Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 vs Gen 1 (2021): What’s the Difference?

Turtle Beach’s Stealth gaming headsets are some of the most popular options around. For starters, they’re wireless and they offer decent battery life and sound quality. They also have unique features, such as the company’s proprietary Superhuman Hearing technology to boot.

Now the lineup is getting expanded with two new models, one of which is the Stealth 700 Gen 2. The question then is, how does the Stealth 700 Gen 1 stack up against the newer Stealth model? We put the two side by side to help you decide which one will better suit your needs.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 vs Gen 1 Comparison Chart

Main Differences

The Stealth 700 Gen 2 should have better sound quality, battery life, and comfort.

To keep things short, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 is building on its predecessor with better audio performance, thanks to a wider frequency response range and Nanoclear neodymium drivers. It’s also getting a longer battery life and improved comfort with cooling gel-infused memory foam cushioning.

Design-wise, Turtle Beach fitted it with a metal-reinforced headband and a microphone that sits seamlessly on the ear cup when it’s flipped up. USB-C is replacing the outdated micro USB charging port, too. Last but not least, the control layout is bunched together on the ear cup for easier access.

You’re getting the same deal as the Stealth 700 Gen 1 regarding connectivity. For instance, both PlayStation and Xbox variants have Bluetooth support. They’re also anticipated to be compatible with future generations of their respective consoles, namely the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

Audio

In terms of sound quality, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 can provide a better experience than the Stealth 700 Gen 1.

While the Stealth 700 Gen 1 goes only from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 takes things up a notch with a range of 20 Hz to 22 kHz. The drivers are also the same in that they’re 50 mm with neodymium magnets, except that the new model boasts Nanoclear technology that should deliver realistic sound imaging.

Both have the same Superhuman Hearing preset, which should give you a competitive advantage in games by letting you hear subtle sounds such as enemies’ footsteps. At that, the Audio Hub is still there for more sound customization, and surround sound should still be as impressive.

Design

Cooling-gel infused ear cushions should make the Stealth 700 Gen 2 more comfortable to wear for hours.

At first glance, you’ll likely notice that the Stealth 700 Gen 2 is sleeker. The microphone still flips up to mute and picks up sound with an omnidirectional pattern, but as mentioned earlier, it now integrates seamlessly with the ear cup.

When it comes to comfort, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 is better. It uses the same synthetic leather, but now it uses memory foam and cooling gel. On top of that, it’s equipped with a metal-reinforced headband, and that should make it last for a long time.

Controls have been placed closer together on the ear cup as well where the new USB-C port is also located. This could either feel too crowded or more convenient, depending on your preference.

Battery Life

Turtle Beach gave the Stealth 700 Gen 2 twice the battery life compared to the Stealth 700 Gen 1.

One of the most welcome upgrades to the Stealth 700 Gen 2 is a battery life of up to 20 hours. The first generation is rated to last only half the duration of that, which is up to 10 hours on a single charge.

Moreover, the new iteration’s USB-C charging should give the cans more juice in a shorter amount of time.

Verdict

The Stealth 700 Gen 2 makes for a compelling buy.

Considering all their improvements, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 is obviously the better pick. Their new 50 mm Nanoclear neodymium drivers, wider frequency response range, twice the battery life, and USB-C are only some of the reasons why it’s worth upgrading to the Stealth 700 Gen 2.

Of course, the Stealth 700 Gen 1 could still be worth getting once the price drops and discounts start rolling out. It has decent sound quality and a couple of nifty features, after all, even though it kind of falls short in terms of battery life.

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