Used on a PlayStation 5 and CLX Gaming PC
Turtle Beach’s upcoming Atlas Air headset is set to give mid-range users the quality they deserve. With their top-of-the-line Turtle Beach Stealth Pro priced around $330, The Atlas Air aims to provide a near-matching performance at half the price tag – designed to have studio-grade design while feeling as light as a feather to wear. Let’s break it down and see what makes this headset stick.
Damn Near Floaty
Straight out of the box, the Atlas Air makes a decent first impression. The packaging is sleek and professional, echoing the premium quality you’d expect from Turtle Beach. Once you unbox it, you’ll be greeted with a sleek pouch. It’s lightweight, tipping the scales at just 301 grams, which is a significant plus for long gaming sessions. The biggest takeaway is the open-back design – it’s immediately noticeable, and appears to be floating, even though it’s actually embedded. It gives a modern and stylish look with the promise of great performance. Back to the floating earcups – they’re not just a design statement; they also serve a practical purpose by reducing pressure on your ears while giving a more natural sound overall. This innovative approach to earcup design, usually exclusive to studio-grade headsets, ensures that the headset remains comfortable even after hours of use. The adjustable headband adds to this comfort, allowing for a perfect fit regardless of your head size. For those who wear glasses, the ProSpecs technology is a wonderful addition to the overall design, providing extra relief and ensuring you don’t have to constantly adjust your headset.
Durable Alongside Performance
Despite its lightweight build, the Atlas Air feels sturdy and well-constructed. The materials used are of high quality, promising durability without compromising on comfort. The ear cushions are made from memory foam and covered in a soft, breathable fabric that keeps your ears cool. This is a crucial feature, and I wouldn’t expect anything less. Now, let’s get to the meat of the matter – the audio performance. The Atlas Air doesn’t just promise high-fidelity audio; it delivers it in spades. With 24-bit audio support, the sound quality is nothing short of spectacular – damn near matching the Stealth Pro’s 50mm drivers. Again, the open-back design plays a crucial role here, enhancing spatial awareness and providing a wide soundstage while also maintain real-world sound queues. This means you can pinpoint the direction of in-game sounds with uncanny accuracy, giving you a competitive edge. Sound doesn’t bleed out either, at least not in the way one would fear. I found that at max volume and in a quiet setting, sound barely went pass a couple decibel outside the cups. That means if you decide to use them in public, you can still hear your outside surrounding while listening to high-grade audio quality.
I compared the Stealth Pro’s 50mm to this headset – well, its 40mm drivers are finely tuned to deliver rich, detailed sound across all frequencies. Whether you’re listening to the subtle footsteps of an approaching enemy or the booming explosions of a battlefield, the audio remains clear and immersive. The headset supports a variety of audio presets via Swarm II software application, including Bass Boost and Treble Boost, allowing you to customize your listening experience based on your preferences. This versatility ensures that the Atlas Air isn’t just great for gaming; it’s also perfect for listening to music or watching movies. In terms of connectivity, the Atlas Air is as versatile as they come. It offers low-latency 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and a wired mode via a 3.5mm jack. This means you can use it with almost any device, from PCs and consoles to mobile phones and tablets. Switching between different devices is seamless, thanks to the QuickSwitch button that lets you toggle between wireless and Bluetooth modes with ease.
Battery life is another area where the Atlas Air shines. With up to 50 hours of continuous use compared to Stealth Pro’s 12hr use per swappable battery – that means Atlas Air overall performs longer. The quick-charge feature is particularly handy but also expected at this point, giving you hours of use after just a short charging period. This ensures that you’re never left without your headset when you need it most.
A great headset needs a great microphone, and the Atlas Air doesn’t disappoint. It features a removable, flip-to-mute microphone with noise reduction technology. This ensures that your voice comes through loud and clear, even in noisy environments. The microphone’s performance can be fine-tuned using Turtle Beach’s Swarm II software as well, allowing you to adjust settings to your liking. My friends could not tell the difference between Atlas Air and Pro, which is a really good thing. In practical use, the microphone delivers excellent clarity. Whether you’re coordinating with your team in a fast-paced shooter or chatting with friends in a casual game, your voice will be heard clearly. The flip-to-mute feature is intuitive and convenient, letting you quickly mute yourself when needed without fumbling for buttons
Optimal Usage
Comfort is king when it comes to gaming headsets, and the Atlas Air excels in this regard. The lightweight design, combined with the memory foam ear cushions and floating earcups, ensures that you can wear the headset for hours without discomfort. As mentioned before, ProSpecs glasses-friendly technology is a thoughtful addition that makes a real difference for gamers who wear glasses. For those who love to personalize their gear, Turtle Beach offers optional mod packs. These packs include different headband straps and ear cushions in various colors like Pink, Purple, and Blue. This allows you to add a touch of your own style to the headset, making it uniquely yours.
The Swarm II app is a powerful tool that enhances the functionality of the Atlas Air. Available for both desktop and mobile, it provides a 10-band EQ, microphone customization options, and the ability to switch between different audio presets. This level of customization ensures that you can tailor the audio experience to suit your preferences perfectly. In real-world use, the Atlas Air excels across the board. In fast-paced shooters, the high-fidelity audio and spatial awareness provided by the open-back design make a tangible difference. But it does have its shortcomings. While the Atlas Air overall is an excellent choice, it lacks some functionality. For one, you can’t dual-connect wireless and Bluetooth simultaneously like the Stealth Pro, which is a huge blow for someone like me that loves this. Additionally, while it does last longer than the Stealth Pro, you can’t swap batteries when the goings get tough. When you hear that “battery low” queue during intense battle, the option to swap to a newly charged battery will always trump connecting your USB.
REVIEW SCORE: 8.5/10
Turtle Beach’s Atlas Air launches today – it is poised to be a hit among gamers, and I can see myself using this for quite some time. The floating earcups and open design really is something one should experience, and I highly recommend this to those that don’t feel like chopping up premium cost for quality performance.
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