The Edge - Headsets - Frequency Response and Max Input

Comments on Categories #7 and #8

 

Category #7 - Frequency Response

 

Human Hearing

The following discussion is a very brief look at human hearing. Only some base information to help understand want we want to look for in a headset and what is important for the purchase of a headset to give that edge while gaming.
 
As humans we hear low frequencies down to 20 cycles per seconds, 'cycles per second' is expressed in hertz denoted Hz. This unit of measure was named in honor of Heinrich Hertz, the German physicist who in 1887 first produced electromagnetic waves. On the high end we hear up to 20,000Hz, well some of us do. As we age, or listen to music at high volumes, or are exposed to any loud sound our hearing is damaged and that damage translates into diminished ability to hear the higher frequencies.
 
Newer studies have demonstrated that some of us can hear down to 15Hz. One instrument that can generate frequencies below 20Hz is the organ. If you play a 16Hz note on the organ, it's that far left foot peddle, you can feel it, but hear it? The question is that in these new studies the people can feel the frequency and are aware of it, so they can repeatedly identify when the sound is generated, but, the question is, are they using their ears or the fact that another part of their body is vibrating in response to the harmonics of the tone.
 
Diminished hearing affects the higher frequencies and can reduce the ability to hear to 20Hz-6kHz from the normal 20Hz-20kHz. The lower frequencies stay in tact.
 

Human Speech

The frequencies we use to speak are broken down into two categories, the Voice Frequency (VF), also referred to as Voice Band, and the Fundamental Frequency. The more important of the two is the Voice Frequency. The range of Voice Frequency is 300 to 3400. The Fundamental Frequency range is 85 to 180Hz in men and in women 165 to 255Hz. Note that the fundamental tones fall below the low end of the VF range. As with the human hearing section above, our focus with this is not the discussion of human speech, but the knowledge that we need to be able to recreate frequencies from 85-3,400Hz to cover all of human speech.
 

Know your frequencies

The lower the frequency, the less directional. Bass is the rumble you hear from an explosion, but it's difficult to tell which direction it came from. We can think of bass as frequencies up to 100Hz. You want the headset to reproduce frequencies as low as possible, but, below 40Hz is of less importance than the mid-range. It's nice to hear that there was an explosion, but even in the real world, it is difficult to tell where it came from.
 
The mid-range, which is where the human voice falls, overlaps the bass range a bit and is generally considered to be 85-3,400Hz is the more important of the sonic range. After all, in gaming with a team, we need to be able to clearly communicate with our team. This is the range that contains most of the useful directional information that we hear aiding us with enemy location, again, the edge we seek.
 
Like the lower frequencies, the upper range which starts at 3kHz and goes to 20kHz, is not as critical to be able to reproduce as the mid-frequencies to aid us in gameplay. Again, better to have than not.

Summary of Category 7

What we are looking for is accurate reproduction of the mid-range frequencies and, as a bonus, the lower and higher the range, the better. With the frequency range category all headset manufacturers will report numbers that include the mid-range, so with this category, we will be able to look at the bonus areas, the high and the low, since by the numbers we always get the mid-range covered.
There are more detailed objective tests that can test how well the mid-range is reproduced, not just if it is reproduced. The mid-range frequency response will be covered in more detail in the subjective portion of the reviews. This is one are that a well done subjective point of view can be invaluable.
 

Category #8 - Maximum Input Wattage

 
The comments on this category are to be brief for now. This is a number that indicates what the drivers can endure without damage. Generally, the higher the better. Very high numbers indicate that unusual spikes will be less likely to damage the headset. If you are considering a headset that has a rating in this category that is considerably different from others you may be considering, it would be worth further investigation but not a deal breaker.

The Edge - Headsets - Transducer Type / Operating Principle

Category5 - Transducer Type / Operating Principle

This category is the first combined category in the list. Categories will be combined to decrease the number of headings and make the list more readable at a glance. The goal is to make the list less time consuming to study and get the information you need to make comparisons so it will be a useful tool in your selection of a set of headphones.
 

Transducer Type

Transducers are the devices that convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. The transducers are attached to or are a part of a physical object that moves in response to the application of the mechanical energy.
 

Coil Type Drivers

Coil type drivers, the type that most of us are the most familiar with, use a magnet to hold the driver coil in a neutral position. As energy is applied to the coil the driver moves quickly in and out to reproduce sound. Okay, that's way oversimplified, but if you really want to know how they work there are many article on the web that will go into as much detail as a MIT physics class. For the purposes of our search for a sonic edge it's important to know that when the list says ’dynamic’ under this heading that it is referring to coil type drivers.
 

Electrostatic Type Drivers

Electrostatic drivers are a less common driver type that use a sheet of Mylar suspended in an electrostatic field suspended between two rigid, porous, conductive plates. The front plate, or the plate closest to your ear, is the positive and the plate behind the Mylar, also called the stater, is the negative plate. When no energy is applied to the plates the stater is in the neutral position. As energy is applied to the plates the electrostatic charged stater moves back and forth in response to changes or fluctuations of current.

Other Driver Types

There are other types of drivers that reproduce sound. Another example is the ribbon type. These are actually a variation of the dynamic type but use a flat panel as rather than a cone to push air and bring the sound to our ears.
 
If you want to know more about driver types or transducer types do a web search, but be mindful of the fact that in our computer driven age the word ’driver’ has more than one meaning. It not only refers to the moving part of the speaker or headset that reproduces sound, it also refers to the widget that translates binary code to analog energy so that sound can be reproduced.
 
The transducer type will not always be listed, most manufacturers don't list the transducer type, because most are dynamic. If a headset has electrostatic drivers, the company will list it, therefore, if not listed we assume dynamic. This is a safe assumption in that with respect to sound reproduction the driver type is not as important as the subjective experience.
 

Operating Principle

This part of the category is the way the headset couples to our ears. There are three basic ’Operating Principles’: in the ear, on the ear and over the ear. The in the ear principle are earbuds and those we are not yet covering. The on the ear principle are called superaural. And the over the ear principle are called circumaural. Superaural and circumaural headsets can also either be open or closed.
 

In the Ear - Earbuds

Earbuds we are not yet covering. They are very popular with portable or on the go music players. Their advantage is their size, they are highly portable and can be worn in public with anonymity. Because of their size they do not reproduce sound as well as their bigger counterparts. We write this with reservation, we do not mean to make a sweeping statement about earbuds, in fact there are earbuds designed to primarily be gaming headsets. Further, we recognize that there are well designed earbud gaming headsets that may outperform their superaural or circumaural and as the blog go on we intend to include these.
 

On the Ear - Superaural

These are padded headsets and the padding is placed on the ear. These tend be a bit more transportable than their larger circumaural counterparts and more acceptable to wear in public but are not able to reproduce sound quite as well by virtue of their coupling to the ear, their smaller drivers and the area of their dome.
 

Over the Ear - Circumaural

These are padded headsets that fit around the ear. Their larger drivers, greater area of enclosure and positive coupling principle give them sonic advantage over their smaller siblings. They are large, don't travel as well and can call out for attention in public, an advantage if you want to call attention to yourself, a disadvantage if you'd rather not. As an aside, a general observation, not to be confused with scientific data, superaural and to some degree even circumaural headphones are becoming more acceptable in public. This trend we hypnotise is driven by their better sound reproduction and our acceptance of those who wish to walk around in their own little music cocoon ignoring the rest of the world.
 

Open or Closed

This refers to whether the back of the headphone part of the headset is open to the outside world or sealed against it. Open designs let air and sound from the room in and let sound from the headphones out into the room. Closed designs block sound from entering or exiting the headphones. Open designs can be cooler keeping your ears not to get hot when gaming for long periods of time and allow you to here sounds from the room. Closed designs isolate your sonic environment bring you more into the game and can be hot as they insulate sound they insulate heat, for some this is an issue for some not.
 

Summary

Of the Transducer Types most will be dynamic in design and are dynamic unless otherwise stated. Operating Principles include Earbuds which are, for now, beyond the scope of this series of articles, Superaural or on the ear, are better travelers, and Circumaural or over the ear generally given the nod with regard to sound. Open versus Closed is a matter of personal preference.

The Edge - Headsets - Cable Length

Comments on Category #4

We know what you're thinking: finally, a short article. No, don't worry, we'll find a way to make it longer than necessary, with to much detail, and ramblings, well...sort of like we're already doing.
Just kidding, it can't get any more objective than this...Cable Length is our category #4. Don't overlook this category when choosing a headset. Think about where you sit when gaming, how much cable do you need. Your not going to get custom lengths, so you may have to buy an extension cable.
If you have different spots to lounge while gaming, you'll have to consider the location that will need the longest length of cable. Thankfully you can get extension cables in varying lengths. Don't get 15 meter cable if the longest you'll need is 2 meters just because it's inexpensive, you're not doing yourself any favors, cables can become a tangled mess if not extended.
You will want the cable to be long enough to lay across the area between you and your connection point, you don't want it stretched through the air like a overhead power grid line. With respect to this category, do a little measuring, from the connector point on the console or processor down to the floor, then across the floor to the point on the floor directly below your headset/ear location and up to the headset/ear location. Keep that measurement in mind while looking over the list's data. If the cable supplied is not long enough, you'll need an extension.

The Edge - Headsets - Microphone

Comments on Category #4 - The Mic

Thus far in the 'list' development the 'Mic' category contains one or two of the following type descriptors: Boom, In-line, Dynamic, Condenser, Pre-polarized. This post takes the terms one at a time for discussion.
 

Position or Form

The first two possibilities, Boom and In-line, describe the position of the microphone.
 

Boom

This term is the easiest to understand. A boom style mic is attached to the end of a rod, usually positionable via a flexible rod, called the boom, or it could be positioned by a pivot point allowing the mic to swivel up and down. The actual positioning function of the mic is more appropriately handled in the written or video review segment of the review rather than in the objective list. While true that some booms pivot 270° and others can be attached to either side of the headset, there are issues with the variations that need to be considered and some experienced gained to give that hands on point of view we want.
 

In-line

This term is the second designation of where the mic is located. Like it's name says it's in the line (cable) that leads to the headphone portion of the headset. For those of us familiar with headsets for mobile phones, this is a common alternative to the on the ear bluetooth style earpiece/mic.
 

Microphone Basic Type

The other three terms Dynamic, Condenser, and Pre-polarized are terms that describe how the microphones work from a theoretical perspective. We will stick to general overview of these three terms for now.
Dynamic and Condenser are terms that are not combined, in other words, these are basic principles. We can have a dynamic mic or a condenser mic, it's either or, not both. The other term, pre-polarized can be combined with other terms. For example you may have a pre-polarized condenser microphone.
 

Dynamic Mic

This type of microphone is the simpler microphones in the list so far. These type of mics work on the electromagnetic induction principle, the same principle that the drivers in speaker systems use. An electromagnetic coil is moved back and forth with a cone that moves in response to sound.
 

Condenser Mic

These type of microphones are also called capacitor or electrostatic microphones. There are two plates in the pickup. The front plate is a moving diaphragm the responds to sound and the change in distance between the front plate or diaphragm, and the rear plate, a fixed plate is measured by one of two ways DC biased or frequency. The frequency type can use either radio frequency, RF, or high frequency, HF.
 

Pre-polarized

We are using this as an example of a term that is used in to further describe the microphone's basic type. If manufacturer feels that the term is significant enough with respect to the microphone's operation to note it, the term appears in the specifications or description.
We will note the inclusion of these term types as they occur in the list. The key here is that when you come across a term that has a low, or perhaps even singular occurrence in the list that you recognize that the manufacture is looking to set itself aside from the competition, implying an advantage, and we can respect that, after all, we are in search of the sonic edge.
Pre-polarization, by the way, helps define the directional quality of the mic. It's a good thing.
 

Other Microphone Types

The science behind the way microphones work is beyond the scope of this blog. We want to be aware of the different basic types and have a general idea of how they work as an aid to making our purchasing decision. This is true in any of these type of categories, that is categories that state a type of principle or form. We can group the microphones into two groups, so far, and being aware of the two groups could help us recognize patterns and make observations about the two that are unique to each.
There are other ways to pickup sound and transfer if to another location. Everything from fiber optic to cup and string. If other microphone types appear, we will include them in the. We don't see the cup and string as being practical.

The Edge - Headsets - Marketing

Building Experience - Marketing Influences Opinion

 

First, let's qualify...

 
Keep in mind that this post is not meant to serve as a completely fact checked article, it is meant to serve as an example of marketing. The source of this article comes from recollections of the story as told to me by associates of mine in the high end audio business in the mid eighties, in other words, memories of a few years ago. So, with this qualifying statement out of the way, and keep in mind that other views and comments on the body of the story are welcomed and encouraged. Read this as a story from memory based in truth and open to correction of the facts. Use it as a marketing story that illustrates how our opinions are shaped by marketers who understand human nature.
 

VHS, Beta, Video Disk

In the 1970's three video playback formats were developed by three different companies. VHS, Beta and Video Disk. VHS was developed by JVC, Beta by Sony, and the Video Disk format by RCA. All three formats were released and the respective companies had a look at the competition.
The RCA Video Disk format required that prerecorded disk were purchased to use the format as could be done with either of the other two formats. This format had a superior picture as compared to the other two formats but you couldn't use the format to record and playback. JVC and RCA were not threatened by the format and the market showed little interest. The format was used by a select number of customers and, as an aside, it could be argued that the Video Disk evolved into the Laser Disk format after an at first unforeseen rental market developed. Then the Laser Disk, which was an analog format that read the frequency of light return from a laser to recreate video and audio evolved into the CD and then the DVD formats which used light return but to read binary code rather than frequency. So, in the long run the better base idea won, at least for now. Back to the story at hand.
With the ability to record, we had two formats remaining. The folks a Sony must have had a party after seeing the VHS format compared to Beta, just as JVC must have gone into damage control mode. Beta was just undeniably superior. The tapes were smaller, the picture better, the recording times longer, and Sony was what all the pros were using worldwide.
JVC goes to Hitachi and other major manufacturers and offers the rights to product VHS at a deal with the understanding that they would not market Beta machines in the North American market. The story goes that JVC understood that the European and other markets would go for the Beta format in that they recognized Sony as a superior product manufacturer and would be more likely to devote more discretionary income to a better format.
The target consumer in the North American market was in college and recognized that Beta was a better format and reasoned that they would by the far more affordable VHS format for now and switch to Beta when they could. What they didn't anticipate was the amount of recorded hours that they would have making it impractical to switch formats. Beta did sell in the states to the more discriminating but held a virtually none of the market within five years.
There was never an affordable Beta format unit sold in the US. VHS dominated the market until the affordable recordable DVD format replaced it, almost three decades of dominance.
From this manufacturers took a cue and make sure that both the CD and DVD formats were made compatible one company to another. The other lesson learned by the manufacturers was by Sony. With the development of the high definition format, that is HD-DVD vs Blue Ray, Sony didn't let a competing, and possibly inferior product, win. Now, only a few years later it's hard to remember that there was a high definition format other than the Blue Ray disk.
 

Building Experience

The manufacturers, namely Sony, learned from their marketing mistakes how differing products competing for the same market can hurt their sales and equate to winners and losers, but what can we as consumers learn from the VHS vs Beta story.
The first point is that we should a little digging is needed to get behind the hype and that many manufacturers are looking to fill a price point rather than accomplish a sonic goal. Other manufacturers are building products to accomplish a sonic goal and then setting a price based on a balance between what market dictates and what their margins need to be to stay in business. The latter is the company type we want in that they like their jobs and income helps them do what they like, the former is in business to make money.
The other point is just the history itself. It helps to be aware that when backed into a corner with a product that could ruin a company, that company can turn to the marketing pros and its up to the marketing department to make lemonade...and they can. Its fine to buy lemonade, none of us want to by a lemon.
There are flaws if you take the story as an analogy for VHS vs Beta compared to binaural vs multi-driver. Indeed, when you buy a headset, driver configuration is only one consideration. The two are not competing formats in that one will win and one will lose. The reason to know the VHS vs Beta story as it pertains to headsets is to understand the marketing portion of the story not the competing format angle.
It is our intention to review the products based on their merit and not on their marketing. We want to keep in mind that the marketing of a product does not have a bearing on it's performance. Just because a product is well marketed does not make it a great product, it also does not make it a bad product; marketing just helps the product sell.

The Edge - Headsets - Driver Type / Size

Comments on Category #3

Review of Driver Definition

The third heading or category is 'Driver Type / Size'. In an earlier post we discussed what a driver is, so to review a driver is a component of a speaker or, in our case headset system. The word 'driver' is often used interchangeably with the word 'speaker' and most of us think of the conical moving portion of the headset as a speaker. If a headset is binaural, it typically has only one driver per side and in this case the driver is the speaker portion of the headset system.
In the case of the multiple driver per side like 5.1 surround sound system headsets the moving cones are more accurately referred to as drivers. If we refer to the speakers in these systems, we could be referring to the group of drivers and components that make up each side.
Therefore, in both cases we will refer to the individual moving cones as drivers and will not use the term speakers unless referring to the components as a whole that make up one side of the headphone portion of the headset.
 
 

Type

Binaural

There are two basic types of headsets binaural and multi-driver. The 'type' portion of the category refers to the number of drivers per in the headset.
The binaural type is a stereo headset or one driver per side. To recreate surround sound these type of headsets use a surround sound processor. It can be in the form of sound card which the headset plugs into and the sound card connects to the gaming console or it can be a more elaborate, and expensive, component again connecting between the headset and the gaming console. The card or component decodes the surround sound information from the gaming console then synthesises 7.1 surround sound information to be sent to their binaural headsets to give the sonic edge we are looking for, that is being able to tell where the in-game sound is coming from, front, back, left, right, up, or down or a combination of these.

Multi-Driver

The multi-driver type of headset contains, we know it seems obvious, but there's a twist, multiple drivers. Notice that we did not include the two words 'per side' at the end of the last sentence. Well that's because there are two configurations of the multi-driver setup. The first configuration is what we expect, each earphone contains either three or four drivers. These headsets come with a sound card that decodes the surround sound information and sends the proper signal to proper driver, making it possible to locate the in-game source of the sound directionally.
The second type of multi-driver setup is a concept that was highly anticipated by the gaming community. The design features five drivers mounted in the top of the headband and ports or tubes that carry the sound to the earphones. The drivers are left rear, left front, center, right and left.
 
 

Size

The 'size' portion of this category is, well, the size of the drivers. With most of the manufacturers their data does not contain the size of the drivers. Size is incorporated with the driver type category and reported if the information is readily available from the headset's producer.
 
 

Comments

This category is the first category that raises debate. The two types represent two schools of thought or design approaches to giving us the sonic edge. This will be the subject of much speculation, and opinion in future posts, but for now at least in building the list, keep in mind that this is the objective part of the search and for the list we will talk physical configuration rather than how well they work.
With that said, here are the initial comments. The binaural headsets recreate surround sound with the use of a sound processor that synthesises surround sound, usually 7.1, through two drivers, one per side. The advantage these headsets have is the use of larger and, their manufacturers claim, better quality drivers for higher quality sound.
The multi-driver headsets use their surround sound processors to direct sound to individual drivers to, as is the claim of their manufacturers, reproduce more directional surround sound.
These two approaches are so different we suspect that we will find two camps of gamers each with their own bias sets firmly entrenched. This is the general tone of most of the reviews we have read. For example one reviewer stated that the headset he uses and prefers is much better than anything he has heard. He doesen't state what he has heard or used, he doesen't talk about his experience other than to say that he has had to replace the headset multiple times and each time the manufacturer stands by the product and sends him a replacement at no charge.
Back in the dark ages of video three formats of video playing devices were developed by three different companies and released within a short period of time. This presented the consumer market with a choice. Two of the formats, VHS and Beta could record, the third, the video disk could not record, it could only play disk, which were the size of a long play record (LP). This put the video disk at a disadvantage. Most people envisioned themselves time shifting TV shows and being able to play tapes that they purchased. This put the video disk out of the picture, so to speak, and with Beta players priced at one and a half time the price of VHS, VHS took the market, well the North American market anyway. There were other major factors that caused us to go for the least desirable of the three formats, and this discussion will be continued in the next post.
 
 

Next

In the next post we will discuss the VHS, Beta, Video Disk marketing, why did we choose what turned out to be the least desirable format and how can we apply this history to our choice of a gaming headset.

The Edge - Headsets - Form Factor

Comments on Category #2

The next of the categories is a basic, Form Factor.
It is as simple as is says, what is the form the headset takes. Headsets are defined as headphones or earphones with a microphone. For now we are not considering earphone or earbud type headsets. So, for now, part of our form factor parameters are set, all of our examples are headphone type headsets. Other design differences are how the headsets couple to the ear, this is covered in a separate category.
This category is used to describe how the headset is worn, basically over the head or behind the neck. This category may be changed to a different name as the list develops. There are other categories which may be refined as the list goes forward.
Due to the number of categories in the list there will be a challenge to format it in such a way as to make it easier to read at a glance. In it's present form, a number of scroll pages are necessary to view all of the categories. Our goal is to format the list so that it can be used as a tool for easy reference rather than a study guide.
Our second category, 'Form Factor', could have a name change or by combined with another category if it continues to reflect only two choices. It isn't alone, in more ways than one.

The Edge - Headsets - Pricing

Comments on Category #1

Pricing is our first category, MSRP that is.
24 Manufacturers with 121 models...so far. For each model we will list the statistics published by their respective producer. The categories will fall under two main headings for the two main components of the headset, a headphone section and a microphone section.
The categories are not yet finalized, some may yet be added and some may be deleted. There are some categories that are set and those are the ones we focus on in the next few blogs.
 

Category - Price, MSRP

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, MSRP. According to the most basic of economic theory, retail pricing follows the same rules and is set by the rules all product and service pricing follows, that often referenced law of supply and demand. Ask the typical salesperson how they set their prices and they will hold their head up and spout, "supply and demand", without having any idea what he has just said. It's more of a cliche that a rule, much less law, that we all are assumed to have a vast understanding of. So, in practice, "supply and demand" being evoked by a salesman translates to "I have no clue."
The laws of supply and demand are best left to economist who study the marketplace. Years ago while listening to public radio, an economist in giving advice directed to the small business owner summarized the simply stated, yet complex law with the statement, "you set your prices to be as busy as you want to be." Given that you have a product or that people want or need, a high price will lower sales, a low price will raise sales. The trick is to set prices so that you maximize net profit, which in a small business is your paycheck.
So, what does this have to do with MSRP. "Companies are in business to make money." How many times have you that. For some companies the statement is true. There are some companies that are in business because the person or people who started the business had an interest in what they were or are doing, and started the business because it was something they enjoy, the exchange of money lets them keep doing it without having to get a job. Fortunately for those of us looking for headsets the latter is often the case. Couple that with the number of companies and you've got a formula for competitive pricing, good offerings and often updated products.
 

What is MSRP

As the name implies this is a price that the manufacturer "suggests" the product to be sold for. Legally, at least in the US, prices cannot be set by the product's manufacturer. They sell on the open market to distributors or directly to retailers and in some cases directly to the end user, that is, in the case of headsets, to us the gamers.
When a manufacturer sells to anyone short of the end user, they can determine their price to the distributor, then the distributor determines the price to the retailer and the retailer sets price to the consumer.
It is worth noting that some manufacturers have created a sort of loophole in the law by having written into its retail agreements that the potential retailer is required to agree to and sign is wording that recognizes and acknowledges the law that states that retailers are free to determine their own prices and that MSRP are merely suggestions or guidelines, and additionally they recognize that manufacturers are within their rights to choose their retail representatives and that does not preclude cutting off a retailer who chooses to sell their products for less than MSRP. You can find examples of this in the electronics industry where companies put large percentages of their budget into advertising to promote a product line that, in reality is very inexpensive to produce. These products are well known, well liked and in most cased really good products, just priced at a point where better choices per dollar are available, just not as well known or well marketed.
 

Determining MSRP

How does a company set is suggested selling price. This is not universal, not a law, rather it's a rule of thumb. Something to keep in the back of your mind as a starting point to understand pricing in electronics. It goes like this. If a product costs x to produce then the MSRP is about 4x. This gives the producer room for profit as well as the distributor and the retailer.
What does this mean for the less common, or less traditional sales structures, namely the direct seller and the manufacturer that is a high exposure advertiser with low product cost. The direct seller usually produces less units and sells at a higher profit margin. The advantages are that the price is usually less than it would be traditionally or the products are of a bit higher quality at their price. On the other hand the heavy advertiser delivers a lesser product per dollar. In the case of the strong advertiser, the company is not making inferior products, their advertising cost just place more cost on their products.
The manufacturers that step up with the big marketing money add value to the industry overall, they serve to make us aware of the existence of new products and improvements of existing products. Their reward for this is that they make the sales to the consumer who is making the impulse purchase, no research, that's cool, I'll take it...and that's all of us from time to time. Again, it doesn't mean that the product can't be the best in a particular price point, indeed, if it is, it dominates the market and owns that segment.

Selling or Street Price

In the current market MSRP is just a point to start looking. The suggested price can serve as an alarm system in that if we visit a site to purchase an item and the site has the item above what we know to be the MSRP, we have an issue. When we decide on that one headset, the street price, or what we will need to hand over to obtain our new edge, is what we need to know.
 

Summary - Minimizing the Price Effect

Price is an important element in any purchasing decision, we don't want it to be the only one. Price, while an objective category, influences the subjective portion of the review more than any other category.
To help minimize the effect of price, we will rate the products with four different parameter sets. Rather than a good, better, best system, we will use an A, B, C, D grading system where A will be the best product available regardless of price. Products that are A rated are the best available, they could cost $10.00 or $100,000.00, price does not factor in at all. Products that receive a grade of B are products that are well above the curve. Owning a product with a B grade will make a great addition to a system and cost is a small part of the purchase decision. Products with a C grading are good products, again a good upgrade to any system and will gain that goal of having a sonic edge and price a major factor; these products give a lot of return for the monetary unit spent. Grade D are products that function, but may not improve your gaming experience beyond not waking up the rest of your family. D graded products are functional and possibly an grade above the mono bluetooth headset, but not a first choice for an edge.
We'll talk more about the grading system and have more detail about what is required for the various grades in future posts, but, for now, keep in mind that we are trying to minimize the price effect found in so many reviews that allow the reviewer to avoid making any real judgment that is useful to the gamer by having conclusions that all start with the "at this given price point, you would be hard pressed to find a better..." line in an attempt to retain their credibility. Unfortunately, this doesn't help the reader with a genuine opinion or give the manufacturer any helpful feedback, it simply comes off as another advertisement.

The Edge - Headsets - List Update

List Update

We have identified twenty four (24) manufacturers of gaming headsets. Our list contains one hundred twenty one (121) individual models. Color options will not be one of the listed categories in that we are focusing on sound over looks and the color or graphics of the headset should not affect sonic reproduction.
Four headset manufacturer's names begin with "A". These first four headset producers have 14 of the 121 models. AKG has 6 models, Altec-Lansing has 4 models, Astro Gaming has 2, and Audio Technica has 2. We have completed the initial data compilation for these first four manufacturers leaving us with 20 manufacturers and 107 models for preliminary research.
The next blog will begin to discuss the categories. We'll take them one at a time with discussion for each.

Data Gathering

Gathering Comparable Data

This blog will begin to deal the data parameters. What information do the manufacturers provide and how can we use that information to begin to get a feel for how the products compare.
 

Manufacturers Supply Data

One point to keep in mind is that most data comes from the manufacturer. When you read specs about products and try to compare one company's data directly to another company's data just be aware that each company does it's own testing; there is not a central testing facility where all manufacturer's send their products to have them tested and specifications issued. This is not to imply that companies are not accurate in their testing, rather, products are tested on differing equipment under controlled but varying conditions among the industry.
They test their own products, and publish the results. The companies use good testing methods and produce products that perform as advertised with respect to the published specifications. All companies have quality control methods in place to insure a consistent product. It could be argued that testing by an independent organization of all products on the same testing equipment would produce more comparable results by limiting the variance among test equipment. This type of testing is preferred in testing speakers to limit the variance among testing rooms, however, with headphones and headsets the largest sonic variable, namely the room in which the test are done, is not as critical in that, headphones and headsets are, by nature, a closed environment. Even with open design models, the room does not have a notable effect on testing. Therefore, data reported by the manufacturers, can be useful for comparisons among manufacturers.
It is reasonable to assume that a manufacturer wants to publish figures for products that help them sell their products, so, if the manufacturer had a frequency response number that was out of line with it's competitor's products the manufacturer would not want to have a product in it's line that did not meet the standards of the competition, the product would not hold up in the market place. It is not reasonable to assume the manufacturer would publish data that was not independently verifiable. What the company will do is do further research and develop the product until the product comes up to the specification they are shooting for.
 

Data Mining

We are in the process of gathering as much objective data such as frequency response, cable length, manufacturer's suggested retail price and other facts and figures that can help us make comparisons. In gathering the data we are compiling a chart that will be useful for comparison. In building the chart so far, it is evident that some manufacturers supply more data than others. We will first simply gather all data and build the chart. Then we will contact the manufacturers and try to fill in the gaps or, if we find a category to be of no or minimal use we may eliminate it.
 

Progress Reports and Defining Categories

The next few blogs will be in the form of progress reports or category definitions. As we build the chart, we will let you know were we are relative to the initial compilation. As the categories shake themselves out, we will define what they mean and how they can be used to compare headsets. Also, as we start to form opinions about various manufacturers and their models we'll outline what brought us to the opinion.

Reviews - Balancing Objective and Subjective

Reviews - Balancing objective and subjective

Objective and subjective have always confused me. I don't think it's that hard for most for most folks to keep them straight, but for me it is. It's not that I don't know the difference, I do, it's not the definitions I have trouble with, it's which is which. So, and for me, I did a little research to properly define them, compare them, relate them to reviews and define how bias plays a part in the process.
 

Objective

Purely objective observations are only facts. Mathematical calculations are purely objective. Measurable statistics, colors, shape, weight, density, size all are objective. Facts are objective. Your math teacher is teaching an objective subject. The test given by the math teacher the answers will be correct or incorrect, simple and unbiased, one plus one equals two, if I answer three, I am incorrect.
The first stage of our review process is to gather the facts, objective observations about the headsets. The list of headsets will be expanded into a chart that will include facts and statistics about the headsets. The initial list will contain facts about the headsets and will not contain opinions. This will be part of the objective portion of the review.
 

Subjective

Subjective views are based in reality and are the opinion of the person giving the analysis of the subject. The subjective portion of the review can be very helpful if the reviewer has the ability to interpret the statistics. Given the objective data a good review can help make sense of the data. Couple that with the intangible opinion of the reviewer and you have a good guideline for a solid purchasing decision. To provide a good review and become your voice of experience, the reviewer needs to be able to identify and state any personal bias. In recognizing and stating bias, the review can progress without the perception of or wandering if an unknown agenda lurks.
 

Comparing Objective and Subjective

A quote from Mark Twain, "Figures never lie, but liars figure."
The reason I used the word 'purely' in the two preceding sections, as in 'purely objective' and 'purely subjective' is that I wanted to imply that there is some margin with respect to both terms. They don't necessarily overlap, but there are elements of each in the other. To say that objective is fact is not true in that if they were readily interchangeable we would have no need for both words. They are not drastically different, however, objective is more like 'the facts as we know them', or 'given the data we have, here is the result.' The key is that objective views are always backed by facts.
Subjective views can be more valuable to us as consumers than objective views. Ideally what we seek in a review is the subjective view of a fellow consumer who has the product, has used it, and can make value judgements based on his experience.
To apply objective and subjective to our topic of headsets the goal is to have a review source that actively reviews headsets, gathers objective data and presents it in a comparative format, uses the headsets and gives impressions and opinions while minimizing bias.
 

How they apply to reviews

The objective data is absent soul, the subjective can be is all feel without the cold data. A review is the combination of the two elements. Presentation of the data about headsets makes up the objective. Hands on use of the headsets gives the reviewer the intangible input to form and present his subjective view. The review combines the objective and subjective to form recommendations for users, inquire about issues to manufacturers, and give an overall feel.
 

The Bias Effect

When we see an ad we all know that we are being sold. Advertisers are not required to tell us that they are trying to sell, we know they're promoting their product. When we hear 'best in the world', 'world famous', 'number one', or any other of these superlative claims we know to take it with a grain of salt. One advertisement even references the legal term for these claims when talking about their competition, the term is puffery. Not fact, just their totally biased opinion and at the same time completely legitimate given their bias up front. The purpose of an ad is to promote and sell not to inform.
We all make decisions based on what we're exposed to. The more exposure a products receives, the more likely sales will be made. I worked in the ultra high end audio business from the mid eighties to the early nineties. I spent hours reading "The Absolute Sound" a well written extreme tweak audiofile magazine. The magazine's reviewers had their collective noses so far in the air they routinely referred to the more popular audio review magazine "Stereophile" as "Stereopile" - nice. We sold products that were well reviewed in "The Absolute Sound" and, to keep the doors open, we carried and sometimes sold lines that were panned in the same magazine. The products that were not sonically approved by the high end reviewers were very well advertised and promoted and were what most consumers were looking for, because of exposure. So, we carried these well advertised products, and could, in fact, make more money by selling these products. We made the customer aware of the reviews, gave them our opinions, told them what we owned, what we would buy and attempt to guide rather than push. I acted as the customer's personal reviewer giving them exposure to products that were not as well advertised, but were better products. The reason was simple, more of the budget devoted to research, development, production and materials than advertising. The price for the higher end products was length of warranty. The better the products typically have shorter warranties. Keep in mind that there are exceptions. Longer warranties on lesser products can make the products more desirable. The glaring exception is the highest of the high end. Many of the ultra exclusive, ultra expensive products in electronics have very long warranties some as long as for the life of the initial purchaser, you can have it all, and you pay for it.
This leads us to bias. Keep in mind that for some of us an inexpensive product that will do the job is what we need, for some of us we want the best regardless of price. Price is a major factor in any buying decision, but be aware that price is not directly related to performance. If a company spends a major portion of it's budget in advertising, the price of the advertising is built into the price of the products, the result is that you may pay for promoting rather than performance.
In our case, that is looking for a headset, our bias is both what we're looking for in a headset and outlining any preconceived notions. One additional bias type is the unforeseen bias that manifest as a product of doing the review; these we will identify and state as they arise.
 

Summary

The goal for the review should be to convey that hands on experienced opinion we all look for from friends who have products we are considering. We are aware of, or have a feel for the bias of our friends, bias, in this case, can also be referred to as perspective, so we can gauge their opinions by applying their bias and have an opinion we can work with. To be able to get this from a review we need to have a feel for the perspective of the reviewer and the objective and subjective portions of the review should be clearly defined. What we look for in a review is a good word of mouth opinion from the voice of experience.

The Edge - Headsets - PS3

Platform - PS3

Consoles

Our primary platform for gaming is the PS3. For now this will be the platform we use for reviews. When doing comparative analysis we choose the PS3 simply because it is the console we are the most familiar with and it will help us minimize variables. As we expand and update the reviews we will use addition consoles to compare between platforms.

Objective vs Subjective

For now we will just touch on objective vs subjective, in the next post we will talk more about the subject and how they not only relate to but define reviews and reviewing styles.

Objective views are based purely in fact. They are supported by provable data without bias. Subjective views are based in reality, but are opinions. When purchasing a product, making job decisions and having meetings it is important to be objective. With entertainment for example, watching a movie, or relationships for example, dinner with friends, being subjective will make the experience more enjoyable.

PS3 as reference

As stated above we will use the PS3. As with most gamers, we use what is available or what we're use to. PS3 happens to be what we're used the most. We did not start using the PS3 system as a function of starting this blog or with the possibility of reviewing headsets, it happens to be the console we use. Keep in mind that after the initial evaluations are made, other systems will be used to review the headsets as well, namely X-Box 360, and Wii. The greater the number of variables we introduce the more subjective the review. Our goal is to compile a set of reviews that will be helpful to gamers to make choices of headsets that will enhance their gaming from a sound perspective.

The Edge - Headsets - The Mic

Microphones are an integral part of any headset.  It can take the form of an in line mic or a boom mic coming from an earpiece.  Most mics are on the left lead or attached to the left earpiece.

The microphone should clearly transmit the voice of the user without introducing other sounds from the user's environment. Some gamers like to play music while gaming and some mics pick up the background music as well as the users voice. No problem during a campaign, but during online game play your teammate who happens to be a Country Music fan may not appreciate the by the finale of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, not to mention the cannon shots could be a bit distracting.

"Why do players play their favorite tunes while playing, shouldn't they be more focused?" We've all pondered and/or voiced that question, or the question, "Why do players always want my music turned down or off?" These questions, while usually voiced in far less subtle terms, illustrate both sides of the same issue, an issue that can be addressed with the mic.

With regard to music during gameplay, players tend to fall into one of three categories. One, players who listen to music. Two, players who don't listen and are distracted by the music of others. Three, players who don't listen and aren't distracted. There are other categories such as players who listen but are bothered by the music of other's, however, this type of player is also distracted from the game by his own music, and is not using music to enhance his ability, only his enjoyment; he simply doesn't like the other guy's music. We are not trying to take away from the relevance of their issue, the issue is simply not relevant to our subject.

The edge you gain with a surround sound headset is measured by the ability to accurately locate your opponent by sound and the ability to communicate to the players on your team. The latter advantage could be diminished if your fellow players are muting you; it does no good to announce "They're moving north through the eastern passageway" if nobody is listening.

Blog Update

So Far

We want to add a headset to our gaming hardware. We're looking for one that will give us an edge to locate opponents sonically and one that has a good mic that will clearly pickup our voice while minimizing of background noise and room sounds.

What's Next

The next post is going to be a discussion about microphones. This will include a rough overview of what we will be looking to evaluate as well as a bit of discussion on the various types of gamers with respect to their microphone usage.

Following that we'll continue to build the list by adding descriptions and statistics.

Down the Road

This blog was started to help others find headsets that would fill their gaming needs. Our intention was and now our goal is to let others follow or read about our search for a gaming headset with the idea that we can share information and impressions that we gain trough our research.

The Edge - Headsets - The List, models

Let's recap.  This blog started as a way to help organize our search for a good headset that would enhance our battle gaming, to give us an edge.

We started with a little background, all in all pretty boring, just to gather thoughts.  Before we select a headset, we will compile a list of what's available, then gather comparable statistics, then review.  We are in the process of compiling the list.

So far in our list of headsets we've got a list of manufacturers.  The next step is to create a list of models within each manufacturer.  The list is in alphabetical order and we'll start at the top.

Note some manufacturers offer headphones but not headsets, Dr. Dre's Beats lineup. Other manufacturers offer earbud headsets, and still others offer mono headsets but not stereo, for instance, Intec. While headphones could be used with a mic and earbuds can be quite good, we will expand the list to include these in the future, we will stay with stereo headphone style headsets. Please let me know what we've missed.


AKG

     HSC 171
     HSC 271
     HSD 171
     HSD 271
     K 109 SB

Altec-Lansing

     AHS322
     AHS423
     AHS615
     AHS602I

Astro

     A40
     A30

Audio Technica

     ATH-COM2
     BPHS1

Beyerdynamic

     MMX 300 Manufaktur
     MMX 2
     MMX 300
     Headzone Game

Creative Labs

     Digital Wireless Gaming Headset HS-1200
     Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset
     Sound Blaster Tactic3D Sigma
     Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Headset
     Sound Blaster Arena Surround USB Gaming Headset
     Sound Blaster Arena Surround compLexity Edition
     Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset MkII
     Fatal1ty USB Gaming Headset HS-1000
     Fatal1ty Gaming Headset

Cyber Acoustics

     AC-201
     AC-208
     AC-401
     AC-634
     AC-645
     AC-850
     AC-8000

DreamGEAR

     Xtalk Gaming Headset

E.D.G.E Acoustics

     GX-400
     GX-100

eDimensional

     AudioFX Pro 5+1 by BenHeck

Genius

     HS-02B
     HS-02F
     HS-02N
     HS-03U
     HS-04S
     HS-04U
     HS-04V

Ideazon

     GH-100
     Banshee

Logitech

     Gaming Headset G330
     G35 Surround Sound Headset
     Wireless Headset F540
     Wireless Gaming Headset G930

Microsoft

     LiveChat LX1000
     LiveChat LX2000
     LiveChat LX3000

Plantronics

     GameCom X40
     GameCom X95
     GameCom 367
     GameCom 377
     GameCom 777

Psyko Audio Labs

     5.1 Gaming Headset

Razer

     Carcharias
     Piranha

Sennheiser

     PC 350
     PC 360
     PC 333D
     PC 340 G4ME
     PC 163D
     PC 161
     PC 151

Skull Candy

     Lowrider XBox 360 Gaming Headset
     G.I. PS3 Gaming Headset

Soft Trading (SteelSeries)

     SteelSeries Siberia v2
     SteelSeries 7H
     SteelSeries 7H USB
     SteelSeries 5H v2
     SteelSeries 5H v2 USB
     SteelSeries 4H
     SteelSeries 3H
     SteelSeries Siberia Full-size USB

Sony

     DR-V150

TekNmotion

     Pulsewave Premium Gaming Headphones*
     Yapster Universial Gaming Headset

Tritton

     AX Pro
     AX 720
     AX 180
     AX 51 Pro
     AX PC Pro

Turtle Beach

     Ear Force X41
     Ear Force DX11
     Ear Force X31
     Ear Force PX21
     Ear Force X11
     Ear Force XLC
     Ear Force PX5
     Ear Force X41/PBT
     Ear Force DPX21
     Ear Force PX21

* The name says 'headphones', the product is a headset.

The Edge - Headsets - The List, manufacturers

Looking for the perfect headset for gaming.  We are.  Well, maybe not perfect, at least the headset that's perfect for us and our style of game playing.

This article will deal with the contenders and the pretenders, what's available, a list of the players, what's in the mix of headset offerings.

But first, we're going to touch on the some basic definitions of headphones, headsets, microphones and how they apply to seeking a great setup - finding the sonic edge.

The Definitions.  These are just impression definitions, think more urban than Webster, from our initial research to find what's out there. More definitions can be found in future articles.

Headsets and Headphones - The difference between a headset and headphones is an integrated microphone with the headset, headphones do not have a mic, simple enough.  To be clear these articles deal primarily with headsets, although, a  headphone with separate microphone setup could be considered.

Headset connectors - Here we are only touching on the headset connectors, not the connections.  Most headsets use one 3.5mm jack with four contact points which carries both the stereo information for the incoming sound and the outgoing microphone information or two 3.5mm jacks one jack for stereo and a separate connector for the mic.  We'll either have one or two wires from the headset.

Driver - Most of us use the term speaker to describe both a speaker and a driver.  Speakers are the box, connectors for the incoming wires, the internal wiring and all components that make up the unit including the drivers.  The word speaker can and is commonly used instead of driver to describe the driver of the speaker as well as the entire unit.  When talking about speakers confusion can ensue if the term driver is not used.  When talking about headsets the confusion is not there, so, please excuse me if I use the term speaker to describe a driver.  I'll try to use the proper term, thus the explanation.

Surround sound - Headsets for gaming systems are capable of 5.1 and 7.1 surround.  Some headsets use multiple drivers per ear, some use one driver per ear, and there is a third method used by one manufacturer that we'll discuss in a future article.  The multiple driver setups do what they call 'true' 5.1 surround sound inferring that the one driver per side, also called binaural, headsets can't generate accurate surround.  The binaural headsets use in-line sound cards (the headset connects to the sound card which connects to the console) to generate surround sound.  Binaural headsets claim to use higher quality single drivers that are capable of reproducing sound more accurately than multiple driver setups that use smaller drivers.

The List

This part of the project is a bit daunting, compiling a comprehensive list of  available headsets as well as headphones and microphones that can be used in tandem with gaming systems.  So, we're going to focus on headsets.  Headphone with separate mic setups could be great for some, but for us it would be cumbersome.  We game with a console rather than a PC.  PC gamers sometimes use the separate mics, but I couldn't imagine that type of setup practical for consoles.

Also, you can through the word 'comprehensive' out of the window.  There are companies throughout the world who make headsets that could be used for gaming, however aren't designed for gaming or aren't available to the US market.  At any rate, the list will be as complete as possible and will be open to suggestions and updates.

The initial installment of the list that follows is going to be global and then expand and then start elimination.  We'll start with a list of manufacturers.  In the next post we'll expand the list to include the headset models available from each manufacturer.  The next step will be categorization, deciding on parameters for categories and assigning headsets to various the categories.

In addition to the basic outline, other articles will be generated to clear issues and discuss topics along the way.  Note that some of these may not make headsets and will be eliminated if that's the case.

Manufacturers


AKG
Altec-Lansing
Astro
Audio Technica
Beyerdynamic
Creative Labs
Cyber Acoustics
Dr Dre
DreamGEAR
E.D.G.E Acoustics
eDimensional
Genius
Ideazon
Intec
JayBird
Logitech
MadCatz
Microsoft
Motorola
Nintendo
Plantronics 
Psyko
Razer
Sennheiser
Skull Candy
Soft Trading
Sony
SteelSeries
TekNmotion
Tritton
Turtle Beach
V-Moda
Voyetra

The next article will expand the manufacturers list to include headset models, but for now post any additions needed for the list.

Thanks again for viewing.

The Edge - Headsets

About this article - due to the length of the following article an article summary is provided.  Read the article if summary proves interesting and you want more insight.


Summary:


A personal edge over opponents is what every player needs to be competitive.  This article discusses the what events brought to the search for improving sound with our gaming system.  We begin looking for a headset, one of a quality that will give us an edge over the casual gamer and keep us competitive with the elite.


We are able to use some reviews to group headsets according to measurable statistics and facts about materials used and to some extent apparent durability.  We were not able to find good information that could point out the strengths and weaknesses of headsets to following the objective grouping.  Objective reviews available, subjective reviews needed.
 


Article:

The edge - what every gamer is looking for.  Just some small advantage over other gamers, that's all we want.  But to what end.  Why.  Is it to appear smarter than our friends or our foes.  Is it some psychological need to feel superior because of our horrid childhood, something missing in the developmental stages of maturation...ah, who cares, we want an edge.

Easter Eggs are what programmers call the little 'back doors' that are written into the program code of a game to allow the code writer to test the program at different progressions of game play during development without having to earn the upgrades by playing the game in normal progression.  Gaming software companies then allowed these Easter Eggs to be published, to generate interest in the game and creating another dimension or layer of game play.  For those of us interested we could find the code for the Easter Eggs hiding in plain sight in one of our favorite magazines or on the internet and we use them.  These little tidbits provided an early edge for gamers competing against the rest of the family or our friends and they became known as 'cheats' or 'cheat codes'.  A label undoubtedly coined by a victim of the cheat code.

Online gaming, the state of the art of gaming.  If you play with your friends enough you get to know their tendencies and gain an edge in that you have an expectation with respect to what they are capable of; the other side of the logic is that they have the same expectations with respect to you and therefore the same edge.  The ability to play against others online dynamically changed the gaming landscape in two ways.  One, the addition of large numbers of other people to play with.  Two, now your friends are your allies.

With the addition of others to our battleground, without having to travel to a LAN party, we see how good we are, not just against our buddies or the computer, but against others.  Now the edge is more important.  How to gain it.  We still look for the cheat codes and now use glitches.  A cheat code is entered with a series of keystrokes or manual input from the controller that allow you to bypass tasks within game-play to move up levels.  In fps (first person shooter) games, my personal favorite, you attain weapons or abilities that are normally rewards for game progression.  The term glitch is used to describe a place to hide or a series of motions that have your man make to get to a spot on a map that is not possible to reach during normal game-play giving you an advantage.

Glitches have become more popular than cheat codes in my gaming circle.  I think the glitches make us feel that we have found something unintended by the games developers, something missed in testing.  In many cases as with the ability to hide behind a fence that juts in to accommodate a jet's wheel by climbing a nearby object and jumping over the fence, an unintended glitch, and in some cases not particularly useful during the game and in other cases a true advantage.  Intentional glitches, such as elevators, are really cheat codes and tend to be patched when the moves become popular, but can give a temporary edge to those who ferret the out.

For many gaming came alive when it went world wide web.  Everyone discovered their actual skill level and active game-play embraced demanded that you level up, find cheats or glitches, or find some other method to gain your own personal advantage to be successful.  It became apparent that everyone had an edge.  The runner's ability to keep one eye on the radar while sailing through the map and anticipating the opponent around the corner, getting the drop on the next adversary.  The sniper's ability to find the perfect spot, not to be seen while picking off those who venture into their chosen zone.  These are examples of building skill and experience to gain the edge.

Equipment, no not your in-game repertoire or collected weapons, Gilly suit, speed, scopes, marathon running, I'm talking console, controller, wires, cables, sound system, monitor, internet connection, the physical equipment.  That is the edge that we want to explore.  So, how to start.

While playing MW2 (Call of Duty - Modern Warfare II) it became obvious that the weapons had a tendency to balance each other.  A sniper could be found with the use of heartbeat sensor on close range weapons and a team could eliminate a pesky sniper.  The sniper can carry a thermal scope to see through a deployed smoke grenade's screen.  The in-game equipment decisions gives an advantage to the one who makes the correct choice.  We were perfectly happy with our equipment and ability to see, hear, and thus fight our opponents - for awhile.

Along comes the latest installment of the Call of Duty series, Black Ops, with it's pre-Christmas release and my two gaming experts go to a friend's house, you know, the friend that buys the most desirable, latest and greatest on the day it arrives on the shelf.  They have a go at the game for a couple of long sessions.  The report is that the game is good and certainly a excellent  addition to the Call of Duty lineup but not up to the hype, which is why we call it 'hype'.

So, of course, under the tree is we find Metal of Honor.  Christmas day proceeds as usual, visiting with family, playing with the toys, checking out the new clothes, eating.  When the evening comes and the family have made their way home or settled down for the rest of the night, the game-play commences.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks we find ourselves going between Metal of Honor and MW2.  Still digging MW2 after months of play, we know  it stands the test of time, and by time for a game I mean a year or so.  During the course of play we begin to realize that some players seem to have an unusual advantage that we couldn't quite identify.

After a fairly long session one of our better players says, in an offhand, almost joking way, "It's like they can here us better than we here them."  He was right.

Cruising the web for the source of the advantage and it became clear, quickly.  Headsets capable of 5.1 and 7.1 surround, nice.

The only thing left to do was buy the new piece of equipment, but what to buy and where to buy it.  Simple enough, find out what's available, read forums to gather opinions, read and watch reviews, gather as much information as possible, narrow the options, buy and enjoy.

Identifying the products, check.  Getting opinions from forums, check.  Read and watch reviews, well here's rub.  The written reviews were as expected.  The reviews I found were written by one of three types of reviewers.

The first type was the reviewer who loves everything he reviews; he seems to choose to review only wonderful products, he doesn't want to offend the manufacturer.  He's not providing a service to anyone, not the guy buying the product, he's selling not reviewing.  He's not helping the manufacturer who wants an honest review with input as to how the product can be improved, this can spark discussion, others can speak up to agree or offer other opinions of the product.

The second type was the reporter style reviewer.  These reviews are firmly on the side of the buyer and report what they observe.  These reviews are useful in two ways, they typically compare a reasonable set of similar products and include a set of comparable statistics about the products.  Secondly, within the written review they will provide a chart of good better best style rating.  With this information they can help you identify and eliminate the very poor products from your consideration.  A drawback with this style of review is that the reviewers are charged with reviewing a wide range of products; the fellow listening to headsets today was running hampers of clothes through the latest and greatest washer dryer outfits last month and checking toys for lead content the month before that.  A second issue with this review style is that product cost is prime consideration.  A fantastic product with a high cost will often get a lower rating than a passable product that is inexpensive.  I would prefer a rating that does not use cost as a weighted factor, then, given the prices, I'll decide whether it's worth the extra cash to get the better product.  It's great to give a cost vs. value opinion within the review, but leave it there not in the rating system.  Using the report portion and skimming the opinion portion of these reviews can make them useful.

The third type of reviewer I found was the Cesar style reviewer, thumb's up or thumb's down.  He who sees in only black and white.  It's a two choice rating system he'll blast the product or hold it as the best product ever, either way using words and phrases that he wouldn't or shouldn't use in front of his mom who is just the stairs from his basement abode.  He's cool, right?

On to YouTube.  Some of the reviews were useful or at least somewhat entertaining, but not that informative.  In a post about his video review one reviewer was asked how product a sounded compared to b and he kept explaining in his response post how a is wired and b is wireless.  He seemed to grasp the concept that the question requested a comparison but couldn't understand the request was for a sonic comparison, just an opinion.  The poor soul who asked the question, twice, simply posted a response to the once again unanswered query, 'you're a moron'. 

Well I.Q. not withstanding, I still needed information.  I don't want to make my decision based on the opinion of a salesman who's job it is to sell.  I do want his opinion and the product information the salesman can provide as well as the support I good salesman will provide after the sale.  The reporter style review, while also useful to identify the bottom of the line products can't really rank the middle to the top.  The Cesar style, well, like the report style, they could help eliminate the bad, but tend to be unable to point out the subtle differences in products within the subcategories that make them unique within their group.

There is plenty of information available to identify the high end products including upper tier headsets.  Understanding that among the any level of product it is difficult to label one as being better than another, the good, better, best labels should be reserved to categorize the clearly different products with respect to facts and statistics about the products rather than opinions.  Opinions and impressions can then be used to give guidance to help us make a final buying decision.

A final comment - as we move forward I'll post additional articles and let you know what we find.  Feel free to comment, suggest, criticize, praise, request; and, thanks for reading.