When the Stealth 600 Gen 2 Max showed up for review, I didn't think it'd break into my established setup. This reviewer has been using Astro headsets for years, namely the A40 and A50 ranges. However, during my time with the Gen 2 Max it completely won me over and has become my wireless headset of choice over other options.
The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX is a refined version of the Gen 1 headset, naturally, but it does bring some key improvements. The first and most notable is battery life; Turtle Beach says it's the company's longest battery life headset to date. You're looking at almost 50 hours on one charge, and during our review time I must've gotten close to that number and sure enough, I haven't needed to plug it in.
The Gen 2 Max also sports a flip-to-mute microphone, although this hasn't delivered quite as strong results. It works as intended and the flip/snap motion is satisfying, but microphone quality leaves something to be desired. It's not bad, but the people I played with said my voice sounded clearer using other headsets, which for me, have typically been Astros.
However, the sound quality of the speakers themselves is a big jump above the mic quality. As is typical, there are 50mm drivers in here, but Turtle Beach's 'Superhuman Hearing' audio tuning is a brilliant addition. It works fantastically well in first person shooters, where enemy footsteps and gun sounds can easily be pinpointed. There are a few other built-in presets too, like bass boost and treble boost, which are ideal for a more bombastic sound. These are easily cycled through via a button press on one of the earcups.
Speaking of which, the earcups themselves are very comfy over long periods, which I didn't think I'd say after first using the headset. They're a slightly odd shape and don't feel overly comfortable straight away, but it's almost like the headset gets more comfortable the longer you wear it. Oh and they feature breathable fabric rather then leatherette, which is an absolute must for me.
Aesthetically, this headset won't win any beauty contests, but we dig its sleek, minimalist look. With the Gen 2 Max, Turtle Beach has opted for a one-colour scheme rather than covering it with green accents like prior designs, which is appreciated. It looks a bit more 'grown up' as a result, and would fit right at home in most gaming setups across any platform.
The feel of the headset is a little plasticky though. It's not bad, and again, it all seems to come together once the thing is on your head, but shake it beforehand and things do rattle around a bit, maybe a bit too much for a £130 headset. Having said that, this thing is pretty lightweight for a wireless set with a 48-hour battery life, and if the plastics mean a more comfortable headset in the long run, I'll take that trade-off.
All in all, this is a brilliant wireless headset. As previously mentioned, I didn't really expect this one to creep into my setup but it has and will likely remain there. It's very comfortable for long sessions — which I haven't always experienced with Turtle Beach — and it all works seamlessly on Xbox, albeit with a little USB dongle required, as is the norm for Xbox third party wireless devices. I'd love to see improvements to the mic and overall build quality, but it gets everything else pretty much spot on.
Right, let's see if we can run this battery flat.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Alternatively, the Stealth 600 Gen 2 USB is also a new offering from Turtle Beach at a slightly lower price:
"The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 USB wireless amplified headset delivers high-quality game audio & chat on Xbox or PlayStation. A long-lasting 24+ hour battery means less charging and more gaming while a low-latency, lossless connection is handled by Turtle Beach’s proprietary lag-free 2.4GHz wireless USB transmitter.
Players will experience immersive, 3D spatial surround sound* through 50mm speakers, and crystal-clear chat through the Gen 2’s flip-to-mute microphone. Soft, ProSpecs glasses-friendly ear cushions offer plush comfort, and easy access controls let players adjust their settings and activate features like Superhuman Hearing for a proven competitive advantage."
For more details on the Stealth 600 Gen 2 series, you can head over to the official Turtle Beach website.
Comments 3
Can confirm the awesomeness of this headset. They really are a fantastic piece of kit all around. Sound, comfort, battery life are all awesome.
The turtle beach 800 stealth x headphones they had for the Xbox one years ago were amazing!!! Surprised they've not made new model/updated version yet.
So what’s the sound quality difference between the 600 gen 2 and the 600 gen 2 max?
Also, any recommendations for an Xbox headset around the £60 mark?
Tap here to load 3 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...