Be Excellent To Each Other

I finally have these -- I received the headset as a birthday present and treated myself to the chatpad. I'm very pleased with both.

The chatpad isn't something you have to use a lot, but I've always hated the fiddly on-screen keyboard on the 360 (and I don't have a spare USB keyboard to hand to plug into it), so I'm happy to have an alternative. It doesn't obstruct the pad as much as I worried it would -- it's curved at the back so your third and fourth fingers can still grip the "arms" of the pad without any trouble. It's quite heavy, about as heavy as the pad itself, but after a few games I think I prefer it. I picked up a bare joypad just now and it feld weirdly light, like picking up a SixAxis after playing Xbox.

The wireless headset is a joy. I've always struggled with the wired headset, I've found it doesn't go quite loud enough for me so I have to turn the game down. Not only does this one turn up a bit louder, but it's noticeably clearer, making Wullie's accent 85% less impenetrable Battery life is reasonable (8 hours lifetime, 6 hours to charge over USB), and it's more comfortable than the wired one. It's also more convenient if you need to walk away from the 360 to, say, get a drink or go to the loo.

Bonus marks to the headset because when you mute it it beeps at you every 30 seconds, preventing embarrassing Runcle-esque "I'm being pounced again, oh my god, why is no-one coming to save me, oh shit I'm on mute" moments. Also, you can put your finger to your ear when people talk and pretend to be Uhuru or Marcus Fenix, your choice.

I saw wireless headsets for £20 in Game on the weekend. The chatpad is £13 pre-owned from Gamestation, but remember it has the new style headset jack at the bottom, so your existing headset might not fit. Alternatively, buy a wireless headset at the same time. Both of them are luxury purchases, to be sure, but when I looked at how long I spend playing Xbox[1] they suddenly seemed a good deal more reasonable.

[1] Related: the 360 might be the first console for which I ever completely wear a controller out. Of the two I have now, one isn't too bad but the other double-taps sometimes when I pull right trigger, is absolutely filthy with hand jam, and not only are the grippy nubs on the sticks long gone but there is a thumbnail groove worn into the left one. I have no idea how I did that. Oh,

Cheers, Doc. I hate the wired headsets, and the on-screen keyboard annoys the fuck out of me whenever I use it (which is admittedly infrequently, but often enough to irk). I'll look into these.

Which game is selling wireless headsets (new?) for 200 notes?

I've still got a wireless headset but I lost the usb thing for it ages ago. If only I could find a connector the right size, I'd be able to make a cable then.

You know I'd forget to mute it here and you'd all get treated to audio fetish porn.

The one in Cwmbran, at least. They had two display boxes, both tagged as £35, but with the frontmost one also priced at £20. And yes, those were new.

I would imagine it's a standard size of barrel connector.

can you plug in and out the keyboard at will?

Yes. It's a little fiddly to remove though, it clamps around the 360 pad quite firmly.

I've treated myself to the headset and chatpad*, as well as finally buying another rechargeable battery pack today after your reviews. Ta.


*now I can 'be' Gaywood.

I'll speak to Microsoft about my commission.

You might be better whistling.

They'd probably just refuse to make the cheque out in my offensive name anyway.

Post back here with your thoughts on the devices.

Where's the best price for these wondrous devices then?

Will do, tomorrow night, more than likely.



I ordered them from ShopTo.net, and payed a bit more due to my laziness both at bothering to leave the house to get them, and for shopping around online. Also, because they do free next-day delivery on everything.

I think the headset was £30 and the Chatpad £20 brand new.

I've had the message pad for a while now and think it's ace.

The added weight is nicer and it's shape means that it causes no obstruction whatsoever. Never taken it off at all.

Think I might get a wireless headset now, ta Doc.

Hmm, I might just get the headset first, for some reason I seem to struggle far more than everyone else to hear what's going on in multiplayer.

I do struggle sometimes, especially with Wullie and Runcle (I'm not even sure Runcle has an impenetrable accent; I just can't seem to pick out what he's saying from the sound he makes — sorry, Runcle!) Hopefully the increased volume of the Headset will A) Give me a better chance of understanding people, and B) Let me bloody switch my game's volume off the lowest setting.

I was waiting for these chat pads to become really cheap in Zavvi, but they never did. Shame, as I'd quite like one. I can't stand using the joypad and the on screen input.

As soon as I used my wireless headset, everyone playing went "Oh God, someone-else with a echo-set" so I stopped using it.

I don't think that's anything to do with the wireless headset, I've heard it a few times with people with wired ones.

When I switched back to my wired one, no-one complained. I'll give it another go.

Isn't yours the bluetooth one, though?

Oh wait, yes. Are there others?

Googling has suggested a number of possible causes of voice echo on Xbox live, including dirty contacts on a wired headset, transient internet problems, transient problems on a local wifi network, too many goblins in your 240V power supply, and moon monkeys using their deathrays on people within a 20 mile radius. I'd start with a new mains cable, then, preferably one hand-made in a low-earth-orbit satellite by virgin eunuchs.

There is no Bluetooth headset for the 360. What are you on about?

Yep.

That's what I have. What are the others?

There are no others, and that headset doesn't use Bluetooth, it's the same proprietary wireless protocol the pads use.

Grim... said back time ago that his was Bluetooth (don't ask how I remembered that). I've found this, but it appears to either have been discontinued, or never released in the first place.

Huh. That would work, I suppose; it has a dongle to connect to the pad's mic in. It's not as neat as the official headset, however, which doesn't need the pad to be switched on (the manual specifically points out you can turn the 360 on with a media remote, for example, navigate to Messenger, and start a voice chat without picking up a pad).

Oh right. Not Bluetooth, then.

Carry on!

I had a wireless for a while, but it did the same crazy echo-o-matic that Grim...s did. Not that surprising, really, as the speaker is significantly nearer the mic than in the wired ones.

I've had the chatpad for a while and think it's great; plus you can always tell who has one because their messages go on for ages (I prefer the extra weight it gives the controller, too)



200 notes? Blimey, PM me; I'll even throw a second one in for free.

These just arrived, and I'll give my impressions later when I'm not 'working'.

Mini rant, though: they all arrived in big jiffy bags, clearly stamped 'RECORDED 1st or 2nd CLASS SIGNED FOR'. Postman just handed the bundle to me and walked off. Maybe my memory is hazy from the previous signed-for packages, but I'm pretty sure I signed for (ho ho, Royal Mail! This may be a clue) them.

Please do not continue to chat whilst doing this.

I will do so now, especially for you.

Pfft, I often continue to chat whilst I'm weeing. The mics aren't sensitive enough to pick up tinkle noises.

Well, the nappy would dampen the sound Myps.

literal lol

I hate it when you're talking to someone and you hear a toilet flush. Then you know they were peeing and it's too late to do anything about it.

I see you know where Grim... buys his cables.

You should build a time machine and go back and make sure your other self takes off his headset before talking to said person.

Apparently, folded space works just as well.

Are the wireless headsets good or shit then?

Seems to be conflicting opinions on here.

Six hours to charge this headset it quite ridiculous.

It would be nice to plug it in after every session, but this would more than likely fuck the battery, I guess. I'm not sure what type of battery it has, though.

Okay, the headset is comfortable, loud and easy to use. Quite impressed with this, especially how I managed to hold a conversation on the other side of the room while I rooted through the games shelves; no more having to take the controller with me.

The chatpad. I can't get it to work, which leads me to suspect it's broken. The backlight comes on when I press keys, but it doesn't type anything out. I could, however, be a retard.

Well unless you are just hammering away at some random point in the 360's dash, rather than at some point when you are asked for text, there's not much room for error here. Does the little "people" button between Green Shift and Cursor Left open the Messenger app?

Nope. Nothing happens apart from the backlight turning on. Back to ShopTo.net it goes. It's a nice little device though; more comfortable than I'd have thought, and nowhere near as heavy as people make out.

Tried a different pad? Just to be on the safe side.

Yep, no luck. I'll contact the retailer tomorrow. Hopefully their returns system is nice and friendly.

I went into gamestation to spend my credit and they had second hand wired headsets. You know how the earpad is grey? This was a fetching shade of greenish-brown, with perished foam accents.

£7.99... er no thanks.