Share EdgeOfBlade's profile
EdgeOfBlade
EdgeOfBlade's stats
- Review count4
- Helpfulness votes19
- First reviewDecember 17, 2009
- Last reviewMarch 10, 2014
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating4
Reviews comments
- Review comment count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First review commentNone
- Last review commentNone
- Featured review comments0
Questions
- Question count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First questionNone
- Last questionNone
- Featured questions0
Answers
- Answer count0
- Helpfulness votes0
- First answerNone
- Last answerNone
- Featured answers0
- Best answers0
EdgeOfBlade's Reviews
Plug your favorite compatible headset into the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter and hear the action just the way you like it. Easily adjust chat audio without taking your hands off the controller. Add game audio by connecting directly to your controller, console, or TV.
Customer Rating
4
Good adapter, on par with PS4's similar feature
on March 10, 2014
Posted by: EdgeOfBlade
from Texas
For full disclosure: my review of this controller adapter is colored by my experience of a similar feature built into the PS4 controller. I have both consoles. I usually prefer Xbox over Playstation, but I believe my assessment of this adapter is unbiased by my preferences.
---
This adapter not only lets you use your 3.5mm and 2.5mm (with included cable) jacked headsets, it also serves live stereo audio from your game, movie, or TV to the headset. To me, this is the prime feature.
For a headset to work this way, it needs to be a "smartphone" style headset/earphoes. The best way to determine this is to count how many black rings are on your headset plug. Three is a smartphone headset with a mic. (Two is only stereo.) I use a Skullcandy headset with a microphone in-line. Other gaming headsets may or may not work well with this adapter. Surround sound headsets with a secondary 2.5mm cable for chat capability will only be able to take advantage of chat functions. Rely on your normal method for getting game audio.
The next best feature of this adapter is the audio mixing capability. Buttons on the adapter allow you to modify the mix between game and chat audio. When adjusting, one side rises until both sides are equally loud, and then the other source starts to decrease. There is also a master volume control that increases or decreases the mixed volume. This is a feature that the PS4 controller fails to provide with such ease, requiring a manual adjustment in the device settings.
The negatives are that the sound can drop out if the signal gets obstructed. I sit about 15-20 feet from the Xbox One, and if I obstruct the signal with my body, I can get the signal to become intermittent. However, in normal practice, this is a non-issue for me. It is merely a limitation at the edge of being troublesome. Odds are that most users will not notice this unless they have excessive obstruction. I have not had this issue with PS4, at least as far as I have noticed.
Also, the controller requires an "update". There is a firmware on the controller itself and the adapter comes with a sheet that walks through updating the controller. And if you are having trouble getting the instructions to pop up on screen, there is a controller update option in the settings app under system. I had to find this myself.
In a few more notes of comparison, the PS4 implementation of this feature is built into the controller, meaning the cost of this feature is increased by the cost of this adapter on the Xbox One. Also, I have not seen any such audio drops on the PS4 controller. Also, the PS4 can automatically mute audio when the controller audio is active. If you want to silence your TV with the Xbox One, you have to do that manually, by saying "Xbox, Mute" or using your remote.
I believe the negatives and the positives of both implementations balance each other out and Microsoft's answer to Sony's headset functionality is a worthy answer. While Microsoft provides a more feature rich implementation, the Sony solution is more refined and built in. Aside from comparisons, I have to dock the adapter a star for difficulty upgrading the controller and for the slight audio issue, but it still comes highly recommended if your case is one that would benefit from these features.
My Best Buy number: 2122592524
What's great about it: Game audio at the controller, pick your own headset, game/chat audio balance adjustments
What's not so great: Range barely acceptable, need to upgrade controller firmware, probably should have been built into controller
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Microsoft - Xbox One Console - PRE-OWNED - Black
(3,496)
Sony - PlayStation 4 (500GB) - PRE-OWNED
(10,791)Share this review:
+13points
16of 19voted this as helpful.
Customer Rating
2
Disappointing Functionality, Expensive
on September 5, 2012
Posted by: EdgeOfBlade
from Texas
I use it in...:Large home
I purchased this device because I thought it would be the only game in town to get AirPlay Mirroring from my iPad 2 to the screen. Not so. After begrudgingly purchasing this device, I found exactly what I expected. My PS3, Xbox, and Wii and cable box to some degree, could do the exact same things, except for AirPlay. If you have any other connected devices that download on-demand content, then Apple TV is largely a superfluous $100 brick that has very limited use.
After searching again, I found AirServer, a download that would do the same thing if I connected a PC to the TV. I did some additional configuration and got the functionality I originally desired from the Apple TV for about half the price, admittedly by using equipment I already had on hand. So, I returned the Apple TV.
Long story short, if you are a media aficionado, odds are you have a collection of devices that out-perform the Apple TV, and a little ingenuity can help you bridge the gap between that and the alleged "exclusive" features.
What's great about it: Ease of use
What's not so great: Expensive to get for AirPlay Mirroring
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Ease of Use
4
Performance
3
Share this review:
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
SynopsisThe planet Reach is the last line of defense against the encroaching Covenant's ultimate goal of destroying Earth. Sacrifice and courage are the traits that make you and your Spartan brothers part of an elite group of soldiers known as Noble Team. In this tragic and heroic story that sets the stage for the Halo saga, you are faced with impossible odds to save countless lives and defend Reach from annihilation. If your mission fails — then humanity faces an inevitable demise.This prequel to the Halo saga sends you to the planet Reach and immerses you in the heroic, yet ominous story. Halo: Reach places you in the role of a member of the elite Noble Team engaging in battle against the Covenant. It is your mission to defend Reach against the invading forces to protect the fate of humanity from devastation. Your weapons, armor and deadly skills are as unique as each of the Spartan soldiers' personalities. Prepare for this epic storyline alone or team up with up to three friends and launch a co-op assault against the incredibly cunning AI which adds a level of complexity to each encounter and battle. The multiplayer action that Halo fans have come to expect delivers once again by setting a new standard of competitive online gameplay, customization, matchmaking and community integration. With this special limited edition, you can immerse yourself in the world of Halo: Reach with a game case modeled after a recovered ONI data module, a custom in-game Elite armor set for use in multiplayer modes, an embroidered Spartan II patch and a loaded artifact bag. Explore the mind of Dr. Halsey through classified documents, effects, and her personal journal, all found in the artifact bag. Experience the adventure and excitement never before encountered in the ground-breaking Halo saga in this paramount prequel.
Customer Rating
5
Halo at it's best
on October 11, 2010
Posted by: EdgeOfBlade
from Texas
If you like Halo and don't mind a few iterative changes, you'll love Halo Reach. It plays with the trademark smoothness and polish you've come to expect from Bungie, and it's packed with the best suite of features a console shooter has seen in a long time.
Is it the end all be all? That's always open to debate, but I"m very happy with the purchase.
Speaking of the purchase, the custom bound book is a very neat little bonus piece. I wish I had a blank one to fill with my own thoughts.
What's great about it: top of the line game from top of the line developer in a top of the line series
What's not so great: Limited edition costs a little more than the standard edition
I would recommend this to a friend!
Other Best Buy Products I Recommend
Halo: Reach Legendary Edition - Xbox 360
Microsoft - Halo: Reach Wireless Controller for Xbox 360
Microsoft - Xbox 360 250GB Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle
Share this review:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Gain control of your system with this clutter-free KVM solution. Audio support lets you share your multimedia speakers between two connected computers. >> Find the right KVM switch for your configuration! (684KB .pdf)
Customer Rating
5
Great product, if the stars align for you
on December 17, 2009
Posted by: EdgeOfBlade
from Texas
Quite simply, this KVM is an excellent alternative to a pricey docking station for my company-furnished laptop. The main feature, USB connectivity, solves some issues with PS/2 based KVMs, but may introduce new issues, as some users have noted with cordless keyboards and mice. The only way you can say for sure is to be ready to return this if it doesn't meet your demands. No shame in that. As for me, running a standard, corded USB keyboard and standard, corded USB mouse, I couldn't be more happy.
What's great about it: Fits my system/needs perfectly
What's not so great: May not fit for you, be prepared to return if not
I would recommend this to a friend!
Durability
5
Ease of Use
4
Share this review:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
EdgeOfBlade's Review Comments
EdgeOfBlade has not submitted comments on any reviews.
EdgeOfBlade's Questions
EdgeOfBlade has not submitted any questions.
EdgeOfBlade's Answers
EdgeOfBlade has not submitted any answers.