Turtle Beach Stealth 700x Gen 3 Xbox Gaming Headset (Cobalt)

This review is for the Xbox version of the headset, but the differences are not huge between the three versions.Turtle Beach has been around about as long as I’ve been gaming, and I’ve always considered their stuff as “good”. I’ve bought the cheapest headsets and the most expensive they sell through the years and I’ve gotten satisfactory performance and durability on every set. They’re one of the few peripheral companies I haven’t screamed at the device and sworn them off. This headset may be close to endgame in this tier.The best thing about this headset is true multipoint switching from separate transmitters that you can use on different devices and switch seamlessly -we've seen this before, but this one works. The Bluetooth connection has not failed yet, ... MoreThis review is for the Xbox version of the headset, but the differences are not huge between the three versions.Turtle Beach has been around about as long as I’ve been gaming, and I’ve always considered their stuff as “good”. I’ve bought the cheapest headsets and the most expensive they sell through the years and I’ve gotten satisfactory performance and durability on every set. They’re one of the few peripheral companies I haven’t screamed at the device and sworn them off. This headset may be close to endgame in this tier.The best thing about this headset is true multipoint switching from separate transmitters that you can use on different devices and switch seamlessly -we've seen this before, but this one works. The Bluetooth connection has not failed yet, which already is better connectivity than the last revision of the Stealth 700, but also beats every other Bluetooth capable gaming set I've ever used, including much more pricey options. I’ve only had connectivity issues having the headset switch back to the correct transmitter after it powers off automatically after 30 minutes. I don’t think it’s an issue with the headset, I’m pretty sure it’s my fumbling, but the high quality source switching is worth the tiny bit of effort I’ll put into operating this extremely simple system. FWIW, this model (Xbox version) has one dongle labeled “XBOX” and one marked “USB”. The USB one reports as a standard USB audio device in Windows and works with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X very well. The transmitter labeled XBOX reports in Windows as an Xbox controller and carries audio via what would normally be the controller output, which takes care of messing with any extra software, you can just make adjustments as if you were using a native headset on the controller. Operation is simple and satisfying no matter what source you’re using.I’m not an expert, but I sense the ghost of Roccat is here in this headset’s design. In comparing my previous wireless headset (Turtle Beach Stealth Pro) the differences are obvious and pleasing in each facet of the headset’s looks and operation. The headband has a pleasant rubber finish on the top and soft padding on the bottom which seems thin, but works perfectly in my case. The adjustment bars on each side of the band has a pleasant matte finish rather than the bare steel on the Pro. The “yoke” or mounting arm for the earcups is where I see and feel the similarity to my SYN Air Max. They have the same single point mounting system, which seems odd at first, but when you put them on and take a couple of second for adjustment, what you’ll find is this yoke design is extremely comfortable. The cups will find a comfortable level front to back and side to side like any other headset, but as you wear it longer, there is less overall pressure and no pressure points I could feel. The cushions accomodate my glasses perfectly, I barely notice a difference with or without glasses. I have now done a 4 hour and 6 hour session without removing these and they’re right on par with my absolute favorites. I have a giant noggin as well, making extended wear with any headset uncomfortable, but these Stealth 700s fit perfectly.The sound is very good, I’m even able to listen to music on these 700s and it’s not horrible! It’s not good enough to use as a primary music headset, but there is fun to be had in here. So much modern music has sub-bass all over it that is inaudible on most music devices, this headset, thanks to the massive 60mm drivers (roughly 30% more surface area), effortlessly renders the sub-bass all the way down and up, there is not a giant hole on the low end (good job). The higher half of the spectrum sounds to me like these cans are clearly tuned for gaming, especially big booms :) . Vocals and instruments have a bit of a wooden sound on the "Signature Sound" setting. For gaming, this is perfect. The equalizer in the Swarm II app allows for really notable improvements, but I didn’t get this headset for music, it’s for gaming and movies on the Xbox and computer, and for that, these are as good as any high end gaming headset I’ve heard. The "wooden" sound signature does seem intentional, as positional cues are clearly audible and with the help of the Dolby Atmos or DTS:X surround software in Windows, I was able to hear people walking around walls perfectly. If you use Swarm II to activate the classic Superhuman Hearing, it makes some adjustments to punch up footsteps and reloads, especially when they’re faint. When gaming, your phone remains connected (!?!) and can play simultaneously with the audio from the transmitter you’re connected to – with fair sound quality. I played the same songs through iTunes in Windows via the transmitter and through Apple Music on my phone, and if you’ve ever wondered what Bluetooth does to your music, give it a try, it’s quite obvious when you can A/B with the same cans. It's amazing how bad BT sounds, even in 2024... Sound quality on every wireless headset nowadays is not "good", but it's serviceable. It seems battery life sells more headsets, and huge battery life means teeny power for driving what are now huge diaphrams.As an aside: If you have trouble with no sound after the headset goes to sleep, click on the Windows speaker icon, choose another output, then go back to the TB headset and you'll get sound. If you have easy access to your ports, you can pull the transmitter and replug it also. This isn't a TB problem; this is Windows showing its colors as MS shortsightedly allows it to rot in the name of advertising revenue. I've had the issue with multiple other wireless sets from other brands, I just assume that's how it works now.The app is minimal, with basic controls and some adjustments for the factory sounds presets. You can save equalizer settings in there as well as “Game Preset” modes that cycle with the factory modes – via the Mode button on the headset, and they give beeps for feedback, counting one for the first mode, two for the second, etc. There is no audio feedback when you get into your own presets, but I figure there a couple of fixes coming around, as the remapping of the lower left wheel is also mentioned in the app, but the functionality is not yet exposed. You can adjust the brightness of the LEDs on each of the transmitters as well, which is a quality of life feature that may not seem like a big deal, but it’s so much more pleasant when gaming or watching a movie to not be looking at the transmitter light pulsing.What is missing? Nothing really. There is no active noise cancellation for your ears, but the microphone does a good job of clearing all the A/C noise in my room. Passive noise reduction is very good, mostly (I think) because of the luxurious padding and could likely be slightly modded to cut down on the noise making it’s way in through the body, but the damping is good enough that I’m not going to bother. These being semi-open cups, there's always going to be a little noise. The other thing that’s getting harder and harder to put up with is the lack of battery swap capabilities – it can be done, very well, as they’ve already proven on the Pro. The astronomical battery life numbers are great, but when I forget to charge my headset or when the time comes that the battery no longer takes a charge, I’m going to be on a wire. The battery swap on the Pro has been a lifesaver in organized matches after I’ve forgotten to charge up. I'm sure it's a more costly system, but the days of sealing batteries into our devices and making them "non-replaceable" need to end.But I've digressed-The Stealth 700’s third iteration is a big jump forward in refinement and user experience beyond the previous model. The yoke system is the most comfortable you can buy in my opinion, the build quality, great padding, light weight, monster bass, and stellar battery life all add up to the headset to beat in it’s tier. If you’re looking for quality over a bunch of features you’ll never use, this is the one to go for.

Overall I’m very happy, these enabled me to condense 3 headsets down to 1.In short, these have truly impressed me – allowing me to simplify and clean-up my “audio workspace” considerably. Thanks to simultaneous Bluetooth and two low-latency USB receivers, gone are the days of needing the clutter of a set of headphones for every device – or needing multiple charging cables, swapping USB dongles, or needing to fumble with multi-device Bluetooth pairing and the associated hassles thereof. I generally game and work with not just multiple monitors but with multiple computers as well, and the TB Stealth 700 solved the multi-headphone problem that I had previously just accepted as a necessary evil. In my case, I often keep a work PC up, a personal PC up, and then my ... MoreOverall I’m very happy, these enabled me to condense 3 headsets down to 1.In short, these have truly impressed me – allowing me to simplify and clean-up my “audio workspace” considerably. Thanks to simultaneous Bluetooth and two low-latency USB receivers, gone are the days of needing the clutter of a set of headphones for every device – or needing multiple charging cables, swapping USB dongles, or needing to fumble with multi-device Bluetooth pairing and the associated hassles thereof. I generally game and work with not just multiple monitors but with multiple computers as well, and the TB Stealth 700 solved the multi-headphone problem that I had previously just accepted as a necessary evil. In my case, I often keep a work PC up, a personal PC up, and then my phone, which the TB Stealth 700 ties together “almost” seamlessly. (I’ll cover the “almost” later).For starters, the Bluetooth audio is simultaneous, meaning you can stream music or other audio on your phone and hear it at the same time as audio from whichever of the PC receivers is toggled active. This is great for work where my employer prohibits streaming Internet audio over the work LAN or VPN, but where we also need to keep our headset on and connected to a work PC all day for meetings and calls (Teams for example). With the simultaneous audio I can use these to be on a meeting on my PC while also keeping background music playing through the phone and hear, and control their volume, independently.Next, the comfort is excellent. I wasn’t so sure at first but the earcups settle in very nicely and breathe very well, not getting hot or sweaty on my ears at all no matter how long I wear them. Battery life is also good, easily lasting my entire work day, though I tend to also plug them in and charge when I tap out for the day.The audio quality is superb, possibly one of the most nuanced headsets I have ever owned, where I can hear details I don’t hear with even other nice quality headsets. And if you turn on “super hearing” the headset will tune itself to even further amplify sounds like footsteps and doors and other “human clues” that can tip you off in a game that someone is nearby and their direction, friend or foe.On a slightly negative side are two things – first being that my PCs would often become inaudible anytime the headset had “gone to sleep” from inactivity – The headset turn on fine but I still couldn’t hear the PC until I unplugged the USB dongle and plugged it back in, even though all audio controls showed the Stealth 700 as the active output device and turned up. A simple unplug/plug fixed it every time but it was kind of annoying so I ultimately just set the headset to not go to sleep at all; no issues after that. The second (and this is minor) is this headset uses a surprisingly sharp, high pitched, and high volume “startup” sound. I typically put my headset on and then turn it on, but with these I’d suggest turning them on first. Again, this is minor and nit-picky, I’m just surprised from a design perspective that someone as in-the-game as Turtle Beach missed something as basic as a pleasant startup sound in their design.For controls (by default) you have Bluetooth volume on the right cup, and USB volume and mic feedback on the left cup. Right cup buttons are media control and a swap button that toggles which USB receiver is active. Left cup buttons are power and a super-hearing toggle; and if these aren’t to your liking some of the buttons can be remapped using the Swarm II application.Ultimately a very nice set of headphones, and hopefully the occasional “no audio” issue can be resolved with a firmware update (There was a firmware update which I installed during initial setup, so I experienced this issue with the latest firmware available at the time). I’d generally recommend these to anyone who frequently uses more than one device, the convenience outweighs the couple of minor issues I experienced.

Right out of the box you will notice that the Stealth 700 Gen 3 sports a sleek, modern design that fits well with the aesthetics of the PS5. The matte black finish, combined with subtle blue accents, gives it a premium feel. The headset is lightweight yet sturdy, which is essential for long gaming sessions.The ear cups are made from soft, breathable material, and the memory foam cushioning ensures a comfortable fit. The adjustable headband allows for a personalized fit, and the design also folds flat for easy storage or transport.One of the standout features of the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is its audio performance. The headset is equipped with 60mm dynamic drivers that deliver rich, clear sound with an impressive range. Whether you're exploring vast open worlds or ... MoreRight out of the box you will notice that the Stealth 700 Gen 3 sports a sleek, modern design that fits well with the aesthetics of the PS5. The matte black finish, combined with subtle blue accents, gives it a premium feel. The headset is lightweight yet sturdy, which is essential for long gaming sessions.The ear cups are made from soft, breathable material, and the memory foam cushioning ensures a comfortable fit. The adjustable headband allows for a personalized fit, and the design also folds flat for easy storage or transport.One of the standout features of the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is its audio performance. The headset is equipped with 60mm dynamic drivers that deliver rich, clear sound with an impressive range. Whether you're exploring vast open worlds or engaging in intense multiplayer battles, the audio is immersive.The headset boasts Superhuman Hearing which provides an enhanced surround sound experience. This feature is particularly useful in competitive gaming, allowing players to detect enemy movements with precision. The bass is punchy without overpowering other frequencies, striking a good balance across various gaming genres.The Stealth 700 Gen 3 uses a reliable wireless connection via a USB transmitter, ensuring a low-latency experience. The headset boasts a wireless range of up to 40 feet, which is excellent for gamers who prefer to move around without being tethered.Battery life is very impressive, offering up to 80 hours on a full charge.Comfort is key for any gaming headset, and the Stealth 700 Gen 3 excels in this area. The ear cushions are plush and designed to keep your ears cool during extended play. The weight of the headset is evenly distributed, preventing pressure points that can cause discomfort over time.The adjustable headband allows for a snug fit, ensuring the headset stays in place even during intense gameplay.The headset is equipped with intuitive controls, making it easy to adjust volume, mute the microphone, and toggle game/chat balance on the fly. The power button and Bluetooth pairing button are conveniently located, ensuring quick access.A notable feature is the Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to connect the headset to other devices such as smartphones or tablets. This means you can listen to music or take calls without having to remove the headset, adding to its versatility.The Stealth 700 Gen 3 includes a flip-to-mute microphone, which is a practical feature for gamers who want to avoid background noise during gameplay. The microphone quality is commendable, providing clear communication with teammates. Turtle Beach’s exclusive Superhuman Hearing feature enhances important audio cues, such as footsteps or gunfire, giving players a competitive edge.Software and CustomizationThe Swarm II app allows users to customize their audio settings further. Gamers can adjust EQ settings, activate presets, and even update firmware directly from their mobile devices. This level of customization is a significant advantage, allowing players to tailor the audio experience to their liking.The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 Wireless Gaming Headset for PlayStation 5 is an impressive piece of hardware that delivers on multiple fronts. With its excellent audio performance, comfortable design, long battery life, and versatile connectivity options, it stands out in the gaming headset market. For both casual and competitive gamers, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 offers an immersive experience that enhances gameplay. I highly recommend this quality headset!