Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Review: Lightweight but Uninspired

Turtle Beach Stealth 500: One Minute Review

The Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Wireless Headset is another addition to the already well-known Stealth series. Compatible with PlayStation, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Android and iOS mobile devices, this versatile wireless headset is easy to set up and features decent build quality, as well as clear sound no matter what you’re playing. Coming into a market saturated with affordable wireless headsets, you’d think the Stealth 500 would have a lot to prove, but the number of features, along with the lasting comfort, make it a worthwhile purchase.

For example, the 40-hour battery life is immediately appealing to someone who wants to avoid frequent tethering to a cable. Combined with the extensive sound profile, you’ll be able to tune in to all the quietest sounds during your session, whether it’s the distant footsteps of an enemy in Escape from Tarkov or the bustling sounds of Night City in Cyberpunk 2077.

I don’t know about you, but when I try to immerse myself in an epic open-world game like Red Dead Redemption 2I want to drown out every sound from the outside world. I’ve been testing the Stealth 500 for about 50 hours now and I’m consistently surprised by the sound quality, which is surprising for a low-priced wireless headset. Compared to a similarly priced product like the JBL Quantum 360X, there’s a noticeable improvement in comfort thanks to the plush earpads, so hours of gaming can go by virtually unnoticed.

Turtle Beach Stealth 500 headset on a wooden floor. — (Photo source: Future)

Turtle Beach Stealth 500: Price and Availability

$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$139

The Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Wireless Headset was released on May 19, 2024, so it’s a fairly new addition to the brand’s line of gaming peripherals. At $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$139, this headset is far from premium. However, it does come in at a more affordable price point when compared to products in the same price range, such as Xbox Wireless Headset There are many things that make this restaurant stand out.

The most noticeable feature for me that justifies the price is the audio presets available through the Swarm II app, which help you tailor your listening experience to your gaming experience. These presets change the sound profile to emphasize certain parts of games, like the Superhuman setting, which increases the volume of things like footsteps or gunfire, or the Signature Sound setting, which offers the best all-around sound profile for the headset. While they’re not essential, they’re an added bonus that most budget headsets I’ve tested don’t offer.

Even compared to slightly more expensive wireless headsets like the HyperX Cloud III, the Stealth 500 is comparable in terms of battery life and build quality – especially considering its price. Its 40-hour battery life gives you twice the time of Razer Blackshark V2 Pro which costs a little less than twice the price of the Stealth. So if you’re not ready to invest in the more expensive side of some of the best wireless headsets, then this is a fantastic alternative.

Turtle Beach Stealth 500: Specs

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Price	$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$139
Libra	233g / 8.22oz
Compatibility	PlayStation, PC, Nintendo Switch, Mobile
Connection type	Wireless 2.4GHz / Bluetooth 5.2 / Wired (3.5mm)
Battery life	40 hours
Characteristics	Microphone flip to mute, surround sound, superhuman hearing
Software	Swarm II

Turtle Beach Stealth 500: Design and Features

Built-in microphone with flip-to-mute function
Floating Headband
Buttons and scroll wheels look cheap

The Turtle Beach Stealth 500 is built with comfort in mind, and it certainly delivers. I find that many budget wireless headsets skimp on build quality to accommodate their lower price tag, so for the most part I was pleasantly surprised by the Stealth 500. The floating headband is a much more comfortable addition than the padded plastic headband you see on headsets like the PDP REALMz wired headset or the JBL 910X wireless headset, and the ear cups are made of soft memory foam rather than the rusty, plastic-like material I’m used to on cheaper headsets.

The microphone folds nicely into the ear cup, which is a solid addition, rather than being static on the side of the ear cup or detachable like the Turtle Beach Atlas Air. The ability to tuck the microphone away from the ear cup rather than next to it is a welcome feature that I’ve only seen on more expensive headsets. Plus, the ability to quickly pull the microphone down when you jump into a conversation instead of searching for it is a huge time-saver. Moving the microphone up also mutes the output, which is much more convenient than having to switch between a conversation and a game to manually mute yourself.

But even with the microphone’s comfort and the vast majority of its design promising, there are still some flaws in the Stealth 500’s design. Most notably, the buttons on each earcup and the scroll wheel are made of a plastic that feels much cheaper than the rest of the headset. The buttons move around a lot before you press and activate them, and the scroll wheels move so freely that it’s hard to adjust the volume without using your computer’s audio mixer. Still, the buttons are well-spaced, not crammed together and hard to use.

Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Headset.

(Photo source: Future)

Turtle Beach Stealth 500: Performance

Powerful surround sound
Variable microphone monitoring
Audible noise without sound playback

There’s a lot to praise about the Stealth 500’s sound quality and performance. It’s capable of capturing a wide dynamic range no matter what you’re playing, helping you to be at the center of the action. The 40mm drivers help deliver powerful surround sound, which is supported by the Superhuman audio setting. If you’re a hardcore FPS gamer or a horror fanatic looking for a headset that will crank up the tension, then the Stealth 500 will do the trick. You’ll hear every whisper and footstep with the Superhuman setting, helping you react in time.

The pre-made audio profiles available in the Swarm II app also help to improve the quality of the experience. These profiles can be customized to perfectly match what you’re playing, and honestly, I think it’s an impressive addition to a budget headset. This is something I’d expect to find on top-of-the-line wireless headsets, not a cheaper set like the Stealth 500, and it’s worth taking full advantage of them since they’re so readily available.

One of the noticeable drawbacks of the headset is the audible hiss that occurs when the headset is plugged in but no sound is playing. This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed this in a cheaper wireless headset, but it does detract slightly from the quality of the product. Fortunately, it drowns out when something is playing, so it’s not something you need to worry about, at least during use.

The microphone quality is also good. It’s not groundbreaking, as I experienced with the Turtle Beach Atlas Air, but nothing to be concerned about. It’s clear during a call, but quickly peaks and drops out at loud volumes. The lack of a muffler also makes the microphone sensitive to plosives, which is another case of peaking sound levels, but other than that, you get what you pay for.

Turtle Beach Stealth 500 headset controls.

(Photo source: Future)

Is the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 worth buying?

Buy if…

Don’t buy if…

You should also take into account…

Still not sold on the Turtle Beach 500? Here’s how it stacks up against two similarly priced, compatible wireless gaming headsets.

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Row 0 – Cell 0	Turtle Beach Stealth 500	JBL Quantum 360X Speakers	Turtle Beach Stealth 600 gen. 3
Price	$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$139	$64.95 / £63.99 / AU$169.99	$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179
Libra	233g / 8.22oz	250g / 8.82oz	301g / 10.61oz
Compatibility	PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Mobile	PC, Xbox Series X \| S, Nintendo Switch, Mobile	PC, Xbox Series X \| S, PlayStation, Mobile, Nintendo Switch
Connection type	Wireless 2.4GHz / Bluetooth 5.2 / Wired (3.5mm)	Wireless 2.4GHz / Bluetooth 5.2 / Wired (3.5mm)	Wireless (2.4GHz), Bluetooth 5.2, Wired (3.5mm)
Battery life	40 hours	22 hours	80 hours
Characteristics	Microphone flip to mute, surround sound, superhuman hearing	Dual Audio, Detachable Microphone, Dolby Atmos Support, Quantum Surround Sound	AI noise reduction, flip-to-mute mic, surround sound, quick switch button, built-in equalizer modes, superhuman hearing
Software	Swarm II	JBL Quantum Engine	Swarm II

Turtle Beach Stealth 500 headset controls.

(Photo source: Future)

How I Tested the Turtle Beach Stealth 500

Tested for 50 hours
Used with PC, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation
Compared to other similarly priced wireless gaming headsets

I tested the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 wireless headset for 50 hours on multiple platforms and was impressed with how easy it was to connect and use. On my computer, I used the headset for Apex Legends AND Risk of Rain 2and an impressive audio spectrum was presented. Even the quietest sounds in the distance were picked up by the headphones, making the fight even more exciting.

On Nintendo Switch, music in games like Ooblets helped me differentiate the headset’s capabilities beyond sound effects, and also helped me appreciate elements of music that we couldn’t hear when listening to it through speakers. The same can be said for Red Dead Redemption 2 on PlayStation. The Stealth 500 helped me pick up more natural sounds, like birdsong, which in turn helped me fill out my in-game compendium.

I also compared the headset to other affordable headphones like the JBL Quantum 360X and more expensive headsets like the Turtle Beach Atlas Air Wireless Headphones.

Learn more about how we test

First update: August 2024