I wanted to love the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox. However, I ended up liking it instead. This headset is based on the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 and offers more features and better compatibility. (To be fair, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox delivers high-quality wireless sound on a variety of platforms, including Xbox, as promised.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks to this headset that should not be overlooked. The fit is uncomfortably tight, and even Turtle Beach's novel ProSpecs technology does not completely solve the problem. Buttons and dials are uncomfortably close together, making it difficult to reach the correct button while operating. The software is also a bit confusing, requiring both a PC and a smartphone to adjust even the most basic functions.

The Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox is not the best gaming headset for every player, especially if you own both an Xbox and a PlayStation Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Read our review of the Max for Xbox.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One (a name that might make you bite your tongue; it) is very similar to the previous Stealth 700 design. It's a large, heavy headset with oval ear cups and a padded headband. The device comes in blue or black (the blue is more striking) and requires no wires, except for the occasional USB-C charging cord.

While there are some concerns about the fit of the Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox (more on that later), they look pretty cool. Not as plain as many audio headphones, but not as over-the-top as many gaming headsets.

However, the button layout leaves something to be desired. The left earcup has none. The right earcup, on the other hand, has a chat mix dial, volume dial, audio mode button, power button, Bluetooth button, charging port, and foldable microphone. If this sounds like a lot of controls, that's because it is; the two dials feel like they are identical to each other, the audio mode and Bluetooth buttons feel almost identical to each other, and the power button is sort of hidden in the middle. Trying to find the buttons and dials you need when you need them is always a struggle, and it only gets more complicated when you realize that different consoles have different functions.

Actually putting on the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox is not that comfortable; the 16-ounce headset is quite heavy, but the real problem is that it is incredibly tight. The memory foam earcups press hard on the ears, and the adjustable steel headband only helped with height, not width. (The headband also doesn't have a notch, so finding a fit is a pain.)

The Turtle's headband is not adjustable.

Using Turtle Beach ProSpecs technology, we were able to remove the ear cups and set up a small "channel" that corresponds to the glasses. This made wearing the headset less painful, but not particularly comfortable either. After an hour or so of headset use, I was usually ready to remove the headset, if only to give my temples a rest.

One thing the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox excels at is sound quality; with 50mm drivers and a rich default soundscape, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max sounds great whether you are playing or watching. sound, whether playing or watching.

The Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max works on so many systems that it can be used with Age of Empires IV and Final Fantasy XIV on PC, Nioh Remastered on PS5, Hades and Yakuza 5 on Xbox Series X Remastered, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 on Switch, among other games tested. The headset provided nuanced and balanced audio throughout, whether I was listening to chill background music while organizing a medieval army or fighting off goons with a hilarious superhero The Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox did an excellent job of balancing voice work, sound effects, and music, and did an excellent job of balancing them.

It should also be noted that by default, pressing the mode button on the headset activates Turtle Beach's signature "superhuman hearing" mode. This enhances noises such as footsteps and gunfire in FPS titles, making games such as "Doom Eternal" and "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" a bit more immersive. However, superhuman hearing can wreak havoc with dialogue, so it might be better to stick to a more balanced soundscape in single-player adventures.

I also tested the headset with music and TV, listening to songs by Flogging Molly, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Rolling Stones, G.F. Handel, and watching an episode of Bob's Burgers. The sound quality is impressive, if you remember to turn off your superhuman hearing. Dialogue is close and has an immediate quality, and music has much more bass than one would expect from a gaming headset.

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox has a great many features. However, trying to actually use them all can be a challenge. First, operating the Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max requires two different pieces of software on two different platforms: the Turtle Beach Audio Hub on the PC handles firmware updates, and the Android/iOS Turtle Beach Audio Hub on Android/iOS handles button commands, microphone sidetone, equalization options, and other general headset customization. (Having to wrestle with two different software packages is inconvenient, but not as inconvenient as trying to get all the commands you need in one profile. A secondary dial allows you to control the chat mix, microphone sidetone, and Bluetooth volume. The mode button can enable superhuman hearing, change the equalizer options, or do something else entirely. This also depends on whether the headset is connected to the Xbox or another system. Basically, if you want to use all the features of the Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max, you will need to keep your phone's audio hub open fairly often.

On the bright side, this headset lives up to its name. Due to Microsoft's proprietary protocols, relatively few wireless headsets can connect to Xbox consoles; the Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox solves this problem with a wireless USB dongle with an "Xbox/USB" switch.

Switching Xbox gives you Microsoft's family of consoles, and switching USB gives you something else; Bluetooth connectivity is also available, but like other headset features, it can be a bit of a pain to turn on and off when you need it.

We have generally good things to say about the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max for Xbox. It works effortlessly on a variety of systems and the sound is excellent. At the same time, we have no desire to pick it up again; the SteelSeries Arctis 7X has similar connectivity with a more comfortable fit, and the Razer Kaira Pro offers similar Xbox performance at a lower price.

Still, for gamers who own a variety of different consoles and want a versatile solution, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max is worth considering. And if you've always wanted to own a blue gaming headset instead of a black one, even better.