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Stealth 600 (Gen 3)
The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 is the latest iteration in the company’s popular wireless gaming headset lineup. Available in two variants — a universal PC version that works with PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC and an Xbox version that adds Xbox compatibility — this headset brings both familiar comforts and noteworthy upgrades to the table, such as Bluetooth connectivity for under $100. But is it worth your money?
Editor’s note: this is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.
The Stealth 600 Gen 3 is best for console and PC gamers seeking a wireless headset without breaking the bank. Its multi-platform compatibility and Bluetooth support make it suitable for players who switch between different gaming systems or want to connect to their phones in between gaming. The impressive battery life and customization options through the Swarm II app add extra appeal for those who want to customize the mic and sound profile.
What’s it like to use the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3)?
Looking at the headset, the Gen 3 brings a more mature design to the Stealth 600 series, dropping the colored accents of its predecessor in favor of a cleaner aesthetic. Available in either an all-black or a white-and-black combination, the headset sports a modernized Turtle Beach wordmark on each earcup instead of the previous palm tree logos. It’s a welcome shift that gives the headset a more subtle presence.
When it comes to wearing the headset, however, the Gen 3 is a mixed bag of improvements and compromises. The deep, contoured earcups provide ample cushioning and are more glasses-friendly than before, but the headset is slightly heavier, and the clamping force is noticeably more firm against my head. This did lead to fatigue during my longer gaming sessions, particularly since the pressure distribution isn’t very even, particularly felt across the top of my head and underneath my ears.
I’m also concerned about the build quality. The hinges and yokes have noticeable give, which could become more pronounced over time — especially if you frequently fiddle with the flip-up microphone. That said, the replaceable ear cushions are a practical touch for long-term maintenance. The ear pads are pretty soft, and getting a decent seal isn’t terribly difficult. The mesh fabric doesn’t isolate as well as something like leatherette but manages heat well.
While the Stealth 600 Gen 3 can fold flat for storage, they’re clearly designed to be a desktop companion rather than a travel partner. The Bluetooth capability adds some on-the-go versatility, though the increased latency makes this feature better suited for casual media consumption than serious gaming sessions.
The Stealth 600 Gen 3 brings several meaningful upgrades over its predecessor. The most dramatic improvement is battery life, jumping from the Gen 2’s 21 hours to an impressive 80+ hours. The Gen 3 also adds Bluetooth connectivity with quick-switching capability and a wired connection option – features absent from the Gen 2.
Sound quality shows notable differences, too. While Gen 2 had a notable lack of bass emphasis, Gen 3’s frequency response shows a more pronounced low-end. More on that later.
While both generations use primarily plastic construction, the Gen 3’s hinges and yokes show more give than the Gen 2’s, which can affect long-term durability. However, the Gen 3 brings a more mature, streamlined aesthetic, dropping the colored accents of the Gen 2 for a cleaner look.
The addition of the Swarm II app with extensive EQ and button customization options also gives the Gen 3 more flexibility than its predecessor, though at a slight cost premium. The Gen 3 maintains the $99 price point, while the Gen 2 had dropped to $79 by the end of its run.
How do you control the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3)?
The Stealth 600 Gen 3 offers a comprehensive suite of controls, though mastering them requires some patience. The headset provides dedicated controls for most essential functions — you’ll find separate dials for volume adjustment and sidetone levels. You’ll hear distinct tones when you hit volume limits, switch between connection modes, cycle through EQ presets, power the unit on or off, or pair with a new device.
There’s an interesting difference between the Xbox and PC/PlayStation versions when it comes to the secondary wheel control. Xbox users will find it manages the Game/Chat audio mix, while PC and PlayStation users can use it to adjust Variable Mic-Monitoring. The Bluetooth button pulls double duty as a multimedia control center, handling play/pause and track navigation functions.
However, the control scheme isn’t without its frustrations. The button layout feels somewhat random, and because they all feel the same, I frequently mistook the wrong input. The firm pressure required to activate the buttons can also be problematic—pressing them often shifts the headset’s position slightly, which can break the ear cup seal and require readjustment. While I appreciate having numerous control options, the execution could be more intuitive.
Should you use the Swarm II app for the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3)?
The Turtle Beach Swarm II app, available for Windows, iOS, and Android devices, is a surprisingly robust companion to the Stealth 600 Gen 3, and it’s worth downloading.
You can fine-tune your listening experience through graphic equalizer adjustments and preset configurations. The app’s “Superhuman Hearing” feature allows you to amplify specific frequency ranges to better hear things like gunshots or footsteps. This feature can give you a slight edge in games where those sound cues are crucial, like competitive FPS shooters.
Microphone settings are equally customizable, offering control over noise gate settings, sensitivity levels, and monitoring options. This helped me find the right balance between clear communication and background noise suppression in the office environment. The app also provides access to power management settings and LED brightness controls.
Button mapping is another useful feature, allowing you to customize your controls to match your preferences. The only notable limitation is the lack of macOS support, but given that most gaming happens on Windows PCs or consoles anyway, this shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for most.
How do you connect the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3)?
The Xbox version of the headset is the most versatile—thanks to its special transmitter with a mode-switching button, it works with Xbox consoles, PlayStation, and PC. The PlayStation version works with PlayStation and PC but can’t connect to Xbox consoles. So, while Xbox gamers need to get the Xbox version specifically, everyone else can choose either model.
You can use the included USB dongle for a 2.4GHz connection for lower latency. The PC variant I tested maintained a stable connection with my PS5 as I left the bedroom and walked around my apartment. It’s worth noting that the included USB cable is only for charging; there’s no option for wired audio connectivity.
With support for Bluetooth 5.2, you can pair the headset with your phone or other Bluetooth devices. Like many newer gaming headsets, there’s a QuickSwitch feature for toggling between audio sources, though you can’t hear audio from both the Bluetooth device and gaming source simultaneously. While Bluetooth gaming is technically possible, the higher latency makes it impractical for most gaming scenarios.
To enable Bluetooth pairing mode:
- Press and hold the Bluetooth button until you hear the voice prompt say “Pairing Bluetooth”
- Select the headset from your device’s Bluetooth settings menu.
How long does the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3)’s battery last?
The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3’s battery performance is impressive, actually exceeding the manufacturer’s claims. While Turtle Beach advertises 80 hours of continuous use, our testing revealed an even better runtime of 83 hours and 42 minutes. I was able to game for over three straight days before needing to recharge.
There’s also a customizable auto-off timer that you can set to activate after 5, 10, 20, or 30 minutes of inactivity. I found this helped preserve battery life as I tend to forget to power down after a gaming session.
The charging time, however, is relatively lengthy: just over four hours for a full charge, which does feel particularly long if you’ve let the battery run completely dry. You can game while charging, at least, so long as you have a USB-A port within arm’s reach.
How well does the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) attenuate noise?
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The Stealth 600 has the most effective isolation at higher frequencies, reaching up to 30-40 dB of attenuation in the treble range. However, their performance in the bass and mid-range frequencies is notably weak. Below 100 Hz, there’s practically no isolation to speak of, with low-frequency sounds like bus engines, subway rumble, or the bass from nearby speakers passing through. Mid-range frequencies, which include human speech, aren’t much better handled. This is a bit problematic when gaming in a shared space — conversations, keyboard clicks, and general office noise are audible while wearing the headphones.
How do the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) sound?
The Stealth 600 Gen 3 delivers engaging gaming audio with prominent bass and crisp highs, though some distortion creeps in at higher volumes.
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)
The chart below shows how the sound of the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.
The Stealth 600 (Gen 3) scores particularly well in immersiveness, with spatial audio that creates a passable three-dimensional soundstage. The timbre score of 4.4 means most audio content should sound natural and well-balanced. However, the lower distortion score of 3.3 points to some audio degradation at higher volumes. Despite that, the overall score of 4.2 is respectable for a gaming headset in this price range. Most people will find the audio performance adequate for gaming or music listening.
- Timbre (MOS-T) represents how faithfully the headset reproduces the frequency spectrum and temporal resolution (timing information).
- Distortion (MOS-D) represents non-linearities and added noise: higher scores mean cleaner reproduction.
- Immersiveness (MOS-I) represents perceived source width and positioning: how well virtual sound sources are defined in three-dimensional space.
See here for an explanation of MDAQS, how it works, and how it was developed.
Reviewer’s notes
Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.
Objective Measurements
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The Stealth 600 Gen 3’s frequency response deviates from our house curve in ways that balance gaming needs with general listening. There is an excessive amount of bass emphasis, around +10 dB between 30 and 200 Hz, which is more than enough to feel the rumble of explosions, but it does so at the cost of overwhelming other sounds. Fortunately, you can turn down the bass from the customizable EQ in the Swarm II app.
There’s a slight dip in the mid-range around 500 Hz, but not enough to lose vocal clarity. In the treble region, several peaks between 4-8 kHz are intended to enhance certain details like footsteps and other tactical audio cues in games. However, this emphasis can make some high-pitched sounds feel a bit sharp during long gaming sessions.
- The Bass Boost preset emphasizes the low end even more, which might appeal to fans of action games and bass-heavy music. However, it can make footsteps and dialogue harder to discern.
- Bass and Treble Boost pump up both ends of the frequency spectrum, creating an even more pronounced V-shaped signature that works well for competitive gaming but can become fatiguing during longer sessions.
- The Vocal Boost setting reduces the bass emphasis while lifting the upper midrange, making dialogue and game chat clearer at the expense of impact in explosions and music.
How good is the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3)’s microphone?
In my usage, the microphone had good recording quality with my voice coming through clearly, despite any background interruptions. Constant sounds from computer fans or air conditioning units could be vaguely heard but not at the cost of compromising voice clarity. Whether you’re gaming in a busy environment or near noisy equipment, your teammates should have no trouble hearing you. However, very loud, sudden sounds like car horns or the rumble of train engines can occasionally break through.
Listen to our test samples below to hear how the microphone performs in different conditions:
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) microphone demo (Ideal conditions):
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) microphone demo (Office conditions):
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) microphone demo (Reverberant space):
How does the microphone sound to you?
Should you buy the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3)?
For under $100, the Stealth 600 Gen 3 is a decent gaming headset. The 80-plus-hour battery life is exceptional for the price point, and the addition of Bluetooth with quick-switching capability brings welcome flexibility. The solid MDAQS results confirm what I experienced in testing—this headset can handle both game audio and music playback well enough.
However, there are some compromises to consider. The build quality feels less robust than I’d like, with worrying give in the hinges and yokes that could affect long-term durability. The control layout requires a learning curve, and the firm clamping force will likely not suit everyone for extended gaming sessions. The passive noise isolation also leaves much to be desired.
Despite these drawbacks, the Stealth 600 Gen 3 is an upgrade over its predecessor, offering better sound quality, vastly improved battery life, and more connectivity options at the same price point. For gamers seeking a wireless headset that can handle both gaming and general media consumption without breaking the bank, the Stealth 600 Gen 3 is worth considering—just be sure to choose the right version for your gaming platform.
What should you get instead of the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3)?
For starters, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless ($129 at Amazon) offers better microphone recording quality and more robust build quality, plus a more comprehensive companion app with plenty of game-specific EQ presets. However, you’ll need to pay a bit more, and you’ll sacrifice some battery life compared to the Stealth 600 Gen 3.
For those who find the Stealth 600 Gen 3’s clamping force too intense, the Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Wireless ($79 USD) provides a lighter, more comfortable fit with better stability from the headband, though you’ll get half the battery life and fewer features. It’s slightly cheaper, though, making it a solid budget alternative.
If you’re willing to spend more, the Turtle Beach Atlas Air Wireless ($159.99 at Amazon) offers notable upgrades in build quality and more consistent audio delivery, plus the option for wired connections. However, its open-back design means more sound leakage and less noise isolation. There’s also no Xbox compatibility.
Frequently asked questions about the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3)
Yes, the Stealth 600 Gen 3 can connect to phones and other Bluetooth devices.
Yes, but you need to buy the correct version. The PlayStation/PC variant works with PS5, while the Xbox variant works with Xbox consoles. The Xbox version can also work with PlayStation, but the PlayStation version cannot work with Xbox.
Yes, all variants of the Stealth 600 Gen 3 work with PC using either the USB dongle or Bluetooth connection.
Yes, you can use the headset via Bluetooth without the transmitter, but you’ll experience higher latency. For the best gaming experience, using the included USB transmitter is recommended.
Yes, the Stealth 600 Gen 3 supports Bluetooth 5.2 in addition to its 2.4GHz wireless connection via the USB transmitter. It can be paired with Bluetooth devices but can’t play audio from both Bluetooth and the transmitter simultaneously.
No, the Stealth 600 Gen 3 does not have active noise cancelation (ANC). It only offers passive noise isolation through its physical design, which is most effective at blocking higher frequencies but struggles with low and mid-range sounds.