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Turtle Beach builds the Ear Force Spectre using a plastic frame, with foam and leather padding in the relevant areas, and large ear cups. The design won't give the firmest grip that pro gamers yearn but it should ensure comfortable wearing for extended periods of time.
Using a beige and black colour scheme, the Ear Force Spectre Call of Duty: Ghosts edition fits in with the game's dark, intense image.
Both ear cups can be twisted by around 90 degrees to sit flush against a user's body. This design feature allows gamers to hook the headset firmly around their neck without causing discomfort in their chest area.
With a gap measuring approximately 60mm-tall by 40mm-wide, gamers' ears should be able to sit inside the ear cups with comfort. The soft, leather-covered, foam padding helps to enhance the Ear Force Spectre's wearing comfort, although it does cause a user's ears to get hot quicker than the alternative cloth design does.
Given the unit's Call of Duty: Ghosts branding, it comes as no surprise that the interchangeable plates feature styling from the franchise's newest game. If a different style of plates is preferred, alternative sets can be equipped.
50mm drivers embedded within the ear cups provide stereo audio to the headset. The leather-topped foam ear cushions double up as passive noise insulation implementations.
The detachable microphone can be attached to the headset via a specific connection located towards the front of the left ear cup.
Each ear cup can be tilted towards and away from one's ears by a limited margin of approximately 25 to 30 degrees. This degree of flexibility is slightly lower than we have seen from some other gaming headsets in the past.
The Call of Duty: Ghosts branded in-line amp provides easy access to six different usage characteristics. Game, chat, and microphone volume controls are found on one side of the amp. Treble and bass level controls, as well as a microphone function switch, are found on the in-line amp's other side.
Chat and microphone setting indicator lights are found on the unit's main body. Four different colours are used to indicate the microphone's current function.
A clip allows users to secure the in-line amp to their clothing, ensuring that its weight isn't supported by their head.
A thick, approximately 3 metre-long cable connects the headset's in-line amp to the specific USB and 3.5mm ports. Given that the additional cables can extend the Ear Force Spectre's reach up to approximately 4 metres, many gamers shouldn't have problems using the unit while sitting on their couch. PC gamers, on the other hand, are likely to be irritated by the 3 metres of cable sat on the floor next to them and their computer.
The main cable with in-line amp connects to the headset via a lead that converts the proprietary connector to a 3.5mm jack. Why Turtle Beach didn't choose the simple option and send a 3.5mm connector directly from the headset is a little unclear; the most likely reason is that a quick disconnect method was a high priority, hence the usage of a proprietary (and bulky) connector.
Turtle Beach's multi-cable approach makes connecting basic devices a needless inconvenience. For example, connecting a smartphone requires the use of an adapter, rather than a direct 3.5mm connection. Connecting an Xbox 360 sees a cable converting from the proprietary connection to a 3.5mm jack which then feeds through the in-line amp, before another 3.5mm lead (from the in-line amp) is used to connect the console.
While the quick disconnect functionality is a clear advantage to gamers, the increased complexity brought about by multiple connector cables does put a small downer on what is otherwise a very positive feature.
A basic 3.5mm cable can be used to directly connect miscellaneous devices such as MP3 players. For users wanting phone call functionality, a cable that also provides an in-line microphone (with single input button) can be connected to the 3.5mm connector of mobile phones.
General PS3 and Xbox 360 (or other games console) connectivity is provided in the form of an RCA phono (red and white stereo connectors) to 3.5mm female adapter. The main cable's 3.5mm jack then plugs into the relevant female 3.5mm input.
For Xbox 360 users, a separate audio cable (which plugs into the controller and headset amplifier) can be used to relay the headset's microphone audio over the console. PS3 users can configure the microphone input via their system settings page.
