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Description/Testing
The RumbleFX headphones work by analyzing the audio waves passed out to the headphones. When certain low-frequency ranges are hit with enough amplitude, the headphones add a vibratory feedback response. Basically, they boom with the bass, although it’s not all about bass with these. Installation is totally simple. You just plug them in, insert the batteries (Which are included), and fire up something fun to play. Since the headphones work passively, without requiring any special setup, they’ll even work with that old DOS copy of Jill of the Jungle that you *know* you still play.
The effect of the RumbleFX headphones is boosted by the use of 3D audio technologies, of course. If you use A3D or EAX in any of your games, the natural audio side effects of those technologies will be drawn out by the headphones since, again, they work by interpreting the sound. Admittedly, I got my hopes up in thinking about this ability, but the realism involved in the way the headphones means that the effect is limited. Realistically speaking, the only reason you should ever feel the headphones vibrate or shake is if something in a game comes in direct contact with you or causes you to move. So why would the vibration be made any different if you were in a cave or a long hallway? With that in mind, the headphones work exactly as they should.
Since I happened to be playing Battle for Naboo at the time that I got these headphones, I tested them in this scenario first. The shaking they gave when I got hit by missiles or any other projectiles was good, although sometimes I was getting feedback responses even though the explosions were actually occurring nearby. This was no fault of the headphones, however, but just a fault with the game in that explosions that occurred 100 feet away still sounded just as loud. Even so, the feedback felt more or less appropriate, and just made the game feel more fun.
Next, I popped in Diablo II. There aren’t very many explosions in Diablo II, so I would up mostly experiencing the feedback provided by the background music. The feedback in this case was rather subtle and non-interfering. It actually was a very pleasant experience using these headphones here, and prompted me to try them out with a few music CDs as well. I wasn’t expecting much in this case, since most of the music I like isn’t heavy on the bass.
Still, I knew I had a few good candidates, so I went and got my “Lost Highway” soundtrack, “Dig Your Own Hole” by Chemical Brothers, and “Becoming X Remixed” by Sneaker Pimps. The effect was certainly noticeable here, and a little annoying. I’m used to my ears being battered around as it is with my excellent Sony Digital Reference headphones, but the bass combined with the rattling and shaking of the headphones was rather uncomfortable. They put a lot of stress on my eardrums, and left me feeling a bit on the side of nausea when I was done. I recovered quickly, though, and decided to give these headphones the ultimate bass benchmark. So, I loaded up Sonique, and opened up…
AllYourBase.mp3…Yup…The MP3 music track by The Laziest Men on Mars. Needless to say, my ears were once again given the workout, but when the music was intentionally bassy, things weren’t so bad. It really did make the experience more engaging and realistic.
>> Conclusion
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