Turtle Beach has been my usual ‘go-to’ when it comes to high-quality wireless audio for gaming. Since the announcement of the revamped Stealth series, the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3, the company has had a lot to prove with the third generation of the wireless Stealth series. The Stealth 600 Gen 3 delivers not only a comfortable and sleek-looking headset but an audio driver loaded with premium functionality that Turtle Beach can be proud to call a full upgrade and not just a +1.
Right out of the box, the Stealth 600 Gen 3 hides nothing. There is a USB–A to USB–C charging cable, a wireless transmitter, and, of course, the headset itself. One thing is made immediately apparent: this is a very balanced-feeling wireless headset from Turtle Beach. The solid band construction feels firm, with the 50mm nano clear speakers carrying the brunt of the weight, making it feel much lighter for longer wear sessions.
Aptly named, the Stealth 600 Gen 3 is so comfortable it barely feels like it is on your head. It really doesn’t matter if you have long hair, short hair, or glasses; this headset remains comfortable for almost all users. One problem I had with another headset was how easily the earcups would turn inward, as if the hinges were swinging like an old Western saloon door without friction. The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 has just the right amount of friction when turning inward, allowing you to let your hair down (pun intended) for longer sessions without tangling it.
“Aptly named, the Stealth 600 Gen 3 is so comfortable it barely feels like it is on your head.”
As far as compatibility goes, I was able to sneak my Stealth 600 Gen 3 into all of my BlueTooth device lists (including the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch), and it shifted from device to device seamlessly. When connected to the Xbox Series X, receiving a phone call will interrupt your game, and you can press the BlueTooth button to answer the call. The downside is you can’t use the “I didn’t hear because headset” excuse anymore, damn!
The Stealth 600 Gen 3 comes with a companion app called Swarm II, and it ups the headset functionality to 11. The app contains all of the fine-tuning elements that allow the Stealth 600 Gen 3 to run properly. It is worth mentioning the headset almost NEEDS the firmware updates to run smoothly. Before applying the firmware updates, the headset often had connectivity issues and issues finding BlueTooth-compatible devices. However, installing Swarm II and installing the latest firmware made this a beach visit worth remembering.
The Swarm II lets a resident audiophile tinker with the finer background microphone mechanics, such as noise gate functionality and A.I. mic noise reduction to reduce microphone output when I wasn’t speaking. This is a necessary feature for me, considering I often do tasks (or snack loudly) in between Destiny 2 Crucible loading times, and my group of friends always makes comments. Not anymore!
“The Stealth 600 Gen 3’s 50 mm nanoclear drivers make audio clearer and more vibrant.”
The Superhuman Hearing feature present in previous Stealth series headsets can still be activated by pressing the power button a second time for those who prefer autonomous functions, but it can also be fine-tuned in the Swarm II app. Hearing someone sneak behind you has never been clearer, and the Stealth 600 Gen 3 makes its namesake proud by allowing you to surprise clumsy boot falls in a Warzone lobby against a way-too-eager assailant.
The Stealth 600 Gen 3’s 50 mm nanoclear drivers make audio clearer and more vibrant. Wandering the forests of Tamriel in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with the whimsical background travel music has never felt more alive, and listening to background notes on Super Mario Bros. Wonder just slams through the speakers with authority. That flower has never been more booming.
The battery life of the Stealth 600 Gen 3 far surpasses the user and maybe even all of the members in a household. The device has been powering through the new Diablo IV: Loot Reborn season and not breaking any sort of sweat. Even for the late-night grind sessions, the Swarm II app can even be made to auto-turn off the headset, which makes it feel like it never dies.
Speaking of, even the power button got a much-needed facelift in the Stealth 600 Gen 3. First off, it is apparent when it is being pressed down, and secondly, it even protrudes from the headset a little to let the user feel for it without removing the headset. This small feature shows Turtle Beach cares about the finer details and proves (aside from the rest of the upgraded features) that the Stealth 600 Gen 3 is the best generation of Turtle Beach headsets yet.
The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 is a massive upgrade to Turtle Beach’s line of audio headsets. The headset’s lightweight feel fits almost any user, and its never-ending battery life can storm any beach without giving up before the user does. The Stealth 600 Gen 3’s functionality with the Swarm II app and multi-function compatibility with almost any Bluetooth device makes this a turtle that can win any race.
