Over the past several years Turtle Beach has been producing headsets that cater to a lot of different gaming needs. Whether it's a universal passive 3.5mm plug-in headset or a wireless headset offering surround sound or 3D audio optimized for a specific platform, there are numerous options for gamers. Their newest headset, the Recon 500, fits the former category. A wired headset with no real gimmicks, the Recon 500 is a standard plug-and-play headset that makes it a viable option for players with multiple gaming platforms.

The Recon 500 is the latest evolution of the Recon family of headsets. The biggest innovation with the Recon 500 is that they're Turtle Beach's first headset to use their new 60mm Eclipse Dual Drivers to deliver great sound quality at every frequency through a pair of wood composite injected earcups. Comparatively, previous Recon models we've covered have had 50mm or 40mm drivers. While far from the only determining factor in sound quality, bigger drivers are better equipped to delivery lower frequencies.

Getting beyond the speaker drivers, the Recon 500 has the other features that Turtle Beach typically includes in their headsets. The microphone uses their noise-cancelling TruSpeak technology to deliver crystal clear communication in chat, perfect for coordinating team assaults or for mercilessly taunting the opposition. The ear cushions themselves are made from a breathable memory foam that helps prevent the user from overheating during extended play sessions with a lightweight, metal reinforced headband. Operating the headset is straightforward and basic. There's a mute button for the microphone on the left earcuff and not far below that near the microphone is the volume wheel. No batteries to charge or connectivity to worry, just simple plug and play convenience. The Recon 500 is available in both black and arctic camo.

When judging the quality of a headset (and shopping for one), the user needs to consider what their needs are and what the headset is designed to do. The Recon 500 by its nature is a no-frills headset, designed to offer value, versatility and convenience in lieu of features that are included on fancier headsets. One thing that's noticeable with the Recon 500 is even without any bass boost function it does deliver powerful low-end frequencies without any distortion, which for being a passive headset sounded impressive. It's not audiophile grade quality, but for a passive 3.5 mm headset with an MSRP of $79.99 the sound was great and a significant step up from stock PC speakers. While it does give extra oomph to the low frequencies, the highs and mids were all clearly articulated and differentiated in the mix. The claim of remaining comfortable for extended play sessions is one that was proven after several hours of testing, even when wearing blue light blocking glasses.

The Recon 500 is a good headset, the question is what is someone looking for. Where the Recon 500 excels is in its simplicity. It is compatible with just about every device, save for iPhones and certain Xbox controllers without the 3.5mm adapter. The sound quality is great but there's no software or onboard controls to adjust the EQ, so the mix of the source material is what you get without using third party PC software to alter it. If someone wants a stereo headset that's hassle free that works with practically every platform and sounds great, then the Recon 500 is a great option. If someone cares about bells and whistles like virtual surround sound this wouldn't be the headset for them.

Closing Comments:

In a market that's loaded with so many different types of headsets offering different features and prices, it's important to know what features are important to the individual user. The Recon 500 is a wired stereo headset that offers great value by being compatible with PC, mobile devices and Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony consoles. It's a simple plug-and-play headset that sounds great and is comfortable for extended play sessions. Depending what an individual is looking for is the biggest determination, where some who cares about audio wizardry like 3D audio, on board EQ or being wireless wouldn't find those features here. But for people looking for something that sounds great and will work with all their devices, the Turtle Beach Recon 500 is a great option.