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Plantronics have opted for a black and white colour scheme for the GameCom X95 which is reasonably appealing but not quite as nice as the white and grey of the GameCom X40 in our opinion. It should stand the test of time better than the white and grey of the GameCom X40, though, as the predominantly black finish wont pick up visible grime over time. The matte finish of the headset should prove to be practical in the long run as it will resist scratches and marks much better than glossy plastic.
The GameCom X95 uses exactly the same basic design as the GameCom X40, which is no bad thing. Although it isn't the most exciting design we've seen, it has a simple elegance about it that will appeal to a broader market than some more exotic headset designs we've seen.
As the GameCom X95 is a wireless headset, it would be virtually impossible for Plantronics to use an in-line control. They have therefore chosen to place the volume control roller switches and microphone mute buttons on the back of the earpieces. There is also a power button for the headset located here which will stop the battery from being drained while it is not in use.
To achieve a more attractive price point, Plantronics has chosen not to include a built in battery. This means that you'll either have to keep refueling the headset with AAA batteries – which could become expensive if you use the headset a lot – or invest in some rechargeable AAA batteries and a charger.
The latter of these two options makes the most sense to us. To insert the batteries into the headset we are first required to remove the right earpad by twisting it, revealing two slots for the batteries. When they've been inserted, the earpad just twists back on.
When not in use, the Microphone sits right up against the inside of the headband so it is completely out of the way. When you do want to use it, it folds down easily and can be extended so you can find the best position. It is a uni-directional noise cancelling microphone that produced reasonable quality audio in our tests that we found perfectly good enough for Xbox Live Chat.
One of the main benefits of using a wireless headset for Xbox 360 gaming is that you don't have to put up with all the cables that are usually required for connection. Although it is marketed as a ‘Wireless headset', you still need to run a cable between the headset and controller for Xbox Live Chat.
The Wireless Receiver Unit must be plugged into your Xbox 360 using the attached USB cable alongside the audio cable which terminates in two RCA connectors. Those who use an HDMI cable other than the Xbox official one may run into trouble connecting these as you need the audio adapter that is included with it (pictured below). Those who use the standard AV cable will be fine, however.
