REVIEW: Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X

Ear Force Stealth 500X -by Turtle Beach – RRP £199.99

For the last week I’ve been lucky enough to be getting my gaming sound through a preview pair of Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X. This is the latest premium offering from Turtle Beach, and the first fully wireless headset for the Xbox One.

Wireless headsets have always had a special place in my heart. One of the best headsets I’ve ever used were the Tritton Warheads for the Xbox 360. They were not simply wireless, but fully integrated into the console using Microsoft’s proprietary wireless connection system.

This is the position that Turtle Beach Stealth 500X have taken up on the Xbox One, so I had very high hopes for them.

Over the years plenty of companies have attempted to provide wireless cans, with varying degrees of success. When they go wrong, they can be cheap and nasty. However, the best of them can take gaming to the next level. I still use my Turtle Beach “Ear Force Delta” from time to time thanks to the Xbox One adaptor.

As soon as I unboxed the Stealth 500X I was surprised at the simplicity of the setup. I pulled out the headset, the transmitter and… That’s it. Obviously there are extra cables for charging or connecting to mobile phones, but in terms of the Xbox One setup -the headset and transmitter are all you need.

The design is, I’m honest, simpler than I had expected. They follow the same aesthetic as the other Turtle Beach Xbox One headsets, being primarily built from hard-wearing plastics in Black with Green trim. The colours are much more subtle than the XOFours however, and they look decent enough.

However, the design also brings a slight disappointment. Given that the price of this headset (£199.99) puts these firmly into the ‘premium’ category, I was surprised that the cups and headband were foam. Despite being significantly cheaper, the Turtle Beach XOSeven have leather trim, and I had expected the same from this headset.

However, this became nothing more than a minor gripe once I actually started using them. The foam-and-mesh combo is remarkably soft and it doesn’t heat up over long periods. They have an internal rechargeable battery (that gives 15 hrs use) that adds barely any weight to the set. The result is that the headset is light as a feather. The foam is still very comfortable and when combined with the incredibly light weight and a flexible design, you barely notice they’re on.

Moving on to the features, I don’t even know where to start. The Stealth 500X are chock FULL of features. First of all they connect to the console via optical cable to the transmitter. As a result they offer DTS 7.1 Surround Sound, and what Turtle Beach refer to as ‘…a 3D, 360-degree sound stage with unmatched spatial accuracy’. In practice this means an incredible sound quality with a frankly stunning range. Thanks to buttons on the right cup, you can even control the level and style of the surround sound.

The connection is via the transmitter (USB to console) but this allows them to fully integrate into the console. I was impressed that, the moment I plugged them in and turned on the Xbox, I was greeted with a message (in the same style as a friend notification) telling me the headset had been ‘assigned’ to my account.

One feature that has been missing on all Xbox One headsets to date (and one that I’ve missed since the Ear Force Deltas) is separate volume controls. What I mean by that is that the Chat volume and Game volume are completely separate. Rather than having to try and find a balance between them on Microsoft’s chat adaptor, on the Stealth 500X you have two separate volume wheels to allow you to fine tune the balance however best suits you.

There are also a series of equaliser pre-sets to work through with options for Games, chat, movies and music.

The final feature is one that many people may not consider a big deal, but (as anyone who follows my reviews will know) is a major issue for me. Also for the first time on Xbox One, and at the touch of a button, you can have your own voice feedback to you. I have consistently complained about the lack of voice monitoring on headsets so far (although not as much as my wife, due to the amount of shouting it causes), so the addition of this is very welcome in my household.

Design: 8/10

Not award winning, but they look solid and decent enough. Plastic but sturdy and nice subtle colouring. The mic and the on-cup controls are seamless and subtle. The cups and band are mesh and foam, rather than leather which from a design standpoint is the only slight disappointment.

Comfort: 9.5/10

It’s a shame that the cups and band are foam rather than leather. Having said that the breathable, around-the-ear mesh is still very comfortable. Given they incorporate a rechargeable battery, the light weight is remarkable. They’re built for comfort, and you can actually forget you’re wearing them during long sessions.

Sound Quality: 10/10

Amazing. The sound is clear and crisp with an amazing range. Full (and adjustable) 7.1 DTS surround sound, with a good collection of EQ presets. Separate volume controls for Game and Chat. The headset and transmitter even intelligently channel-hop to avoid interference and makes sure the sound remains clear. Given these are wireless, the sound is incredible.

Chat Quality 9.5/10

Brilliant. The only concern raised was that I was apparently a little more quiet than on other headsets. To be honest, I think this was only due to the fact that the voice now feeds back so I’m no longer shouting down a mic unaware of how loud I’m talking. In any event it certainly never stopped anyone hearing me clearly. The headset even monitors the game sounds to ensure chat is always heard. Even during loud gameplay spikes, chat volume automatically rises temporarily to ensure you never miss anything.

OVERALL: 9.5/10

These are the cans I have been waiting for. They are a LOT more expensive that most others on the market, and that price tag pushes them to a luxury rather than a necessity. However, what you get for the money is just incredible. If you have them means, you chat regularly and you care about the quality of your game sound, get these NOW.

…and if you do want to get a pair, they should be available very shorty. Here’s the Official Site for all your release date and ordering needs.

^HooksaN (@HooksaN)

Want to see how they stack up against other Headsets? Check out the ‘Headsets Head to Head’ here!