Only recently did we miss the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX, which is available for just under 140 euros and, above all, shines with broad compatibility thanks to the switchable USB dongle. With the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX, the big brother is now also available with a slightly different design and additional BlueTooth. However, this has its price - at 199.99 euros, it costs almost twice as much as its predecessor, based on the street price. Just why?
Similar to its little brother, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX comes with immense compatibility. Turtle Beach is once again using a USB dongle with a small switch. It offers you the option of operating the headset either on an Xbox console or via standard USB on a PC, Playstation, Switch or MAC. No big fuss and works very well. So it's ideal for players who don't just call one platform their own.
As a bonus, the Stealth 700, like its predecessors, supports BlueTooth 4.2, so you can use it on any BT-enabled device, such as a smartphone or tablet. It is also practical that wireless operation and BlueTooth work in parallel. So if you want to make a phone call while gambling or listen to music from your smartphone, this is easily possible.
Another plus is the battery life, which is worth mentioning at 40 hours (manufacturer information) - most of the competitors work around 20 hours. Of course, the running time depends heavily on the volume used. We didn't get close to 40 hours with normal use but stayed at around 32-35 hours. But even that is still a lot. The headset is charged using the unfortunately very short USB-C cable.
With that, however, we have already eaten almost everything that distinguishes the new model from its predecessors. The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX is a robust and pleasingly solid all-rounder. A stable, metal-reinforced headband forms the basis, and the ear cups are rotatably attached using a hinge system, which also leaves a neat impression. Fortunately, the Stealth 700 hasn't had much in common with the cheap plastic construction of the earlier models since the Gen 2.
The headset is not exactly ultra-light and sits relatively tight. The thick, soft upholstery with synthetic leather cover and textile surface absorb this quite well. Thanks to the well-known ProSpecs system, people who wear glasses are also not really in trouble. A nice touch is the gel-cooled memory foam ear pads, which don't generate that insane amount of heat even during long sessions. Overall, the wearing comfort, as well as the workmanship, is very solid and there is little to complain about.
The controls are all on the left earcup. There are two volume controls - one for the game and one for chat volume, which does not differ in feel and can sometimes be confused. Depending on the selected wireless mode, the assignment is also not identical. There is also a mode button that allows you to cycle through the various presets (including Super Human Hearing). Then another power button and a BlueTooth button and that's it. The arrangement could have been a little more elegant, but it's fine with a little getting used to.
If you want a little more luxury, use the Turtle Beach Audio Hub app for Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices (iOS/Android). This gives you a few more options, such as equalizer, key assignments or mic sidetone. However, it is annoying that you cannot create any profiles in it and therefore have to change your settings again and again if the worst comes to the worst. But probably only a few do, so that's still bearable.
In practical use, the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX cannot really be faulted. The 50 mm drivers with their 20 to 22,000 Hz deliver a very decent performance. Slightly bass-heavy, but with powerful mids and clear highs, the sound is very well suited for gaming and also performs very well with music and films. We really like the wide sound stage, especially with activated surround modes such as Dolby Atmos or Windows Sonic - or Sony 3D Audio. The directional perception of noises and the spatial impression is really good.
CONCLUSION
Very complete wireless headset
With the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX you get what is perhaps the most "complete" headset on the market at the moment - at least as far as wireless connectivity is concerned. Thanks to the switchable USB dongle and BlueTooth, the Stealth 700 can really be operated on almost anything that can currently be found in the gaming room, including the parallel use of wireless and BlueTooth. The workmanship fits, as does the wearing comfort and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the battery performance.
If there's a reason to complain, it's mainly in terms of price. The previous model can be found in most shops for half the price of the new Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX. Sure, the old model is much less flexible to use, since there is either a USB or an Xbox variant, but not everyone uses two or more platforms. For just one console plus PC and BlueTooth, there are cheaper options, such as the predecessor or the Razer Kaira Pro, which is also very good.
Our tip: only buy if you really use several platforms and then wait and see whether the price will drop to a more acceptable level in the foreseeable future.
Pros
- enormously flexible to use
- usable for Xbox and Playstation
- Bluetooth can be used in parallel
- solid processing
- pleasant wearing comfort
- good gaming sound
- Spatial sound image with good directional perception
Cons
- no optional cable connections (except USB, but due to the short cable only possible after replacement)
- Operation a bit fiddly
- The app could be better
- high price
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