Gaming Accessories. Not everyone uses them, but for those who do, they know that they can drastically improve gameplay. We had a chance to sit down with several different audio accessory companies at E3, including SteelSeries, NOX Audio, and Turtle Beach.

Read on for our thoughts and product photos.

SteelSeries

Our first appointment was with SteelSeries. Initially founded in 2001, 2010 marks their entrance into the console accessory market. Starting with the Spectrum line of headsets, they are introducing the 5XB (pictured) and the 4XB (a lower-line white headset), both of which are set to release in August. The main demonstration was for the 5XB, which features:

• Lightweight design with top and side padding
• Ear cushions
• Rubber base and double-braided nylon cord to prevent damage
• Flexible (see above)
• Compactable- breaks into 3 smaller pieces (see below)
• Extendable microphone (winds up into housing when not in use)
• 2 drivers, 1 in each cup
• Xbox themed paint scheme
• Independent audio controls for both game chat and game audio
• Live Mix- an automatic balance of game chat and game audio

The white 4XB sports many of these same features, but it is missing the nylon-core wire, doesn’t break down, and has less padding. Both devices can also be used as standard 3.5mm headphones by removing the Xbox adapter.

Look for the both sets to be priced in July and at select retailers in August.

NOX Audio

NOX Audio is a newer company focused on “delivering optimal sound performance through innovative products.” At E3 this year, NOX Audio was showcasing 2 new products, the Specialist line of headsets and the Scout earbuds. We had a chance to listen to both sets, and the audio quality of both was good.

Both are standard headsets, and can also be used on the Xbox 360 with a small adapter, allowing you to customize the game volume and the chat volume independently. While the Scout earbuds are not available until the fall, the Specialist headsets retail for $80, a steep price for a medium-range headset.

Turtle Beach

Surprisingly, we were the least impressed with Turtle Beach. While we had initially scheduled an appointment with them, the representative was very inattentive and uninsightful (This was confirmed by an industry friend of ours, who had the same problem). From what we gathered, the main new showcase item was the Earforce DSS (shown below), a single-to-multi channel audio converter which converts stereo sound into 7.1 surround sound. While even the technician was unable to explain the fundamentals behind the device, the overly-expensive device seemed to get the job done in our gameplay.