Turtle Beach Z60 7.1 Audio Gaming Headset Review

Subjective Listening: Games, Movies, Music, and Voice Recording

As mentioned previously, when testing headphones you have to realize that everybody hears things different. If you do not listen to high-end headphones, the sound quality differences are harder to identify. What I typically listen for is to ensure the audio is clear, with no crackles/pops/hiss, and sufficient bass reproduction. In testing the Z60, we will not focus on testing it connected to a mobile device using the 3.5mm headphone connector, rather we will test it using the 7.1 Surround Sound Controller Adapter.

Games

While playing some games like Borderlands: Pre-Sequel and FarCry 4, I was able to hear sound from each of the major directions; audio positioning works very well. When something would explode, the bass in the Z60’s was powerful enough to make the headphones rumble. If something was going on behind me, I could tell which direction it was coming from, which is important in these types of games. This is where the Z60 benefits from the new DTS Headphone:X Surround Sound technology.

Movies

Watching a couple of action movies with the Z60 I found the headphones were very capable of delivering a great experience for movie playback. In some instances when I wasn’t expecting it, sound coming from the 7.1 Surround Sound would surprise me. Scenes where there was talking with sound effects or background music, none of the voices were overpowered by the other sounds.

Music

Listening to all types of music, I was surprised at how great the Z60’s sounded. The bass was deep and undistorted, which is important on some genre’s of music. With the headphones turned all the way up, and the PC volume level at 50%, I was able to hear the sound clearly while they were resting on my shoulders, and was still able to tolerate it when they were put on.

In the Music mode, there is a clear difference in sound between the other modes. It sounded more like sitting back and watching a concert as the majority of the sound appeared to be coming from the front while the bass was clearly at it’s maximum. That’s the nice thing about the built-in audio modes, at the quick push of a button you can go from one style of sound to another.

Microphone Recording

When speaking at a normal volume the microphone was able to easily pick it up and transmit it to the other players. My voice came across clear over any background noise in the room and the clicking of a mechanical keyboard.