The Tritton AX Pro 5.1 headset may be marketed primarily at console gamers, but it's also PC compatible. So how does it fare in the world of PC gaming headsets?
Very well, actually. There are some minor concessions and compromises to be made (speaking purely from the PC gamer standpoint), but ultimately the AX Pro provides a nearly perfect mix of features, comfort, and audio quality for nearly all of your PC or console gaming needs.
Features & Specifications
The Tritton AX Pro includes a vast array of accessories to ensure it works equally on all platforms. The heart of this functionality is the Dolby Digital/Pro Logic audio controller box with an Optical input, analog outputs, a USB connection (for the microphone), and some additional customization controls.
The additional controls include a TDC (Time Delay Control) for the center and rear channels, and DRC (Dynamic Range Control) buttons. The Time Delay buttons allow you to adjust the ‘transition’ time of the headset when it switches between its different drivers for directional audio. Essentially, you can use these to help ‘smooth out’ the headset’s surround sound to ensure there aren’t any ‘dead spots’—areas where the sound might drop out while you’re panning from left to right, for example.
The DRC button turns the Dolby Pro Logic on or off. When it’s off, 2-channel audio remains 2-channel audio. When it’s on, 2-channel audio is converted to 5.1 audio. When a source signal is already Dolby 5.1, the DRC is off.
The AX Pro also includes a pretty cool in line controller with independent volume controls for the Front, Rear, Center, and Subwoofer channels. The inline controller is backlit by LEDs which are color-coded according to volume level, starting with green (the lowest) and progressing through blue, white, cyan, and finally red (the loudest setting).
The color-coding is a nice visual cue, but Tritton should use different colors for the blue, white, and cyan. At a glance they can be a little difficult to discern. A simple numerical display (such as +1, +2, +4, etc.) might work better.
A small rocker switch on the inline controller mutes the microphone. The microphone is detachable, and though it doesn’t offer a lot of flexibility it didn’t seem to matter much—it does its job quite well.
The Tritton AX Pro includes all the necessary extras for connecting it to your Xbox 360 or PS3, and an optical cable is also included, which you’ll want to use if you plan to use this headset with your PC.
Rounding out the included accessories are two sets of ear cups and headbands, giving you a choice of soft cloth or faux leather.
For those of you that like to know the numbers, here’s a breakdown of the AX Pro’s Driver characteristics:
- Center Speaker 2 x 23mm Driver 120dB +- 3dB at 1mW, 1KHz; 130-2.5KHz(from 1KHz down 10dB)
- Front Speaker 2 x 30mm Driver 120dB +- 3dB at 1mW, 1KHz; 20-20KHz(from 1KHz down 10dB)
- Rear Speaker 2 x 30mm Driver 120dB +- 3dB at 1mW, 1KHz; 20-20KHz(from 1KHz down 10dB)
- Subwoofer 2 x 40mm Driver 118dB +- 3dB at 1mW, 1KHz; 20-30KHz(from 1KHz down 10dB)
Ergonomics & Design
The AX Pro offers above average comfort. Though not quite as comfortable as some of the best (such as the SteelSeries Siberia V2 or Turtle Beach Earforce Z2, for example) it’s definitely a cut above average. The ear cups are fairly large and roomy, and the headband is very thick. It’s not the lightest headset in the world, but it never caused any neck strain either after extended wear.
The ear cups don’t swivel, fold, or otherwise break down, so you might want a headstand holder for storage. The headband is plastic construction but thicker and sturdier than most headsets of similar construction.
For PC users, the only real disadvantage to the AX Pro is the obscene amount of cabling involved with connecting it relative to typical USB or analog PC gaming headsets. The Dolby Pro Logic audio controller requires the use of the USB cable (for the microphone), the optical cable, the inline controller, and an AC adapter which connects to the controller and the headset.
Fortunately, there’s generally enough cable length (12.5 feet) that some careful cable routing and twist ties go a long way toward cleaning up the mess, but you're still faced with a lot of cable connections to manage to set the AX Pro up on a PC.
Performance
No matter how you cut it, the AX Pro sounds excellent and offers top tier audio on par with other PC gaming headsets in its price class. Subjectively speaking, the AX Pro's overall audio quality might fall a bit short of Creative Labs’ THX-powered Tactic 3D headsets, but it’s certainly close enough to be worth comparing, and the AX Pro's directional/3D audio seems a little better.
The AX Pro’s directional audio in Left 4 Dead 2 seemed spot on. Music and movies—including Iron Man 2 (Blue Ray) and various music from the likes of Pink Floyd, Evanescence, and various classical tunes (some cranked to ridiculous volume levels) were used to broadly if unscientifically put the headphones through a range of audio playback tasks.
Bottom line: the AX Pro does not disappoint.
Although it lacks a Windows software control panel and the typical features thereof (such as an 11-channel equalizer, special effects options, and other options) the AX Pro compensates with its highly customizable inline controller and the Dolby Prologic controller module. Sometimes having a hardware solution on hand is more convenient anyway because you can adjust your audio on the fly without stopping your game to mess around with headset software.
The AX Pro sounds great and provides plenty of room to tweak audio characteristics. It requires some minor tradeoffs compared to PC gaming headsets, but it’s also head and shoulders above typical console headsets.
Overall
The AX Pro holds its own against PC headsets in its price class ($129). Granted, as a PC-only headset you do need to make some minor compromises, but the Dolby Prologic audio controller, the innovative inline controller, and the AX Pro’s multiplatform capabilities make it an excellent choice among gaming headsets.
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