Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review

I've always ired Turtle Beach's Stealth 700 range. The cheaper headsets, like the Turtle Beach Sealth 500 seems like a solid offering, I've always liked the more heavy-duty feel of the pricier gaming headsets. They have thick cushioning around the ears, a close but comfortable fit, and have a striking sound quality to go along with it.

At this point, I've tested every generation of Stealth 700, and the latest is clearly the best, but the broader market has changed a lot recently, too. One of the biggest problems with buying a gaming headset right now is that it feels like there's a bit of a solved science to many price brackets. You got about $60? Go for the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is the obvious choice.

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 will have a tough time in its market, mostly because there are so many solid options already available. The question is no longer "is it good?" but "is it better?" The answer, I'd say, is "not quite, but it puts up a good fight".

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 I'm testing right now is the PC version, which comes in a sleek black colourway with light silver detailing—but I wouldn't exactly call it stealthy. From the thick cushion, fairly heavy size, and Turtle Beach name slapped on the side, it is noticeably a gaming headset. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's perhaps a little too gamery on the go, if such a thing is possible.

The PC version isn't just the go-to for PC gamers because of its colours. It comes with unique features in Turtle Beach Swarm II, the audio software, like game chat boost, game chat mix, and Waves 3D, the 3D audio option. Unfortunately, the colour of the headset defines the platform, so if you purchased the Cobalt Blue model because you like the look, you are missing out on the 10 Hz to 40 kHz frequency response that is only possible on the PC headset.

It's worth noting that the PC version of the headset also works on PS4 and PS5, though not on Xbox. If you happen to also play on PlayStation, I don't see a single reason to buy the PlayStation-exclusive white headset instead.

The headset also comes with two 2.4 GHz connectors, as well as built-in Bluetooth 5.2 . This means you can plug one receiver into a PC and one into a PS5, and swap from device to device by simply clicking a button on the headset. Then, Bluetooth connectivity is simultaneous, which means you can watch a quick TikTok from your phone without having to take the headset off. It's super handy and one of the best features of the Stealth 700 Gen 3.

Unfortunately, though the ability to connect to multiple devices at once is superb, it can be a bit more effort than I otherwise expected. Updating the headset, letting it go to sleep through inactivity, or swapping devices can take a moment, and it occasionally fails to connect on the first go. This means light troubleshooting is a pervasive issue with the headset. Swapping devices never meant I had to commit to a full-on reset, but if the headset went into sleep mode, I'd occasionally have to reconnect again manually. On top of that, there's no wired connection option with the headset.

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 is rather impressive when connected, though. It has a neutral sound profile with a light boost in bass, which means it's atmospheric for games and head bob worthy for music. Testing it in Runescape: Dragonwilds offered a real thump to the sound of a cow hitting the ground that almost made me feel bad. Almost. Then, the sounds of Dragonwilds, filled with birds singing and magic in the air, came through cleanly and clearly.

The explosive sounds of Doom: The Dark Ages are as punchy and weighty as you might expect, but the drivers are able to enunciate the parts in the soundtrack that aren't thumping and shrieking over the top of the mix. It allows nuance to slip under all that distorted guitar.

Controls are built into the side of the earcups and are very easy to navigate, which I was thankful to learn after being shocked by the pounding music in the Counter-Strike 2 lobby theme. Counter-Strike 2 itself is an appropriate test of the headset, as very bass-heavy gaming headphones sometimes drown out footsteps and reload sounds amid the thunder of an AWP shot. Despite a bassy sound, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 performs irably and clearly.

There's also plenty of customization in Turtle Beach Swarm II, with simple EQ controls, and toggles for Waves 3D, a boost in game chat, and mic monitoring. I did find that above 80%, mic monitoring would result in a pretty nasty buzz. This buzz wasn't projected while speaking, so 65% is the sweet spot here.

Listen to the microphone test here:

Swarm II is both a quality bit of software with intuitive controls and easy access to future updates, but a pain to continue using. After a little while, the software just refused to open, requiring a fresh install or restarting my entire rig just to turn on. On one PC, I had no problem with the software. On another, it totally failed when trying to get an update and required tonnes of testing to get working again. Broadly speaking, software generally can be finicky, so there's always a chance this is partially my rig's fault, but it feels worth noting here regardless.

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 has a nice snug fit, with a pretty secure clamping force on the head. It never caused me any pain or discomfort, but it is a stronger squeeze than I'm used to. Luckily, the top headband and side earcups are super cushioned, so the whole headset ends up just feeling cosy. I rather like the fit, but it is bulky and tight, so it may annoy others.

The mic is okay for its price range. It's clear, with the software giving plenty of customization options. It can come across a tad tinny, even with AI noise filtering turned off. The flip-to-mute system also works perfectly, thanks to a small chime indicating every time you are muted. Just pop the mic down, and you are ready to get talking to your friends.

One of the biggest sins the Stealth 700 Gen 3 commits is being the same price as the MSRP of the Cloud Alpha Wireless. Given that the latter headset often comes in cheaper as it's older. The comparison isn't the most flattering for the ol' Turtle Beach. The Stealth 700 Gen 3 has a notable battery life of 80 hours, but this pales in comparison to the 300 hours the Alpha Wireless will give you. As well as that, the older headset sounds great, has no software issues, and doesn't require an acquired taste for the close fit.

I have tried every Stealth 700 headset to date, and the Gen 3 is my favourite of the lot. However, that MSRP is high enough for the competition to be quite tight, and it's not nearly as easy to use as I had hoped. A comfy fit and great drivers are let down by mediocre software, and impressive yet somewhat inconsistent pairing.