First Impressions
I wouldn’t usually comment on the unboxing experience but Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero are that well-packaged. Immediately I appreciated their portability in comparison to most gaming headsets – the small size and neat folding mechanic are a nice intro. It also gave me the chance to notice there isn’t much extraneous material to add weight or volume.
The headset isn’t too gaudy, and in a pinch you could get away with Elite Atlas Aero on the bus. You should probably remove the mic though or you will look like a helicopter pilot who spawned in the wrong vehicle.
The design is compact and portable but surprisingly durable. Users don’t spend all day looking at their own heads, but if they did they’d be pleased by the stylish two part expanding headband often reserved for higher end headsets, and for good reason too.
TurtleBeach cut the cushion quite a bit short. There is a significant gap along the inner headband and it cheapens the look a bit.
Wearing is Caring
Adjustment is a bit loose and when positioning heavy-handed users will find adjustment a nightmare. The notches seem to slip under the slightest of pressure.
Atlas Aero are comfortable though, I thought the headband cushion would slip and I’d feel cold metal against my head, but it sits comfortably for decent sessions. I lasted about four hours before taking them off for a break.
I found the insets in the cushion worked great for my glasses. While it might come across as a gimmick, the effort and comfort of the design are appreciated by us visually impaired. If you suffer from sensitive and sore areas while wearing headsets and glasses, Turtle Beach Atlas Aero are a top recommendation.
Battery Life
The advertised battery life of 30 hours is a bit of a stretch, I found them to last around 18 hours in typical gaming condition over two days. Superhuman hearing and using the boom mic seemed to drain the battery considerably. Once I stopped using SuperHuman and the mic, battery life stretched out for a few more hours. Which may work out great for anyone hoping to use Atlas Aero for multiple devices.
Though they don’t advertise it, the headset can be used wired with any standard headphone 3.5mm connection. Meaning you can use Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero to game on PS4 or XBox or listen to music on your phone. Using the set with anything other than PC, you won’t have use of the Control Studio. Which for some this is a big caveat because to be honest, the Control Studio is where most of the functionality lies with Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero.
Stocked Control Studio
Installing and updating the firmware is a breeze. Figuring out where to start was a challenge though. Turtle Beach’s Control Studio gives you a lot of options, I’ve left a screenshot below to get you customisers out there salivating.
Standout functions of the control suite are the equaliser with 10 frequency channels. Some of theses are labeled with tangible in-game examples like ‘Explosions @ 63Hz’ . And as we mentioned earlier, there’s a dial on the headset for controlling Discord chat volume which you can reprogram to control almost any level.
Alongside that the Super Human button can be rebound to toggle any effect in the suite. Turtle Beach did a great job once you get over the shock of seeing so many dials and switches.
Music, Movies and Games
Audiophiles should just stay on the wire, that’s not changing anytime soon and especially in this price bracket. I acknowledge the effort put into the audio suite but I do feel that most of the settings were just different types of EQ with gain control being applied.
They included a solid EQ suite with import and export functions, so there’s a little here for everyone.
Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero extra volume dial and quick switch button are only worth mentioning because you can program them separately to almost any function of EQ customisation, besides that their positioning means you’ll consistently accidently press the button and spin the wrong dial.
Elite Atlas Aero lacks Bluetooth so you are stuck with the USB dongle for all wireless use. For PC purists or those who moonlight on console though, this won’t be a problem.
Sound-Up
The Elite range represents Turtle Beach’s higher-end with Atlas Aero falling in the middle of that upper tier. So much of TB’s premium touch is here – the minimalist design, excellent suite of audio options and a host of comfort and usability options.
The headband, while premium-fashioned, lets the look down a little with its awkward gap. The easily misadjusted sliders similarly detract from the high-end experience.
For those who value audio quality and PC gaming functionality, these gripes won’t be a problem.
