Review: Xbox One Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X

Ear Force Stealth 500X -by Turtle Beach - RRP £199.99

For the last week I’ve been lucky enough to be getting my gaming sound through a preview pair of Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X. This is the latest premium offering from Turtle Beach, and the first fully wireless headset for the Xbox One.

Wireless headsets have always had a special place in my heart. One of the best headsets I’ve ever used were the Tritton Warheads for the Xbox 360. They were not simply wireless, but fully integrated into the console using Microsoft’s proprietary wireless connection system.

This is the position that Turtle Beach Stealth 500X have taken up on the Xbox One, so I had very high hopes for them.

[XBLSkull]

Buyer beware true 7.1 surround cannot be carried over an optical cable, but this applies to all 7.1 headphones not just these.

[Dudebro90]

Technically true 5.1 can't be carried over optical either. Its all compressed audio with optical unless its stereo. So you can carry compressed 7.1 over optical.

[Volkama]

Dolby Digital can carry 5.1 discrete channels. THey are indeed compressed, but it is still "true" surround as opposed to a virtualised effect.

Having said that, the headset only has 2.0 drivers (speakers), so the discrete channels get mushed together into virtual surround anyway making the whole idea a bit pointless.

Both Sony and Microsoft really should have a "headphone mode" built into the consoles that handles surround virtualisation. The fact that they don't is all about the anti-consumer moneygrab.

[Volkama]

You are 100% correct, but that doesn't stop people hitting disagree.

I'm surprised they are still going the optical route. One of the features of the new wireless type in the XBox One was supposed to be that it could carry complete 7.1 surround sound to a peripheral. Via the controller or direct. Where's that at?

[gamertk421]

Gen 2 or 3 truly wireless headsets. Check back in a year.