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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Turtle Beach Elite 800 Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Review updated Dec 12, 2017 at 03:10 pm
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:22 am
Turtle Beach Elite 800 Wireless Picture
6.9
Mixed Usage
7.3
Neutral Sound
6.8
Commute/Travel
6.3
Sports/Fitness
6.9
Office
7.3
Wireless Gaming
7.7
Wired Gaming
7.1
Phone Call

The Turtle Beach Elite 800 gaming headset are comfortable and have a lot of features. Unfortunately, they don't have a great sound quality and they don't block a lot of outside noise, even with its active noise cancellation feature. Note that we tested the PS4 variant of this headset, but we expect similar results for the Elite 800X Xbox One variant.

Our Verdict

6.9 Mixed Usage

The Turtle Beach Elite 800 headset are best used as gaming headphones although they do have enough features to be moderately versatile headphones. However, their size makes them a bit cumbersome and not suited for sports or physical activity.

Pros
  • Futuristic looking, sturdy design
  • Comfortable
  • Feature packed
Cons
  • Poor noise cancellation
  • Average sound quality
  • Overly sensitive controls
7.3 Neutral Sound

Average for neutral listening. They're not designed to deliver the most balanced audio reproduction, and their poor soundstage won't be ideal for neutral listening. On the upside, they have multiple audio profiles and should sound sufficiently decent for most casual listeners.

6.8 Commute/Travel

Decent for commuting. They won't isolate well enough for the noise level of public transit. They're also a bit cumbersome to carry around.

6.3 Sports/Fitness

Not made for sports use. Although they have a good wireless range, they're too bulky cumbersome and unstable for sports. They will fall off your head if used while jogging or exercising and their control scheme is not very intuitive.

6.9 Office

Better-than-average for office use. They have a good wireless range so you won't be limited to your desk or office. However, they don't block noise well and will let the office chatter seep into your audio. They also leak at higher volumes.

7.3 Wireless Gaming

Average for playing video games. They are comfortable, but they have an average sound quality. The latency is low, but only when using the base, it is high via Bluetooth. Their poor imaging makes positioning sound harder in games.

7.7 Wired Gaming
  • 6.9 Mixed Usage
  • 7.3 Neutral Sound
  • 6.8 Commute/Travel
  • 6.3 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.9 Office
  • 7.3 Wireless Gaming
  • 7.7 Wired Gaming
  • 7.1 Phone Call
  1. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  3. Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  4. Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
  5. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  6. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  7. Updated Feb 26, 2016: Review published.

Compared To Other Headphones

See our recommendations for the best gaming headsets, the best PS4 headsets, and the best gaming headsets for PC.

Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless 2019

The Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless 2019 are better gaming headphones than the Turtle Beach Elite 800 Wireless. The Astro have lower latency, which is great for wireless headphones, and they are noticeably more comfortable and better-built. They also have a microphone that delivers superior overall performance. On the other hand, the Turtle Beach are Bluetooth compatible and can also be used wired, so they are a bit more versatile than the Astro. The Turtle Beach also have a noise cancelling feature, although mediocre, that isolates more against ambient noise than the Astro.

Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017

The Astro A50 Gen 3 Wireless 2017 are better gaming headphones than the Turtle Beach Elite 800 Wireless. The Astro have lower latency, their build quality is far superior, they feel sturdy, and they should feel way more comfortable for most people. Their sound profile is also well-balanced and more accurate. However, you can’t use the Astro wired like the Turtle Beach, and you can’t stream music via Bluetooth while gaming. The Turtle Beach are a more versatile headset due to this and don’t have such a bulky and gaming-minded design. They are also noise cancelling and block more ambient noise than the Astro. For gaming online with friends, the Astro have a better microphone.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Wireless

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 and Turtle Beach Elite 800 are very similar gaming headsets. Both have decent performance, but the recording quality of the Stealth 700’s mic is better but doesn’t handle noise as well as the Elite 800. Both control schemes offer plenty of options, but the Elite 800 are hard to use and the feedback is bad. On the other hand, the Elite model has an ANC feature, but it struggles to reduce background noise. Overall, both headsets are fairly cheaply made and may not be worth the investment.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

The Elite 800 look and feel futuristic. The matte, all-black finish is accentuated by blue highlights around the ear cups and headband. The glass-like finish on the ear cups cover the controls and add to the futuristic aesthetic. They look good for use as a gaming headset, but a little bulky for regular headphones.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.82 lbs
Clamping Force
1.31 lbs

Despite being one of the heaviest headphones we have tested, they feel quite comfortable. The pads are a little bit stiff, but you'll probably get used to them after a short time.

7.4
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Poor
Feedback Bad
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control Yes
Channel Mixing
Adjustable
Noise Cancelling Control Adjustable
Talk-Through
Yes
Additional Buttons No

The Turtle Beach Ear Force Elite 800 have a lot of controls, from call controls to noise cancelling. However, they are extremely sensitive to pressure, to the point that even placing them on the table (buttons facing down) could trigger them.

6.2
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 6.6 °C

This Turtle Beach headset tends to run hot on your ears after using them for a long time since they are not breathable, which could be an issue on long gaming sessions on the Playstation 4.

5.5
Design
Portability
L 7.87"
W 7.09"
H 3.35"
Volume 186.78 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

The Elite 800 take up a lot of space and are not portable. They're bigger than your average over-ear headphone and don't fold flat or into a more compact format for easy transportation. This means you may need a relatively large bag to carry them around.

0
Design
Case
Type No case
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A

They do not come with a case or a carrying pouch, but you can place them on the included base while charging.

6.5
Design
Build Quality

The pads and the latex headband have a nice feel to them. The plastic parts are pretty good too, but seem a little cheaper. Although the headband makes a loud click while adjusting, the notches are too close to each other to be easily distinguishable. Also, the headband tends to shift pretty easily and is not always stable.

5.0
Design
Stability

These headphones are not stable on the head. They are not designed for sports. They are bulky and heavy, and the large ear cups sway a lot when you move too quickly. They are somewhat stable during casual gaming sessions, as long as you have them on correctly. On the upside, they're wireless, so the cable won't pull on them.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Turtle Beach Elite 800 Headset
  • Transmitter and charging stand
  • Audio cable
  • USB cable (x2)
  • Optical cable
  • Manual

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
0.43 dB
Treble Amount
-1.15 dB
8.2
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.35 dB

The frequency response of this gaming headset is consistent across our five measuring subjects. The sound quality is the same no matter your head shape or where you place them on your head.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
8.8
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.74 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
1.17 dB
Mid-Bass
2.28 dB
High-Bass
1.96 dB

The bass is great and not overpowering. It extends quite low, so you will feel the rumbles in video games.

7.4
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.42 dB
Low-Mid
-2.96 dB
Mid-Mid
-2.34 dB
High-Mid
2.39 dB

The mid frequencies are average. There is a dip at 400Hz - 500Hz which results in the loss of some content in the sound. This dip is fairly narrow, so it is not a deal breaker.

6.4
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.76 dB
Low-Treble
3.06 dB
Mid-Treble
-0.99 dB
High-Treble
-6.38 dB

The treble is mediocre and muted. These headphones sound dark and are missing some details in the high frequencies.

6.5
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.28 dB
Dips
2.15 dB
6.9
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.46
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
2.56
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.97
Weighted Phase Mismatch
13.91
5.9
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
4.59 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
4.21 dB
PRTF Distance
13.98 dB
Openness
3.5
Acoustic Space Excitation
4.1
7.0
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.322
WHD @ 100
0.494
Isolation
6.5
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-16.65 dB
Noise Cancelling Yes
Bass
-10.01 dB
Mid
-10.82 dB
Treble
-28.92 dB

The noise isolation is mediocre. The ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) seems to be generating artifacts at around 20Hz, which may be audible. Overall, it does block some noise and it will work at home, but it is not comparable to a real noise cancelling headphones like the Bose QuietComfort 35. There is also a noticeable and consistent white noise when you turn on the noise cancelling. It is possible to use the built-in microphone to open up the headphones to the surrounding sounds for having a conversation.

6.7
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
41.04 dB

These headphones leak an average amount of sound. They start leaking at around 200Hz, but it doesn't become significant until 1.5KHz. From there and up to 5KHz (where sibilant sounds sit) the leakage increases noticeably. Someone sitting next to you will hear what you are listening at high volume.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic Yes

The microphone quality is decent. The recording quality is below average due to the limited wireless bandwidth, but it does a great job at isolating the outside noise and picking up only your voice.

6.2
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
269.09 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
4.11 dB
HFE
3,368.2 Hz
Weighted THD
36.142
Gain
40.52 dB

The quality of the recording of the microphone of the Turtle Beach Elite 800 is below average. It doesn't have any bass or treble, which makes the voice sound thin.

8.2
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
30.55 dB

The microphone does a great job at isolating the voice. It won't pick up too much the outside noise or your neighboring players. It is not as great like the headset with a boom microphone, but it is close.

Active Features
6.5
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
10.8 hrs
Additional Charges
0
Total Battery Life
10.8 hrs
Charge Time
2.7 hrs
Power Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port micro-USB

The Elite 800 have an average battery performance. They have a decent battery life for a gaming headset at 10.8 hours however they take quite a bit of time to charge and do not have an auto-off feature to save power. On the upside, they can stream audio while charging, so you can continuously game or play music if you have them plugged into a power outlet.

7.0
Active Features
App Support
App Name Turtle Beach Audio Hub
iOS No
Android Yes
macOS Yes
Windows Yes
Equalizer
Presets
ANC Control
No
Mic Control Yes
Room effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Sound Yes

The Elite 800 supports the Turtle Beach audio Hub with even more features than the when paired with the Stealth 700 or Stealth 600. You have the option to choose between many different preloaded games and chat prests. You can also control the level of voice prompts and microphone monitoring options. It's a decent app with decent features, but it's not the most well-designed software. Also, updating the headset is a bit convoluted as you need to plug both the headset and the transmitter (in the program only port) to different USB slots on your PC.

Connectivity
8.9
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
4.0
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
NFC Pairing
Yes
Line of Sight Range
133 ft
Default Latency
187 ms
aptX Latency
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A

Using the RF base, the latency is low, which is great for gaming when connected via the optical audio connection from either the PS4 or a PC. Using Bluetooth, the latency is quite high (187 ms) which will be noticeable to some gamers. Unfortunately, it doesn't support the lower latency aptX codec.

7.7
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
98 ft
Non-BT Latency
63 ms
9.5
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
No
Detachable Yes
Length 4.08 ft
Connection 1/8" TRRS
Wired Latency
0 ms
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio Only
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
9.0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
Wireless Dock
USB Input
Yes
Line In
Yes
Line Out
No
Optical Input
Yes
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
Yes
Power Supply
USB