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Review: Turtle Beach Ear Force M3 mobile gaming headset

Dale North, Editor-In-Chief
1:00 PM on 03.20.2012
Review: Turtle Beach Ear Force M3 mobile gaming headset photo


There's plenty of gaming headsets out there, but most of them are made for sitting at home in front of a television or PC, and there aren't many that will work for the type of gamers that like to get out in the sunshine and fresh air. Turtle Beach swoops in to save the day for mobile gamers with their Ear Force M3 mobile gaming headset, which claims compatibility with all of your portable gaming systems as well as Apple and Android mobile devices.

I stepped out of the office to put the Ear Force M3 through its paces using several different devices, including a PS Vita, 3DS, iPhone, iPod and iPad. Verdict? I came away impressed with this set's sound and features, especially for the $25-30 street price.  

The M3 is a compact headset, with cups that softly pad ears to fit to them, but won't cup over to cover them. There are respectable 40mm drivers behind those cushy pads, but they're on rotatable, foldable earpieces that let the whole unit fold up nicely to pack away in a bag, and they're small enough that they won't feel silly alongside your Vita or 3DS. They're also quite comfortable with their nice head band padding and light weight.

This set sounds surprisingly nice for the asking price, with quality that proved to be pleasing for both music listening and gaming. There's a clean, clear sound quality for gaming that I appreciated while playing through Lumines: Electronic Symphony on the Vita and Resident Evil: Revelations for the 3DS, and nice low end response showed up trailers and video clips on my iPad. The built-in mic is situated on the in-line headset control unit, and it seemed to work well in test calls and chats; those on the other end of my calls said that I came in loud and clear.

That in-line unit features multifunction button that changes use depending on the mobile device. On my iPhone I was able to play, pause, and skip music tracks, and during calls I could answer or hang up with a click. While I didn't have an Android device to test these with, users of these devices will be able to do much of the same tricks, and can even launch voice commands with some versions.

As a nice bonus, the M3 comes with a PC adapter, letting you also use the set for PC gaming or chat; the adapter takes the 3.5mm, 4-pole plug and splits it to a dual set for mic input and headphone output. I tried it out with this adapter in a Skype session on my Macbook and had no complaints.

If you're needing a portable, multipurpose gaming headset that sounds good and works with all your devices, the M3 Ear Force is a good choice. They retail for about $40, but if you shop around you can find a pair for as low as $25.





Legacy Comments (will be imported soon)


I was lucky enough to snag a refurbished pair of X31's for $40, thanks to an @videogame_deals tweet. I'm glad I made the purchase, but I'm also a person who requires a crazy good deal to spend money on peripherals instead of games.
I have the PX5 I'm with that one
This... This review might have convinced me to buy ones? Maybe not, but that's only because I trust no headphones manufacturers other than Ultrasone. Yummy ultrasone headphones make me happy.
Those look pretty nice. Is there a wireless version? The cables for things drive me nuts when it comes to portables, netbooks, etc.

I'd like to know a good surround-sound headset for PC that is under say $75. I don't have the space for a regular surround speaker setup, and I can't be that loud in the graduate student housing. But I feel like audio is one area of the gaming experience I have neglected to explore.
Sounds like a good deal, I have some old headphones that need retiring anyway.
Can't beat the A30's
But is the plug on them L shaped? That's what I need it to be like so they can be pocketed with the 3DS/Vita
How long is the cord?
There are inline mics on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Headset-Adapter-Microphone-iTouch-iPhone/dp/B002ZX695U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid;=1332275417&sr;=8-1

Seems to make more sense to buy a "non-gaming" $30 headphone and use an in-line mic extension.
I thought the headset was bluetooth :c then I read the review. Why isn't anyone making decent bluetooth/wireless headsets for phones or handhelds. It seems to me there is a great opportunity there.
Bose OE headsets have worked great for the PSP and other various mobile devices. They are pricey around $170 IIRC, and almost-as-good sound can be had for much less, but between balanced sound, form factor, comfort, and portability, everything functions well and they have a greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts quality that justifies the price, and given my increased reliance on mobile computing have proven to be a good investment.
*Looks like they are quite a bit less on Amazon now. At $105, that's an even easier recommendation.
This is ostensibly a review, but there's no mention of type (start by clarifying that it is wired, please), cord length, or plug type. Also, you need to clarify exactly what you mean by "in-line headset control unit," as well as what controls are available. Step it up a notch, please. These are really really really basic details to be missing.

Forgive me for being blunt, Dale. Your reviews are usually more complete, so I'm extra picky when they aren't.
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