Tech Up! Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Wireless Gaming Headset Review

At first glance, the Stealth 500 offers little by way of aesthetic impression. The silhouette is fairly standard with the exception of the floating headband — an elasticated band that sits below the plastic arch of the headphones. The floating design has an interesting adjustment mechanism that will be hit or miss. Instead of pulling the ear cups down to extend the fit, the band stretches to accommodate the user's head, and can be expanded or reduced by removing it and clipping it onto notched intervals. It's a design choice that makes sense in theory, but it feels quite strange when coming from a more traditional headphone design.

Alongside the memory foam ear cups and elasticated headband, the Stealth 500 deploys a very lightweight plastic frame, which retains a 'budget' feeling without giving the impression of being cheap. The flip-to-mute microphone is snappy and easy to manoeuvre, and the control buttons are all centred on the underside of the left ear cup. This is perhaps the most frustrating thing about this design, as the myriad buttons and wheels feel awfully cluttered at first and take some getting used to.

When it comes to the all-important sound factor, this reviewer is pleased to report that the Stealth 500 adheres to the Turtle Bay norm of offering insane 'bang for your buck'. This is where these headphones best outperform their price tag, with clear audio that offers the dynamic range required for high-octane experiences. There's a reason why Turtle Beach dominate both the low-budget and high-tier gaming headset space alike: the audio quality is never an issue, and the Stealth 500 is no exception.

The Stealth 500 offers battery life of up to 40 hours and charges rather quickly to ensure minimal downtime between uses. On the whole, this is a gaming headset that is very difficult to fault; the audio quality is fantastic, the fit is comfortable and the design quality is in line with price range expectations. The few frustrations there are — namely in the adjustability of the headset's fit and the cluttered controls — can be forgiven within this price range, making the Stealth 500 a viable choice for those who want a top entry level or low-budget pick.

7/10

Very Good - Bronze Award

The Stealth 500 wireless headset offers the familiar Turtle Beach stamp of quality: great sound, reliable battery life and a very comfortable fit for this price range. Even though the floating headband will be a matter of taste and the controls take some getting used to, this is a fantastic choice for players who want to explore the best sound that the low-budget range of gaming headsets can offer.