Just last month, Turtle Beach unveiled its ultra premium headset the “Stealth Pro” which included a whole list of features you usually don’t see in just any other headset. MP1st goes hands-on with Turtle Beach’s newest flagship to test just how premium it really is. Is this the headset you’ve been waiting for? Find out in our Turtle Beach Stealth Pro review!
Design and Features
Designed to support nearly any gaming platform and device, the Stealth Pro is the newest flagship gaming headset from Turtle Beach. With the Stealth Pro, Turtle Beach seeks to rejuvenate the landscape of gaming headsets, not just with a sleek, modernized look but by offering perhaps one of the most feature-packed headsets we’ve ever seen and used.
Looking at it, you’d probably have a hard time guessing that it’s a headset designed by a company known for gaming headsets. That’s because while the Stealth Pro is mainly for gaming, Turtle Beach wanted a set that could fit any lifestyle.
And it does, as the Stealth Pro is sleek, offering a modern look at what could be an every-case-use kind of headset. It has a lightly textured black coating that is smooth to the touch, with leather-like ear cushioning filled with soft memory foam capable of airtight sound blockage, separating you from the rest of the world.
If you find any sound leakage, the Stealth Pro comes packed with active noise cancellation features, capable of 25dB of noise reduction. This is the perfect cancellation level for most gaming set-ups, as it blocks nearly every sound.
There are three microphones on the Stealth Pro, two concealed, while the other is a detachable boom mic. It’s the best of both worlds here, as you can enjoy the benefits of using an adjustable boom mic, or if you want something that looks less like a gaming headset and is suited for travel, you can use the ones built in.
All three mics feature S.M.A.R.T. noise-canceling, ensuring the wearer’s voice is always crisp and clear while reducing background noises.
The headband is reinforced with a metallic skeleton and memory foam cushioning for comfort. Like all modern headsets, the band can be adjusted to different lengths, and the earcups have complete 180-degree joint rotations for added flexibility.
Like the Stealth 600 and 700 series headsets, the Stealth Pro is equipped with 50mm drivers versus the more traditional 40mm. With the bigger drivers, Turtle Beach can produce a more expansive sound stage (so you hear more) and bass, which pops during music playback.
The volume dial, USB-C port, and all other buttons, like Bluetooth, superhuman hearing, and noise-canceling, are tucked into the right earcup, though you wouldn’t notice them unless you looked.
The left earcup houses perhaps my favorite feature on the Stealth Pro: the external battery pack hidden under a protective magnetic door.
For battery life, we clocked in around 12 hours from our testing until charging was needed. While that may seem low compared to other wireless sets, it’s the battery delivery method that puts the Stealth Pro well above the flock.
That’s because the Stealth Pro uses rechargeable battery packs that are entirely swappable. Turtle Beach ships two of them per unit, supplying 24 hours of life. So while you’re using one of the battery packs that conveniently snaps into the left side, the other pack sits on the wireless transmitter/charger dock, charging and ready for use when the battery in the headset begins running low.
Swapping the battery out is easy, too, as the magnetic door pops off with little effort, allowing you to slide in the second battery once the other has been drained.
I know some may prefer having a built-in battery, but I think this should be something more gamers should fight for. Rechargeable batteries tend to go “bad” after many years of use. Having them built into a device makes it all the worse as it gives the average consumer limited options for repair or forces them into buying a new device altogether. I’m sure you’ve run into the issue of wondering why your device’s battery no longer lasts as long as it did before because that’s an issue I have with my phone, a few headsets, and even my PS5 controllers. That’s the sacrifice you make when going wireless, but with the Stealth Pro, Turtle Beach offers a reasonable compromise. I may not know the exact plans for replacing or buying additional battery packs but knowing Turtle Beach; they’ll definitely be supporting this form of delivery for a long time, so expect to see some options down the road. That, in turn, means that the Stealth Pro should last you a very long time — that is, if you take care of it well, the only thing you’ll ever need are some replacement battery packs.
The battery charger and transmitter station is a small, circular base with a bit of weight. It won’t take up much room, if any, as you can easily tuck it underneath something. There’s a ring LED. Depending on the version you get (PlayStation or Xbox) that will glow blue or green.
Now to truly unlock the full potential of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro, there is a desktop and mobile app called the Turtle Beach Audio Hub. With this app, you can adjust things like E.Q. settings, noise-cancellation levels, noise gates, and other audio-related sliders. The volume wheel and mode button on it are also fully mappable, with the audio hub giving users access to several different functions. If you plan on using the Stealth Pro on a P.C., you can also set up hotkeys via the audio hub software.
What does make the Stealth Pro such a killer headset, though, is that it has built-in memory to store any edits you make. That means you can tweak the headset to your liking without worrying about losing them after disconnecting from the audio hub app. For PC gamers, that’s not so much of an issue, but from the console side of things, headsets are typically forced to use whatever settings those consoles have. Too often, I have found myself with a $100-$300 headset sounding awful because there was no way to tweak it outside of the volume.
With the Stealth Pro, I can boot up the app on my phone, apply the changes, close the app, and then those changes will stick and work on my PS5 or Xbox Series. It just shows you how versatile the Stealth Pro can be.
Speaking of PS5 and Xbox Series, the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro fully uses the audio options from those consoles. So full Dolby Atmos support is there for Xbox and 3D audio for PlayStation. PCs can, of course, enjoy the benefits of a number of different 3D software-based audio programs, including Windows Sonic.
I have some minor, if not more nitpicking, complaints about the Stealth Pro design. The first is the wheel and battery covers aren’t texturized (or painted?) like the rest of the material on the headset. They’re smooth and flat, and because of that, it’s easy to leave fingerprint markings behind. They’re not easy to wipe off, but it’s not like you’d notice those prints from afar anyway.
The wheel also sounds like it’s rubbing against the headset as you turn it, producing a grinding of plastic sound. It’s unpleasant and, given the overall build quality of the Stealth Pro, noticeable and makes it feel a little cheap. Perhaps future iterations can give it more spacing with better feedback, such as light notches when turning.
I would have also liked to be able to customize the lighting on the transmitter, depending on which model you get (one designed for Xbox or PlayStation, but they’re nearly the same in functionality) the light will be for that platform. So green for Xbox and blue for PlayStation. It’s just for looks in the end, but I like having matching lighting wherever possible.
If there’s one area I think the Stealth Pro could improve, it’s the audio cues on specific functions. Weren’t it for having a sheet of paper or the app telling you what each button does, you’d probably be confused by what exactly the presses are enabling or disabling. There’s a standard on/off cue that is a series of beeps, but in terms of the headset giving some narration, you’ll only hear it speak during certain battery levels and when Bluetooth pairing is enabled. A firmware update might be able to add these options down the road, but I’d like to see the same narration we get for before mentioned applied when noise canceling and superhuman hearing are enabled or disabled. Nothing wrong with a bit of quality of life improvements.
Audio and Mic
Now more than ever, audio in gaming has become a central focal for console manufacturers and developers alike. New technologies have brought forth many audio improvements, such as Dolby Atmos, 3D, and ray tracing audio (it’s not just for graphics!) in the latest games. So one could understand why they’d be in the market for some new audio peripherals, and if that’s the case for you, and you’re looking for a headset that’s going to take your audio to that next level, then look no further than the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro.
Using the headset over the course of three weeks, I have been thoroughly impressed with what Turtle Beach has accomplished with its range of audio. With powerful and precision-tuned audio 50mm drivers, it’s hard to walk away from the experience without feeling blown away.
The first game I wanted to try was with nonother than the spectacular Resident Evil 4 remake. An incredible showcase of 3D audio, which the Stealth Pro beautifully displays in full. Hearing the wind howl in the background, the dripping of blood somewhere in a damp and cold facility, and the rich soundtrack of the game, all sent goosebumps down my spine. There was so much punch to what the Stealth Pro provided, immersing me fully in the cinematic experience.
I dove into some multiplayer action, with games such as Battlefield 2042, Warzone 2, and the upcoming XDefiant. I’ve loved the offering of past headsets from Turtle Beach when it comes to their usage in multiplayer games, and I can’t complain about the results of the Stealth Pro. Hearing a bullet graze past me and the precise direction, footsteps, and other essential sounds have always been part of the competitive edge that I found Turtle Beach to be able to deliver. With the incredible work put into the Stealth Pro, it’s even more so of an edge. Of course, that’s also in parts of the superhuman hearing feature the headset has, making subtle sounds be heard even more.
I also took it for a spin in the VR space with games like Project Wingman and Star Wars Squadron (which both support Turtle Beach’s VelocityOne Flightstick to deliver the ultimate immersive experience) and a few racers. Hearing the engine rumble of a plane and car and the bass tremble with such ferocity felt so satisfying.
As for the microphone quality, I think Turtle Beach nailed down the clarity with the last few headsets iterations (Stealth 600 and 700 Gen 2,) and the Stealth Pro certainly lives up to the quality that one would expect, especially with its hefty price tag. My voice was crystal clear across all tested gaming platforms, though I was most impressed with how it handled on my Samsung Galaxy phone during live calls. It was undoubtedly cleaner than using the direct microphone from the phone and blocked far more sounds when I was out and about in public. Mind: this was using the built-in mics and not the boom one.
For gaming, I used the boom set-up because I liked having a bit of control over the distance my voice would be from the microphone. The boom mic is mostly made of rubber that can be flexed in any direction. So if someone said I sounded too loud, I simply moved it away. Either way, my voice was coming in just as clearly, and because I like gaming while using my PC, my teammates barely, if at all, heard the clicking noises of my keyboard.
Verdict – Is it the New King?
I won’t dance around the pricing of the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro, as it clocks in at a staggering $329.99. It’s an expensive headset. However, it’s also marketed as the company’s premium flagship. Compared to other similarly priced top-of-the-line headset brands, such as Sennheiser, Astro, Sony, Beats, and even Boss, The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro’s price-for-performance is bar none. This is, by far, the most feature-packed headset on the market, on top of being one of the most comfortable and most versatile headsets I’ve ever used.
It sets a gold standard of what premium headsets should offer, and the fact that it isn’t locked to a single ecosystem like many of the brands mentioned above makes this headset a fantastic buy for anyone. It’s perfect for a gaming headset, but even beyond that, it’s perfect for all audiophiles out there. This is easily Turtle Beach’s best headset yet.
Score: 10/10
Pros:
- Sleek, beautiful, modernized design that fits any lifestyle.
- Comfortable
- Flawless wireless connectivity that is easy to pair with any device and easy to hook to any console.
- The 50mm drivers really bring audio to life, with active noise canceling immersing you in it.
- Comes with two rechargeable battery packs for a full 24 hours of life.
Cons:
- Lack of headset narration options, though one that could potentially be solved with a software update.
The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro is available for purchase for $329.99. Turtle Beach provided a Turtle Beach Stealth Pro unit for review purposes. All images were provided by the company. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.