Page 4 - Conclusion
The Turtle Beach Stealth 500 is a new entry into the Stealth lineup, alongside headphones like the Stealth 600 Gen 3. Speaking towards the audio quality for the Stealth 500, I found it adequate with its bass boost. This balance is adequate for gaming scenarios, and I had no issues with pinpointing my enemy positions. The plastic build is sufficient, having nearly no creaking issues when twisting or turning. This is due to the rigid build of the Stealth 500. The headset is quite lightweight, making wearing this headset quite comfortable as the fabric cushions your head well. Upon unpackaging, the headset was ready to go. The setup process was quite linear, as it was plug and play for the most part. Downloading Turtle Beach’s software Swarm II will be found to be necessary to properly connect to your PC, which can be annoying at times as it feels like it should be something automated. Turtle Beach Swarm II is a great software when it comes to fine tuning the headset to the user’s desires. Speaking towards the wireless capabilities of the Stealth 500, I found it to be satisfactory. In my testing, I found the battery to last just shy of the advertised 40 hours. This duration is quite long, but when you pair it with the fast charging, you can run the Stealth 500 wirelessly as much as you like. When it comes to music, you will have an adequate experience, but you will notice a reduction in detail when it comes to busy tracks. The volume is also quieter compared to other headsets I have tried from Turtle Beach, due to the 40mm drivers. Over calls, your friends may notice that your voice is really quiet as well. At a price of $80 at press time, the Stealth 500 is a decent value proposition for an entry level headset. The quality matches the price range, but this price point also sits at an awkward spot where you can spend slightly more and have a better user experience. This is a good entry level headset for gamers looking for some wireless freedom. Overall, the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 is a good gaming headset for those looking to stick to a finite budget.
Turtle Beach provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Networks Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks, but should be considered before purchasing.
6/10 means A product with its advantages, but drawbacks should not be ignored before purchasing.
-- Final APH Networks Numeric Rating is 6.8/10
Please note that the APH Networks Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other publications.
The Turtle Beach Stealth 500 is a solid lightweight entry level wireless gaming headset at a competitive price.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
