INTRODUCTION

   Although for the past 7 years or so i have used countless stereo, virtual surround and "true" surround headsets i have to confess that nothing beats an dedicated 5.1/6.1/7.1 surround sound set in terms of positioning audio, clarity, volume levels and comfort especially if you plan on spending many hours in front of the screen. Still i can't deny that headsets can be extremely useful especially when you are using it with multiplayer games (mainly because it's easier to speak with your teammates) or you just don't want to intrude on the privacy of those around you and vice versa. I guess that's also why most people i know own headsets that they use with their computers, however the same does not apply for people with gaming consoles such as the Microsoft XBOX 360 mainly because there aren't as many fully compatible headsets out in the market which is also why today we will be taking a look at the Detonator Stereo Headset by TRITTON.

   TRITTON™ was founded in 2000 and has since evolved and transformed into a brand that is recognized worldwide. Best known for our critically acclaimed high performance gaming Headsets and USB External Video Card Technology. In 2010, Tritton was acquired by Mad Catz Interactive. The Tritton brand has focused extensively on developing industry leading headsets for all gaming platforms including an exclusive range for the Xbox 360. Tritton performance headsets are available globally. TRITTON™ is focused on developing, manufacturing, and bringing to market high-performance gaming headsets and audio peripherals. Striving to create innovative and reliable products with cutting edge technology, the Tritton is the brand of choice for professional and casual gamers world-wide .

   TRITTON has designed and manufactured several award-winning and best-selling headsets (they also released some of the first "true" 5.1 ones) so it really comes as no surprise that a larger company like Mad Catz would show interest for them and finally acquire them roughly 3 years ago. Since then TRITTON has gained even more ground in the market and currently has several line of products available most of which are aimed towards PC and console gamers. The Detonator Stereo Headset is one of those products and comes ready with all the cables you will need to connect it to your XBOX 360 in under a minute. It also features two 50mm neodymium drivers (25Hz-20KHz), a removable and quite flexible noise-cancelling microphone, selectable voice monitoring (SVM) and an in-line volume controller with separate game/voice controls. So far all of the headsets I’ve used by TRITTON have performed very well but since the Detonator Stereo Headset is the first stereo one in my hands by them I’m very curious to see just how good it really is.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Almost the entire headset is visible at the front of the box via a very large clear plastic window so you have a pretty good idea of what you're buying.

The features of the headset are all showcased and explained in depth at the rear of the box (they are also written in 6 languages).

At the bottom of the box we see the contents list, contact information and a few words about Mad Catz.

The bundle contains the Detonator Stereo Headset, inline audio controller cable, removable microphone, XBOX 360 adapters, quickstart guide, warning paper, product catalog and the user's guide.

THE DETONATOR FOR XBOX 360

The frame of the medium sized Detonator Stereo Headset is dressed with black polished and matte hard plastic parts.

To showcase the size of the Detonator Stereo Headset we placed it right next to the small Jabra REVO Wireless.

Both earcups swivel both ways to offer excellent comfort for your ears even during prolonged periods of use (and to make them easier to store).

The TRITTON logo and name is placed on both sides of the headset.

As you can all see the headband extends a total of 3.2cm on both sides (unfortunately there are no increment indicators).

Both earcups feature soft leatherette padding and are medium in size.

Left/Right indicators are present in the interior above each earcup.

The leatherette padding of the headband is very good and comfortable.

The microphone port is placed on the base of the left earcup.

The TRITTON logo is placed at the front of the noise-cancelling microphone.

Aside very long the microphone is also quite flexible (we've seen more flexible ones however).

The XBOX 360 logo is imprinted ontop of the headband.

At the top of the in-line volume controller we see both speakers/microphone mute buttons and one that enables/disables the SVM feature (selectable voice monitoring).

Both the game and voice volume knobs are placed on the left side of the controller.

The 3.5mm connection port is placed at the front of the controller.

CONCLUSION

   Unfortunately our 4 year old retired XBOX 360 wouldn't even power on after we took it out from the closet and so we were unable to test some of the features of the Detonator Stereo Headset (including the microphone). We did however use it for almost a full month with MP3/4 players, smartphones, A/V amplifiers and two of our test rigs while playing various game titles including such Planetside 2 and Hawken. The results are actually quite good since thanks to its 50mm neodymium drivers the Detonator Stereo Headset is very good in terms of bass (deep and plenty) and mids but i can't say that i was very satisfied with the clarity of its highs especially when listening to my favorite tunes. Perhaps that's because lately we've been testing many high end headsets that feature extremely crisp highs but nonetheless it is what it is and so the Detonator Stereo Headset may be quite good for playing games but listening to music is not its strong point (not that anyone would purchase an XBOX 360 headset for music purposes). The padding of the earcups and the headband along with the swivel feature of the earcups do make the headset quite comfortable but at first it does feel a bit stiff.

   As we speak the TRITTON Detonator Stereo Headset for the XBOX 360 retails for a very attractive price tag of USD62.97 inside the USA (Purchase Directly from Amazon.com) and for around 75Euros inside the EU (Purchase Directly from Amazon.co.uk). Of course once again the price inside the EU is nowhere close to the one in the USA but still i wouldn't call that expensive for this specific headset (a small price cut however wouldn't hurt). Overall the Detonator Stereo Headset is a good all-around player that i can easily recommend even to people who may not have an XBOX 360 to begin with but are looking for a medium sized headset with good audio quality which they will not feel embarrassed to wear while at the gym (or anyplace for that matter) and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Good Bass/Mids
- Removable/Flexible Noise-Cancelling Microphone
- XBOX 360 Compatible
- Price (For Some) 

CONS

- Highs