The battle of high-end gaming headsets is getting more interesting today. Turtle Beach is out with the Stealth Pro – an ANC, wireless, Bluetooth, swappable battery high-end gaming headset that looks like it is aimed directly at one of my favorites – the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. Be sure to hit the video below to see all of the details of the Stealth Pro and how the two compare.
Overview
Priced at $330, the new Turtle Beach Stealth Pro has all of the features on paper that make for a great top-tier gaming headset. It comes in two versions – one is designed for Xbox but works with PS5, PC, and mobile via Bluetooth.
Additionally, there is a Playstation-focused design but it doesn’t work with Xbox. So for the ultimate connectivity, the Xbox version seems like the one to go with – especially considering the price point is the same between the two.
Stealth Pro Design: Charging station
Before we talk about the design of the headset, the Stealth Pro comes with a charging station that also handles wireless transmission. Unlike the Nova Pro Wireless, the Stealth Pro station doesn’t have any controls or screens. It does have an LED ring that shows the status of the headset.
On top is an additional battery that can be swapped for a low battery in the headset. On the back is a USB-C plug for connecting to a device, a USB-A plug for additional charging, and a switch for PC and Xbox modes.
Stealth Pro Design: Headset
Moving on to the design of the headset, it’s a departure from the rest of the Stealth line and looks more like an official Xbox headset or a LucidSound headset. The overall shape is more rounded with a large ring that surrounds the earcups and connects to the headband.
On the left earcup is a removable microphone. Under that mic is a magnetic cover that hides the battery that can be swapped for one with a full charge when needed.
To swap batteries, if you have the mic installed, first the mic has to be removed, then the battery cover, and then finally the battery. It is also not hot-swappable. When a battery is removed, the headset will turn off. It will automatically turn on when a new battery is inserted, but it takes another seven seconds or so to reconnect and play audio again.
Stealth Pro: Video
Controls
All of the controls are located on the right ear cup. There is a large wheel on the perimeter of the cup that by default is set to control overall volume in PC mode and game/chat mix in Xbox mode.
On the outside of the earcup is a large button that can also be configured from the Turtle Beach app. By default, it’s set to toggle on and off ANC.
Along the bottom of the earcup are buttons for SuperHuman hearing mode, the power button, and a Bluetooth button.
To mute the removable boom microphone, just flip it up and out of the way. Additionally, the Stealth Pro has built-in mics. To mute that mic, hold the SuperHuman hearing button for two seconds.
Comfort
Moving on to comfort, Turtle Beach went with big, plush ear pads for the Stealth Pro. That was really my only complaint with the Nova Pro Wireless – there wasn’t enough cushion to keep the ANC bumps from touching my ears. I made a follow-up video about the Wicked Cushions pads that help to alleviate that issue – making the Nova Pro Wireless my favorite high-end gaming headset.
Despite those thick earpads, my the tops of my ears do make the slightest bit of contact with the driver covers, but it never caused me any issues with comfort.
It’s also a good thing that it has those thick pads because there is a significant clamping force from the earcups. That’s really my only critique of the headset when it comes to comfort. It helps with passive noise cancellation as well, but as with other Turtle Beach Stealth headsets, there is a significant amount of clamping force.
While I found the Stealth Pro comfortable, the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless with the Wicked Cushions is a more comfortable setup for my head.
How does it sound?
When it comes to sound, the Stealth Pro excels. The “Signature Sound” mode is my favorite way to listen to this headset. It’s full of deep bass but still keeps the critical clarity for picking out sounds in cluttered games like Battlefield.
The Stealth Pro is using massive 50mm drivers that deliver an impressive 10Hz-22kHz.
Clarity didn’t blow me away when compared to the Nova Pro Wireless or other high-end gaming headsets like the Sony H9, but I would say that it is just as good. I had no issues picking out sound cues and their directions when gaming.
I also noticed more detail when playing Assetto Corsa Competizione than I recall hearing on the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless that I typically use. As cars were moving around me I was able to pick out their positions a bit easier which was a nice change.
At the press of a button, though, the headset turns into a hyper-focused esports machine with Turtle Beach’s SuperHuman Hearing mode. This mode adjusts the EQ to highlight sounds like footsteps and gunshots – both important in competitive gaming. I’m not hyper-competitive when I game, but I appreciate having the ability to turn that on when needed.
App control
Customizing the headset is possible with Turtle Beach Audio Hub V2. Within the app, there are Dashboard, Equalizer, Customize, and Hotkeys tabs.
The Dashboard tab has a little bit of everything with quick adjustments to game and mic EQ presets as well as ANC and Superhuman Hearing Mode.
Over in the EQ tab are subcategories for Bluetooth, game, and mic. Selecting one of these enables EQ customization across all of those different modes.
The customize tab handles power settings, voice prompt and tone volume levels, and function remapping for the wheel and button on the right earcup. Functions can be customized differently for PC mode and console mode.
Thanks to that simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity, the Turtle Beach Audio Hub mobile app also enables control and customization of the headset. All of the same customizations appear in the mobile app as in the PC app.
How is the ANC?
ANC changes up the EQ a little bit – or maybe it just minimizes some lower frequencies which, in turn, highlights some mid frequencies more.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t say the ANC is anything to write home about. It does okay but isn’t on par with the ANC heavy hitters like AirPods Max or Sony XM5s.
One interesting thing I noticed was that while at my desk and playing an airplane cabin noise to test ANC is when I moved my head it took the headset a moment to catch up and knock out the noise again. That’s something that I haven’t noticed with other ANC headsets. Granted, I usually don’t move my head much while gaming but I think that also show the quality of the ANC.
Stealth Pro: Mic Test
Thanks to the ability to adjust EQ, the microphone of the Stealth Pro sounds great for a wireless headset. Typically, the mic sounds very thin with a focus on clear communication when gaming. There is a mode that mimics that profile, but there are also signature sound and full EQ modes that sound much more natural to me. There is also the ability to create a custom EQ mode.
Battery life
Battery life is rated at 12 hours per battery – or 24 hours total between the two swappable batteries, which is considerably shorter than the 21 of the Nova Pro Wireless. It wouldn’t be that big of an issue because of the swappable battery except that exchanging the battery is a little inconvenient if you have the microphone installed.
Versus the competition
This is a pretty specific need but for me, one other bonus of the Nova Pro Wireless is that it also has a 3.5mm port. When I’m streaming, I use the Razer Audio mixer which needs to be hard-wired with a 3.5mm cable. The Stealth Pro lacks this port and thus can’t be my one headset to rule them all.
But, that is a specific need for me. And for the Nova Pro Wireless to be my top pick, I had to spend another $37.40 on aftermarket earpads (use code NINE2FIVE to save) making the headset total $387.40. That’s significantly more than the $330 Stealth Pro which really does do everything very well.
gadgetnewsonline’ Take
While they are expensive, I really enjoy these higher-end headsets being released recently that can be used with multiple systems and even on the go. Given the variety of gaming devices available these days, its nice to have one that can work on pretty much anything.
The Nova Pro Wireless takes that just a bit further by incorporating that 3.5mm port that the Stealth Pro lacks but in every other aspect the Stealth Pro is great. And, it doesn’t require aftermarket earpads to be comfortable for me.
Buy Turtle Beach Stealth Pro
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