I fell in love with the Roccat Syn Pro Air headset last year. Why? I thought the sound was on the high end (particularly with software). The mic was perfect and removable, and it worked wonderfully for my gaming PC. That’s just it though. It worked on my PC – that’s it. When I play my Nintendo Switch, PS4, or XBOX, I have to change to a new headset. Oh, and IF I choose to use a headset, the Switch, PS4, and XBOX all had different headsets as well. It’s a mess and full of clutter – not to mention costly.
Turtle Beach has a solution, and a really good one at that. The Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max works with all of your systems including your phone. That’s right – all of them. It has bluetooth and comes with a wireless dongle for your Xbox (One, Series S, Series X) or Playstation (4 or 5). It isn’t just compatible though – the look and sound are premium as well.
The Design and Feel
The headset maintains a similar design as the previous gen. The trademark green and black are gone (at least from an Xbox perspective), and Turtle Beach has opted for an all black minimalist design with white accents. They also offer a blue option with gold trim that stands out a bit more. A plastic band surrounds a metallic frame, and the earcups feature a memory foam blend that make the earcups themselves the most comfortable I’ve tried recently.
Where the earcups are comfortable the band is too tight. I could still wear these for a few hours, but after that I felt like my head was inside a slowly tightening vice ( a bit of an overstatement). I want to love the fit. It certainly makes for a solid listening experience, but I notice the tightness right away and just can’t get over it.
Several buttons and volume wheels line the left earcup. I can control overall volume and chat volume separately with the wheels. There is a power button, and a pairing button for bluetooth connectivity. “Mode” toggles between superhuman hearing and various equalizer options.
All in all – these just look better than previous iterations. The stealth mic is still there which I love. I don’t have to remove it when I’m not using it. I simply flip it up, and it’s gone. It blends perfectly into the headset making its Stealth name proud.
The Sound
BOOM! This is where the Stealth 700 Gen 2 really stands out. The sound. These sound brilliant regardless of the type of media I use or the system I am using. I’ve other headsets with 50mm drivers, but they don’t compare to this headset. The sound is well rounded and surprisingly deep particularly with the added PC software. Console users, no need to fret, these sound fantastic playing there too.
I can’t get over the depth of sound I get in Arkham Knight. The low tones this game produces sound incredible on these cans. Fortnite and Elden Ring sound glorious and Turtle Beach’s patented superhuman hearing mode helps me hear each and every enemy footstep with ease. This mode makes other types of media sound terrible though. I make sure it is off when cutscenes occur or if I am watching a movie etc.
The Final Verdict
There are so many great things to say about the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max gaming headset. It is near perfect. I still say that with a major caveat. They just fit too tightly. Some gamers may forget about the fit as they immerse themselves in great sound that engages them more fully into their gaming session. I have a tough time doing that.
The best thing outside of the sound is the compatibility. More headset companies need to take a page out of Turtle Beach’s playbook. If you’ve got the cash to spare on this headset, I would try them out first to see if the fit works well for you. Then – game on!