So, my Wife doesn't like the war sounds from my 5.1 Surround Sound system while playing EA's Medal of Honor and not having any suitable headphones, I decided to buy the Creative Lab's Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Alpha USB Gaming Headset. I did a little research online and saw that the majority of folks liked the headset as a cheaper alternative to the Fata1ity series of gaming headsets and gaming headsets over $100. I was also happy to read that the 3D surround sound features weren't bad, that the software allowed for fine tuning of the sound, and that the mic was removable. The bad things that I read were related mostly to comfort but this came from people with large heads or ears that stuck out. I decided to purchase the headset from Amazon because of Amazon's great return policy if the headset didn't work out. As an Amazon Prime customer, my package came in two days and was waiting at my doorstep when I got home. First things first, the packaging isn't very Earth friendly and is composed mostly of clear plastic packaging with very little paper. However, the packaging is easy to open without destroying things and allowed for easy removal of the headset. Inside the package there is an analog to USB adapter with the THX logo on it and two documents, one describing the dangers of driving with the headset on and a how-to instruction sheet. There is no CD , which is a definite plus in the Green column for Creative. The software is retrieved online at the Creative site for the Tactic 3D headset and quickly installed onto my rig.
After restarting the computer, the Creative software updater alerted me to a number of updates available. This was rather confusing since I figured I had downloaded the latest version of the required software. I clicked on the install button and was told that it would take nearly an hour to download, which immediately caused me to curse the name of Creative. This is the one biggest complaint that I have with Creative and why I took away a star from the rating. I figured while I waited I would go ahead and try the headset out and plugged in the analog plugs, which are color coded, into the USB adapter and plugged it into a USB connector. My Windows Vista machine immediately registered the headset as new hardware and began to install the drivers. I placed the headset onto my 7 3/4 sized head and waited to feel any discomfort. I noticed that the headset was not as tight as some had described but was actually comfortable. The padding on the headband did seem thin but was velvety soft sitting on the top of my head. The ear cups also felt roomy and my somewhat normal ears didn't touch anything inside the cups. The mic has an analog plug and easily went into the port in the headset. The flexible boom sits at the 10 o'clock of my mouth and actually wouldn't interfere with drinking from a glass or bottle. The cord has an aligator clamp to pin the cord to my shirt but strangely is not removable. There is a volume control on the cord which hangs near my abdomen and also has a mic mute switch. The cord is approximately 6 feet long and is flat rather than round and is very light in weight.
While the software continued to update, I placed a Family Guy DVD into my rig and waited to see what the sound quality would be like. At first, I heard nothing and plugged my headset into another USB port and still heard nothing. I opened up my sound card's volume controls and saw that nothing was amiss. I clicked on the speaker icon in my systray and saw that the headset was registered there. I went to my Start menu and found the Tactic 3D software program and opened it and voila, sound. At first the volume was low and I was able to turn it up using the inline volume control. With the volume up I could hear in stereo and felt at ease that the headset worked. I began to flip through the application for the headset and played with the voice changer for the mic. This turned into much merriment as I spoke in different voices and soon began LMAO. The software updater was still updating after 30 minutes and was nowhere near finished. I decided to cancel the download and loaded up MOH.
Medal of Honor, which is a First Person Shooter, has a lot of gun play and voice acting in the game and the Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Alpha delivers as promised. The sound quality was very good with sharp highs and bombastic lows while voices were easily understood. The 3D effect was there to some degree and allowed for immersion into the game. I plan on trying out the mic feature with a game like Team Fortress but feel satisfied with what I think it will deliver after having played with it in test mode. Overall, I feel very satisfied with this purchase and addition to my gaming rig. One thing I forgot to mention was that I have a Creative XiFi sound card in my PC and have always respected Creative's equipment and thus the number one reason why I bought this headset. Their software updater, however, leaves a lot to be desired. My $0.02.
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Product information
| Specific Uses For Product | Gaming |
|---|---|
| Control Type | Touch Control |
| Cable Feature | Detachable |
| Item Weight | 0.55 Pounds |
| Frequency Range | 20 Hz - 20 kHz |
| Control Method | Touch |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| UPC | 172302808735 887610159560 021111315883 021112245257 163120595464 100177366975 168141625565 079532166119 054651174009 921763648363 763615873383 887472682190 777778860746 088020978363 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00163120595464 |
| Manufacturer | Creative |
| Is Autographed | No |
| Item Weight | 8.8 ounces |
| ASIN | B00G1YIEEI |
| Item model number | 70GH012000003 |
| Customer Reviews |
3.1 out of 5 stars |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | November 19, 2010 |
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Immersive gaming headset with great sound and comfort; Only drawback is the lack of bass control
This Creative Labs gaming headset is very comfortable, lightweight, and has clear, crisp, immersive sound quality. PROS * Wow! When gaming, all of the sounds and intricacies in games just come to life. I've tried this on Left 4 Dead 2 and the gaming experience is amazing. I also own the Plantronics GameCom 367 Closed-Ear Gaming Headset. Surprisingly, this Creative headset picks up the heavy, low sounds, and explosive sounds better than the 367 Plantronics headset. Overall, the sound on this headset is very dynamic. * Music, movies, and watching videos are all a joy to listen to. Listening to all types of music - classic, pop, rock, r&B, trance - brings generally crisp and clear sound, with strong bass. The bass on this headset is BOOMING. * Lightweight design. Sitting comfortable on the ear and head, this headset also feels durable. While the headphones and band feels sturdy, the microphone isn't as strong as I would like. However, with some care, the detachable microphone shouldn't be a problem. For the most part, I've left the microphone attached. * The volume and mic control on the chord is very convenient. It's easy to use and placed appropriately and isn't intrusive. * I like the USB THX adapter that comes with this headset. It gives it more power. You can either use the USB or just the classic microphone and headphone jacks. * The THX studio software (downloadable from creative's website) is very easy to use and fun to play with. You can play with different EQ setting and different voices (you can actually use the altered voices in games). CONS * As another reviewer mentioned, while you can increase or decrease the amount of bass, you cannot turn off bass. Even when it's at zero, you can still feel the bass in the background. I'm a huge fan of the bass, heavy lows, pulse-pounding explosions and "oomph," but the bass can certainly drown out other sounds sometimes. At the $33.99 price I purchased this headset for, I got tremendous value, performance, comfort, and dynamic sound for gaming and other multimedia like movies and music. I highly recommend this headset for anyone looking to get a gaming headset to improve their gaming experience. Buy with confidence! P.S. After some experimenting with EQ settings, I found a good setting that gives good sound, but minimizes the bass (just slightly), so that the sound is more balanced. Here it is (out of a 24db range): +4, +8, +1, +10, +7, +4, +2, +5, +8, +10, 0. Hope this helps!
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2010
