Why the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 Falls Short Despite Its Impressive Sound Quality

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3: A Quick Two-Minute Review

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 serves as a wireless gaming headset that works across multiple platforms due to its Bluetooth capabilities along with the inclusion of two USB dongles.

Although it mostly lacks common gaming features such as RGB lighting, its large ear cups make it quite noticeable. This means it's not very suitable for traveling with. Almost every aspect of the design emphasizes functionality over portability. best PC gaming headsets out there have a lower profile than this.

Fortunately, it isn't as cumbersome as it appears, though certain players might favor a lighter design. In my case, this wasn't a concern for me when using the Stealth 700 Gen 3. However, what did irritate me was the absence of cushioning on the headband, leading to discomfort after brief periods of use.

The comfort around the ears has improved significantly. The earcups offer ample cushioning, making them suitable for those who wear glasses as well. However, my main issue is their considerable size; they do not sit securely enough during vigorous movement. Nonetheless, for regular head motions, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 headphones remain stable quite adequately.

The overall build quality is also quite solid, despite not using the highest-end materials throughout. The folding microphone is a thoughtful addition, feeling just as well-constructed with a smooth open mechanism and ample stability when deployed.

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 features four buttons, providing extensive on-the-go customization options. Additionally, this device includes three scrolling wheels: two dedicated to managing volume separately from Bluetooth and transmitter inputs. This setup lets you enjoy music or answer calls via your smartphone simultaneously with gaming sound coming from your computer or console.

Further tweaks are possible using Turtle Beach’s Swarm 2 peripheral software (on PC), allowing for some detailed output and input configurations, as well as reassignment options for the Mode button and one of the wheels, although these are limited.

The sound is great for both gaming and other forms of entertainment, including listening to music and watching content. All frequencies are clear and well-balanced, while the Bass Boost mode imparts a noticeably fuller low-end without diminishing overall quality, although small amounts of distortion can intrude with higher volumes. The microphone is less impressive, but it offers enough clarity to get by and the noise gate works well to block unwanted sounds from being picked up.

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 pairs swiftly using the wireless transmitter and Bluetooth, and they function together seamlessly. Nonetheless, I encountered sporadic audio interruptions when used with a PC; determining if the problem lies with the headset itself or my specific configuration is unclear, but assuming it’s due to the device, perhaps future updates could address this concern.

The battery life is outstanding and aligns well with Turtle Beach’s claimed 80 hours, as testing over several days through both Bluetooth and the transmitter across various gaming platforms showed only a 5-10% decrease after a few days of usage.

It occupies a mid-range position in terms of pricing, costing approximately the same as the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro , which ranks among the top wireless gaming headsets available. Nonetheless, this headset includes additional features not found in the Stealth 700 Gen 3 and outperforms it in nearly every aspect. Additionally, there’s also the Epos H3 It’s one of the top affordable gaming headsets available, though you’ll need to accept that it has a wired connection.

Although these gaming headsets may provide greater value, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 closely follows suit. At this pricing level, it performs commendably with audio quality surpassing what you'd expect from its category. Some minor discomforts and usage challenges do arise; however, considering the cost, they aren't significant enough to be considered major drawbacks.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review: cost and accessibility

$199.99 / £179.99 /AU$399.95
Now available in three different colors.
Middle-tier pricing for a gaming headset

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 has a price tag of $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$399.95 and is currently available in three colors: Black, White, and Cobalt Blue. It offers multiple versions compatible with Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, though they all share the same pricing.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, which is one of the best wireless gaming headsets In our opinion, it offers the same price (or even a bit lower in the UK). The headset boasts excellent audio and microphone quality, along with robust construction. It comes with additional adjustments and personalization options compared to the Stealth 700 Gen 3, including support for THX Spatial Audio. Additionally, its battery performance is impressive, which makes it hard to surpass at this particular price range.

If your aim is to significantly reduce costs for a gaming headset, the Epos H3 is among the options worth considering. best wired gaming headsets It can often be discovered at a considerable markdown off its initial cost. In our opinion, this headset provides excellent audio quality and remarkable comfort for the amount you pay. There’s also a wireless version offered; however, it comes with a higher price tag.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 Review: Features

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 Review: Design and Features

Very bulky
Plenty of physical adjustments
Several handy features along with personalization options

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 has a relatively understated design, avoiding the overly flashy look common in many gaming headsets; it doesn’t feature any RGB lighting either. Nonetheless, it is quite large, boasting exceptionally broad drivers—possibly the widest I've encountered on a gaming headset—which means it remains far from subtle.

It feels well-constructed despite this. Although it may not use top-tier materials, the components seem quite sturdy and are assembled nicely. The flip-down microphone is a thoughtful addition; its hinge provides seamless movement and offers good stability when in place. Nevertheless, even though the Stealth 700 Gen 3 isn't as hefty as one might expect, individuals who are particular about headset weight ought to be aware that it does weigh more compared to certain competitors in its category.

The padding around the ears is quite substantial, enhancing the overall comfort when using the headset. Turtle Beach explicitly states that the Stealth 700 Gen 3 model accommodates glasses without causing discomfort, and based on personal experience, I concur—wearing these with my eyeglasses did not lead to any pain or exhaustion.

These cushions have a distinctive shape, roughly mimicking the curve of an actual earlobe, which suited me well. However, they might be slightly oversized for some people. Additionally, because the headband is relatively broad, they do not hug the ears as tightly as those found on other headphones, though this issue becomes noticeable mainly during active movement. Their sizable design ensures compatibility with various ear shapes and sizes.

Adjusting the height for the driver is simple but resistant to accidental shifts. Additionally, these drivers can pivot ninety degrees, making it convenient to wear them hanging around your neck. Nonetheless, the headband feels uncomfortable. Although the cushion appears soft and luxurious, it collapses very quickly under pressure. This causes the rigid part beneath to press against the upper area of your head, leading to discomfort even during brief usage sessions.

On both controllers, several buttons are available: the CrossPlay toggle switches between the two transmitters (with one designed for Xbox and another for other gaming systems). Additionally, there’s a Bluetooth button and a Mode button to cycle through different audio settings. However, unlike some Razer headsets, this controller does not provide a voice announcement indicating the current active mode.

Tapping the power button can activate or deactivate the Superhuman Hearing feature; however, I occasionally encountered issues where it did not respond properly, necessitating that I turn the headset off and then back on for the button to function correctly again.

Interestingly, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 includes three scroll wheels: one adjusts the balance between game audio and voice chat, whereas the remaining two handle different types of volume controls—one for Bluetooth devices and another for wired connections. Although this might appear excessive at first glance, these additional wheels actually highlight a distinctive feature of the headset—its capability to play sound simultaneously through Bluetooth and wired sources while enabling independent volume adjustment for each source type.

This implies that you'll need to familiarize yourself with the placement of each control knob whenever you wish to make real-time modifications. Fortunately, however, these knobs are compact enough to avoid cluttering the interface, making them simple to use after you can find their positions, offering seamless and precise tweaks.

With Turtle Beach’s Swarm 2 software, only a single wheel can be reallocated. You have the option to tweak settings such as microphone monitoring volume, chat level, bass boost, treble boost, or the threshold for the noise gate on the microphone.

Swarm 2 provides additional customization options and adjustments. The previously mentioned Mode button can also be reallocated, though the sole alternative functionality apart from its standard use is enabling the noise gate.

Swarm 2 offers several pre-set sound options such as Bass Boost, Bass and Treble Boost, and Vocal Boost. Each of these settings allows for customization—either through modification or creation of personalized configurations—by adjusting ten distinct frequencies within a range from 32 Hz to 16 kHz. These adjustments can be made by either reducing or amplifying the levels up to 9 dB at those points, giving you extensive flexibility to fine-tune the audio experience according to your liking.

The game features a setting named Superhuman Hearing, aimed at amplifying specific audio cues within the gameplay like footstep noises and gunfire. Regarding microphone configurations, you have the ability to tweak the pickup sensitivity, monitor volume, and noise gate; these are essential adjustments for optimizing your inputs.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 Review: How It Performs

Impressive sound
Passable microphone
Some connectivity issues

I was largely satisfied with the audio performance of the Stealth 700 Gen 3. The sound across all frequencies remains crisp and well-balanced, and the Bass and Treble Boost mode notably amplifies the lower range without becoming overwhelming—it works well for both gaming sessions and enjoying music. However, this boost might cause some distortion at high volumes, which can be mitigated simply by turning down the volume a bit. In contrast, I didn’t find the Vocal Boost feature very practical since it noticeably diminishes the overall clarity of the sound.

The Superhuman Hearing mode proved helpful in some situations, but I generally opted to keep it disabled. While playing Counter-Strike 2 The footsteps setting amplified these sounds but resulted in a noticeable decline in overall audio quality. Similarly, the gunshot setting failed to enhance the clarity of gunfire noises. Enabling both Bass and Treble Boost offered the most satisfying experience for me, delivering crisp sound with strong presence and richness.

The built-in microphone offers decent quality, even though it falls short when it comes to delivering crystal-clear vocals. However, the noise gate function is quite handy as it effectively eliminates extraneous noises.

Connecting to a PC through the USB transmitter is just like plug-and-play. It’s equally straightforward when hooking up to consoles, requiring minimal effort. best PS5 headsets and best Nintendo Switch headsets Setting up Bluetooth with my phone was straightforward, and I didn't notice any significant difference in audio quality. I experienced no problems when gaming on my PC using the dongle and simultaneously enjoying music streamed from my Google Pixel 7a via Bluetooth.

Nonetheless, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 may require a few seconds to reestablish connection with a PC upon waking from sleep mode. Additionally, I encountered some unexpected disconnections from my computer following an unexplained blip from the headphones.

It’s possible the issue lies with my PC rather than with the Stealth 700 Gen 3, although I haven’t experienced this issue with other gaming headsets. Thankfully, I was able to get the sound back quickly, and hopefully a firmware update will fix the issue if it is indeed a fault with the headset.

Positively speaking, the battery life of the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is impressive; Turtle Beach’s claimed 80 hours seems accurate since it only dropped by about 5-10% following several days of intermittent use.

Should I purchase the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 headphones?

Buy it if...

You're looking for excellent gaming sound. The audio from the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is crisp and powerful, ideal for both gaming sessions and enjoying music, with the Bass Boost enhancing the overall sound quality even more.

You desire numerous physical modifications.

Using this setup with four buttons alongside at least three scroll wheels makes navigating through different options during gameplay simple and intuitive.

Don't buy it if...

Your head is quite sensitive. Although the earpads were quite comfy, the headband lacks sufficient padding, leading to discomfort and pain.

You prefer something subtle... in all aspects. The Stealth 700 Gen 3 is quite bulky among gaming headsets I've tried, so if you're looking for something slim and inconspicuous, this model won't be your pick.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 Review: Take Other Options Into Account Too

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro stands out among top-tier gaming headsets due to its excellence across all areas. This headset excels with its comfort, robust construction, superior audio quality, comprehensive feature set, and impressive longevity from its battery. Priced similarly to the Stealth 700 Gen 3, it edges ahead because of its balanced performance in every department.

Read our full Review of Razer BlackShark V2 Pro

Epos H3 For those operating with a tight budget, we believe the Epos H3 stands out as the top choice for a wired gaming headset due to its exceptional audio quality and comfort, which far exceed its affordable cost. Additionally, there is a wireless version of this model; however, it comes at a higher price point.

Read our full Epos H3 review

The Way I Tested the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3

Tested for several days
Used on multiple platforms
Extensive gaming experience

I tested the Stealth 700 Gen 3 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming, listening to music, and watching video content. I tried it with numerous devices, namely a Windows 10 PC, a PS5 , and a Nintendo Switch I linked up with these systems using both the wireless USB transmitter and Bluetooth wherever possible.

I played games like Counter-Strike 2 and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl , where precise audio quality and clear vocals are crucial. I also recorded my voice to assess the microphone’s performance.

I've been into gaming for more than two decades, trying out countless headsets from different manufacturers at varied price levels. Additionally, I have undertaken reviews of several gaming headsets before.