Stealth 700 Gen 3: missing that certain something

With the Stealth 700 Gen 3, what you see is what you get: unexciting and boring. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad headset. Quite the opposite. It’s very good for a model in this price range, but it doesn’t do anything outstanding. The fact you get two wireless transmitters instead of one and can easily switch between them is nice, but it’s not reason enough to buy.

The Stealth 700 Gen 3 is available in several versions and colours for Xbox and PlayStation. I was kindly provided with the Xbox model to test out.

Design and what’s included: boring and not much

As well as the headset, you get two transmitters for wireless radio connection. There’s also a charging cable that’s just 50 cm long. And that’s it. In other words, it doesn’t come with very much. Something like a carrying case would’ve been a nice plus. Other headsets usually include one, including Turtle Beach’s other designs.

As with all gaming headsets, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 looks clunky. Alongside its special shape, the curved earpiece is the most distinctive design element. You won’t find any flashing lights, which I appreciate as I’m not a fan of RGB LEDs. And yet, visually speaking, this headset doesn’t do it for me.

Ergonomics and finish: a mix of plastic and metal

You can rotate and tilt the two ear cups backwards and forwards, so they should fit any head shape and size. Meanwhile, the headband has a number of adjustment options, as the mechanism locks into place.

Both the headband and brackets around the ear cups are made of metal. The former has soft padding all along it and is encased in synthetic leather. On the inside, it’s reinforced with metal. After prolonged wear, it pinches a little bit.

The ear cup pads are also encased in synthetic leather, with the padding itself being very soft and thick. This stops my ears touching the drivers. Surprisingly enough, I hardly sweat under these things. Overall, the Stealth 700 Gen 3 is comfortable and sits well in place. I only have to take it off after a few hours because it starts to pinch.

Overall, the headset is well made. Nothing creaks or cracks when I bend it.

Features and functions: loads of buttons

There are controls on both ear cups. On the left is the USB-C charging port, the button for changing the equaliser settings and the power button. The latter simultaneously activates or deactivates the Superhuman Hearing option. This amplifies certain frequencies so I can hear footsteps better in games, for instance. There are also two wheels on the left-hand side: one for adjusting the volume and one for the ratio between game noise and chat sound.

This is also the side the microphone is attached on, which can’t be removed. But when I flip it up, it disappears in the direction of my ear and can hardly be seen. I also set it on mute.

The cross-play and Bluetooth multifunction buttons are on the right-hand earpiece. The former lets me switch back and forth between the two transmitters, while the other lets me connect to Bluetooth devices and take calls. Then there’s the wheel for adjusting the Bluetooth volume. Turtle Beach uses version 5.2 as standard.

You can also have a radio and Bluetooth connection at the same time. This means you can simultaneously game on your PC and make calls on your smartphone.

Turtle Beach puts the battery life at a maximum of 80 hours. After using it for just over 20 hours with connection via transmitter and occasionally Bluetooth, the headphones are at 32% less battery for me. So, the 80 hours seem unlikely. I think that information refers purely to the Bluetooth connection, as this is more economical than the radio link. Nevertheless, I still manage to get about 60 hours, which is a respectable result.

Configuration with Swarm II

In terms of software, I control the Stealth 700 via Swarm II, which is available for Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS. It offers a variety of settings options. Personally, I prefer configuration via smartphone so I can make adjustments while gaming without having to stop and start.

Amongst other things, you can choose between four equaliser presets (EQ) or create your own profile, with ten frequency bands available. For the review, I stick with Signature Sound. Other configuration options include monitoring, a noise gate and settings for audio and microphone volume for specific games.

You can have separate settings for Bluetooth connection and each transmitter. When you switch between them, the settings adjust automatically. However, you can also install settings for the others on all devices.

Presets and individual settings are also available for the microphone. What’s more, this is where you can determine the noise suppression intensity, microphone sensitivity and volume monitoring.

You can also assign other functions to the volume wheel and EQ button. This includes automatically switching off the headset after a definable period of inactivity or when updating the firmware.

Sound quality of the drivers

The Stealth Pro is equipped with 60 mm drivers, which are rather big for a headset. According to Turtle Beach, the larger surface area is designed to improve bass response. The dual drivers are equipped with a separate woofer and tweeter. Turtle Beach gives a frequency range of 20 to 20,000 Hz.

The Signature Sound EQ setting is activated by default. It’s suitable for gaming, providing a detailed, clear and immersive sound. In A Plague Tale: Requiem, you can locate dangers acoustically. The epic soundtrack of Neva gives me goosebumps.

However, I find the headset too bass-heavy for listening to music. Having said that, it’s OK for titles such as Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone by Mobb Deep. But in River, there’s too much detail lost in the mid-range. It’s better with other profiles in the equaliser, although it’s not quite to my taste.

Microphone sound quality

You can fold the microphone up and down. When pushed up, it’s deactivated. Folding it down activates it, as signalled by a beep. The colour on the transmitter also tells you whether the microphone is active or not.

The quality of the clip-on mic is good. However, as is typical for these devices, my voice lacks volume, as if I were standing a long way away. This is where the Full EQ preset comes in handy. Overall, the microphone’s sound quality is on a par with comparable headsets. You can decide for yourself from the following video.