Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 420x+ Headset Review

As always, Turtle Beach have not disappointed with their latest headset offering for xbox one gamers. The 420x Ear Force Stealth headset allows for amazing range, great battery life and comfortable wearing whilst not forcing your hand too deep into your pocket.

Upon receiving the headset, I was happily surprised with how easy the setup was once the headset was unboxed. Simply plug the USB receiver into the console and pair the headset, once the two are paired you’re good to go! The microphone can easily be attached and removed by using the 3.5mm jack in the left speaker, which is perfect if you want to use the headset but not the microphone. Also, the headset comes with the beautifully designed 3.5mm jack in the right speaker for your mobile phone. This allows you to connect your phone to the headset and hear it ring if you’re using your headphones. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, genius design!

The design of the headset is relatively simple. With an ergonomic padded headband to make sure that it fits on right, the headset hugs your head with a loving embrace. The leather-like padded ear cups cancel outside noise whilst allowing air to freely move which means no more sweaty ears whilst gaming. Although be warned! If you are of the larger eared variety they aren’t too comfy, as I have been reliably informed. It’s made of a nice lightweight plastic which is also sturdy enough to withstand being ripped off your head and thrown at the TV if you lose a game (not that I would ever respond to a loss that way!).

The buttons for volume control and muting are towards the back of the ear cups which makes for a much easier removal. I find that with other headsets whilst removing them from my head I accidentally pressed the mute button or sound customisation button, either that or I would deafen myself by accidentally turning the volume up to max, my poor ears! The microphone attachment boasts a sleek design and can easily be moved around to suit the individual and can be removed or attached at will.

The USB transmissions on this headset is about the size of a normal USB pen but works amazingly well! The range is around 25-30 feet, but I’m unsure if Turtle Beach considered the different types of set up within a household. My xbox is on a shelf next to my TV so the range was good when going into the next room. However, when the xbox was put into a cupboard or cabinet with other consoles around it, there was some interference with the signal trying to get through the cabinet and the wall. Something to keep in mind when choosing your headset against your setup.

The headset battery lasts a decent 15-16 hours when fully charged, which is plenty of time for that 10-hour live stream that you have planned. The bonus is that it only takes around 3 hours to charge from 0 to full, easily done during that break between gaming sessions.

There is a slight downside to this headset, because of its amazingly easy set up, it doesn’t use the digital optical output of the xbox. This means that the headset can only hear in stereo and not full surround sound. I know that for me, because I’m not a 100% serious gamer that’s up into all hours of the night playing, it didn’t bother me too much. However, for more serious gamers and for those who like watching movies in surround sound, it’s going to be a bit of a nuisance.

However, when it comes to audio presets on this headset you have a wide range to choose from. You can apply certain equalisers to your stereo experience, a few to mention are Bass Boost, Bass and Treble Boost, and Vocal Boost. These can be selected by using the buttons placed on the back of the right ear cup. There are also the obligatory game audio and chat audio volume wheels which are easy and simple to find and use.

One more great thing about this headset that I’ve already mentioned is the 3.5mm phone jack. The headset comes with a two-way jack which can be plugged into your phone on one end and your headset on the other. Now, bear with me here because I have only just figured this out myself. You can use this headset as normal, everyday headphones! By removing the microphone and attaching your phone to the headset you can save money on a separate pair of earphones by using these outside of your home. Simply plug in and play!

Summary

For the price of £129.99 the Turtle Beach Ear Force 420x+ Headset is well worth the money for the dedicated casual gamer. The hardcore everyday gamers may miss the surround sound aspect of the higher priced headsets. With the lack of range for xbox one headsets I think this one is well worth the money. You’re unlikely to find a better headset around this price point.