessions have come up, we’ll tell you what), talking with your friends in Party Chat, or yelling in someone’s ear after owning them like mad in Call of Duty: Black Ops or Halo: Reach. That’s why it helps to have a good quality headset, and along with the elaborate Astro Gaming and Turtle Beach headsets that are available, we’ve found yet another great one with Logitech’s F540. And, hey, it’s wireless! Wireless is important in a headset because wires have a tendency of getting in your way when all you’re trying to do is play the game. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve gotten wires tangled with our Astro Gaming set. With the Logitech, you simply set up the audio receiver (with the audio outputs), sync it up with the headset, plug in your chat cable from your Xbox 360 controller to the headset, and off you go. Now, it’s not entirely that simple, since there are different configurations depending how you have your Xbox 360 connection set up.
If you have component cables, for instance, you’ll need to set up an audio input work-around. If you have an Elite through HDMI, you’ll just need to set up separate connections. It’s all listed in the headset’s easy-to-follow instructions, and the necessary secondary equipment, including audio cable and USB plug-ins for the headset’s use on the PlayStation 3, is in the box. Once you are connected (which takes a matter of minutes), you’re ready to go. The first few sessions we experienced with the headset took some getting used to, as the 5.1 sound isn’t quite as high in quality as most surround sound set-ups. But, for a headset, it provides excellent stereo sound, with adjustable volumes for both chat and in-game audio. You can also access a mute button, should you need to block yourself out from cursing someone out. (In a rather neat inclusion, a light-up indicator lets you know when your mute is on and off.
We certainly could’ve used that with our last Halo 3 sessions.) The headset is quite comfortable, going with smooth padding around the ears and an adjustable mike that won’t press up against your lips (unless you make it that way, mind you). You can easily slip the headset on and off without worrying about abundant connections, and the rechargeable unit lets you plug it in and power it up for ten hours of use. It’s nice to have recharge ability, rather than needing to plug the unit into a wall (like Astro Gaming) or buy six hundred batteries. (We need to save those for the controllers.) Despite its high price ($149.99), Logitech’s F540 wireless headset is a must if you’re looking for a quality headset with none of the obtrusive wiring. It connects rather easily and works remarkably during gameplay sessions, and although it’s lacking in bass boost, it delivers an overall experience that’ll grace your ears like an explosive symphony. And that’s what we want when we’re fragging our friends, right?
Final Recommendation: BUY IT
