A home theater surround sound experience it isn't, but compared with a stereo headset delivery, the 500P is alive with another dimension of sound. Switching back to a stereo headset, for which the game still produces the same excellent sound assets from the game, is a huge step down in dimension, and this is how I really judge the quality of the surround sound. Both of these needs were met no sweat, and the game's audio feast is something I wish every gamer could experience when they play. I also needed to be able to coordinate with my teammates via chat. As a hunter, I needed to be able to pick out any sound that might be the monster and locate its origin in 3D space (the monster is often above, and sometimes below), and I needed to do that while dealing with the noise of my team and native fauna.
Fortunately, it eventually worked out, and the game only confirmed what I already knew, DTS Headphone:X 7.1, despite being limited to two driver headset, is no gimmick. I was ready to write my review back in October, but elected to wait for the 'Evolve' Big Alpha. This is a headset surround solution that will be pleasing for years to come.
The console is new and the options are growing, but this isn't faint praise. Amazingly, the 500P offers the best headset surround that I've heard on the PS4. At the same time, I've been incredibly impressed by Sony's own virtual surround sound as seen in the PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset. I've been intrigued by DTS Headphone:X 7.1 for some time, and have been more than anxious to experience it on the PS4.
Faux leather aside, the DTS Headphone:X 7.1 surround side accounts for $30 of the price, but I am extremely pleased to share that the extra money is well worth it. While the Ear Force Stealth 500P has plenty of features and a couple of quirks, it's distinguishing feature is DTS Headphone:X 7.1. Meanwhile, the primo Elite 800 has every feature Turtle Beach could think of, not unlike the Ear Force i60. The true key addition is the DTS Headphone:X 7.1 design and implementation. Aside from a swap in padding material and the added surround sound capability, the 500P is virtually identical to the new Ear Force Stealth 400.
But beyond that, a new model like the Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500P has a dizzying mix of features that is likely to throw current and prospective headset owners.įirst things first, the Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500P is smack dab in the middle of a new, wireless PS4 focused lineup from Turtle Beach. With Turtle Beach, there is a whole lineup of new models for both consoles being rolled out, and some of these models feature new surround tech in the form of DTS Headphone:X 7.1. That's not to say that existing headsets, like last year's models, ignored the new consoles, but the extra time means a lot in terms of refinement. However there are a few little ergonomics issues and £99.99 seems a lot for something that only works fully with a single type of games console.The new consoles have been around for almost a year, and for headsets, that means one big thing, the very first models built specifically for the PS4 and Xbox One are trickling out.
Overall, they concluded that “The Turtle Beach 500P is a decent option for those that only have a PS3 or PS4 and want both stereo and virtual surround sound. Trusted Reviews gave this gaming headset a fairly positive score in their review of the Stealth 500P, saying that “it’s easy to use, sounds decent in both stereo and surround modes and it’s reasonably comfortably.” However, they disliked the fit of the speakers, the volume and noise controls, and the limited compatibility. Turtle Beach support also has a tutorial on setting up this headset with a PC. To use this headset with a PC, the computer must have an optical S/PDIF digital output for stereo audio playback. It has limited compatibility with PCs, but only when they have certain hardware. Unfortunately, this headset is optimized for use with the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. This gaming headset does not appear on the Turtle Beach website anymore, because it was replaced with an updated version, the Stealth 520P, in 2016. It comes with a USB wireless dongle, a flexible microphone arm, and a mobile device connector cable. The headset is glossy black plastic with rectangular ear pads. The Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500P (sometimes stylized as the STEALTH 500P) is an wireless gaming headset.