Tritton AX 180 review

Tritton is best known for its multi-speaker surround-sound headsets, but the AX 180 has only a pair of normal stereo drivers built into it. Although it has standard 3.5mm mic and headphone connectors, it’s powered by a USB connection and doesn’t work without one. This produces constant audible interference generated by the USB bus, which is particularly annoying when music is playing softly. It was worst when we were using our motherboard’s build in audio device, but a distinct whine could still be heard even when we used a USB sound card.

The AX 180’s sound is imbalanced, too. Bass tones are overpowered and fuzzy. This isn’t so much of a problem in action-packed games and movies, where music and sound effects were at least good enough to keep us immersed. However, the bass detracted from music, drowning out more delicate and precise treble and mid-tones. We’d rather not have to have separate headsets for music and games.

This is a pity, because – although it looks rather silly – the headset is comfortable to wear for extended periods, with large over-the-ear pads and not much weight. The microphone is well designed for in-game chat, and doesn’t pick up too much background noise, while the 3.8m cable is long enough to reach almost anywhere. However, it’s heavy and easily tangled.

For the same money, you can get better headphones with either a built in or supplied USB sound card. We particularly like the latest version of the Plantronics 777 headset, which includes a USB soundcard capable of virtual 7.1 surround sound.