Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 review - One step up for the Stealth line, another great headset

When I entered the realm of gaming headsets, Turtle Beach was one of the first brands that caught my attention - namely for their budget-friendly options in a sea of brow-raising pricey tech. To this day, I still covet my Star Wars-branded X-Wing Turtle Beach headset, despite it not holding a candle to what a pair of high-powered cups like the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 can offer.

Its predecessor, the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2, remains one of the best gaming headsets to this day and reinstated what the Stealth line was known for with its beefy battery life and never-ending compatibility options. This time around, the brand has yet again taken one of the best Xbox Series X headsets and packed it with more premium features, including simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity, and booming 60mm dual audio drivers that make even the busiest game soundscapes sound full of life.

Sadly there is no noise cancelling to be found, which is a bit disappointing given the headset is priced at $199.99 / £179.99 - a lot more than its mid-range rival. Additionally, its heavy, bulky design prevents it from being the ultimate mid-range powerhouse. Regardless, there’s still a lot at play here, and Turtle Beach has proven again it can add an extra bit of pizazz to an already impressive piece of tech.

Key Specs

Design

• Sleek black and metal silver accented colorway
• Subtle branding
• Imbued with easily accessible onboard controls

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3, for all intents and purposes, could have been named the Bulky 700. The wireless gaming headset is one of the largest pairs that’s ever crossed my desk for testing, with densely packed leather-covered foam cushions and overly large D-shaped cups. I get why they’re there, as they’re large enough to cup right around even the biggest of human ears. I also always prefer a leather, or fake leather, coating to my headset foam cushion over a fabric one as traditionally they’re softer and attract fewer cat hairs. However, they contribute to one of the most uncomfortable experiences with a headset I’ve come across.

It’s always worth noting that I do have a more sensitive head than most and am prone to migraine triggers of any kind. This headset also never gave me one, but even after adjusting the height on the cups, there was always an unnecessary tightness on the underside of each of my ears. Fortunately, this extra force (caused by the massive foam cushions) didn’t dig into the bands on my glasses. I’ve experienced that in the past with similarly heavy headsets, like the Logitech G Astro A50 X, but the Stealth 700 didn’t leave any imprints of my glasses on my head. In fact, the headset is designed to be “glasses friendly”, which is a nice accessibility win for those of us who need it.

The bulk isn’t just relegated to the leather-coated foam cushions. Each cup itself is pretty huge, likely to encase the booming 60mm dual audio drivers inside. If you’re after a more subtle headset to take out and about for music and podcasts, the Stealth 700 is not for you. The overall look is at least pretty sleek despite this, featuring a black colorway with some metal silver accents. There’s no garish cheap-looking lighting, and even the branding has a sleek sense of professionalism. The Turtle Beach logo is subtly located on either side of the cups, and the headband features an embossed logo that nicely catches any RGB lighting you might have around your gaming setup.

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The silver accents to the Stealth 700 are also a nice distraction from the unsightly bulk of the whole thing. For the most part, the build quality also feels rigid and of high quality, and there’s a nice matte plastic coating, which holds out well against my aptitude for tech wear and tear. My only nitpick is that there are seam lines along each of the silver edges of the headset. They aren’t too noticeable, but any keen eye won’t be able to unsee them after a while as they give a bit of a cheap feel to an otherwise premium headset.

The cups also have a ton of onboard controls, which I’m always a fan of. The left features a small circular power button with a ring of LED lighting, which flashes green when connected to your Xbox Series X, PC or PS5. Above this, you can find the Type-C port for charging, a re-mappable dial with bumps for additional grip, a game/chat mix dial and a small EQ ‘mode button.’ The left cup is also where you can find the hidden microphone, which flips out on the front-facing side. Whereas, on the right cup, you can find the Bluetooth multi-function button, Bluetooth dial and the cross-play buttons.

Features

• Simultaneous Bluetooth & 2.4GHz connectivity
• ‘Superhuman’ hearing feature
• EQ & customization through the Swarm II app
• Hefty 80 hours battery life

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 has an impressive list of features. Despite the lack of active noise canceling, the D-shaped cups are large enough to entomb your ears, which does all it can to zone out the audio around you. But you won’t quite get that total exclusion of outside noise. Where it may lack in the ANC department, the Stealth 700 does come packed with the option for simultaneous connectivity. This is a new addition that wasn't present on the Stealth 700 Gen 2 model, and the setup just requires the usual Bluetooth pairing process, along with ensuring you’ve slotted one of the accompanying dongles into your Xbox Series X / S or Xbox One.

Unlike headsets like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X, the version of the Stealth 700 Gen 3 I tested is designed specifically for Xbox consoles in mind but also comes with two dongles, so you aren’t limited to Xbox platforms. As someone who primarily finds themselves playing the PS5, this was a pleasant surprise. There are now two tiny dongles you need to keep track of, and without an accompanying cloth bag or case to keep them in, they could go missing fast. But, either way, it makes switching to different platforms and setting up simultaneous connectivity an easier process. During testing, I connected the Xbox dongle to my PC tower to switch between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz, while the extra dongle was attached via the USB port on the front of my PS5.

Switching between hardware was not only incredibly simple but also pretty impressive. I can’t stand having a headset per-console,having to re-pair and switch out dongles, so this cuts down a lot of needless prep. When the PS5 was turned on, its audio instantly came through - even if I was initially using the headset with my PC in the other room. This came in tremendously handy when finishing up a day's work as it made switching from listening to Spotify to playing Marvel Rivals in the evening super speedy.

What also came as a tremendous benefit is the Stealth 700’s inclusion of ‘Superhuman’ audio. Also included on the Turtle Beach Atlas Air, this EQ audio pre-set allows you to hear your muddled gaming soundscape in a new way, in an effort to help you decipher the position of incoming bullets and footsteps. The audio tech isn’t available out of the box, and requires the downloading of the Swarm 2 app, either on your PC or through your smartphone. But when turned on, it allowed me to take full advantage of the spatial audio integrated into the headset. It’s worth noting that it’ll do absolutely nothing for music playback other than making audio sound hollow and lifeless as a result. So make sure to turn it off when you want to mellow out to some Chappell Roan over playing a competitive hero shooter.

The Superhuman Hearing mode can be easily switched on and off via a toggle on Swarm II, which also plays host to the test of the EQ customization. On both the PC and the smartphone app (available for iOS and Android-based devices) you can switch between ‘game’ and ‘mic’ modes, which each have their own lists of pre-made audio presets. Alternatively, you can easily create and save your own. As always, I like a beefy bass and so had the ‘bass boost’ preset selected, especially when listening to music. This did create more audio spillage but made my favorite bands from Bombay Bicycle Club to Nirvana sound dreamy. Fortunately, there wasn’t any visible distortion from any of the available presets, from the bass boost to the ‘Turtle Beach signature sound’ setting.

The battery life of the Stealth 700 is also one of the best things the Xbox headset has going for it. The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro only has up to 12 hours of battery to contend with (per battery pack), and even the Stealth 700 Gen 2 only has 20 hours, but the Stealth 300 can muster up to 80 hours of playback. From weeks of testing, I only had to charge the headset fully once, and this is after multiple nights of staying up until 3am playing Unicorn Overlord, and catching up on PS Plus’s addition of High on Life. When I did finally give it a charge, it was done within a few hours, and the small LED ring around the power button politely lit up to tell me the job was done.

Performance

• Superb 60mmd dual drivers audio-quality
• Easy to set up crossplay audio system
• Crystal clear flip-to-use microphone

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 headset took the audio of games like Marvel Rivals, Dead by Daylight and Unicorn Overlord and propelled them to levels of immersive bliss. The 60mm dual audio drivers that Turtle Beach integrated this generation are no joke and can not only get very loud but make it difficult to drag myself away from spending too much time on my PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.

I broke out Marvel Rivals to see how the headset dealt with a barrage of sounds, from bullets to the roars of the Incredible Hulk. With the out of the box audio settings, the low, mid and highs of the shooter’s soundscape sounded deep and expansive, which is exactly what you want from the world of Marvel. In fact, I actually got in a hefty amount of kills as my main Starlord and climbed up the scoreboard as a result. Not only was this more than my usual measly attempts, but the superhuman EQ setting propelled this further.

Without ANC, especially as I tend to game in the same room as my partner's PC, it was definitely harder to focus entirely on the game. But the ‘gunshots’ Superhuman audio setting in particular made it easier to suss out enemy team members who would try and surround our team. The EQ tech placed the audio in a 3D soundscape, so instead of getting lost in a sea of noise, I could hear Jeff the Shark's rendition of the Jaws theme in time behind me, before the adorable guy did his worst. Turtle Beach calls its Superhuman Hearing a “cheat code for the ears” which accurately describes the feeling of having it at my disposal. I’m still relatively new to the CS:2, growing up on Quake instead when it came to PC first-person shooters. With that in mind, I'm not the best at the game but the Superhuman pre-sets also went a long way in helping me identify not just where the enemy was, but also where my team members were running off to.

The headset was not just equipped to give me a competitive edge, but its microphone became one of the most stellar things about it. It’s detachable, and can’t be manipulated to place it closer to your mouth, which could be a deal-breaker for most. However, I grew to become a fan of its discreet hidden placement in the left cup as it was faster to flip it down when Marvel Rival match-making came to an end.

As a uni-directional microphone, also known as a dynamic mic, there’s only one spot where it’s going to best pick up your speaking. This inclusion, as opposed to other polar pickup patterns Turtle Beach could have gone for, makes sense as you can’t actually position the mic in any other way besides up. Regardless, it provided a lovely crisp tone and my friends’ heard me yelling through their own headsets with no issues. It’s worth adding that the mic was a little loud at first. So having the Swarm II app on your phone, or on your PC to adjust it will help not blow out your best friend’s eardrums.

The mic was flipped up and out of the way when testing on the Nintendo Switch, which connected easily through Bluetooth. Every sweeping instrument of the Super Mario Galaxy score sounded almost magical coming through the headset. I also tested the Stealth 700 Gen 3 while playing my latest gaming obsession, Unicorn Overlord, namely as the OST was written primarily by one of my favorite game composers, Mitsuhiro Kaneda. The triumphant medieval fantasy setting felt bustling and full of life thanks to the 60mm drivers yet again, as did the almost Shakespeare-like voice acting found within the game.

Should you buy the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 gaming headset?

At a price point of $199.99 / £179.99 the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is one of the more expensive mid-range headsets I’ve had across my testing bench, but its densely packed premium features almost entirely justify its more-than-average cost. No matter if it’s the Xbox, PlayStation, or PC-designed version, this Turtle Beach headset comes with two 2.4GHz dongles to cover your bases. With its simultaneous audio system, you can also switch between using a Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz connection across an array of consoles. High-end alternatives, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, allow you to connect to multiple consoles and platforms at once but with costs in the higher echelon of gaming headsets, coming in at $359.99. With the Stealth 700, you are getting a more limited version of this multi-platform support, but at a fraction of the cost.

Additionally, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 produces some of the best audio I’ve ever heard coming from a gaming headset. There’s no muffled gunshots, distorted highs and hollow lows at play here. Instead, the 60mm dual drivers show their stuff by doing justice to everything from competitive shooters like Marvel Rivals and CS:2, to Super Mario Galaxy on the Nintendo Switch. Every genre of music I threw at the headset, or audio from an array of streaming services also sounded their best.

The only thing preventing this from being an all-around perfect package is the lack of wired audio support, and its outright distracting and almost painful bulky shape and weight. I'd have loved to see ANC included too, however, that'd likely drive up the cost even further, and we tend to see it on more high-end headsets like the Alienware Pro Wireless rather than any mid-range rivals like the Stealth 700 Gen 3.

If you don't quite have the budget for a high-end headset but don't want to skimp out on too many premium features, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is an ideal pickup. While I tested the Xbox version, there's also a PlayStation and PC model available, each with their own slight colorways. But even if you happen to stick with the Xbox Series X version like I tested, its two accompanying dongles make it a match for those who can't stick to one platform for long. Plus, no matter if you're playing the Xbox Series X, or PS5 or just listening to music, the headset's drivers can pack a punch that rivals the audio found on more expensive offerings.

These aren't going to be the comfiest things to pop on your head though. And if like me, you have a more sensitive noggin' than most, I'd recommend a mid-range alternative like the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) instead, which is much more lightweight. The Stealth 700 Gen 3 also doesn't have a detachable mic, and its bulky shape makes it more stuck to use indoors than something you can easily take out to listen to your favorite tunes. Regardless, Xbox and even PS5 and PC owners have a lot at their disposal with the Stealth 700 Gen 3, and again Turtle Beach has proven to me why they’re still one of the best gaming headset brands in the biz.

Ratings

How I tested the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 gaming headset

I spent over two weeks with the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 gaming headset. During that time I ran the mid-range pair of cups through a gaming gauntlet of plenty hours of the competitive hero shooter, Marvel Rivals. I also put the Stealth 700 through its paces by playing Dead by Daylight, Unicorn Overlord and even Nintendo Switch titles like Super Mario Galaxy (via Super Mario 3D All-Stars) and Super Mario Sunshine. When not gaming, I used it alongside streaming platforms like Netflix to watch the mini-series Apple Cider Vinegar and listened multiple music genres and bands, from Bombay Bicycle Club, OK Go and Chappell Roan. For more information on how we test gaming headsets, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

If you're after a headset for your other consoles instead, check out our best PS5 headset, best Nintendo Switch headset, and best PC headset for gaming guides which are full of the brim with mid-range, and high-range, alternatives to the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3.