Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Gaming Headset Review

Turtle Seashore have gotten the one-stop store for peripherals proper now. Whereas they’ve constructed their very own legacy over time, they’re now additionally shopping for up different producers like PDP, with manufacturers like Victrix and Roccat all now falling beneath the identical umbrella. Whereas growth is the important thing right here, they’ve not forgotten what they constructed the model on initially, and with the Stealth 500 they’re setting out their stall for this yr’s gaming audio crown. They could simply win it too.

Lately, the Stealth headset lineup has iterated, fairly than reinvented. The overall type and design stayed the identical for years, whereas they steadily up to date batteries and connectivity. Not so with this yr’s launch, because the all-new Stealth 500 boasts an entire redesign, bringing it bang up-to-date.

Now, the outdated Stealth headsets weren’t ugly per se, however they have been undoubtedly exhibiting their age. The very first thing you’ll discover with the brand new Stealth 500 is how modern and fashionable it appears, usual wholly out of black supplies, it’s virtually as stealthy as its identify implies. The construct is generally plastic, with a inflexible plastic headband, nevertheless it has the additional benefit of creating this one very gentle headset. I’ve worn this factor for entire days and by no means had a second of weariness, and that’s an enormous boon should you dwell along with your headset on.

One of many new options for Turtle Seashore is a floating headband. Taking a swift look over at Steelseries’ homework, they’ve determined that is one of the best ways to do headbands, and albeit, I’d must agree. It conforms to your head form, you’ll be able to barely inform it’s there, and there are three settings to regulate it for various sized heads. It’s completely spot on.

There’s a bunch of controls on the left earpiece, with a grasp quantity dial and a chat quantity one beneath it. These are barely plasticky, however they’re not too cheap-feeling. You’ve then bought a USB-C port for charging, and a collection of buttons, letting you entry energy, Bluetooth and Mode settings with none points.

You possibly can join by way of the two.4Ghz wi-fi dongle – nonetheless USB-A should you have been questioning – or over Bluetooth. Our model was branded as being for PlayStation, nevertheless it additionally performed fortunately with my PC, Nintendo Change and my Samsung Z Flip 6. For most individuals, it’ll slot simply into your setup.

You’ve bought a straightforward degree of management by way of the Swarm II app, out there on each desktop and cellular. This handles all of your firmware updates – it’s possible the very first thing it’ll do once you hook all of it up – in addition to letting you customise your EQ settings and varied different options. It’s principally seamless and simple (although the updating course of threw up a couple of errors alongside the best way), and given that you just’re unlikely to be quite a lot of toes out of your cellular at anybody time, it simply provides to the convenience of use.

As commonplace there are 4 EQ settings, however you’ll be able to create you personal profiles as properly, utilising a 10-band EQ to get issues sounding precisely the best way you need them. I usually just like the Turtle Seashore Signature Sound, however right here it felt a bit muddy and missing definition, however I used to be quickly in a position to dial in additional prime finish to deliver out the element. This was extra obvious when listening to music by way of cellular than whereas gaming on PS5, and it feels as if the Stealth 500 loses a bit definition over Bluetooth that isn’t the case by way of the wi-fi connection. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to undoubtedly treatment it by way of the EQ.

The Swarm II app additionally provide you with detailed management over the microphone setup, together with noise gate and mic monitoring. The mic itself swings down from the primary physique of the left earpiece – retaining an outdated Stealth design facet – and it angles barely in the direction of your mouth, although with none skill to additional customise its place. It undoubtedly does the job throughout on-line play, although it’s not as exact because the microphones you’ll discover on dearer headsets.

Gaming is after all the first order of the day although, and Star Wars Outlaws sounded completely incredible by way of the Stealth 500, with the soundtrack swelling powerfully on the proper moments, whereas there was greater than sufficient element for the stellar voice appearing to chop by means of. Hopping again into Overwatch 2, the 40mm drivers did a superb job of delivering different participant’s positions to me, and the acquainted push and pull of the gameplay was given a pleasant spark by the Stealth 500’s audio supply.

The Turtle Seashore Stealth 500 is priced at £79.99, placing it primarily up in opposition to Sony’s Pulse 3D and Microsoft’s personal Wi-fi Headset – this has been out of inventory for some time, so a refresh may be coming. It advantages over Sony’s providing by together with Bluetooth, and a few would possibly desire the extra commonplace styling. I’m an enormous fan of the Microsoft Wi-fi Headset, however the Stealth 500 pips it for consolation, due to its floating headband.