Works immediately after purchase. The sound is good, no problems so far. Will change if problems arise, but my old Astros still work. They're bigger and fit well around my ears (which I don't like, maybe because I'm a woman with small ears). But they help to muffle outside noise without blocking it completely, so you can hear the in-game sounds very well. . I would recommend them if you want good sound quality but don't need to burst your eardrums like some people do lol.