Creative WoW Headsets Available to Preorder for $160

[Greg Tito]

Creative WoW Headsets Available to Preorder for $160

The Darkwater Clams [http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Pc/dp/B000067FDW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1278969746&sr=1-3].

Last year at Blizzcon, Creative unveiled a headset designed specifically for use by World of Warcraft raiders, or anyone who wants to stay connected to Azeroth in style. There is no word from Creative on when these headsets will ship, but Amazon [http://www.soundblaster.com/worldofwarcraft/welcome.aspx], that hopefully means the headsets will ship soon.

The headset has almost too many features to list, but here are some of the ones that caught my eye. You can kit out the translucent lenses on the earcups in either Alliance or Horde out of the box. There are LEDs which are programmable in 16 million colors, and there is a custom in-game addon to set this up, as well as the other options. The mic is noise-cancelling and detaches for easy portability. The wireless headset offers THX TruStudio sound and is rechargeable via USB. There's even a voice-modulation application which can alter your voice to sound like a female orc, or a blood elf male, which was ostensibly added to hide the fact that you're main healer is a 9 year old girl.

The only problem, as fellow editor John Funk pointed out, is the distinctive Frostmourne runes visible in the detailing around the earcup. "I don't want no Lich King runes on my leet gaming headgear," Funk said and I'm inclined to agree.

With Creative being the default sound card supplier for most PCs, it's no surprise that these headsets are designed to deliver audio quality turned up to 11. But what is this TruStudio surround, is it better than the previous standards? Creative tells us:

THX TruStudio PC is built from the ground up to enhance gaming, music and movies. It definitely pulls from our X-Fi experience but it isn't just a rehash of the tech. We've employed different methods and refined many things. The Surround portion is particularly impressive. CMSS-3D is hands down the best headset/headphone surround out there right now.

All in all, the headset does indeed look impressive, it's just that $160 pricetag that's giving me pause. I barely have that kind of dough to drop on gaming accessories, and I don't know how many other gamers do.

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[Jared]

Thats a bit much for headphones...

Even if it was for a game I liked, I doubt I would pay that kind of money.

Nice design though, will admit that

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I could get an entire band kit for a music for that price.

NO WAY!

Still, looks really cool.

 

[Virgil]

All in all, the headset does indeed look impressive, it's just that $160 pricetag that's giving me pause. I barely have that kind of dough to drop on gaming accessories, and I don't know how many other gamers do.

For a rechargeable, wireless headset, the price isn't outrageous, though it is expensive when compared to wireless headphones.

I have to question the performance though - the specs on the headset don't mention whether they actually have multiple audio drivers in each ear and are actually providing real surround audio, or if they're using a software driver to simulate it with normal stereo headphones. Probably the latter, since real surround headphones usually make it a point to mention it (like the Razer Barracuda [http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-audio/razer-barracuda-hp1] I use).

Also, since it's using USB, that means it's running as its own audio device. That is the easiest and most compatible way to do it, but that generally means that it's also completely bypassing your sound card. That can have performance implications, especially for computers that already have a separate sound card installed.

 

[RanD00M]

$160.Fuck that.I'll just stick to my $20 headset.

 

[Byers]

Even more ways to separate WoW gamers from their money. And like the game itself, not at all worth it.

 

[Bagaloo]

Do want.
Shame about the price tag.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

Damn they look lovely. Luckily I don't play Warcraft so I can resist their spell. Now if they where TF2...

 

[quiet_samurai]

Eh.... looks cool. But I think you's have to be a really serious WoW'er to really want those, oh well more power to em.

 

[Twilight_guy]

160$? I could buy 4 game for that amount. 4 fairly recent games too. It might be a sweet headset but I think that's a bit too much.

 

[MurderousToaster]

I'd buy one if I had that sort of money to spare. But I don't.

 

[ma55ter_fett]

I considered my $40 pair outragiously expensive when I bought them, no way I'll ever spend 4x that amount.

 

[MetallicaRulez0]

I only payed $200 for my Astro A40s + MixAmp, which I'm sure has twice as many features and the quality is probably higher as well. Ripoff!

Also, maybe I'm crazy, but if you buy a $160 headset for WoW you're probably retarded. If you buy a decent headset for a shooter or whatever, that's a good investment. But WoW? I've been using a $20 plastic piece of crap microphone for 5 years with no problems for ventrilo.

 

[Bardan Dalbhach]

I have to say, it does look sweet, but its too much money for something I will break when I drop/roll over with my chair. Though if its not USB I might be down, USB headset + MSI MB has a annoying amount of feedback.

Maybe its just me, but headsets don't last long for me to matter what they cost, so I will stick with the cheap ones.

 

[Jamash]

Wow, 16 million colours, for your ears!

I'm not impressed, I'll save my money for some of those surround sound binoculars I've been smelling rumours about.

 

[Scrythe]

No matter how much I pay for headphones, I cannot get them to last for more than a month. Whether they are $10 Goodwill ones or $80 wireless noise-cancelling with skull massagers, they all fucking break within a month. And I'm not even rough with them. These would be horrible for me to own.

The only pair I've ever owned that's lasted longer than this was some random Logitec ones I found in a bin at Best Buy that Logitec doesn't make anymore. I still have them despite the fact that they're falling apart and exposed on several parts of the wire, and they work just fine. It'll be hard to replace them when they finally disintegrate.

 

[Worgen]

I think Id rather get more ram

 

[Jebusetti]

Wow... i got my Sennheiser pc350s for that kinda cash, and i can guarantee they blow the pants off those. plus, i think i would feel my soul die a little bit each time i reached for something that looked that stupid...