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A Turtle Beach headset is a top place to start your search for one of the best gaming audio experiences on the market in 2022. Now a long-established household name across all the platforms, Turtle Beach has years of experience that have produced a modern, comprehensive range of products.
Turtle Beach’s Stealth, Elite, Recon, and Atlas lines run the gamut of prices and features, with compatibility options for PC, consoles (yes, including Nintendo Switch), and mobile devices to boot. What’s the difference between picking up one of the best Turtle Beach headsets versus any other headset? The biggest difference is simple: they’re built from the ground up for playing games, and what comes out are some of the best gaming headsets going.
That design mindset manifests in everything from the mic, to the way the speakers are tuned, to the level of comfort you can expect. After all, if you’re going to have something on your head for hours on end as you play games and chat with friends about playing games, it had better feel good. Thankfully, Turtle Beach’s product line is pretty cozy on your cranium across the board. If you don’t mind dropping big bucks you can get a pretty spectacular sound experience, but even the entry-level headsets will feel and sound great.
They’re easily some of the best PC headsets (opens in new tab) and have enjoyed success in this ‘new’ generation by appearing on our best PS5 headset and best Xbox Series X headset guides.
The best Turtle Beach headsets 2022
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1. Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2
The best Turtle Beach headset
Specifications
Acoustic design: Closed Back, over earDrivers: 50mm NanoclearWeight: 382gCompatibility: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Reasons to buy
+Doubles battery life from the previous generation+Incredibly comfortable +Great microphone accuracy
Reasons to avoid
-Might be a tight fit for some
The second generation of Turtle Beach Stealth 700’s comes with some serious upgrades from the previous generation, and for only $50 more than the Stealth 600 Gen 2, it’s a serious contender for your next gaming headset.
The Stealth 700 Gen 2 has gotten a design upgrade from the original headset, with a slightly toned-down look (no more bright green on the Xbox version) and a flip-to-mute mic that folds neatly into the earcup. The control buttons have also been reorganized and moved to just one earcup. The buttons are nicely sized and well-spaced out, but if you’re used to the Gen 1 Stealth 700s, you might need some time to get adjusted to them.
The Stealth 700 Gen 2 is leagues more comfortable than the Stealth 600 Gen 2, which is saying something as I found the latter fit my glasses-wearing head quite well, but had ear cups that began to pinch after a few hours of gaming. The supple memory foam cushions with Aerofit cooling gel on the Stealth 700 Gen 2 is incredibly comfortable and lets you wear this headset with ease for hours upon hours of gaming.
And these headphones sound great, with large drivers that give you some great all-around sound, and the ability to fine-tune the audio to your liking with the Audio Hub. Turn on Superhuman Hearing mode to get the upperhand in online shooters, or enable the bass boost for some serious rumble during a heart-pumping campaign mission. The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 is a great headset for the price point.
Read more: Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 review
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2. Turtle Beach Recon 70
The best cheap Turtle Beach headset
Specifications
Acoustic design: 40mmDrivers: 40mmWorks with: Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC, all phone and tablets
Reasons to buy
+Solid, comfy design+Super price+Decent mic
Reasons to avoid
-Not as plush as more expensive models
Those looking for a Turtle Beach headset primed for Nintendo Switch – and that’s wallet-friendly – should look no further than the Recon 70. Despite its low price, it’s the complete package: good sound with well-balanced bass; a decent microphone; and it’s fairly comfortable too. That’s a strong start for a headset at the budget end of the spectrum.
Though it does have some drawbacks: it doesn’t score as highly with movies or TV, for example. But that’s only because it just sticks to its guns and does what its meant to do well: games.
Oh, and don’t worry about the many variants that are kicking around out there. Even though there’s a Recon 70P, X, and beyond, they’re all the same headset with slightly different colors. Whatever one you choose, you’ll get excellent value for money.
Read more: Turtle Beach Recon 70 review (opens in new tab)
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3. Turtle Beach Recon 500
The best wired Turtle Beach headset
Specifications
Acoustic design: Closed Back, over earDrivers: 60mm Eclipse Weight: c.600gCompatibility: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, Mobile
Reasons to buy
+THAT excellent sound+No ‘gamer aesthetic’ flare or design quirks+Zero distortion
Reasons to avoid
-Nothing special about its construction materials
You make certain tradeoffs when you impose a budget on yourself. And when you’re shopping for a gaming headset, first to walk the plank are extraneous features and luxurious construction materials. You won’t find these in the Recon 500’s box, then, since Turtle Beach’s latest in the long-running line costs less than $100/£100. What you do find, crucially, is sound so good it takes you aback.
Wood composite injection technology. 60mm drivers. Dedicated woofers and tweeters per earcup. It doesn’t sound like the recipe for crisp, precise sound, and yet it all comes together in a powerful surge of ultra-responsive bass, detailed high end, and a pleasingly flat EQ curve with just a bit of audible kick further down the spectrum.
So that’s yours. Take it to the bank. But what isn’t coming along for the ride is much in the way of added features – this is a simple wired model with just a mic mute, detachable mic arm, and volume scroll wheel in the way of physical controls. Not one for perennial tweakers then, but those who enjoy simplicity and fundamentally great audio should scout out this new Recon as one of the latest best Turtle Beach headsets to appear.
Read more: Turtle Beach Recon 500 review
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4. Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2
The best mid-range wireless Turtle Beach headset
Specifications
Acoustic design: Closed Back, over earDrivers: 50mmWeight: 580gCompatibility: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Reasons to buy
+Solid battery life+Comfortable for glasses wearers+Excellent audio and microphone accuracy+Next-gen compatible
Reasons to avoid
-Plastic across headband feels cheap -Ear cups started to hurt after long-term wear
The second generation of Turtle Beach Stealth 600’s are a great low-budget wireless headphone that works with Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, and PC. With a 15-hour battery life, a comfortable fit for glasses wearers, and finely tuned 50mm speakers, you’ll be getting plenty of bang for your buck with these. Set up is a breeze – for the Xbox version it was as simple as turning on the headset straight out of the box and pressing the sync button on it and my Xbox One simultaneously. It immediately synced up and started picking up my voice and in-game volume.
This is certainly a great choice for gaming on a budget, as the sound quality is top-tier and the microphone sensitivity is ideal for those who want to communicate without shouting. However, because of the reasonable price, the headset plastic does feel a bit cheap, especially across the headband and on the ear cups, and unfortunately, the ear cups do get rather uncomfortable after an extended play session (whether that’s my funny-shaped ears or not is unclear). Mic monitoring is not a feature I’m a fan of, as it echoes back any noise I make on my end, but luckily it can be turned off via the Turtle Beach audio hub.
In short, the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2’s are a good sequel to an affordable wireless headset. It looks pretty good, feels pretty good, and sounds great – a no-brainer if you’re looking to get a pair of headphones ahead of the next-gen release that won’t bankrupt you.
5. Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2
The best premium Turtle Beach headset
Specifications
Acoustic design: Closed BackDrivers: 50mmWeight: 1.12kgCompatibility: PC, PS4, Xbox One, mobile
Reasons to buy
+Easily swappable magnetic deco plates and ear cushions+Bluetooth connectivity+SuperAmp connects to app for full control over audio
Reasons to avoid
-Bulky
The Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 was developed in collaboration with top esports teams and delivers great clarity for competitive gaming. The generously-sized cooling gel-infused memory foam ear cups keep out external noise, while the TruSpeak mic has optional mic monitoring and is remarkably clear. The SuperAmp packed in with the headset is where the fun is at. It hooks up via Bluetooth to the Turtle Beach Audio Hub app on your mobile device, letting you switch between sound profiles, tweak your game/ chat mix, and you can even take phone calls via the Bluetooth connection to your phone. It’s an expensive gaming headset, but it’ll give you the edge in any online scenario, and that is something you can’t put a price on.
Read more: Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 review
6. Turtle Beach Recon 200 Gen 2
A budget headset offering decent value
Specifications
Acoustic design: Closed backDrivers: 40mmCompatibility: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
Reasons to buy
+Affordable price tag+Variable mic monitoring+Wide compatibility+Turtle beach audio quality
Reasons to avoid
-Cheap plastic design
Turtle Beach refreshed its Recon 200 line with the Gen 2 model earlier this year. The resulting headset still offers that enticingly low $59.99 / £49.99 price tag, but packages variable mic monitoring, a glasses-friendly design, and more comfortable memory foam cushions. Not only that but running out of juice isn’t game over right now. While still a powered headset, that 12-hour battery life isn’t as cumbersome these days; the Gen 2 will still work in passive mode as well.
At $60 / £50, you’re still getting a fairly cheap plastic design, which doesn’t feel like it would take much to snap. However, there’s a decent sound coming from those 40mm cups, even if it’s more comfortable in the mid and higher ranges than the lows. The Turtle Beach Recon 200 Gen 2 fared much better during a spin around Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch than it did with the gravelly soundscape of Borderlands 3, for example. However, that bass treatment is a common gripe with cheaper headsets and you’re still getting great value for money overall here.
Read more: the original Turtle Beach Recon 200 review
7. Turtle Beach Elite Atlas
The best Turtle Beach headset from yesteryear
Specifications
Acoustic design: Closed BackDrivers: 50mmWeight: 0.98kgCompatibility: PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, mobile
Reasons to buy
+Great comfort+Feels sturdy+Balanced well for games
Reasons to avoid
-Not as well suited for music
The Turtle Beach Elite Atlas is priced like a mid-range headset at £90/ $100, but it punches above its price point in almost every way that matters. The overall build quality of the product is surprisingly sturdy, and the reserved black-and-chrome look won’t attract nearly as many incredulous looks as some of the more vibrant plastic and LED-infused options you can find. The Elite Atlas’ removable mic even means that you could probably take it out into public without getting singled out as a power player.
All that said, this is still very much a gamer’s headset; its levels are tuned for luxuriating in explosions and picking up nearby footsteps rather than enjoying the subtleties of a philharmonic orchestra or what have you. With its lack of built-in surround sound and no amp or tuning support, the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas has no pretensions: it’s simply a great gaming headset at an excellent price.
Read more: Turtle Beach Elite Atlas review
8. Turtle Beach Stealth 300
The best value-busting Turtle Beach headset
Specifications
Acoustic design: Closed BackDrivers: 50mmWeight: 544gCompatibility: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile
Reasons to buy
+40 hours battery life+Mic monitoring+Four audio presets
Reasons to avoid
-Short cable-Needs to be charged
The Stealth 300 isn’t quite at the cheapest tier in Turtle Beach’s headset range, but for £80/ $80 you can get a comfortable pair of headphones with four audio presets that cycle through default, Bass Boost, Bass and Treble Boost, and Treble/ Vocal Boost options.
The headset’s amps need to be charged in order for the headset to work, which can be a pain if you’ve forgotten to juice them up, but on the plus side, the battery life is quite extensive, giving you around 40 hours from a single charge. They’re super comfy and you’ll have no problem wearing them for hours, and the ProSpecs tech means that even glasses wearers won’t suffer from their eyewear being slowly fused to their skull. If you want balanced sound on a budget, the Stealth 300 is our go-to.
Read more: Turtle Beach Stealth 300 review
