Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 review: a superb choice for wireless gaming audio

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 is the latest gaming headset in a series that has always blended quality with affordability rather well – and once again this is a product likely to appeal to those who are wanting maximum bang from their buck when they go shopping.

Both Xbox and PlayStation editions of the headset are available, though the one tailored towards Microsoft's console was the one we were testing – this model works with Windows PCs (with an extra adapter dongle), as well as current-gen and next-gen Xbox consoles.

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The advantages of going for the 700 Gen 2 options rather than the 600 Gen 2 options are that you get something a bit more premium: more comfortable earpads, a headband reinforced with metal, and the additional flexibility of Bluetooth connectivity on top.

Is this the right gaming headset for you? Our full Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 review should tell you one way or the other – we've assessed the device in all the key categories, not least the price you're going to have to pay to get it wrapped around your ears.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 review: design and setup

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 headphones look a little basic at first glance, but as you look closer you start to see the premium touches that have been applied here: the plastic and faux leather headband has been reinforced with metal for extra durability, and overall the construction is reassuringly solid. Even if you're adjusting this headset every single time you play, which is unlikely, we think it's going to hold up rather well.

The earpads combine memory foam with a cooling gel that's actually really pleasant when you're wearing them. We went through gaming sessions of several hours without our ears feeling overly warm or under pressure, and Turtle Beach has done a good job in terms of comfort here – as you would expect from a company that has such a strong heritage in producing kit like this.

All the key controls you're going to need are down underneath the left-hand earpad, letting you adjust volumes, make connections, and turn the headset on and off. The flip-out mic is here too, and nicely concealed inside the gadget itself – you flip it out when you need it, and flip it back when you don't. It's handy to have something that's easy to hide away for those times when you're not chatting.

Getting the headset set up couldn't be much easier – the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 uses the official Xbox Wireless protocol (the same one that the Xbox controllers use), so with a couple of button pushes, you're connected. As we've said, the headset supports Bluetooth as well, so you can connect it up to plenty of other devices as well.

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Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 review: features and audio

It's hard to fault the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 in terms of the audio it produces. In our gaming we found the sound to be rich, detailed and immersive, with smaller noises easy to pick out and effective surround sound effects deployed too. Even as the volume starts to creep up, we didn't notice anything in the way of distortion or fuzziness. You won't be disappointed with the audio performance here.

Connect up the headset to a phone or a PC and it proves itself to be very adept at handling movie sounds and music as well, with plenty of bass and some good detail at the high end. The headphones aren't in the same league as some of the more expensive, dedicated wireless cans that you can get on the market at the moment, but given the versatility of the headset and the price you're paying, we're impressed with the performance.

Get the accompanying app installed on your phone and you're able to tweak various aspects of the audio profile, and save different profiles to use with different games. It's also possible to stay connected to the Xbox and a Bluetooth device such as your phone at the same time – very handy if you're deep into a particular game but don't want to miss an important call or notification.

Turtle Beach quotes a battery life of around 20 hours for the Stealth 700 Gen 2, which seems about right based on our unscientific testing – charging is handled via a cable that comes in the box (there's a USB-C port on the headset itself). This headset will work with every console supporting Xbox Wireless, so that includes the upcoming Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S models.

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Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 review: price and verdict

In our time with the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 headset, we were very impressed with what it had to offer – it's comfortable, it's well built, audio comes through crystal clear, and it has a decent number of extras as well. The simple, wireless connection means minimal hassle in terms of hooking it up to your console and keeping it connected once you have.

The price is worth looking at as well (see the widgets on this page for the very latest deals): it's not the cheapest on the market by any means, but nor is it the most expensive, and we think it definitely represents value for money. From the flip-out mic to the extra Bluetooth connectivity, there's more here than you would get in a budget headset, and the sound quality is obviously better too.

It's not quite a perfect package – we wouldn't say it's the very best in terms of its design, its audio or its accompanying app. There's room for improvement, but not much room for improvement, and that really sums up where the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 headset is in the market at the moment. We'd certainly say it's a solid upgrade on the last generation, and worth the extra cost compared with the Stealth 600 Gen 2.

If you're in the market for a wireless headset for your Xbox (or PlayStation) that can also connect to other hardware via Bluetooth, and one that offers superior sound for a reasonable cost, then this is definitely a device to get on your shortlist. We don't think you're going to be disappointed with this.

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