Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II review
In my approximation, diminishing returns start for gaming headsets after around the $100-$150 mark. That’s to say the value per dollar starts to go down the higher up you go. With budget gaming headsets only getting better, it becomes harder and harder to justify spending $300+. And with the Stealth Pro II, you can tell that Turtle Beach is aware of that, because it throws everything at this set of cans. Super large drivers, a battery charger / wireless receiver, plus a spare receiver in the box. The Stealth Pro II really tries hard to get that cash out of your hand. In fairness, it’s doing a pretty good job of it.
The Stealth Pro II is hiding 60 mm Eclipse dual drivers in its cups, and though it’s pretty hefty at almost 400 grams, it’s comfortable. That’s thanks to squishy cups and a decent headband. It’s definitely a weight that takes a little while to get used to, but I’ve always quite liked the bulky build of Turtle Beach. I feel like I’m more fond of the Stealth 700 range than most for the same reason.
It’s a strong build, combining plastics, metals and fabric. Though I don’t often do it, I did find myself not hugely liking how the headband adjusts. It requires a significant amount of force to pull the headset out from the headband, and this means it stays in place well, but it also makes it hard to move while on your head. It just feels a little uncomfortable to have to yank it out. What’s more, the headband’s range is a tad limited when it comes to serving smaller noggins. Not a problem for me, though, as my head is unfortunately rather large.
But, outside of its cost, a love it or hate it weight and clamping force, and the headband, I have almost nothing bad to report about the Stealth Pro II. It’s a majestic headset, with plenty of sweet features, and importantly, it sounds glorious.
Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II Specs
Style: Closed back
Drivers: 60 mm dual drivers
Frequency response: 10 Hz – 40 kHz
Microphone: Detachable unidirectional 9 mm mic (and one built-in)
Battery life: 40 hours per battery
Connection: 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 5.3
Weight: 393 g (with mic attached)
Price: $350 | £300
It’s also easy to set up. The box comes with the headset itself, a battery charging dock, a spare receiver, and a USB cable. Effectively, as the battery charger works as a receiver, you can pop the second receiver into a console and swap between console and PC with just a single click. It works really well, and was one of my favourite things about the Stealth 700 Gen 3.
To swap out one of the two batteries, the left cup has a magnetic plate, and a simple pull on the top will take it off. It’s not hot swappable, so the internal battery doesn’t keep the headset alive, though it takes so little time for the headset to connect that I only ever lose out around a second from a headset that does have an internal battery. Each battery has around 40 hours, and between the two, I’ve never managed to let the headset go dry. It’s a near-perfect amount of battery to feel pretty much limitless.
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This system isn’t particularly unique. SteelSeries has been doing it for a long time, with the likes of Arctis Nova Pro and the recent Arctis Nova Pro Omni doing it. However, I’m glad more brands are picking up such a handy system, and Turtle Beach have done it well.
The receiver looks good, too. It’s a simple puck, with a button to pop out the battery, and lighting which can indicate when you are muted or live, and that’s about it. The microphone can be popped up to mute, but the headset also has one built in, which means you can technically bring it out of the house, without having to bring a full-on microphone, and still chat.
The detachable microphone sounds lovely and full, with my voice not only coming through clear, but with such quality that I’d even happily record a video or podcast on it. Though AI noise reduction usually helps cover for the middling microphone of a gaming headset, I’d actually opt to turn it off here, as it flattens sound a little and generally doesn’t sound as good with it on. I can pick up more mouth sounds without the reduction, but it’s such a nice microphone that it’s worth that trade-off.
Above is without AI noise reduction. Bottom is with.
The black and gold model I’ve got my hands on looks lovely. It’s just a shame the receiver doesn’t also double as a stand (like the Fractal Scape), as it doesn’t quite feel right draping such a regal headset on the edge of my TV. It not only looks nice but is smartly designed too. The buttons on both earcups are easy to navigate, all coming with different tactile feels to differentiate themselves from each other, and a few of them can even be reprogrammed in Turtle Beach Swarm II, should you want even more control.
Swarm II is a solid bit of software now, too. As well as allowing me to get the latest updates, you can adjust volume, put on ‘Superhuman’ hearing, adjust chat mix, mess with ANC, and swap around the EQ. Generally speaking, I found the headset to be so clear that I never needed Superhuman hearing (Which raises footsteps and gun sounds), and ANC is super solid too. It managed to comfortably filter out the hum of my PC without adding artificial distortion.
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Generally, I find the Stealth Pro II’s EQ to be balanced and tuned well. The first time I played Counter-Strike 2 with it, and shot with the AWP, I instinctively took the headset off. That’s because the sniper thumped so much it practically rumbled on my head. Despite how that sounds, that’s a very good thing. It’s thunderous when it wants to, but footsteps are easy to make out, and it just has great atmosphere. It’s a super engrossing headset, from sound to feel.
On the universally loved and wholly uncontroversial game, Mixtape, I found that the headset contributes to the atmosphere really well. The roar of skateboard wheels on tarmac, with Lush’s Monochrome, is, as the game probably wants it to be, a ‘total vibe’.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s sound design shines well too, with the pizzicato strings of Lumière never fighting for the spotlight against its twinkly guitar or lush vocals. The soundstage feels broad, with bass, mids, and highs all being invited to the party in equal measure. The vocal boost EQ mode could be a decent shout in conversation-heavy single-player games, but I quite like all its EQ modes.
That soundstage really comes through in music, with the likes of Aphex Twin’s Xtal sounding so full and deep that I could almost believe the song is playing right in front of me. Nothing can compare to the all-encompassing sound of live music, but the Pro II does a genuinely solid job at home.
Nothing can compare to the all-encompassing sound of live music, but the Pro II does a genuinely solid job at home.
I found putting on the ‘treble and bass boost’ EQ mode to be particularly overwhelming here. It’s not just a sound that you can hear but one you feel. Moving over to Aphex Twin’s relatively subdued and delicate Avril 14, the headset’s clarity works well in favour of the song’s brooding prettiness. The bass can be really cranked up, but it doesn’t falter when sound calls for something more subtle.
The Stealth Pro II’s 60 mm drivers aren’t just 60 mm drivers. They have a dual driver design, which separates the woofer and tweeter to give increased clarity for both. It works really well in use. The size of the drivers isn’t everything, and comparing them to the 90 mm planar magnetic ones in the Audeze LCD-S20, I’d actually pick Turtle Beach’s. They’re not necessarily better, technically speaking, but they have such a great presence that I’d pick them for gaming instead. The immersion factor here is top-notch.
I’ve also spent some time comparing the Stealth Pro II’s 60 mm drivers with the Audeze Maxwell’s 90 mm planar magnetic drivers. I do think the Maxwell is still an impressive headset, and cheaper too. However, as much as it may pain my colleagues who truly love the Maxwell, I think I’d pick Turtle Beach’s offering here for gaming. That’s because the Stealth Pro II offers a truly immersive and punchy sound experience.
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I’m definitely in the ‘both headsets are good’ camp, rather than thinking either is superior, and I’m very surprised it’s Turtle Beach that holds its own against the truly lovely Maxwell. I’d say the Stealth Pro II is a more traditional gamer headset than the Maxwell, offering a focus on its bass, where the Maxwell is more neutral. Audeze is perhaps a tad clearer, though not as immersive. I noticed, when comparing both headsets with their neutral EQs in Sweet Pill’s Blood, I could make out the chunky opening riff a little sharper on the Maxwell, though the Stealth Pro II hits harder.
It can also get monstrously loud. I rarely raised the headset above 60% (with it usually sitting between 30%-40%), and even then, I only got that high up when I wanted to really crank the music.100% turns the headphones into almost a mini speaker.
Given my connectivity issues with the Stealth Gen 3, I’m happy to report that the Stealth Pro II is an incredibly easy headset to use every day. It connects near instantly, has not cut out on me once, and even has a surprisingly great wireless range. I have never been able to walk into my kitchen with a gaming headset, thanks to the position of a thick wall, but the Stealth Pro II managed to cope with the interfering brickwork with ease.
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It still cuts out if I go any further, but it’s beaten every headset I’ve tried thus far. It can also connect via Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz at the same time, which is particularly useful if I’m on call with friends and need to do my Duolingo before I accidentally use a freeze streak. I’ve had pretty much no complaints in my days working and gaming with the headset, and it has fit into my everyday lifestyle with ease.
In my hubris to get photos of the headset in the hot British sun, I stumbled on a rock and dropped the headset pretty hard. It got some scuffs on the magnetic plate in front of the battery, as well as a light scuff on the microphone and headband, but it held up pretty well overall. I wouldn’t recommend flinging it around, but it handled a nasty bash pretty well.
That price point will always be tough, and for $350, your opportunity cost is the mighty Audeze Maxwell 2 and its 90 mm drivers (plus the first Maxwell). That’s a bit of a problem for Turtle Beach, but also, I entirely see where the cost of the Stealth Pro II is going into the product.
Buy if…
✅ You want top-notch sound and mic quality: The Stealth Pro II’s 60 mm drivers and detachable 9 mm microphone are both truly excellent in their own right, and significantly more than most gamers have / need.
$300 genuinely gets you into audiophile headphone territory, and if you’re willing to go wired, you can pick up something like the Sennheiser HD 550. If I wanted something for the studio, I could certainly see a good argument to go Sennheiser instead, but for hearing the thump of hooves in Red Dead Redemption 2 or explosions, well, everywhere in GTA Online, the Stealth Pro II is an excellent choice. And just because it packs a punch doesn’t mean it can’t handle the subtle intricacy of a flute high in the mix or sombre tones of a cello either.
I would certainly grit my teeth, handing over $350 for a gaming headset, and I think my partner might faint seeing it hit the bank account, but I’d be damned if Turtle Beach hasn’t done its darndest to earn the cash. One could argue that such an expensive purchase should come with zero caveats, and that’s fair, but one or two certainly isn’t bad. Especially when it sounds, and makes me sound, so lush.
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