New Forza Player looking for Wireless Headset advice!

I have been looking around for a wireless headset for the Xbox One but it seems my choices are limited. I’m still fairly new to the console scene in terms of multiplayer and since getting Forza 5, Thrustmaster TX, and a WheelStand Pro I find myself wanting to better utilize those items through multiplayer. To be clear I want my headset to be 100% wireless, I do not want a cord connecting my head to a controller I am not using! And no, I do not know about all the options previously available to Xbox One or Xbox 360, so please be specific. I want to make an informed choice and I’m relying on people that have been around the track a few times to help me do so.

My questions are thus:

  1. Do any brands stand above others in terms of sounds quality, mic quality, durability, comfort? (IE. I’ve heard many bad things about Turtle Beach headsets in terms of mic quality)

  2. The connection I see pictured with most of the wireless Xbox One headsets is something that plugs into the controller, not sure how or if this would work since I will be using my Thrustmaster TX for racing and not the controller. What are my options to get around this?

  3. My most important “want” would be comfort FIRST… no sense in paying $100-$300 for a headset that crushes my skull; my second highest would be that I have a constant and stable connection wirelessly without a lot of hassle (IE. the connection to the controller seems like it will only cause hassle, but I could be wrong)

  4. I’ve heard about some people using some “adapter” to use older Xbox 360 Headsets, are their any pros/cons to doing this? And if possible could someone link me this product?

  5. Cost isn’t really an issue for me, Obviously no one wants to drop $400 for a headset but if I can find that “perfect” fit for me and my needs then so be it.

  6. Are there any wireless options that would work across the board for Xbox One, PS4, PC?

  7. What are battery life times? Whats a good battery life look like in hours?

So first and foremost is that with any headset you choose to use with the X1, you’ll have to have it plugged into the controller. There’s no way of getting around that. So with that out of the way, the consensus around here is the Astros are the best(A40s), and depending on which one’s you buy, TB are pretty good as well.
2. As for using them with the TX, there’s a few steps you have to go through that are detailed on Thrustmaster’s X Team Facebook page. It means having a controller on as well as the wheel.
Don’t know for comfort, so maybe someone else can chime in about that, but as for the adapter, it has to be used for all headsets no matter if they are specifically for the Xbox One or not. You can buy them from the Microsoft store or really any big retailer.

Well I picked up the Astro A50’s tonight in part because of the comments in this post and around the web and other forums. I have yet to really use them in game/chat as of yet but I have high expectations for a headset that costs $300.

A few facts I have learned over the past few days:

  1. You MUST use the Microsoft Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter, there is absolutely no way around this currently if you plan to use Xbox Live Chat without the Kinect. This also means that despite having a wireless headset you will have a wire running from the headset to the controller & adapter to use XBL Chat. This was a greedy move by Microsoft simply to force people into buying more accessories when they could have easily left the system/controller similar to the Xbox 360 controllers, but then again they force you to buy new XB1 controllers too instead of offering backwards compatibility for them like the Wii U did.

  2. You MUST update the Xbox One controller you plan on using with the headset & adapter.

  3. You MUST update the firmware on the A50 headset & base unit if you expect better/full functionality across all systems (especially for PS4)

  4. Those of use using a wheel like the Thrustmaster TX 458 will be forced to have a controller with adapter on and connected via audio cable to the headset in order to use XBL Chat, so you will need your wheel and a controller on at the same time. In light of this I went and bought an Xbox One Play & Charge Kit so I can use a rechargeable battery vs. burning up countless AA’s while I race with the controller on next to me.

  5. The adapters are a hot commodity right now because everyone is starting to realize that buying a new wired/wireless headset means finding this adapter. This means that the adapters are currently hard to find as many retailers are sold out and a few stores in my area have jacked up the price $5 - $15 on the ones they have left just to stick it to people that want it now vs. ordering one online and waiting, sadly even some online retailers are out of stock on these adapters.

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