A few weeks back I posted my review for the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 headset which can be found here. I thought it was a great headset and that over it’s predecessor it was a pretty large step into the right direction. My expectations for the Stealth 700s were elevated considerably given the changes made to the 600s. I’m pleased to say that the 700s really step up the game more and they just might be my favorite headset yet.

As more and ore games rely on seriously detailed audio direction, any game needs a good headset and you should look no further than the current line of devices from Turtle Beach. The Stealth 700 Gen 2 immediately feels like a different headset from the previous one. The overall profile of the headset is a bit sleeker with some sexier curves and what looks like a slightly redesigned earpiece. I can’t quite tell if they’re larger by a small percentage but they sure look like it. The buttons are greatly improved making it easier to quickly make adjustments to sound or sound profiles, the mic now slides into the ear piece and becomes more integrated and out of the way. The base frame is now metal giving it a sturdier feel and the foam ear cushions are improved feeling more luxurious and comfortable. The ear pieces feel exactly like the ones on the Elite Pro 2s.

Once you have the headset adjusted to your noggin, at first you’re likely to feel as though they’re tight. You’ll get used to it but it also aids in the maintaining the noise cancellation. You’ll immediately notice how dampened sound is around you. Absolutely perfect for drowning out the wife and kids.

I’ve always enjoyed the Audio Hub app and that certainly hasn’t changed here. You can see the game volume which adjusts as you turn the wheel, adjustments to the mic monitoring or even set the equalizer to your preferred setting including a custom setting that allows you to adjust game treble, base and dialogue to whatever suits your needs. In my testing so far, I seem to be getting the as advertised 18-20 hours of use. The mic is sharp, and the audio is probably some of the best around.

Continually I’m blown away when playing games. Especially since lately I’ve been deep into horror games where the audio really is a show piece for many of these games. I made sure to turn on my Dolby Atmos settings on the One X and even played in the demo videos and the sound is tooth rattling good. Playing games like The Blair Witch is unsettling with this headset and more than a few times I thought something was behind me making me pull the headset off and checking to see if one of my daughters or perhaps wife was nearby. Resident Evil 7 raised the hair on the back of my neck more than a few times. Absolutely incredible experience.

I must say that one feature that I found to be perplexing is the simple fact that turning on my headset will also turn on my Xbox. I don’t recall the previous one doing that but it happens. Only thing is.. I can’t turn the Xbox off with my headset. I hope this is something that they can get sorted out in a future update.

All in all, the Turtle beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 is an incredible piece of hardware. I love the redesigned shell, the new pads and the sound quality that comes from this beastly headset. The price sits $219.99 which may seem expensive but the value packed into this headset, I’m surprised it wasn’t closer to the $300 price range. Ultra fast charging with the USB-C and new technologies built in to bring you to the next gen launching next month is also another great reason to invest in this headset. It’s sure to deliver best of class performance for years to come.

Pros:
New shell design looks and feels great
Extremely comfortable ear pads
Crystal clear audio really helps to elevate the immersion
$219.99 is a reasonable cost for high end audio that works on next gen systems

Cons:
Headset turns on console but doesn’t turn it off
Still only has a short charging cable. Would like to see a 6-8ft cable

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 for PC (with wireless adapter sold separately) Xbox One and Series S/X is available now at retail stores near you. There is also a separate headset available for Playstation 4 and 5