Turtle Beach Recon 500 vs Gioteck TX70 – Budget Battle

Are you wired or wireless? The battle for latency vs budget has always been a challenging gap to fill from controllers to headsets. If players have the budget, they can buy a premium wireless headset, all singing and dancing. Throwing money on a half-decent headset isn’t always economical for all, especially when different consoles/tech need other headsets.

With this in mind, we will be comparing two budget headsets with the end goal of making sure buyers know what they’re getting for their money. To clarify, we will be taking a look at the feature-packed Turtle Beach Recon 500 wired headset vs Gioteck’s TX70 wireless headset.

Specs and price

Both of today’s headsets are for gamers on a budget, but here’s a couple of specification tables before diving in:

Turtle Beach Recon 500:

Gioteck TX70:

First Impressions

Whilst paying more doesn’t always mean a more significant product, Recon 500 boasts a better feature set for multi-platform gamers. For strictly PlayStation and PC gamers, TX70 offers an excellent budget wireless headset. The signal rarely drops out, and chances are players won’t be a million miles away from the TX70 USB receiver. We tested the headset at roughly four metres with no cut-out.

The only downside to the Recon 500 is the jack requirement, although this isn’t too much of an issue for Xbox, PlayStation 4/5 and Switch owners on the go, thanks to a 3.5mm jack input on controllers/consoles. It’s a 1.3m braided cable with enough flex and length to become an afterthought for all gamers on the go. Let’s not forget the headset’s versatility as a smartphone/tablet accessory with the correct 3.5mm jack adaptor.

Build Quality

Budget headsets are popular with kids. No parent in their right mind will splash out on a set of EPOS GSP 370s for their crotch goblins to walk over and sit on. Turtle Beach have a sturdy build with Recon 500. The headband is adjustable get sturdy without clamping onto a players skull. It might be worth trying a set on buying for younger players, this reviewer has an aged round head, and the fit felt a little on the loose side.

The TX70 is a noticeable downgrade. The over-ear cups don’t provide a big enough gap for adult ears to fit in, and there’s zero noise cancellation. The headband does its job but ultimately isn’t very robust. Players will be expecting such a build for a sub £50 wireless headset, but players may want to look at wired alternatives to build quality.

Sound and Connectivity

Turtle Beach win this round without a doubt. Their Eclipse 60mm drivers pack a punch and bring clarity when needed, specifically when enjoying PlayStation 3D audio. The TX70 is an admirable effort for its price tag but just doesn’t cut it when looking at wired alternatives in the same budget region.

Technically, the TX70 can also connect to anything via its included 3.5mm jack lead and output. It’s great if you’ve invested in the headset then bought a new console, but a waste of money if shopping for a multifunctional headset. For around £20, more players can get a wired headset with better features that players don’t have to worry about charging.

In Conclusion

For the sake of saving money, the TX70 wins out. It provides multiple connectivity options via its 3.5mm jack output whilst offering a decent wireless range for under £50. It’s excellent that Gioteck is trying to offer premium features for players at a budget price.

When it comes to overall value, the Recon 500 is a must-buy. Aiming for a higher-end mid-range price tag of £69.99, it’s compatible with most devices/consoles and provides a rich clarity to gaming soundscapes that’s comparable to higher-end headsets. The build quality and isolating ear cups are superb for their price tag.

What headset are you using right now? Is there a budget headset that we haven’t highlighted or covered yet? Let us know in the comments or on our social channels.