Turtle Beach Recon 500 (2021) headset review: Truly great $80 sound
As the headset industry evolves, Turtle Beach remains one of the keenest to re-imagine and re-factor some of its designs. Although the standard idea of what a headset is or should be, Turtle Beach always surprises with its offerings, changing the entire silhouette of their products on a near-annual basis.
Competition for the best Xbox headset and best PC gaming headset has never been hotter. With more and more of us playing competitive shooters than ever, keen Call of Duty: Warzone and Fortnite players are seeking ways to get a competitive edge without breaking the bank. The Recon 500 is an $80 option, putting it in scope with the likes of the HyperX CloudX and other mid-range wired staples. Does it live up to the competition? Or does it get lost in the noise?
This is the new Recon 500 from Turtle Beach, refreshed for 2021.
Turtle Beach Recon 500
The Good
- Attractive design profile
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Detachable mic with on-ear mute
- Robust construction with bend-resistant headband
- Great audio experience
The Bad
- No frills in terms of features
Turtle Beach Recon 500: Price and availability
Source: Windows Central
Turtle Beach Recon 500: What’s good
Category | Turtle Beach Recon 500 |
---|---|
Frequency response | 20-22,000Hz |
Speakers | Neodymium, 60mm |
Features | On-ear mute button, detachable mic |
Connectivity | 3.5mm wired (Xbox, PlayStation, PC, Switch) |
Price | $80 |
The headset itself has an onboard master volume control dial which has decent action, alongside a mute toggle on the right ear cup. The maximum volume is solid, and the microphone is also detachable if you plan to use an alternative mic instead. What about the sound quality, though? Thankfully, that’s rather impressive too.
I tend to view HyperX as the dominant wired headset at this price range, but Turtle Beach may have produced a surprisingly capable competitor. Beastly 60mm drivers power this thing, which Turtle Beach claims are infused with wood composite to produce a “realistic” acoustic profile. I have no idea if that’s marketing speak or the real deal — all I know is the Turtle Beach Recon 500 sounds great. The Turtle Beach Recon 500 may be one of the best dollar-for-dollar sounding headsets they’ve ever put out.
The Turtle Beach Recon 500 may be one of the best dollar-for-dollar sounding headsets they’ve ever put out.
The Recon 500 produces a cavernous soundscape that provides very loud situational awareness. While playing Overwatch earlier, the sound of Tracer running around on the metal floor gave her position away like a bull crashing through a glassware store. The lack of surround was oddly noticeable, because I typically expect this kind of sound quality from a higher-end product with more features, but you can alleviate that to some degree if you have a Dolby Atmos license.
The bass on the headset is a bit heavy but by no means what I’d describe as overpowering, although at higher volumes I felt like it produced a bit of unwanted reverb. The soundscape definitely prioritizes highs which can make the audio profile a little unrealistic-sounding at times, but the tactical tradeoffs are largely worth it. You’ll hear an immense amount of detail with good separation, although like I said, the lack of 7.1 software surround wastes the soundstage a bit. I could hear Tracer quite loudly and could tell she was nearby, just not exactly where she was. Having the luxury of comparison made this an issue for me more so than it might for others, but it’s worth being aware of.
Another aspect of the Recon 500 that truly impresses is the microphone. I had very low expectations going in, but I’m surprised to report that it’s actually among the better headset microphones out there. It sounds clear and crisp with good volume, and the fact that it’s detachable is an added bonus.
My general impression of the Turtle Beach Recon 500 is one of shock and awe. I rarely have high expectations for some of Turtle Beach’s mid-range offerings as of late, but this has impressed me from every angle.
Turtle Beach Recon 500: What’s not good
Source: Windows Central
The only vague criticism I can offer is: The mic boom is a little tricky to angle. That’s it.
Some kind of mix amp would elevate the Recon 500 proposition for those who do want some of those added frills, but for $80, you’re getting a seriously beefy amount of headset here.
Turtle Beach Recon 500: Competition
Source: Windows Central
Turtle Beach Recon 500: Should you buy it?
Source: Windows Central
You should buy this if …
- You want a great headset without breaking the bank.
- You prefer tactical sound over immersive warmth
- You need something that will withstand some serious punishment
You shouldn’t buy this if …
- You prefer a warmer, more immersive soundscape
- You want 7.1 surround sound, wirelessness, or mic monitoring
I mentioned it before but I want to say it again, I think this might be Turtle Beach’s best-value headset ever. At $80, you could do far, far worse, and the soundscape impresses from every angle.
It feels like this headset was born to be paired with 7.1 surround in some way, but there aren’t many wired headsets on the market that offer this without sacrificing something in a tradeoff. This is a high-value headset with a great design, great audio, and a great price.
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