Premium next-gen sound
I have reviewed a mountain of headsets over time. My closet is full of so many that I could give them out as Halloween candy if I so chose to. That said, with the new generation of consoles it was time to get a new set to compliment the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Sure, Sony has their Pulse headset, and as of the time of this writing Microsoft has announced their own for Series X, but I want satisfaction now. I recently checked out the Turtle Beach lines for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, so when I heard they were updating both for the new consoles, I had to give them a try. I came away very impressed.
The Turtle Beach 700 Gen 2 series (that is a mouthful) are a premium pair of headphones. They both run an MSRP of $149.99 and come with everything you need to set them up for the new consoles. I tested both the Xbox and PlayStation versions, and hanging on my wall they are nearly identical. The biggest difference between the two is that the PlayStation version requires a USB dongle to work. They both charge via USB-C and have a great battery life.
Let’s start with comfort. The 700 is designed with mostly plastic sans the metal bar across the top portion. They feel premium. They have a nice heft to them, while also not being overly bulky and heavy when wearing for extended periods of time. I did have some issues with grip at first. The band is quality, which means it takes time for it to mold to your head. It feels tight out of the box, but after use it gives way. Not enough to become loose though. The earcups have memory foam that contour nicely. I wear glasses and these are very friendly in that regard. I did find they can make my head warm in longer sessions of Overwatch, but for the most part they are extremely comfortable.
MSRP: $149.99
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Price I’d Pay: $149.99
If you have ever used a Turtle Beach headset these should be very familiar. The mic drops down from the side and when up mutes your voice chat. The buttons are all similar as well, with independent volume controls for game volume and chat. There is also a dial that can be customized via the mobile app to various functions such as leveling between game and chat audio. The quality of the mic is decent and I had no issues with the headset dropping connection from either console. It offers Bluetooth connectivity as well, but when paired with my phone it would constantly disconnect and reconnect when in use. This was weird since a voice informs me when that happens. So I eventually disconnected it from my phone when playing games.
The sound quality out of this model is excellent. There are four main presets with the ability to tweak them as a custom option within the app. I did have some trouble getting the app to work at first, but once I finally did I didn’t have any other issues. The bass can be a bit loud on these though so if that is not your thing you will need to tweak it. I was able to set up Atmos on Xbox Series X with these headphones though and it sounds incredible. Directional audio is fantastic and hearing explosions thump really brings out the sound design in games. I tested numerous titles including Spider-Man Miles Morales, The Medium, and of course my go-to title Overwatch. Everything sounds crisp in this set.
Bottom line is that the Turtle Beach 700 Gen 2 series is a great premium headset that meets just about all my requirements. They are comfortable. They sound spectacular and have ease-of-use functions that make them simple to set up and easy to use. I really wish they were cross-functional so I didn’t need to buy one for each console, but that is really my biggest gripe on the package. For those looking for a little more premium headset for that shiny new console, these are an easy recommendation.
Review copy of headsets provided by publisher.
