Turtle Beach has been around since the 70s, manufacturing peripherals such as soundcards and music sampling devices, but since 2005 have been primarily headset-centric when they rebranded into the form we know and love today. With a promise to "Hear the Revolution", Turtle Beach have offered up their latest wired entry into the aforementioned market with the Recon 500 headset, and I'm honestly excited to give them a run for their money.

• Connections: 3.5 Jack Connection: Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One | PS5™ & PS4™ | Nintendo Switch™* & Mobile Devices *Only compatible in handheld mode; chat available for games that support in-game chat capability. Also works great with PC: 3.5mm or 3.5mm + PC Splitter Cable (Sold Separately)
• Speaker Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
• Speakers: 60mm Eclipse™ Dual Drivers with Neodymium magnets
• Earcup Design: Over-Ear (Closed)
• Ear cushion Material: Athletic Weave Fabric with Memory Foam
• Mic Design: Removable TruSpeak™ Uni-Directional Noise-Cancelling Mic
• Cable Length: 4’ / 1.3m Braided Cable with 3.5mm Connection

Costing just £69.99 when they launch in a couple of weeks time, the Recon 500 boasts multiplatform support, pro-level communications, a durable & lightweight design coupled with ProSpecs glasses friendly feel and 60mm Eclipse Dual drivers in each of your ears surrounded by Accutune precision moulded ear cups with memory foam. From the outset, these descriptions are total ear-candy. I mean, what is not to like about any of these slated details? One thing that did intrigue me with this revision was the omission of the rechargeable battery from the older Recon 200's, would that make a difference given the 500's now have 60mm, dual drivers, as opposed to the 200's 40mm?

Starting with the external looks of the headset, the headband is flexible yet solid plastic, though it appears rubbery looking, and is padded out with memory foam to prevent the top of your head getting sore after a while. Throughout my time testing these I almost forgot I was wearing them because they're so lightweight, and I never experienced any fatigue wearing them either; they're astonishingly comfortable. The ear cups are burley, oversized to fit over any sized ear, and the memory foam ear cup padding is as comfortable as you could possibly need for extended gaming sessions, though they definitely leak sound inward and outward. I had hoped that these would encapsulate my sound and not disturb people around me, but in testing, they could definitely hear what I was listening to, and blot out any external sound while I was playing games. While this is mildly annoying, to be fair it is not a stated feature of the Recon 500's.

On the left cup, you have all your controls, and, though incredibly minimalist, they serve their purpose and operate perfectly. There is a clickable mic mute switch and a volume roller that goes from 100 down to fully muted without so much as a single crackle. That's it, nothing more, nothing less. No inline volume controls, no RGB extravagance, and definitely no overly complicated mechanisms at play here. Overall there is a steely-looking gunmetal aesthetic to this headset that looks great and didn't seem to exaggerate any fingerprints while testing, which as you probably know, is one of my pet peeves. The cable is also braided which is a really nice touch and ensures it will survive any twisting and friction a long sight longer than a regular non-braided cable.

The tonality of these dual-driver speakers is quite literally exquisite and, when you crank the volume--my goodness, be careful not to implode your eardrums. I gave these my standard bombardment of testing, going from gaming on my PS5, to watching a movie through them, to listening to the same array of electronic music I always use to test headsets for clarity. These cans took an absolute pounding and came out shining through every test. Though the range specified for these are rated at 20Hz - 20kHz as with the Recon 200's and the Stealth 600, and the 700's offering up to 22kHz; the Recon 500's have an unwavering warmth and power to them that gutturally expresses the deep down bass booming explosions whilst vibrantly powering out any high-end tones; it is truly a cacophony of awesome no matter what you're playing, watching, or listening to.

I decided to use these on my PSVR through my PS5 to play a few rounds of Alvo, a game I reviewed recently but only really used the built-in headset to experience, and the whole thing was lifted to the next level. I could pick out detailed sounds, the explosions were bassy and earth-shaking, and the granular detail of bullet shells, grenades and footsteps really sounded incredible. I'm not really one for the mainstream games, such as Fortnite or Warzone, but I could really imagine these headphones being incredibly powerful for these eSports games in allowing players to connect with the game on a deeper audio level and play far better as a result!

If you're on a budget and don't want the hassle of charging and syncing with the wireless 600/700's; then these are the undisputed best option to strive for if you can afford the £70 price tag. The price is entirely reasonable though considering they are fuss-free, gimmick-free, lowkey styled, sonically stacked out and incredibly well made. Considering the Recon 200's come in at £50 and the Stealth 600's £90; these are a great intermediary when shopping for a vibrant, punchy sound profile paired with the ability to be used on virtually any console, or media device out there; highly recommended!