Reviewed: May 28, 2006
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Manufacturer
Mad Catz

Type: Headset
System: Xbox 360

Rating: 9.0

MSRP: $14.99

Features

  • Comfortable Wrap-Around Design
  • Supports Left or Right Ear
  • Xbox and Xbox 360 Compatible
  • Five-year limited hardware warranty

    		•
    It’s hard to imagine a market for some third-party peripherals. When it comes to headsets for Xbox Live you’d think everybody that needs one has one. After all, one is included in every Premium 360 and the Xbox Live Starter Kits all come with a headset as well. That leaves the stragglers who join via those promotional cards with games and people who need to replace their lost or broken headset.

    Regardless of why you might be considering a new headset purchase for your Xbox 360 your choices are relatively few. Microsoft has recently started selling their official headset as a standalone product, but Mad Catz challenges their grip on the market with their own Xbox 360 HeadCOM Pro.

    Their old HeadCOM unit that I reviewed for the original Xbox nearly three years ago was an ultra hip earpiece that looked like those communicators they use in spy movies and shows like “24”. Their newest headset is more traditional and features a full wrap-around design and a cushy over-the-ear speaker rather than the ear bud insert.

    Despite the “360” name in the title, this headset will also work with the old Xbox provided you have the communicator piece that plugs into the controller expansion port. On the 360, the standard 2.5mm plug works with any of the first or third party controllers, even the Mad Catz MC2 360 Racing Wheel.

    The 360 HeadCOM Pro offers some excellent quality and durability. I’ve always been a bit leery about my Microsoft headset, especially the flimsy nature of where the cord meets the headset. The HeadCOM Pro is extremely well built and the quality is exceptional, both on my end and from what others tell me, on the other end.

    The mic swivels, so you can put it where you like or even rotate it fully around and flip the entire headset to work with the other ear. There is comfortable foam on both the earpiece and the support piece that rests against the other side of your head. It’s easily the most comfortable wrap-around headset I’ve ever used.

    If you take your multiplayer gaming seriously and want a slight boost in quality over the standard Microsoft headset then you owe it to yourself and the people you play with to get yourself the Xbox 360 HeadCOM Pro.