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Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review – Affordable Wireless Headphone Excellence

Finding the perfect gaming headset can be a daunting task with so many options available. Enter the Turtle Beach Stealth 500, a contender that promises to meet the high demands of gamers with its versatile features and superior performance.

Whether you’re a dedicated PlayStation enthusiast, a PC gamer, or someone who enjoys the flexibility of Bluetooth connectivity, the Stealth 500 aims to deliver an immersive and comfortable audio experience across multiple platforms.

This review will take a look into the details of the Stealth 500, examining its design, comfort, connectivity options, and audio quality.

We’ll explore how its unique features, like the unibody headband, deep leather-like earcups, and dual connectivity options, stand up to the rigors of intense gaming sessions.

Moreover, we’ll see how the SWARM II app enhances its functionality, offering a customizable audio experience that can be tailored to individual preferences.

Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review – Design and Functionality

Turtle Beach offers three versions of the Stealth 500: PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. The product featured in our Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review features the PlayStation version.

This headset connects via low-latency 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.2. It is compatible with PS5, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices supporting Bluetooth 5.2.

We immediately noticed the flexibility and durability of the headband. It has a unibody design, which can bend and contort without flexing or breaking. This design also keeps the headset lightweight, making it comfortable even for long hours.

Although highly flexible, the unibody headband has its limits. It restricts adjusting the earcup positions or extending the headband. However, this did not become an issue when we tested it for this Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review.

The Stealth 500 is similar to the SteelSeries Arctis headsets since it also has a stretchable strap inside the headband. This feature offers a more secure fit that also provides cushioning on the head for added comfort. Its inner sides also have notches for tension adjustment. 

Earcups

The earcups of the Stealth 500 are plush with deep leather-like padding, offering a premium finish. They felt comfortable when we used the headset while testing for this Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review.

Aside from comfort, this headset provides adequate sound isolation despite its light clamp force. It blocked many sounds in our surroundings, especially when audio was playing. We enjoyed using it during our product tests since it was comfortable and had no excessive pressure on the ears.

Controls of the Turtle Beach Stealth 500

As we mentioned in our Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review, this headset is versatile with its two connectivity options. You can use 2.4GHz wireless with the USB-A dongle or connect via Bluetooth. Swapping between the two modes is also convenient since you can press the QuickSwitch button on the left earcup.

You will find more controls on the left earcup. These include the main volume wheel, chat-volume mix, Bluetooth, EQ, and power buttons. Each button has slight tactility to help you distinguish them from one another.

Aside from the controls, the left earcup houses the flip-to-mute microphone. It has an omnidirectional pattern, which picks up sound from all directions.

Long-Lasting Battery Life

The Stealth 500 lasts up to 40 hours and works with quick charging. You will not have to worry about running out of power while in the middle of action.

Specifications

Headphones

  • Connectivity: Wireless, Bluetooth®
  • Drivers: 40mm
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz

Microphone

  • Type: Omni-Directional, Flip-to-Mute

Earcups

  • Ear-cushion Material: Plush Leatherette, Memory Foam

Battery

  • Type: Rechargeable Lithium Polymer

Hands-on with the Turtle Beach Stealth 500

We used the product to share more about its audio quality in this Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review. Let us discuss the Swarm II app before focusing on its performance and sound reproduction. This companion software allows you to customise the headset to maximise its features and functions.

SWARM II

SWARM II is downloadable on mobile and desktop. The mobile version streamlines the essential settings, while the desktop version has more detailed options like 10-band EQ customisation. Plus, you can map hotkeys to change the headset controls.

The 10-band EQ adjustment lets you adjust every single aspect of your audio. You can also save custom EQ presets in the app to use them anytime.

You can press the EQ button on the headset if you want a more straightforward customisation method. Doing this will let you cycle through different audio modes: signature sound, vocal boost, bass boost, and treble & bass boost.

We mostly used the signature sound while testing the headset for our Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review. Its low-end was adequate out of the box and did not need a boost.

Aside from audio customisation, SWARM II lets you monitor the battery life and game-chat volume mix of the Stealth 500. Other settings include enabling features like Superhuman Hearing or Chat Boost. 

Superhuman Hearing is a technology that Turtle Beach implements on its modern headsets. It amplifies specific sounds to improve your gaming experiences, and you can choose from three settings: legacy, gunshots, and footsteps.

The SWARM II also lets you customise the microphone settings. It has options for mic sensitivity and sidetone or mic monitoring.

Finally, the app lets you download firmware updates when necessary. Keeping the firmware up-to-date also maintains the optimal performance of the Stealth 500.

Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Audio Quality

The signature sound preset immediately impressed me with its bold and balanced sound profile. It delivered clean bass for a satisfying audio experience in music and games. Mids and highs were also at reasonable volume levels, offering a pleasant listening experience.

When we listened to music at louder volume levels, we noticed the increased harshness of the highs. Mids were crisp with adequate clarity, making guitars easy to distinguish and separate even when listening to fast-paced songs.

The Stealth 500’s overall sound quality was impressive for a headset between budget and mid-range prices.

Game Audio

We also used the headset for gaming when we tested it for this Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review. We played different video games for headset performance testing, and its sound quality also impressed us.

The clarity and positioning of in-game audio cues stood out when we played games with this headset. In various FPS titles, the Stealth 500 made sounds in the surroundings more audible. It effectively enhanced critical elements even when amidst chaotic battles.

The headset also added more presence to the audio when we played racing video games. It enhanced adequate detail and clarity, making our gaming experience more exciting and immersive.

Microphone Performance 

For the price of the Stealth 500, its microphone sounds good. Its noise gate helps block background noise but does not work like AI noise cancellation technologies in other headsets. 

We kept the noise gate levels low when we tested the product for this Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review. Higher noise gate levels cut off some voice comms, which we did not want when we used the headset.

The overall performance of this headset is excellent, making it ideal for gamers. It is also versatile, allowing you to connect to multiple devices.

Conclusion

After getting hands on with the Turtle Beach Stealth 500, it’s clear this headset brings a lot to the table for gamers across various platforms.

Its design combines durability with comfort, thanks to the flexible unibody headband and plush earcups, making it a reliable choice for long gaming sessions.

The dual connectivity options of low-latency 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.2 ensure seamless transitions between devices, adding to its versatility.

The audio quality of the Stealth 500 impresses with its balanced sound profile, delivering clean bass and crisp mids and highs. The SWARM II app further enhances its appeal by allowing for extensive customization, ensuring the headset can be tailored to individual preferences and gaming needs.

Additionally, the impressive 40-hour battery life and quick charging capabilities mean you’ll spend more time playing and less time worrying about recharging.

In summary, the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 is a robust and versatile headset that caters to the needs of modern gamers. Whether you’re deeply entrenched in the latest FPS or enjoying a casual game on your mobile device, the Stealth 500 provides a reliable, immersive audio experience that can enhance any gaming session.

If you’re in the market for a new gaming headset, the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 is definitely worth considering.

Visit the official Turtle Beach product page for more information and to purchase the Stealth 500.