Mad Catz Headcom Pro

Hearing is believing.

I was fortunate enough to participate in the original Xbox Live Beta way back when. I remember getting that package from Microsoft with all of the items needed to play online on my brand new Xbox. One of the best things about this particular setup was the headset. The headset was really comfortable to wear and the cord was really long. When I got the Xbox 360 I was a little disappointed in how Microsoft redesigned the headset, as it is not as comfortable and the cord is a lot shorter. In all honesty I was hopping that the headset was going to be wireless just like the controller I was using. Mad Catz has just released their very own headset to offer an alternative to Microsoft’s. Read on to find out how it measures up.

The name of Mad Catz's very own headset is the Xbox 360 HeadCOM Pro. Mad Catz designed the headset to look very similar to the official Xbox 360 headset, using the same white and great case covering. The device itself is pretty comfortable to wear. The HeadCOM Pro also works with both for your Xbox 360 and original Xbox.

All of this is all nice and well, but what matters most is how does this device sound when you are playing? After testing it out with various games I found that the clarity that the headphone offers is really nice and is comparable with the official Xbox headset. Another important aspect of this device is the microphone, just like the Xbox 360 head set, the microphone bends so you can find the best position for you to talk. Another concern for the microphone is the clarify that it provides when you talk into it, and how other people to hear you. Well after testing it myself with some friends and hearing them use it to talk, I can tell you that the clarify is just as good as the official Xbox Live headset.

The problem with the HeadCOM Pro is that it doesn’t have the volume control/mute device attached to it like the official Xbox Live headset. So while this headset will work really well for your original Xbox it really does not fly very far on your precious new console. Hopefully Mad Catz will fix this or better yet, come out with a wireless headset that has this functionally, now that would work wonders.

The price for the Xbox 360 HeadCOM Pro is $14.99

Pros:
I really liked that the cord is longer to give players more space to move around. Also the price point is set really nicely.

Cons:
While the headset is backwards compatible, it is missing a very important item on it to be functional for the Xbox 360, the volume control and mute button. Without this it is not as fun to use for the price that you are paying for it.

Verdict: 7.1
The Xbox 360 HeadCOM Pro would have gotten a lot higher score if it was made for just the original Xbox. Without the volume control and mute button this seriously hampers this headset's functionality.