Caps4stix
Xbox 360 controller analogue stick replacement cover
* New and improved grey model, even more slim-line and better than before *
Description
Are your analogue sticks starting to lose their grip? Look no further. This is the perfect solution. A soft rubber cover that fits snugly over the head of the analogue stick to provide superior grip and in no way prohibits stick movement.
After a few months using a controll pad the grip starts to wear off. Not greart when you consider what it has to start with. Stick these on your controller and there will be no more thumbs slipping in the middle of an intense team deathmatch. The replacement amalogue stick cover features 8 larger raised pimples as apposed to the 4 tiny 'dots' that come as standard. This provides superior grip and ensures you are at the top of your game.
My Verdict
I picked these because they were a great price, at only £1.94 for two - this is one for each analogue stick on an Xbox 360 controller. I had to give them a go. My control pad was only a few months old and the grip was almost non existant. After using these I don't know how, or why I played without them. 
They look and feel very natural on the controller and perform great. It adds a little size to the sticks and makes them feel more rhobust. With twice as many pimples as standard, grip is greatly improved. Even if your controll pad is brand new, these make the sticks much, much better. It takes a little getting used to at first, only because you are so used to not having them, but these are one of those products you use and can't imagine doing without.
Just look at the pic to the right and you can see the difference these make >>
Grab yourself a couple now and enjoy your brand new and improved sticks. These are a must buy for any Xbox 360 player and even more so for shooter enthusiasts like myself. Vast improvement at a bargain price, highly recommended from me.
10/10
For more information and to purchase you pads, visit the official website at www.bespoke-solutions.net
Turtle Beach Ear Force X1
Description
The Ear Force X1 Xbox 360 headphones let you pump up the volume without disturbing friends, family or neighbors. Two sets of jacks are included, so you can also use the X1 with your favorite PC games.
Hear every nuance of the game - from an opponent sneaking up behind you to your teammate’s voice right next to you. Trash talk online & block out distractions at the same time. The Ear Force X1 Xbox 360 headphones are everything you need for an amazing gaming experience
Pre-purchase
I use a Dolby Digital sound system (check my setup page) so I was scepticle about reverting to a stereo headset. I really needed them for night time gaming to keep the rest of the family happy from gunshots and bassy explosions. They were highly praised so I decided to take the chance and go for them.
I tried my wireless headphones first and I wasn't too impressed. Playing CoD4 I couldn't tell which way enemies were coming from and that put me at a real disadvantage. Of course there was no voice chat either.
My Verdict
These are much better than I expected. Great positioning - so you can tell what way enemies are coming from. Great sound quality, and rather loud at high volume. No problem with hearing team mates in conjuction with game sound, they are also controlled independantly.
A couple of bad points to note:
- Comfort, could be better
- Doesn't fit directly into the chatpad
These headphones are an essential purchase if you don't already have a pair. They improve your games in so many ways my sound system is now jealous. I can't comment on the other models (displayed below) but for £40 these are a great place to start despite their minor flaws. If the other models are better than these which they should be then I envy anyone with a pair of X4s.
9/10
Also available, wireless models - X3 
and surround sound X4 
Want one?
Ear Force headsets from Play.com.
X1s from Game.co.uk.
Mikomi Surround Sound Wall Speaker Mounts
£8.99 from Argos. Link
With my Acoustic Solutions sound system you only get two speaker stands. So as you can image the other two speakers (rear in my case) are either on some shelves or fixed to the wall. I spotted these little brackets in Argos but from the picture I wasn't sure they were universal as they say, I decided to give them a go anyway.
My suspicions were right, they're actually made for wooden speakers. They come with screw fixings to screw into wood. This is no good for plastic speakers. However, a nut and bolt solves the problem. First ones I picked out of the toolbox fitted perfectly, anything less than a 5mm head (app.) should do the trick. A similar fixing method as how the packaged speaker stands work.
Once fixed to the wall they will hold up to 6kg speakers. Fully adjustable, all you have to do is loosen the black plastic fixing bolt (can be seen in the second picture under the joint) to adjust the speaker part.
These are very good if like me you had your rear speakers to the side rather than behind you. Slighty overpriced for a few bits of plastic but great to finish off your setup.
8/10
