Turtle Seaside have gotten the one-stop store for peripherals proper now. Whereas they’ve constructed their very own legacy through the years, they’re now additionally shopping for up different producers like PDP, with manufacturers like Victrix and Roccat all now falling below the identical umbrella. Whereas enlargement is the important thing right here, they’ve not forgotten what they constructed the model on initially, and with the Stealth 500 they’re setting out their stall for this yr’s gaming audio crown. They may simply win it too.
Lately, the Stealth headset lineup has iterated, reasonably than reinvented. The final kind and design stayed the identical for years, whereas they steadily up to date batteries and connectivity. Not so with this yr’s launch, because the all-new Stealth 500 boasts an entire redesign, bringing it bang up-to-date.
Now, the outdated Stealth headsets weren’t ugly per se, however they have been undoubtedly displaying their age. The very first thing you’ll discover with the brand new Stealth 500 is how smooth and fashionable it appears, common wholly out of black supplies, it’s nearly as stealthy as its identify implies. The construct is generally plastic, with a inflexible plastic headband, but it surely has the additional benefit of constructing this one very gentle headset. I’ve worn this factor for complete days and by no means had a second of weariness, and that’s an enormous boon in case you reside along with your headset on.
One of many new options for Turtle Seaside is a floating headband. Taking a swift look over at Steelseries’ homework, they’ve determined that is the easiest way to do headbands, and admittedly, I’d should agree. It conforms to your head form, you’ll be able to barely inform it’s there, and there are three settings to regulate it for various sized heads. It’s completely spot on.
You may join by way of the two.4Ghz wi-fi dongle – nonetheless USB-A in case you have been questioning – or over Bluetooth. Our model was branded as being for PlayStation, but it surely additionally performed fortunately with my PC, Nintendo Change and my Samsung Z Flip 6. For most individuals, it’ll slot simply into your setup.
You’ve obtained a simple degree of management by way of the Swarm II app, obtainable on each desktop and cellular. This handles all of your firmware updates – it’s doubtless the very first thing it’ll do while you hook all of it up – in addition to letting you customise your EQ settings and numerous different options. It’s largely seamless and simple (although the updating course of threw up a number of errors alongside the way in which), and given that you simply’re unlikely to be quite a lot of toes out of your cellular at anybody time, it simply provides to the convenience of use.
As normal there are 4 EQ settings, however you’ll be able to create you personal profiles as effectively, utilising a 10-band EQ to get issues sounding precisely the way in which you need them. I usually just like the Turtle Seaside Signature Sound, however right here it felt slightly muddy and missing definition, however I used to be quickly capable of dial in additional high finish to deliver out the element. This was extra obvious when listening to music by way of cellular than whereas gaming on PS5, and it feels as if the Stealth 500 loses slightly definition over Bluetooth that isn’t the case by way of the wi-fi connection. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to undoubtedly treatment it by way of the EQ.
The Swarm II app additionally offer you detailed management over the microphone setup, together with noise gate and mic monitoring. The mic itself swings down from the primary physique of the left earpiece – retaining an outdated Stealth design facet – and it angles barely in direction of your mouth, although with none capacity to additional customise its place. It undoubtedly does the job throughout on-line play, although it’s not as exact because the microphones you’ll discover on costlier headsets.
Gaming is after all the first order of the day although, and Star Wars Outlaws sounded completely unbelievable by way of the Stealth 500, with the soundtrack swelling powerfully on the proper moments, whereas there was greater than sufficient element for the stellar voice appearing to chop by means of. Hopping again into Overwatch 2, the 40mm drivers did a wonderful job of delivering different participant’s positions to me, and the acquainted push and pull of the gameplay was given a pleasant spark by the Stealth 500’s audio supply.
The Turtle Seaside Stealth 500 is priced at £79.99, placing it primarily up in opposition to Sony’s Pulse 3D and Microsoft’s personal Wi-fi Headset – this has been out of inventory for some time, so a refresh could be coming. It advantages over Sony’s providing by together with Bluetooth, and a few would possibly favor the extra normal styling. I’m an enormous fan of the Microsoft Wi-fi Headset, however the Stealth 500 pips it for consolation, because of its floating headband.
