Turtle Beach Stealth 600 wireless headset review — Immersive to a fault

The Stealth variant of the Turtle Beach headset has been around for a while. When introduced, these headsets represented a higher quality model compared to the more inexpensive and wired Recon series. Just like car models, eventually an update is needed, and while not on the same annual timeline of a car maker, it’s nice to get a new one. After using the new Stealth 600 for a while, there are some beneficial upgrades, although I question some choices that have been made. I also took a look at the Stealth 500 headset, and you can see that review here.

In the box you’ll find the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 wireless headset, the USB dongle, a USB-C charging cable, and a quick start guide. I’m not a fan of the cable in the box. I know many headsets come with shorter charging cables, but barely more than two feet is rough.

Right away, you’ll notice this headset is a big boy. This is partially due to the 50mm drivers, but also just in the way it’s designed. I appreciate how sturdy it is; after stress testing it a little bit, the plastic of the headband is flexible and strong. Given the larger size, extended sessions have worn on my head a little bit. I’m surprised Turtle Beach didn’t add a ski-band to this one to alleviate pressure, similar to the Stealth 500 and Atlas Air design released alongside it. All and all, it’s not bad, but something to remember if you play games for hours on end. A huge plus: the fabric weave on the ear cups are super comfortable, a good choice by the design team.

On the Stealth 600 you’ll find the controls, which are grouped on the left ear cup. While I don’t mind it, spreading them out might have been better, as you can more easily identify what is what that way. This might be a first-world problem, but it takes me way longer to find the power button than it should. Even so, I like the amount of on-ear control that you have; with chat mix, volume, EQ mode, Bluetooth, and connection switching at your fingertips.

Speaking of swapping connections, this is a design choice I am really vibing with. My connection has been an issue on some headsets, with dual syncing between the 2.4Ghz dongle and Bluetooth getting in the way of each other at times. Here, it’s clear what you’re using, with a voice telling you what you’re changing to as soon as you hit the swap button. It certainly makes swapping over to your phone to listen to music after a long gaming session easier.

Swapping between devices is a cinch as well. Given the USB dongle, you’ll be able to hook into most consoles – like your PS5 or Xbox Series X – and computers by simply plugging them into a USB port. The additional Bluetooth adds many mobile devices into the mix, like the Switch or Steam Deck. Versatility is a wonderful thing, and the Stealth 600 has it on hand.

I noticed a clear direction for the Stealth 600 headset while moving between video games and listening closely. It functions just fine with more competitive games like Call of Duty or Halo, but the precision of audio isn’t as intricate as I’d have hoped. That said, the immersion I felt playing something like Fallout 4 was excellent. You can certainly use these while playing competitive multiplayer, but I’m not sold on them as the best option.

Immersion being their best use means that the Stealth 600 lends itself well to the likes of music and video. I always test every headset I use with one of my favorite songs (Composure by August Burns Red), and if it sounds like I know it should or even better, it passes. The Stealth 600 definitely got a passing grade, with fantastic sound across the base EQ spectrum.

Equalization is something I’ve been a bit disappointed with from Turtle Beach. With the new Swarm II software, I was hoping there might be a bit of an overhaul for EQ, but there are four total, and you’re stuck with the base sound, Bass Boost, Treble and Bass Boost, or Vocal Boost. That’s not to say the regular tuning is bad, but I’d love to see more dedicated EQ settings in the future. There is a full ten band EQ there that you can customize, which is a great option to have. But, this will appeal more to the audiophile than casual gamer who’d rather click a specific setting than tweak endlessly.

Also, let’s talk about Superhuman Hearing. I truly don’t know why something called this sounds like I’m in a can (which is literally what I said a year ago with the Stealth Pro headset). Playing Modern Warfare III, it didn’t do anything to improve my experience, and if anything detracted. There needs to be a full rebuild of Superhuman Hearing, because it’s not doing the job.

Moving on, I do have to call out the impressive microphone on the Stealth 600. The mic monitoring comes through nicely, and I’ve gotten a ton of compliments from friends online of how crisp the mic sounds. Turtle Beach doesn’t need to change anything here, because it’s working perfectly. I also love the way it folds up into the ear cup, perfectly out of the way, along with being flip-to-mute. The only odd thing I noticed was when running the mic through a third-party EQ on PC, it got really quiet.

Battery life has also been a fantastic selling point. As is tradition, if I don’t ever think about the battery until I’m writing the review, it’s a good thing. The Stealth 600 has been outstanding in this department, even with the dual Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz connections running.

I also want to address Swarm II’s software with the Stealth 600. I already mentioned my issues with the lackluster EQ and Superhuman hearing, but it’s been oddly tough to get the connection flowing with the Stealth 600. It can take quite some time to get the dongle to connect correctly and the software to recognize the headset. Even if I still get audio just fine, I’m not getting the full suite of features. As good as the software has worked with the Vulcan II TKL Pro and Burst II Air, it struggles with the Stealth 600.

You can get your Turtle Beach Stealth 600 wireless headset via this link!

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