The latest generation of consoles has led to many headset manufacturers trying to create the premier gaming audio experience for players. Some stumble along the way with missing features, and price points that just aren’t justified by the experience. But others have been inching ever closer to that coveted title, and Turtle Beach’s most recent attempt seems to come the closest, at least on the PlayStation 4 side of things.
The Turtle Beach Elite 800 Headset for the PlayStation 4 is an extraordinary piece of equipment. With its sleek, black molding, metallic detailing, and blue accents, it looks right at home when sitting in your entertainment center right next to your console. The best part is that it’s more than just a look, picking the Turtle Beach Elite 800 headset up shows that the quality is real. The headset is sturdy, but it isn’t overly heavy which is a reasonable worry for most. Nobody wants a weight sitting on their head as they try and complete a raid in Destiny, or a long session of Final Fantasy XIV. The earpads are unbelievably comfortable, which when combined with the deceptively light-weight makeup of the unity makes for a truly comfortable experience as you get into the nitty gritty of your gaming.
While looking at the Turtle Beach Elite 800, you may have noticed the absence of a mic. That is because it actually contains two ‘invisible mics’ that are built into the headset itself. These mics only pick up sound within a very small area, meaning anything that isn’t a spoken word from your mouth will not get transmitted to your buddies during gameplay. Also, in case you happen to be playing in a crowded room, the Turtle Beach Elite 800 Headset includes Active Noise Cancellation that filters out unwanted background noise to keep you immersed in your game world and conversations.
And that sound is something you definitely want to stay immersed in. The Turtle Beach Elite 800 Headset is the manufacturer’s loudest, clearest headset yet. Booming base, crystal clear sound, DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Channel Surround Sound, Mic Monitoring, and Turtle Beach’s Superhuman Hearing combine for an amazing audio experience. The headset also has the ability to differentiate between the plane where sound is coming from. Being able to tell for instance whether or not a an enemy in Battlefiled: Hardline is on the same level as you or not when looking to engage in a firefight.
Downloading the Ear Force Audio Hub app to a mobile device or your computer lets you fine tune settings for an experience that is more to your liking, which is a definite plus. In addition to that, you can adjust settings using the buttons found on the side of the Turtle Beach Elite 800 Headset, but be warned that these buttons are a bit more sensitive than they need to be. Take care when when interacting with the headset so that you don’t randomly change settings mid game.
There are a few issues that plague the Turtle Beach Elite 800 Headset, though. For one, its battery life and the way it conveys battery information to the player could definitely better. Using the headset normally will provide you with approximately 10 hours of amazing audio quality, that amount of time dwindles as you activate other, optional features. As the power dies, audio quality greatly suffers. This isn’t anything new, but it becomes an issue when that is the only way the headset lets you know that your headset is about to give up on you.
The charging base it comes with only comes with a USB cable which also presents its own little problem. You can use the PlayStation 4 to charge your headset, but the console must either be on or in rest mode. If you’re anything like me and you don’t like leaving your PS4 in rest mode, or even on for no real reason, then it can be a bit of an annoyance when you’re done with your session and need to charge your headset.
Aside from the unit’s battery and minor charging issues, the headset is definitely worth consideration if you’re in the market for a high quality gaming headset for your PlayStation 4. Loud, clear audio, lots of setting flexibility, comfortable, and very pretty to look at, the Turtle Beach Elite 800 Headset is a standout among the competition. It may come with a pretty hefty price-tag of $300, but it is well worth it for the quality experience.
