Turtle Beach has long been the standard when it comes to console gaming headsets. I can’t recall a single instance before the advent of Xbox Live where a Turtle Beach headset wasn’t for sale at any game retailer. From their first headset back in 2005 to now, they are one of the top names in console gaming headsets. With the release of the Stealth 600 Gen 2 USB, Turtle Beach once again shows that they’re one of the best in the business.

What’s in the Box

Incredibly simple packaging makes getting into the fun that much easier! Inside the box, you can expect to find the headset itself, a USB-C to USB-A charging cord, and the USB dongle you’ll plug into your Xbox console.

Aesthetics and Build Quality

This is the first time I’ve owned a Turtle Beach headset, but it delivers in nearly every aspect. The headset has a clean matte black finish with an unmistakable Xbox green on the fringes. The headset is also available in a stark white color, but I’ve always been partial to the black and green, myself. The build feels incredibly solid. There’s no springiness in the joints or creaking when you bring the microphone down. The Stealth 600 Gen 2 USB feels like a headset that’s built to last.

Specs and Audio Quality

Compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles
24+ Hour Battery Life
Lag-free 2.4GHz Wireless Connection
ProSpecs™ Glasses Friendly Design
SuperHuman Hearing
Microphone Monitoring

The first thing to mention about this headset is how easy it is to connect. Once I plugged the dongle into my Xbox console and powered the headset on, it paired automatically. The battery hour isn’t anything to shake a stick at, either. Despite claiming to have at least 24 hours of battery life, I found that after almost 30 hours of use, I hadn’t depleted the charge fresh out of the box!

One thing I love about the headset is the way it fits around my head. I have no shame in telling you, dear reader, that I have a particularly large head. Finding a comfortable headset, particularly as someone who produces several podcasts, is a challenge I still have problems with. That said, the Stealth 600 Gen 2 USB from Turtle Beach is one of the most comfortable and generous headsets in terms of headroom I’ve ever used, including professional recording headphones that cost significantly more than this did!

Being that this is an Xbox-only headset, I wanted to test it as thoroughly as I could. The first test I did was to determine the reliability of the touted “lag-free” connection. I watched movies, YouTube videos, Twitch streams, and music videos I know by heart to see if the feature worked as advertised. I have to say, I was tremendously surprised! The wireless connection the dongle provides not only kept up with many different apps including live streams, but the connection carried nearly 20 feet across the house.

Let’s talk about where this headset really sings, in-game. While testing the headset, I played several games. I played an atmospheric puzzle platformer called The Gunk, where the ambient music and crunchy audio effects stood out during the playthrough.

I played a few hours of Back 4 Blood with some friends and was impressed by how the headset has two separate volume sliders, one for game audio and one for game chat. By far the most impressive audio experience I had while using the Stealth 600 Gen 2 USB was Elden Ring where the SuperHuman Hearing feature provided clues as to what was going on around my Tarnished as I explored Limgrave for the first time.

What It Could Have Done Better

If I have only one complaint about the headset it would be the microphone, and even then, it’s nitpicky. In my testing, I would send voice messages to another profile on the same Xbox, and while everything came through clear, the microphone tended to sound a little bit flat on occasion. Bear in mind that I’m a bit of an audiophile, so the difference may not seem noticeable to the average user.

Verdict

As someone who spends most of his social gaming time playing on Discord, I could easily be swayed into moving more of that time to Xbox parties since testing this headset. The comfortability of the headset absolutely blew me away, and the sound quality rivals headsets high above its price point.

This was the first time I’ve owned a Turtle Beach headset and it certainly won’t be the last. The Stealth 600 Gen 2 USB is an excellent piece of hardware that is easy to use, comfortable to wear, and sounds great. Its microphone may not be up to my standards, but I won’t fault the thing too much for not being perfect in every way. At the end of the day, it’s a great option if you’re in the market for an Xbox headset.

The Stealth 600 Gen 2 USB is now available for $99.99.