Turtle Beach Stealth 700

If you head over and read our review of the Stealth 600, you'll find out that we loved the new wireless headset from Turtle Beach. We tested that one on PS4, but for the 700 model we tried the Xbox One version, coupling it up with the new Xbox One X for a different experience. This means that the differences between the two versions make direct comparisons a little tougher than they otherwise might be, as the PS-variants don't link to the console in quite the same way.

On a PS4 the 600/700 connects via a wireless receiver, whereas the Xbox versions of the same headsets link up by pairing them to the console as you would a controller. Once paired you simply press a button on the headset and it instantly connects. It's super simple and nicely implemented. It takes a couple of seconds to get going, and you're probably going to want to look at the buttons while you press them rather than doing it by touch as there are three side-by-side on the left earcup under the microphone, but once it's switched on you're wearing it you're good to go until the batteries start to run low.

Even better, there's Bluetooth functionality which means that you can sync the headset to other devices, and we linked it to our iPhone and listened to music while we played on more than one occasion (although if you just want to listen to something and not play it is easy to accidentally switch your Xbox on via the headset). Doing so gave us warm and balanced audio, with nicely balanced bass and treble that works well across games, music, and even spoken word content. It would have been nice to be able to remove the microphone when using it solely as a pair of headphones, but it's a minor gripe and most people probably wouldn't wear these out and about even if the mic was fully detachable.

In terms of gaming, because that's what we're mostly focussing on for the purposes of this review, the Stealth 700 does a very good job, with the Superhuman Hearing feature that we've seen before in previous headsets proving a nice option for competitive players looking for every advantage they can find. Truthfully, we didn't use the feature all that much, with the standard setup more than satisfactory for our gaming experience. The headset also offers noise-cancelling tech, which is great if you need to drown out the world around you, but again it didn't really factor too much into our experience even if it was quite effective in drowning out the world outside.

There is, however, one area that let the Stealth 700 down, and that was the connection between headset and console. During one play session in particular, the signal kept dropping while we were playing, which made for a most infuriating experience. It was impossible to discern the cause of the issue, and luckily it wasn't a recurring problem, but it still spoiled our otherwise flawless impression in terms of connectivity and reliability. We should also add that there was a recent firmware update, and we've had no issues since we hooked the headset up to a PC and downloaded the update.

We've spent the last year wearing the effortlessly comfortable Pro Elite headset, and the Stealth line doesn't quite measure up when compared to its premium wired stablemate. That said, both the 600 and 700 models are light and comfortable, and the 700 felt durable, although the headband itself was perhaps the one area where it didn't feel completely rock solid. There's a plastic slider allows the player to adjust it to fit the old noggin, and while it feels acceptably robust, it doesn't have quite the same luxury feel as the rest of the headset. The ear cups themselves can swivel left and right, and there's a surprising amount of spring in the frame. The microphone is activated when it's turned 180 degrees, and the overall quality of the mic is decent, so we're told by those who've listened to us ramble on of an evening.

Apart from the wireless connection dropping a couple of times during the time we tested it, our impression of the Stealth 700 is a positive one. It's a fully-featured headset and the ease at which you can use it is admirable. While it could be more comfortable it still feels solid enough, works pretty much effortlessly, and the audio quality is really impressive. It's also great that you can link to a second device via a Bluetooth connection, making it worth considering if you're after a wireless headset that works across both console and mobile with relative ease.