The ears enjoy while the wallet bleeds...

So, I finally got down and set up the Tritton Audio Extreme 360 (AX360) to use with the PS3. The headphones is definitely made for the XBOX 360 as you need to do a couple of things before it actually has full capabilities for the PS3. More on that later.

The headphone is huge. Well, not that big but definitely big. The pads are comfy around the ear but if you are gaming with these on a hot day, sweat is going to be a nuisance. Just make sure you either have air condition on or a full blast fan.

The AX360 is a 5.1 headphones which means you are going to hear things whether they are coming from your left, right, back or front. So how does it do it? Simple. A sound card helps to generate all these within two pieces of speakers stuck to your ears.

The AX360 soundcard has two jacks for the headsets, so one card can actually support two headsets. It also has coaxial input as well as optical input. With the PS3, I opted for the optical input. Dolby Digital only though so don't ask for DTS or PCM.

Tritton also bundled a whole array of cables but they are mostly cheap cables that does not work very well. The optical cable bundled was quite bad and I had to splash extra money just to get one that works decently.

What's wrong with the bundled cable? It is too noisy, the connection is loose and it is so thin, you definitely know it won't work for such an expensive gadget.

The mic is pretty decent but again, for the PS3, you need to purchase an additional USB soundcard for it to work. It only comes with a cable to connect to the 360 controller. For the PS3, you need to output the sound from the AX360 soundcard. And since, there is no way to cucuk the input (it doesn't have USB) into the PS3, you need a USB soundcard which will channel the sound to the PS3 via USB.

The investment is not over yet as I unpacked the stuff from Tritton. A power adapter for the soundcard means I need a stepdown adapter before I can use this headset. Another bummer.

So, after getting all these things done, do I still think the AX360 was worth it? You bet it is. It is especially useful when you are living with someone else, and playing your game on surround sound on full volume means disgruntled housemates or family members.

The headset, once calibrated properly, helps you experience the game fully. I tried the headset on Call of Duty 4 and it was fantastic. I know where enemies were firing from just by listening to the bullet sounds wheezing past my head.

It is not easy to find a good pair of headsets for the consoles but this is definitely one that is worth the trouble I went through to get my hands on it and to get it to work. I highly recommend it if you don't mind the initial trouble in setting it up.

Price of AX360: US$112
Price of stepdown: RM90
Price of optical cable: RM69
5.1 surround sound without disturbing others: Priceless.

The Good

• Fantastic 5.1 surround sound
• Comfortable headset even if it gets slightly warm
• No more disgruntled family members in the morning

The Bad

• Amount of set up needed
• Pricy
• Bundled optical cable a disappointment

Verdict: If you are looking for a gaming headset with surround sound, the AX360 is a very, very good choice. Just have to put more effort into getting it to work.