Turtle Beach - Atlas Air

I just got mine and I love them. I haven't tested the microphone yet though, as I don't jump into to multiplayer gaming often. * I plugged the dongle into a Windows 11 install (via Parallels) on my MacBook Air (M1I and I used Swarm II to update the dongle and the headset and tweak some settings (lowering audio alerts testing the audio presets) * I then plugged the dongle into my PlayStation 5 (PS5) slim and experienced no drop outs or audio anomalies. 3D Audio sounds incredible with the open-back design, and Horizon Forbidden West sounded better than ever. * I paired them via Bluetooth with my Apple TV and love being able to quickly switch back and forth with one tap of a button. I think they sound incredible for music and movies. No drop outs our audio anomalies and no lip sync issues. * In my experience, they get louder when paired via Bluetooth with my Apple TV than they do with the PS5. (I did check the PS5 headset volume was maxed.) However, the maximum volume on the PS5 5 is enough for me. * I have a large head and these are just the right size, I don't need the sizing strap at all but it is there and works well if one has a normal/smaller sized head. * IMO, these sound very closer to the Sennheiser HD 599 but the beauty here is that these are wireless and I also find them to be way more comfortable. My plan is to keep them paired to the PS5 and AppleTV. I have been struggling to find something to use with those two devices that I find comfortable and enjoyable to listen to. I might try using them wired with some other devices for fun (Steam Deck, iPhone/iPad).

I am not having the volume control issue reported by reviewers. Headset is fully updated. Volume control is even more granular over Bluetooth.

I have not. Next time there is an update and I need to move the dongle over, I’ll give it a try. 

I used the Pulse Elite and these compare very well. Stock EQ, bass is comparable. With EQ, I believe the Elite might have the edge. But I really don't recommend the Pulse Elite unless you have a small head, don’t mind the noisy plastic build, and can deal with random disconnects.  These are still the only gaming headset I recommend (for my use case of PS5 and Switch) and the open feeling makes it so ears and head don’t get warm or sweaty. And I definitely don’t feel that external noises take away from the immersive experience. 

Yup, I removed the strap and they just fit my head. For reference, I need to fully extend AirPods Max for those to be bearable.

I had the same complaints with the Elite.

Yes, you can. It’s just Velcro that keeps it attached to itself. So you can easily slip in on and off.

The concerns over audio quality when a mic is being used is the same across all audio devices, including AirPods on both Intel and Apple silicon Macs. I just tested the Atlas Air and it performed just like my AirPods do when on a Zoom call. Once you exit the Zoom, "full" audio quality is restored.

Meh sound that requires an EQ, bad sidetone, and forced iCue is awful. Comfy, good looking, and very well built though. Mic is solid too after the firmware update. Can definitely do much worse Moved to the Turtle Beach Atlas Air, which sound better (they are open back so not really a fair comparison), have a better mic, and actual clear sidetone, settings save to the headset so no forced software, and somehow are even more comfortable. Don’t feel as “premium” but haven’t looked back.

I actually do, just tested it, and it’s pretty janky. It seemingly frequently reconnects itself to the dongle, the volume adjustments are delayed and jerky. The audio works fine for the most part, but the mic is very distorted. I tried turning monitoring and noise gate off first in windows, saved that to the headset, in case that was causing the issue. it made no difference on the Mac though unfortunately Swarm II doesn’t support Mac currently, hopefully they’ll put out an update later to support it

I bumped the far left band up to match the two next to it, and put the 1khz I believe it was up to 0db instead of being negative

Yes they are wired only on Xbox. They come with a 3.5mm cable that has a volume wheel on it to use. The cable doesn’t make any noise when rubbing on your shirt, and the mic sounds great in wired mode on my PC

I made very small changes, but it turns out after a headset restart they revert back to default full lol Mic positioning makes a bigger difference than the EQ settings. Too far away and your voice will sound hollow. Bend the mic in with the capsule about 1.5-2 inches away from your mouth

Using the Speaker -2 Atlas Air option is the correct one. As far as Waves 3D goes, I find that none of the “Spatial Audio” software by all these brands (Turtle Beach, Bose, etc) do anything better than Dolby, who has been doing spatial for a long time now. Plenty of games now are built with Atmos specifically in mind, so I would stick to Atmos if you want to use one.

I still prefer them over the HS80s. The latest Swarm II software update has made it re-enable the “superhuman hearing” mode every time I restart the headset which is annoying, but it takes 5 seconds to turn off. The only thing I preferred on the HS80s was the ear opening shape, and the stiffer boom mic arm. The turtle beachs have a round opening that I wish was a tiny bit bigger, but it doesn’t really affect long term comfort at all. As far as talking too loud, I think it’s a 2 part issue. The HS80s actually let more sound in than my older closer back headset, but the mic monitoring is pretty awful on them, so you end up speaking loud. The Atlas Airs definitely let you hear more of your voice than the HS80s, and then because the mic monitoring is actually good, you can dial that in on top of it. Sound quality and staging is noticeably better on the Atlas Airs. The HS80s sounded “fine” to me, but were so comfy that they became my daily driver until these

I haven’t had that happen in OBS, and haven’t had any of my friends mention it in Discord. I only use it on my PC and with the dongle though, in case your issue is happening over bluetooth or wired. I’d try it without the noise gate if you have it turned on at all. It’s extremely aggressive

My opinion is still basically the same. I haven’t noticed any improvements or new issues from the couple of firmware updates they’ve done

The mic is pretty solid at blocking out noise, and it has an adjustable noise gate in the app, so you can experiment with the best setting to block out background noise without picking up his voice. Keep in mind being an open backed headset, you’ll hear more of your surroundings than a traditional closed backed headset if that matters to you. I know the Blackshark V2 Pro 2023 version is supposed to have a great mic, but haven’t used it myself personally Like with all headsets I’d recommend to purchase from Amazon or Best Buy, since they’ll let you return them pretty much no questions asked if the mic doesn’t work how you want.

Yeah I won’t be surprised if they either make an Xbox compatible version later, or for the refresh, if the Atlas Air does well. The Atlas line has traditionally been PC focused though. I’m more surprised they didn’t refresh the Stealth 700 alongside the 600. I will say it does work really well wired though. I tried it on my laptop and the mic sounds great, and they get plenty loud. If being open backed is the main reason you were considering them, and not wireless, picking them up on the first sale wouldn’t be a bad idea

Works much better with Bluetooth. I didn’t notice a delay with the YouTube video I tested, or when pausing/unpausing music. The mic works, just make sure to turn input volume on the mic all the way up in MacOS. Sound quality is noticeably worse when the mic is active though, but that’s fine for work calls. Also the volume wheel works correctly over bluetooth And you’re welcome!

There’s a Swarm II app on mobile. I haven’t used it, so can’t say how good it is. But the settings save to the headset itself, so you don’t need the software running in the background

Yeah I would. Use it for hours pretty much every day with no issues. If you really care about custom EQ, I would hold off though, since that feature is still bugged I’m pretty sure

the sound signature is very good similar to maxwell so it's good for music and movies as well, but the comfort is next level, I'm not a fan of the weight of the audeze plus they get warm on my ears, so far not an issue with these, just hope they update some volume issues in a firmware update

Ive had some trash luck with headsets. But here we go: Corsair HS80 has been my favorite so far. Good sound, loud, decent surround with dolby atmos. Floating headband not for everyone but I find it comfy. Razer Kraken v3 pro, the hypersense is fun, but the battery life is pitiful and my synapse would never recognize it. Razer Blackshark 2023 pro. Comfy, ok sound, not loud enough for me. Steelseries Arctis 5. Sonar can step on a pile of D4s and legos. Headset sounds good, software just too annoying for my liking. Would constantly change my non headset sound settings. Turtle Beach Atlas Air. A rare open back wireless headset. Sounds great, also software issues. If I went to change the volume it'd go from 0 to 100 or 100 to 0. couldn't get that to change. Would do it if I set it in windows or on the headset. If they'd all work perfect, The turtle beach sounded best to me. HS80 is a close second. Decent mic on it, would recommend a desktop mic if you're worried about that though.

Must comfortable are Turtle Beach Atlas Air without question! They are an Open back gaming headset but are also wireless. They even come with a 3.5mm cable if you want them to be wired. As far as comfort, these are hands down the best. Better than Hyperx, Logitech, Razer, ect... the floating ear cup is amazing!!

Nope you can close it and still use it. Only annoying thing is that if you launch the app on your phone then that will take priority

Did you make any changes to the Full sound settings for the mic? Everyone I talk to tells me I sound tinny with some reverb, I seriously love these things but can't figure out that one thing.

i just got these today and man, im having terrible experience. im in wireless mode and i swear every 1/2 minutes the headset disconnects and says "wireless mode" and its fkng driving me nuts. im thinking about returning them. idk why theyre not working right for me. they are updated so maybe thats the issue??

I got mine today and really like it. Super comfy, unit smells a bit strong out of the box like it's off-gassing. I haven't played any games yet, just listening to music and it has great imaging and soundstage. Bass is good, but less pronounced that a closed back headphone, probably won't be a good fit if you're a bass head. This is my first TB headset so didn't know what the software situation was going to be like. It wasn't a great experience using the Swarm software with my Windows 11 pc. I had to restart the app several times and restart my headphone several times for them to see each other. There was a firmware update for the headphone, or at least I think it was the headphone, but it doesn't give much indication that the update completed or was successful so I just restarted everything and hoped for the best. The volume is low, I need it to be 65+ for it to be noticeable. The weird thing is that I think it's lower now after updating than it was before. You don't need the Swarm software for the device to work, so I'd test it without it because maybe it's the updated firmware that's causing the volume issues that some others have reported. The USB dongle has great range, but blinking red while in use didn't make much sense, as that's usually an indicator that something is wrong. It looks like the red color is tied to whether the mic is active or not. If mic is on then it's green.

Thank you I'll check it out Edit: btw I bought it. I'm going to see exactly how good the third party are to the freaking first party devices.

I would really like to shit into the cereal bowl of whoever decided it will not support Xbox wireless. Thanks for your impressions, sounds about like what I would have expected.

100%, it's just that the 2.4Ghz Adapter from the Atlas Air isn't compatible with Xbox as per their Website. It says "Xbox wired only" The Xbox Wireless protocol for Headsets is horrible, I have it with my TB Stealth 700 Gen 2 (Not Max) and I hate it.

Thanks! I have been using my Stealth 700 Gen 2 since they came out in 2020 and just switched to the Epos H6Pro open because I tried the Astro A40s at a friends house and fell in love with the feeling of a open back headset (my ears get really hot really fast). Love the Epos but they are sadly wired Found the Atlas Air, was ready to order and then read that they aren't wireless on Xbox. Am mad because they sound like the perfect Headset for me (wireless + open)

Yes. Firmware version 6.72.1422 fixed it for me.

I have all 4 of the recent iterations and they are pretty decent. Stealth 500 and 600 are good and I use Gadgetry Tech YT channel and always EQ them and add another for other stuff. The surprise one was the Atlas Air man they are ridiculously light open air headphones that sound incredible. The 700 Gen 3 @ $200 is perfect for dual connection gaming and work i think. A couple other headsets are amazing but they hit $300 and up. Great value in the TB 700 Gen 3 

Own Alienware and Audeze even the Playstation Pulse Elite aren't bad Maxwells are amazing but cumbersome this was further made apparent when I used the TurtleBeach Atlas Air no one talks about these open back headsets best Open Back in a decade which in return made putting the Maxwells uncomfortable Alienware Pro a recent purchase are light aesthetically perfect for gaming and I've used them gym wise also. Nice balanced sound and a good thump at the end 

I like that Steelseries 5X headset has multiple EQs lightweight. Alienware headset is a nice one I really think the open back Atlas Air from TurtleBeach is a sleeper man I like that one. Are you playing solo or friends? IEMs are a crazy good budget pick $50 gets you great audio. Tell you what watch Gadgetry Tech on YouTube and get an idea of the idea headset and watch his review every headset (35+) I've waited till he reviewed and gave me a custom eq for FPS Music and SP to start with and you can hmu if you need an extra opinion on top of his.Rog Delta II another one i enjoy 

Review after over two weeks of using. I wanted to buy a wireless headset. First I started looking into Audeze, but after joining the subreddit I decided I didn't want to spend that amount of money on something that might break cause I sneezed. All the different headsets didn't meet my sound quality, mic quality or comfort expectations. I found Atlas Air, trusted YouTube reviews and few reviews I found here and bought them. **1. Sound Quality** Obviously, the most important. It's good and more than enough for gaming. It isn't like the Maxwell, especially when listening to the music but I still really enjoy the sound. I would say that Atlas Air are one of the best gaming headset in terms of sound quality I have ever used. Everything sounds just right and the immersion is wonderful. There are headphones with better sound quality, but they probably won't have microphone, be wireless and light. **2. Gaming Performance** I think this is where this headset shines. These are my first open-back headphones and it really makes a difference. You feel like you are inside the game. They work good for immersion but also they do a great job with footsteps. You hear them better and you have a better idea where they come from. One of the best sound staging I have ever experienced. **3. Microphone** It's fine. Nothing special, worse than Razer Blackshark V3 but nobody is going to complain about your voice. I recommend using 'full' preset for the mic, sounds the best IMO. Also, enabling noise gate does a very good job cutting background noise (don't set it to high otherwise you gonna sound like shit, I use it at 6). **4. Comfort** Lovely, they are very light, ear cushions are nice and don't make your ears sweaty. One of the best headsets I have ever used in terms of comfort as well. **5. Battery life** Honestly, I have no idea how long they last on a single charge. They last very long. I charged them twice during two weeks. One time from 25% to 100% and once for 20 minutes just to see how fast they charge. **6. Software and issues** I heard bad things about Swarm II software but I didn't have any major issues. First issue: when updating them for the first time I had to do it from the mobile app because it didn't work via PC; second issue: Swarm II says that they are set to 16 bit sound but in Windows they are set to 24bit (also they work in 24bit). Besides that, Swarm II is alright. I didn't use superhuman hearing since it makes them sound bad. **Conclusion:** Great headset, especially at this price point. I researched a lot, tested few different models and I don't feel like Atlas Air is a compromise. It's the only headset I found that can do everything well without any drawback (like Maxwells with great sound but poor reliability, like Razer Blackshark with great mic but mediocre sound etc). This headset feels complete. Also, open-back is the way to go, never getting closed backs again. If you don't mind open-back qualities (weaker bass and isolation) I think you will be very happy with them.

No, it works for me. I added little bit more bass to my eq on the first day

I also wear glasses, cushions are super soft so it’s not a problem. Thing with the open back headphones is that when somebody sits next to you to they might hear some louder sounds. If somebody talks to you you will hear them, but definitely it’s not going to disturb anyone in a different room. If you don’t have to isolate from kids running around you screaming you will be happy with open back

mic sounds too low, when i check on all my mic tests. reaches maybe 10% total and everything is set to reach 100

Oh it was all set to 100% I could raise it on my ps5 through the sensitivity. But no matter what I did on pc it would not go past 20% volume. Ended up returning it, my 4 other headsets didn't have this problem.

Just got mine today and came to the reddit. Sounds like the latest firmware messes with the max volume so I’m waiting. I had the stealth pros before these and I’m honestly blown away right out of the box. I can’t wait to play with the EQ, think I’ll wait to update with the next firmware. But man. I agree with OP, very light design, but this headset is so ridiculously comfortable. It’s amazing. The sound, I did a YouTube video sound test and everything was great. Hopped into Destiny and just listened to the guns and everything around me and I’m just blown away with the open ear design difference. When turned up I can’t hear my fan that’s about 5 feet to my left on low where I keep it. I’m honestly blown away. Using them on PS5 and I think I’m in love. Also listened to Kendrick’s “They Not Like Us.” I’m a bass guy, I needs my bass, and I’m blown away. Even without the EQ, it’s honestly just really good. Don’t listen to anybody that hasn’t actually tried this headset. I liked being able to listen to the game and my phone at the same time with the 600’s and stealth pros, but to be honest, with these you can seamlessly switch between them, you can’t listen to both at the same time, which is a minor issue for me. If I’m just grinding a game and listening to something else, I really don’t need any game sound. But it should be noted you can’t listen to both at the same time. Easily the best sounding headset I’ve ever owned. Comfort is a 15/10.

Can anyone compare these to PC38x in terms of sound quality? I'm tired of wired headsets, but PC38x are gaming headset hall of famers. I know being wireless I'll have to settle for a less detailed sound, but how much less are we talking? Is bass existent? Or anyone know of wireless alternatives to the PC38x?

I forgot to reply at the time, I took the punt and splashed out. I'm a fan tbh, very lightweight, soundstage is good, bass is good. Imaging is definitely similar to the 560s. I loved my PC38x's, but I'm really happy that I switched to the atlas airs.

For a Logitech headset look at the: - G435 - G535 - G Pro X wired or wireless (version 1, not 2) Other gaming headsets include: - JBL Quantum One - Sennheiser Game One - HyperX Cloud III - Razer Barracuda - SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X or 7X - Turtle Beach Atlas Air. The tradeoff on all of this are the same: buggy apps, poor audio/mic quality and/or poor longevity. If you want a better experience I suggest getting a USB mic like the JLab Talk and pair it with audiophile headphones like: - Philips Fidelio X2HR - Sennheiser HD 560S - Philips SHP9500 - Sennheiser HD 599

I have the Maxwell also but have always preferred Open Backed headphones. These are light years ahead in comfort for me and the audio is now sufficiently great that I don’t feel I’m making a compromise. Much prefer the Atlas for FPS games (by a fair margin). Only downside for me is that I don’t feel the Mic is as good on the Atlas. Aside from that, it’s likely my Maxwell will now be sold.

Sold the Maxwell yesterday. The Atlas image really well to my ears. Have been superb for positional audio in FPS games so far. Soundstage is fairly wide but to me not AKG huge - more PC38x like.