After I wrote about my displeasure with Nintendo's official Nintendo DS Headset, I was made aware of a third-party headset that looked like it just might be my ticket to the objections I had with Nintendo's effort: Turtle Beach's Ear Force D2.
Turtle Beach was kind enough to send a set my way to see if it was up my alley. The first thing I was pleased to note is that the D2 sits on my head quite comfortably, not clamping too hard nor sitting too lightly on my ears. The headband is adjustable; and if anyone is ever born with a head larger than mine, the D2 should accommodate them just fine.
My first task was to check up on the sound reproduction, and firing up Elite Beat Agents, I was nearly blown away by the sheer loudness of the sound. I dialed the D2's on-cord volume control to a more comfortable level, and came away impressed. The sound reproduction is very good, with a deep quality to it—perhaps a bit on the bassy side, though not uncomfortably so. It does make some games' sound mixes—more likely than not designed for the DS's tinny little built-ins—sound slightly off, but so many others sound so good that it's definitely a net win.
The D2's mic is attached to a flexible boom on the left earpiece. It's far longer than the official headset's, reaching easily to my mouth. To evaluating the mic, I started with Brain Age's Stroop Test, where I identified the color of words appearing on the screen. I was dismayed to find that the error rate was quite high, so I popped in Electroplankton and used the Volvoice mode to record a sample of myself talking—and here, the problem became evident: the mic was picking up me exhaling from my nose—and it was very loud. Thankfully, it was a correctable issue; I simply grasped the mic with my fingers and moved it off to the side of my mouth and out of range of my powerful nasal exhalations. With the flexible boom adjusted so, my Brain Age accuracy was perfect.
However, part of the reason I wanted the mic near my mouth in the first place was to support those always-popular mic-blowing games that the DS seems to have so many of. So, I tried to move the mic back into position in front of my mouth, and tried The Rub Rabbits blow-gun game. I found that my blowing accuracy suffered quite a bit; sometimes the game wouldn't pick up my breaths, sometimes it would fire seemingly randomly. I tried adjusting the mic again, but couldn't find a reliable position. I suspect the games' code simply isn't designed to handle a headset mic. I can't really fault the D2 on this front; my experience actually makes me question whether it's possible to make a headset that works with mic-blowing games.
Finally, I jumped back into Metroid Prime Hunters to test the voice chat. The mic's sound reproduction was as good as expected, with no noticeable flaws, and everything I said was carried clearly to my friend—provided, of course, that I adjusted the mic properly to keep it from picking up on the stream of air issuing from my nostrils.
Based on my time with the D2, which was far more enjoyable than with the official DS headset, I'd say Turtle Beach has got a winner. The sound quality is indeed very good, and the mic, though sensitive to breathing, is so ridiculously adjustable thanks to the boom mic that it's not a problem. I haven't yet found my perfect solution for making mic-blowing games less painful to play, but I have learned that it might just be impossible to build such a thing. Casting that aside, I can definitely recommend the D2 for those in the market for a Nintendo DS headset. It retails for only $5 more than the official one, and the difference is simply night and day.
Turtle Beach was kind enough to send a set my way to see if it was up my alley. The first thing I was pleased to note is that the D2 sits on my head quite comfortably, not clamping too hard nor sitting too lightly on my ears. The headband is adjustable; and if anyone is ever born with a head larger than mine, the D2 should accommodate them just fine.
My first task was to check up on the sound reproduction, and firing up Elite Beat Agents, I was nearly blown away by the sheer loudness of the sound. I dialed the D2's on-cord volume control to a more comfortable level, and came away impressed. The sound reproduction is very good, with a deep quality to it—perhaps a bit on the bassy side, though not uncomfortably so. It does make some games' sound mixes—more likely than not designed for the DS's tinny little built-ins—sound slightly off, but so many others sound so good that it's definitely a net win.
The D2's mic is attached to a flexible boom on the left earpiece. It's far longer than the official headset's, reaching easily to my mouth. To evaluating the mic, I started with Brain Age's Stroop Test, where I identified the color of words appearing on the screen. I was dismayed to find that the error rate was quite high, so I popped in Electroplankton and used the Volvoice mode to record a sample of myself talking—and here, the problem became evident: the mic was picking up me exhaling from my nose—and it was very loud. Thankfully, it was a correctable issue; I simply grasped the mic with my fingers and moved it off to the side of my mouth and out of range of my powerful nasal exhalations. With the flexible boom adjusted so, my Brain Age accuracy was perfect.
However, part of the reason I wanted the mic near my mouth in the first place was to support those always-popular mic-blowing games that the DS seems to have so many of. So, I tried to move the mic back into position in front of my mouth, and tried The Rub Rabbits blow-gun game. I found that my blowing accuracy suffered quite a bit; sometimes the game wouldn't pick up my breaths, sometimes it would fire seemingly randomly. I tried adjusting the mic again, but couldn't find a reliable position. I suspect the games' code simply isn't designed to handle a headset mic. I can't really fault the D2 on this front; my experience actually makes me question whether it's possible to make a headset that works with mic-blowing games.
Finally, I jumped back into Metroid Prime Hunters to test the voice chat. The mic's sound reproduction was as good as expected, with no noticeable flaws, and everything I said was carried clearly to my friend—provided, of course, that I adjusted the mic properly to keep it from picking up on the stream of air issuing from my nostrils.
Based on my time with the D2, which was far more enjoyable than with the official DS headset, I'd say Turtle Beach has got a winner. The sound quality is indeed very good, and the mic, though sensitive to breathing, is so ridiculously adjustable thanks to the boom mic that it's not a problem. I haven't yet found my perfect solution for making mic-blowing games less painful to play, but I have learned that it might just be impossible to build such a thing. Casting that aside, I can definitely recommend the D2 for those in the market for a Nintendo DS headset. It retails for only $5 more than the official one, and the difference is simply night and day.