Turtle Beach Recon 500 Multiplatform Headset Review

A Closer Look & Performance

Turtle Beach rarely make big changes to their designs, as they employ an “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” mentality which I really like. It means you could upgrade to newer models and features, but you still had the same fit and finish you loved about the older models. That’s not true today though, they’ve really changed things up here, but it’s still unmistakably a Turtle Beach headset, aside from the logo being a dead giveaway, of course.

One thing I hate about some headsets is where the damn mute button is located. You have to learn where it is so you can mute almost instinctively while gaming. However, no mistakes here, as this has to be the largest mute button, I’ve ever seen on a headset. If you can’t see it yet, it’s that huge button under the words Turtle Beach! You won’t miss that mid-game!

There’s a simple volume wheel on the bottom edge, given they use a 3.5mm jack, you’ll likely control everything else from your device; phone, console, PC, etc.

The older 50mm drivers have been upgraded for their new 60mm model. However, despite this, the size of the ear cups looks broadly the same as their other models, so it should feel the same over your ears. However, you’ll notice the magnet appears to extend out further, which is no big surprise, really. However, they’ve managed to use that protrusion as a point to mount the headband, preventing the headset from becoming ungainly.

They’ve kept their ear padding design, although I think it is a little deeper than their older models. Unfortunately, I reviewed the old recon that this replaces over three years ago, so it’s no longer kicking around the office.

It uses a breakable material around the parts that touch your ear. However, it uses a PU leather wall on the interior and a gasket around the base, so you get the sound isolation properties of leather padding but the cooling effects of the breathable fabric; honestly, it’s the perfect combo!

There’s a fairly large recess in here too, I was expecting more plastic under the earpads, but they’re sort of floating a little.

See, I can really get my hand under those. Albeit, I suspect it’s my ears that are meant to go in there, not half my hand, but you get the idea.

The ergonomics have always been pretty fantastic for Turtle Beach headsets, and I’m happy to report that’s still the case here. For example, the ear cups have a rotation, which allows you to turn them about 30 degrees outwards.

However, they can also be turned around 110 degrees inwards. Both ways ensure you’ll get a clear fit around your ears and be able to wear the headset around your neck between games; this way, the ear cups won’t dig into your chest! However, if you look closely at the part where the headband joins the back of the drivers, there’s a vertical pivot here also, allowing the ear cups to rock back and forth, further improving the overall fit. However, from my experience, the headset needs time to wear in; most Turtle Beach headsets are a little stiff for the first week or so, so keep that in mind.

There’s also a fully adjustable metal reinforced headband.

The new drivers are obviously one of the most important aspects here. Their old drivers are amazing, and I praise them often. They were known to handle heavy amounts of EQ with zero distortion, allowing you to tune in a flatter sound, or bass/treble heavy sounds to suit your taste and needs.

It’s pretty strong too, but can still withstand a good flexing without any issues.

The new drivers are what I really cared about, and well… they’re freaking awesome! I’ve had this headset plugged into the Switch to play Breath of the Wild, into my PC to play Elder Scrolls Online and Flight Simulator 2020, into the Xbox to play Halo, and into my Samsung S20+ (using a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter). I really can’t find a single thing to complain about. The sound is big, massive even, but remarkably well balanced too.

Stepping up to 60mm means there’s some serious power here, and you get lots of low-end punch, without it sounding boosted. However, much like their previous models, the drivers handle a lot of EQ with ease. I can max out the bass, mid, or treble to suit my taste and there is absolutely zero distortion. You can hear every whispered high and every booming mumbled low of the typical Christopher Nolan mix with ease! I dare say I haven’t heard better drivers at this price range, and perhaps hard to beat short of spending double! The clarity is simply sublime. The maximum volume outpaces their older models too, it looks like their old limiters have been removed.

It wasn’t until after my testing that I discovered the drivers aren’t the only unique aspect to the headset. As Turtle Beach says themselves, they have “a precisely engineered earcup injected with a wood composite lends to enhanced acoustics for realistic sound imaging.” Clearly, that impacts the imaging here, and the sound stage is just super clear throughout all my tests; I’d be fooled into thinking they were hi-res drivers. The drivers also benefit greatly from the ergonomics, ensuring they’re well seated on the side of your head.

The microphone on previous models was alright, nothing crazy, but perhaps a little on the sensitive side. They tend to pick up breathing and chewing noises, but that’s true of many sub £100 headsets microphones. This one is noise cancelling, and it gives the sound a slightly compressed quality, which is actually really good. It’s just a little tighter and cleaner sounding. It’ll be interesting to see what the mic can do in a USB powered headset when it has a little more processing behind it.