Back in August of 2012 I ordered a new headset. Specifically, I got the Turtle Beach Z6A Headset. [Voyetra link] [Amazon Link] I bought it from Amazon because it was a bunch cheaper there --$80 or so-- than on Voyetra's site --$129 or so--.
My reason for purchasing this headset was because, as a fan of music, I wanted to hear more. More, more, always more! The Z6A was a headset that actually featured 5.1 surround sound by having four speakers in each ear cup.
My reason for purchasing this headset was because, as a fan of music, I wanted to hear more. More, more, always more! The Z6A was a headset that actually featured 5.1 surround sound by having four speakers in each ear cup.
It satisfied my desires rather well, especially because I could manage the bass driver independently. In fact, I could control each of the speaker pairs, and I still had a master control over that!
I fell in love with this headset the moment I laid eyes on it. I beheld an explosion of sound the moment I put some music through it, and I was thoroughly enjoying it's superior quality in every aspect of it. When folks would come over, the Z6A was a main showcase, rather than something to push off to the side. I'd let my friends try it out, mess with the controls, and listen to some killer dubstep, classical, and even vintage rock just so they could see how truly amazing it is to wear surround sound on your head.
I even went out to search the web for nice additional accessories to use. I found quality cables to run from my X-Box 360 and it's controller so I could enjoy the system like nothing before. [link]
Four months later, I had reason to fret for the first time. The headband's slider had completely cracked all the way through. This wasn't due to mishandling or anything of the like, but rather, it was due simply to the use I put it through.
The fact that the headband had cracked was very odd to me. I though it must have been a freak accident, because my last headset, the Turtle Beach X1 had never experienced a problem of this magnitude. (In fact, it's still functioning to this very day as TorChuJACK 117's primary gaming headset.) I then tried to tape/glue the piece back together so I could continue using it as before. I didn't care how hideous I made it look, so long as I could continue hearing the sheer beauty of its 5.1 surround sound.
The repair never worked, and the same piece on the other side of the headset gave-way soon afterward. This left me with a headband and two dangling speakers. I had one option left, contact support.
Of course, Turtle Beach's E-mail support was prompt and helped me very quickly, in perfectly readable English. They sent me a free replacement, which arrived only a week after I shipped the broken specimen in. The new headset worked perfectly fine, and lived up to the total glory of its deceased brother. I even got to keep a few of the cables which come with the headset, meaning I had extra items, which is something I am very fond of.
I enjoyed it for about seven months before it formed a hairline crack in the same exact location as my first Z6A. This can't be attributed to me: I always use two hands to put the headset on or off, I store it in a specific and safe place, and I wear it in a reasonably adjusted manner which conforms to my head nicely. I observed over the course of a week as casual use caused the crack to form into a gaping one. It still hadn't gone all the way through, but I waited no longer to contact support once again.
This time, my experience was a bit different.
Rather than shipping me a new headset right-off-the-bat, they contacted me and informed me that the Z6A's had been discontinued. Not surprising news, considering the headband's likeliness to crack under the strain of normal use. The support team offered me an alternative: that I receive a headset from the line of my functional model, the X1. This new headset, the X12 [link], combined with the DSS2 they offered, took away my 5.1 surround sound, but gave me more cabling options and equalizer features and Dolby Digital audio... I now have fiber-optic support!
The price of my initial Z6A was about $80.00 way-back-when. The price of this new hardware is shown as $129.99, meaning I'm getting a replacement that's worth more than what I had bought. That's enough to make me a happy customer. :) (Though, according to the originally advertised price of the Z6A, it's the same value.)
The Z6A will always have a special place in my heart as the first great headset I've ever owned, and I would still have it, were it capable of living through the terrors of common use. I've just set up my new replacement X12 and its DSS2 only last night and I'm so far enjoying it. I'm also happy that the X12 includes a bass boost knob. :3
TLDR summary:
Bought a new Z6A for $80.00 in August 2012.
It broke.
Got replacement Z6A for free in December 2012.
It broke.
Got replacement X12 and DSS2 for free in July 2013.
Brand new, and functioning fine.
Still a happy customer. I miss the Z6A though.
-Skylark
I even went out to search the web for nice additional accessories to use. I found quality cables to run from my X-Box 360 and it's controller so I could enjoy the system like nothing before. [link]
Four months later, I had reason to fret for the first time. The headband's slider had completely cracked all the way through. This wasn't due to mishandling or anything of the like, but rather, it was due simply to the use I put it through.
The fact that the headband had cracked was very odd to me. I though it must have been a freak accident, because my last headset, the Turtle Beach X1 had never experienced a problem of this magnitude. (In fact, it's still functioning to this very day as TorChuJACK 117's primary gaming headset.) I then tried to tape/glue the piece back together so I could continue using it as before. I didn't care how hideous I made it look, so long as I could continue hearing the sheer beauty of its 5.1 surround sound.
The repair never worked, and the same piece on the other side of the headset gave-way soon afterward. This left me with a headband and two dangling speakers. I had one option left, contact support.
Of course, Turtle Beach's E-mail support was prompt and helped me very quickly, in perfectly readable English. They sent me a free replacement, which arrived only a week after I shipped the broken specimen in. The new headset worked perfectly fine, and lived up to the total glory of its deceased brother. I even got to keep a few of the cables which come with the headset, meaning I had extra items, which is something I am very fond of.
I enjoyed it for about seven months before it formed a hairline crack in the same exact location as my first Z6A. This can't be attributed to me: I always use two hands to put the headset on or off, I store it in a specific and safe place, and I wear it in a reasonably adjusted manner which conforms to my head nicely. I observed over the course of a week as casual use caused the crack to form into a gaping one. It still hadn't gone all the way through, but I waited no longer to contact support once again.
This time, my experience was a bit different.
Rather than shipping me a new headset right-off-the-bat, they contacted me and informed me that the Z6A's had been discontinued. Not surprising news, considering the headband's likeliness to crack under the strain of normal use. The support team offered me an alternative: that I receive a headset from the line of my functional model, the X1. This new headset, the X12 [link], combined with the DSS2 they offered, took away my 5.1 surround sound, but gave me more cabling options and equalizer features and Dolby Digital audio... I now have fiber-optic support!
The price of my initial Z6A was about $80.00 way-back-when. The price of this new hardware is shown as $129.99, meaning I'm getting a replacement that's worth more than what I had bought. That's enough to make me a happy customer. :) (Though, according to the originally advertised price of the Z6A, it's the same value.)
The Z6A will always have a special place in my heart as the first great headset I've ever owned, and I would still have it, were it capable of living through the terrors of common use. I've just set up my new replacement X12 and its DSS2 only last night and I'm so far enjoying it. I'm also happy that the X12 includes a bass boost knob. :3
TLDR summary:
Bought a new Z6A for $80.00 in August 2012.
It broke.
Got replacement Z6A for free in December 2012.
It broke.
Got replacement X12 and DSS2 for free in July 2013.
Brand new, and functioning fine.
Still a happy customer. I miss the Z6A though.
-Skylark