TL;DR
Thinking of Turtle Beach's Recon 200 Gen 2? This budget-friendly headset offers a comfortable fit and decent audio for the price, but don't expect any sonic miracles. While it boasts a 12-hour battery for "amplified" sound, testing revealed minimal difference across its PS/Xbox modes and a rather restricted soundstage. The microphone also struggles with volume, requiring close proximity to your mouth for clear communication, though the sidetone feature is a nice touch. If you're after a no-frills, comfy gaming companion and the questionable "amplification" isn't a deal-breaker, it might fit the bill. Dive into the full review to see if it's the right fit for your gaming setup.
The Recon 200 gen 2 from Turtle Beach is among the more affordable gaming headsets available, with a price point under 500 SEK. Considering this, expectations were tempered when unboxing the device. The initial impression is of a lightweight and predominantly plastic construction. The surface finish lacks any premium aesthetic, presenting a rather basic appearance. The inclusion of a charging cable was initially puzzling, given that the headset is wired.
As the saying goes, “it runs on battery too, you could say!”, and in this case, it’s accurate. The Recon 200 Gen 2 boasts a 12-hour battery life, which, when charged, is intended to amplify the incoming signal. This functionality is similar in concept to the Blue Microphones Sadie. The headset features a three-position switch: PS, OFF, and XBOX. Testing commenced with the Xbox One, using Halo Infinite as the test application.
In off mode, the audio performance is adequate, delivering clear and relatively clean sound with a present, though somewhat subdued, bass response. Switching the headset to Xbox mode yielded no discernible difference in audio output. Perplexed, the switch was then toggled to PS mode, which produced a minor variation in sound, but nothing substantial enough to be classified as an “amplified signal.” Furthermore, the soundstage felt constricted, lacking any appreciable sense of spatial audio, regardless of the selected mode.
Initially, it seemed possible that the review unit was defective. However, a quick online search revealed that other users have reported similar experiences. Attention was then turned to microphone performance during online gameplay. Communication with another player revealed significant issues with microphone volume. The user reported difficulty hearing the reviewer unless the microphone was held directly in front of the mouth. This limitation is likely due to the short microphone boom, which positions the microphone at a considerable distance from the user’s mouth. Clear communication is paramount in online gaming.
The headset includes both a master volume control and a microphone monitoring control, which provides sidetone, allowing users to hear their own voice and avoid speaking too loudly. This is a valuable feature, as excessive volume is a common issue in online gaming. However, despite maximizing the microphone volume, other users reported difficulty hearing the reviewer. A positive aspect is that the microphone can be muted without fully retracting it, thanks to an intermediate position.
In conclusion, the Recon 200 gen 2 from Turtle Beach is a basic headset that offers a comfortable fit, even during extended gaming sessions. However, the advertised “amplification” feature is questionable and feels like a potentially misleading marketing claim. The final rating reflects the headset’s affordability, comfortable design, and acceptable audio quality for its price point.
