This $349 gaming headset gives SteelSeries, Razer and Audeze a serious run for their money

Tom's Guide Verdict The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II is a veritable flagship gaming headset, packing grown up looks, excellent sound quality, a standout microphone, solid companion software and ‘zero downtime’ battery life. It isn’t perfect, with disappointing ANC in my testing and a slightly firm clamp force, but it still does more than enough to compete (and, in some cases, best) the ultra-premium competition out there. Pros +Excellent hi-res sound quality +Flawless microphone +Strong companion app +No downtime battery +Premium design and styling Cons -A little clampy for me -ANC not that great Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. The Stealth Pro II is the flagship gaming headset from Turtle Beach, intended to compete with the heavy hitters from Razer, SteelSeries and Audeze. The crème de la crème are getting pricey now, with all the manufacturers above asking several hundred dollars for their very best gaming headsets.The Stealth Pro II is no different, and hella pricey by objective standards, but actually comes in a little cheaper than some of its competition. It also offers excellent sound; an attractive, premium design; zero downtime battery; plus customization via a solid companion app. So could this be a fantastic balanced alternative to the main ultra-premium players?As long as you don’t mind fairly weak ANC and a slightly tight clamp force! Find out more in my full Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II review.Latest Videos FromTom's GuideTurtle Beach Stealth Pro II review: Cheat sheetWhat is it? A premium flagship gaming headset from Turtle BeachWho is it for? Competitive gamers and those who value sound qualityWhat does it cost? $349 / £299What do we like? The sound, mic, companion app, styling and build, base station and zero downtime battery systemWhat don’t we like? The ANC is a little weak, and I found the headset a tad clampyTurtle Beach Stealth Pro II review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Price $349 / £299 Colors Black, white Platforms PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Bluetooth devices Connectivity Wired, 3x 2.4Ghz, 1x Bluetooth Battery 2x rechargeable Battery life 40 hours combined Frequency response 10-40,000Hz Drivers 60mm coaxial Multipoint connectivity Yes Paired devices max 4 (3x 2.4G, 1x BT) Microphone Unidirectional floating boom mic Weight 13.8 ounces / 393 grams Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II review: The upsThere’s a lot to love about the Stealth Pro II. Sound quality is excellent, there’s a useful companion app, a super clear mic, and a handy base station for ‘zero downtime’ battery life. It’s also moderately priced versus competition.Excellent sound quality Coaxial drivers feature a tweeter that sits in the middle/on top of a main woofer. The tweeter sits under that central circular housing, while the main woofer is the larger, fluted circle. (Image credit: Future)The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II’s biggest strength is its sound quality. It uses a coaxial driver setup, with a 60mm woofer and separate tweeter in each earcup. This, in theory, gives better clarity and more separation between higher and lower frequencies, as each driver can focus on its own job. Connectivity-wise, there’s 24-bit/96kHz high resolution data/sampling rates over 2.4G, so this is a true hi-res headset, akin to the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni / Elite and Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC.The sound is super spacious with exceptional clarity up top and very strong imaging (this lets you pinpoint noises to a specific point). This naturally benefits competitive gameplay, letting me hear the location of enemy cues like footsteps or reloads in my test FPS games: Counter Strike 2 and Isonzo. It was also handy for stealthy games like Sniper Elite: Resistance, where I could again hear and locate even the quietest tapping of enemy footsteps. And it was ideal for immersion, giving three-dimensionality to sounds and effects in the campaign and battles of Total War: Rome II. Via the Swarm II app, you have access to a preset Footsteps EQ for a competitive edge. (Image credit: Turtle Beach / Future)There’s also Dolby Atmos (DA) support, so you can benefit from that codec in games that use it for surround sound. But even without DA, the sound is impressively spatial.Tom's Guide: Direct to Your InboxGet instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.Tonal separation and mid-range clarity are really excellent, too. Each of the instruments and layers of the beautiful Rome II soundtrack sounded isolated yet cohesive — the panpipes, the atmospheric flutes, the drums, the horns, all occupied their own distinct space.And thanks to that hefty 60mm main driver, there’s plenty of bass performance, giving strong, impactful artillery explosions in Isonzo. Bass response is not quite as nicely controlled as on the Arctis Nova Pro Omni or Elite, and you don’t get anywhere near the tightness of the Maxwell 2’s low-end. I noticed a little bit of booming and muddying at times, too, but it was nothing major, and generally, I loved listening to games and music on the Stealth Pro II.Listen along to my audio testing playlist on Qobuz, our favorite music streaming service for audiophiles.Useful companion app (Image credit: Turtle Beach / Future)Complementing the Stealth Pro II’s sound is an equally strong companion app, which gives you access to a full custom EQ, as well as EQ presets and a (cringe) “Superhuman hearing” mode — essentially some EQ presets to enhance things like footsteps.There’s not the same enormous range of presets as on the SteelSeries GG app, with its hundreds-strong library of per-game EQs. But there’s still more than enough control in Swarm II to get the most out of your game audio.In the app, you can also control the microphone EQ, update the headset and (my favorite aspect) change the control assignments to customize how the headset operates. So useful!Multipoint connectivity (Image credit: Future)The Stealth Pro II offers multipoint connectivity. You can hook up two devices over 2.4G out of the box, using the base station and included USB dongle. You can also buy more dongles (the carry case even comes with a spare dongle slot) to connect to even more, up to four devices.If that weren’t enough, you can also connect over Bluetooth simultaneously. I found this a little annoying, though, as the headset doesn’t mute game sounds to prioritize Bluetooth if, for example, you get a call or need to take a work meeting while gaming (which, as you can imagine, happens a lot in my job). You just have both going on at once, and the sidetone dial didn't work to fix this. It’s not a huge issue, but I like that the Nova Pro Omni and Maxwell 2 prioritize Bluetooth in those scenarios.Super clear mic (Image credit: Future)The Stealth Pro II uses a unidirectional mic that’s “floating,” meaning it’s suspended on rubber spokes to eliminate vibration. Turtle Beach says this gives exceptional clarity, although in fairness it’s just a great mic anyway, floating or otherwise.Headset mics, even flagship ones, usually disappoint, so I was very surprised at the cleanness and airiness of voice recordings. There was arguably a little too much clarity, as I started to pick up on some of my inherent lispy and sibilant qualities — but there’s no denying how clean and noise-free the recordings were, especially using the ‘clarity’ mic EQ.There’s environmental noise reduction, but being a unidirectional mic, that isn’t really needed — the mic only picks up sound from your mouth anyway. I recorded test clips with my window open to a very busy and loud road. Even with noise reduction off, I couldn’t hear the road in any recordings.Stealthy, grown-up design (Image credit: Future)Turtle Beach gear is very often styled a little ‘gamer-y’ for my tastes. Even the pricey stuff is typically a bit garish for me, like the $200 Turtle Beach Command KB7 we tested before this headset. So I was pleasantly surprised by how grown up the Stealth Pro II feels. The eponymous, stealthy, blacked-out look means it won’t seem out of place in any setup — whether you’re an RGB-clad unicorn puke kinda person, or an anti-RGBer like me.I definitely prefer the look of the Stealth Pro II to the chunky Maxwell 2 ANC, and I’d say it edges the Arctis Nova Pro Omni and Elite (although there’s not much in it). For sheer prettiness, the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and Fractal Design Scape still win out for me, but naturally this is all highly subjective.Premium build, too (Image credit: Future)The Stealth Pro II looks and feels like a premium headset, too (as it should, given the price). The brushed metal earcup plates, gunmetal earcup carriers, matte black rubberized headband and mesh padding all scream quality.Again, there’s very little between all the flagships here. You’ll find a touch of extra finesse and attention to detail on the Fractal Design Scape and BlackShark V3 Pro, but there’s seriously not much in it. The Maxwell 2 ANC feels as sturdy as they come, sure, but that’s mainly because it weighs a frankly preposterous 1.2lbs — it’s like comparing supercars to a dump truck. I’d say the Stealth Pro II feels a tad sturdier than the Arctis Nova Elite / Pro Omni, though. But did I mention there isn’t much in it?Handy base stationMan, I love me a base station. The Stealth Pro II’s is perhaps rather basic versus the Arctis Nova base station, which bundles a DAC for hi-res wireless, a multipoint USB-C hub, an EQ interface, a settings menu and a battery charging dock. (Image credit: Future)But hey, the Stealth Pro II’s base station is still super handy, facilitating wireless hi-res audio and battery charging for no downtime (more on this later). I love the simplistic status lights, too. The outer light shows you the audio sample rate and/or mic mute status, while the inner light around the battery eject button displays the current charge of the docked power cell.By contrast, the Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC and Razer BlackShark V3 Pro only come with a 2.4G dongle — and the Razer’s was particularly annoying in testing.'Zero-downtime' battery (Image credit: Future)The Stealth Pro II is rated for up to 20 hours on a single charge by Turtle Beach, ANC off. This is ostensibly a little weak. The BlackShark V3 Pro is rated for up to 70 hours, while even the power-hungry Maxwell 2 ANC manages 40 hours without ANC.However, from my testing, I think Turtle Beach is being a little conservative. After around 18 hours of use with ANC on, I still had around 65% left — partly, this is because the headset is really loud, meaning I only ran it at around 30% volume to hear everything and be comfortable. That saves juice.Just like SteelSeries’ Arctis Nova headsets, though, the important factor is that the Stealth Pro II is a zero downtime headset. Its second battery charges in the base station as you play, meaning no meaningful downtime when gaming near the base station.Competitively priced (Image credit: Future)It’d be remiss of me not to clarify here that the Stealth Pro II is objectively rather expensive at $349 / £299. That said, it offers comparable performance and build quality to all its rivals, despite sitting in the middle of them all.It’s cheaper than the $399 Arctis Nova Pro Omni and especially the $599 Elite, while offering comparatively strong sound quality. Its mic is just as good as the $449 Maxwell 2 ANC, and it’s a hell of a lot lighter and more breathable, even if it can’t match the sheer sound quality of Audeze’s planar drivers. Yet it’s cheaper than all the above.The Stealth Pro II’s biggest foil is the $249 Razer BlackShark V3 Pro, which looks a little more premium and offers better ANC for around $100 less. But the Razer lacks the Stealth Pro II’s ‘zero downtime’ battery system and handy base station, and uses the Synapse companion software, which I like a whole lot less than Swarm II (to put it mildly).Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II review: The downsIt ain’t perfect, though. The Stealth Pro II’s biggest letdown for me was its ANC, which let through a lot of sound it shouldn’t. I also found the headset a little too clampy, although mileage may vary based on your head shape.A little too clampy for me (Image credit: Future)I'll caveat this section by saying I found the Stealth Pro II mostly very comfortable. The earcups are super thick and padded, not to mention breathable. There's a layer of foam covering the drivers so even if your ears stick out, they won't rub against the plastic driver housing. And the mesh headband padding is a marvel — it’s supportive, light, breathable and effortlessly comfy.Unfortunately, the headset is a little too clampy for me, though. After a few hours using it, I started to feel pressure on my temples and experience headaches. In fairness, this may reduce over time as the headset flexes, and mileage will vary based on the shape of your head. I’ve got a moderately large noggin, so ye of average headsize may be just fine.Disappointing ANC (Image credit: Future)My biggest grip with the Stealth Pro II is its ANC. It has it, and it works to some extent, but it’s really rather poor versus rivals. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni and Elite, while their ANC isn’t perfect (and certainly doesn’t live up to the claims it can drown out a helicopter), performed much better than the Stealth Pro II in the same test. The Audeze Maxwell 2 ANC, meanwhile, is in a different league, as is the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro.The Stealth Pro II, tested in my home office with traffic outside, let through substantial amounts of traffic noise. It also let through voices, keyboard sounds, mouse clicks, and chairs moving across the floor. It’s better than no ANC, but I wouldn’t recommend buying this headset if immersive and isolating ANC is your chief priority.What’s that… smell? (Image credit: Future)Here’s a weird one: I’ve never had to say this about a headset before, but my Stealth Pro II smells bad. Like really bad. Of smoke or burning or something carcinogenic. It’s as though it was QC’d in a room where someone smokes 80-a-day… for a week.I’m not sure whether this is to do with the materials used or the manufacturing process, or both. But it’s bad enough to be noticeable when holding the headset, and even when wearing it sometimes. At times it made me feel a little nauseous.I’ve reached out to Turtle Beach’s representative to see why this may be. They’ve confirmed it was an issue with some pre-production models, but I’ve arranged a replacement full production unit to confirm it’s a one-off. I’ll update this review accordingly.Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II review: Verdict (Image credit: Future)The Stealth Pro II is a really strong flagship offering from Turtle Beach. The sound quality is impressive, as is the mic, and I love the array of super useful features, from the handy companion app to the base station and ‘zero downtime’ battery. For Xbox and PC gamers, this is a highly commendable choice.But it’s not perfect. The ANC system isn't quite up to scratch with the best in the biz, although that’s my only major issue. I found it a little clampy, but that’s really an anatomical roll of the dice, and my headset smelled rather weird, which is likely an isolated manufacturing issue. Given this headset comes in at a cool $50 cheaper than its chief rival, the Nova Pro Omni, they’re definitely things I can forgive. Senior Editor, Reviews & Cameras Peter is a Senior Editor at Tom's Guide, heading up the site's Reviews team and Cameras section. As a writer, he covers topics including tech, photography, gaming, hardware, motoring and food & drink. Outside of work, he's an avid photographer, specialising in architectural and portrait photography. When he's not snapping away on his beloved Fujifilm camera, he can usually be found telling everyone about his greyhounds, riding his motorcycle, squeezing as many FPS as possible out of PC games, and perfecting his espresso shots. 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