The Turtle Beach Recon 50X is a decent budget gaming headset. These headphones have a moderately well-balanced sound that's a bit cluttered but delivers a good bass. They're also lightweight and have no latency for gaming and watching movies since they're wired. Unfortunately, their build quality is sub-par and not as durable as comparable models in their price range. They also don't fit well on all listeners, making them a bit uncomfortable and poorly isolating. Note that we tested the Xbox One variant of this headset, but we expect similar results for the Recon 50P PS4 variant.
Our Verdict
The Turtle Beach Recon 50x are below-average mixed usage headphones. They're a decent option for gaming thanks to their great boom mic and low latency wired connection. Unfortunately, they have a plasticky build quality that does not feel very durable, and an awkward fit that causes a lot of seal issues and makes them a poor choice to use in loud, noisy environments. They also won't be as convenient as some of the other gaming headsets we've tested since they're limited by the relatively short range of their audio cable.
- Decent sound quality.
- Great microphone.
- Weak build quality.
- Awkward over-ear fit.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Bass delivery varies significantly across users. Sensitive to glasses.
Decent for neutral listening. These aren't the most comfortable headphones to wear for long listening sessions, but on the upside, they have a decently well-balanced sound. They have good and extended bass and a decent treble range that's not too sharp. Unfortunately, the high-bass/low-mid bump does make them sound a little muddy and cluttered. They won't be ideal for more neutral listeners since they have a muddy sound and can't create a good soundstage but they should sound decent enough for most listeners and gaming.
Poor headphones for commuters. The Turtle Beach Recon 50X/50P don't have any active features and don't have a noise cancellation feature, so they can't block out the noise of a busy subway platform or a bus engine.
Disappointing headphones for sports. They have mediocre stability and won't fall during brisk movements, but they are a bit bulky and could get in the way during workouts. Since they are wired, the cable will get in the way during intense workouts.
Disappointing headphones for use at work in an office. They have decent comfort, but they are a bit bulky and get warm with longer listening sessions. They have decent leakage, and you can listen in peace without bothering your neighbors.
This wired gaming headset can't be used wirelessly.
Decent headphones for gaming. The Turtle Beach Recon 50X/50P produce a decent sound that works well for in-game sound effects and deep bass, but voice isn't as clear. The detachable microphone has excellent recording quality. They are wired, so there's no latency, but they don't have any customization options, unlike many other gaming headphones.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Jun 15, 2018: Review published.
- Updated Jun 13, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Compared To Other Headphones
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X/50P is a budget gaming headset with a decent mic. These headphones are lightweight and easy to use but their plasticky build quality isn't on par with other headphones and gaming headsets in their price range. They also don't have the best fit around your ears, the cups are somewhat shallow, and the pads are a bit stiff. On the upside, the mic is detachable so you can use them outdoors but they won't be as versatile as some of the other models compared below. See also our recommendations for the best gaming headsets under $50, the best PS4 headsets, and the best gaming headsets.
The Turtle Beach Recon 70 and Turtle Beach Recon 50X/Recon 50P models are very similar, but the Recon 70 might be a better option thanks to their more comfortable design and better sound profile. However, the Recon 50x have an excellent microphone and outperform the Recon 70 in this regard. Overall, the recording quality of the Recon 70's mic is good, making them a decent choice for gaming.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger is a much better wired gaming headset than the Turtle Beach Recon 50X/Recon 50P. While both headphones have impressive microphones, the HyperX have a much better-balanced sound profile. They're also a lot more comfortable and feel much better-built. That said, while the Turtle Beach's mic doesn't handle noise quite as well as the Hyper X's, it sounds better in perfectly quiet environments.
The Turtle Beach Stealth 300 are a better, wired headset than the Turtle Beach Recon 50X. The Stealth 300 have a better-built design that's more comfortable to wear during long gaming sessions. They also feel a lot more durable than the Recon 50X and have a better-balanced sound that caters to a greater genre of music and games. They also come with 3 other audio profiles you can cycle through. The only factors that should make you choose the Recon 50X over the Stealth 300 are price and battery life, since the 50X are completely passive, unlike the 300 which run out of battery and have no passive playback.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X/Recon 50P and the Xbox Stereo Headset are both gaming headphones with different strengths. The Turtle Beach have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, and their overall mic performance is better. However, the Xbox headphones are more comfortable, better built, and have a more stable fit.
Test Results
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X look a bit cheap. The mic is detachable and gives them a more casual over-ear design that you can use outdoors. However, the somewhat flashy color scheme, the lack of good padding, and the plasticky build quality doesn't look great. The stereo audio cable is not detachable and linked to each ear cup which can get a bit bothersome. On the upside, they have decently sized oval ear cups and a thin headband that keeps a low profile once on your head.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X have an awkward fit that doesn't quite rest around the ears as well as some of the other gaming headsets we've tested, like the Turtle Beach Stealth 300. The ear cups look fairly large, and they're decently well-padded but unfortunately, the pads are stiff and the opening they create is not large enough for all listeners. The headband is barely padded, but since they're fairly lightweight, you won't notice it as much. They won't be the most comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions. For a more comfortable Turtle Beach headset, take a look at the Turtle Beach Recon 70.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X/50P have a fairly simple gaming control scheme similar to the Logitech G Pro Gaming Headset. They also have a volume dial that's responsive and straightforward to use but doesn't have distinct notches. On the upside, the dial has definite endpoints, so you know when you've reached the full volume by touch. They also have a very basic on/off switch for the microphone. Unfortunately, their cable isn't removable so they don't have an alternate control scheme that will work better on mobile which is a little disappointing since you can remove their mic and use them outdoors like regular casual headphones.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X are decently breathable for an over-ear design mostly because they don't seal the ears within their cups as well. They partially rest on some ears, which will make them a bit cooler to wear on average than some of the other closed-back gaming headsets with non-porous pads. They won't be the best option for more strenuous activities but they should be fine for casual listening and gaming if you can get over the awkward fit.
These headphones don't fold into a more compact format. The ear cups do lay flat but it doesn't save much space and actually makes them considerably wider due to the angle of the cups. Unfortunately, this means that like most gaming headsets, they won't be easy headphones to carry around on your person and since their build quality is a little weak and they don't come with a case or pouch, they won't be ideal to throw into your backpack either. If you want something with much better portability, check out the Turtle Beach Battle Buds, a unique in-ear option.
The build quality feels cheap and plasticky and won't last as long as some of the other gaming headsets we've tested. The plastic used for the headband feels a little flimsy and cheap and their cable is not removable and a bit thin so if it snaps you will have to get a new headset. On the upside, the fragile build quality keeps them fairly lightweight and the ear cups are decently dense so they won't get damaged from a few accidental drops. The mic also feels fairly durable and a bit more premium than the rest of the build quality. Overall they aren't the worst-built but they feel a bit like a toy compared to others in their price range, like the HyperX Cloud Stinger.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X are moderately stable. They're just tight enough on the head to not move around much and since they are fairly lightweight, the ear cups don't slide or move around as much as some of the bulkier gaming headsets. Unfortunately, since their cable is not detachable it will yank the headphones off your head if it ever gets hooked by something.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X have a poor frequency response consistency. In the bass range, the maximum amount of deviation across our five human subjects is more than 24dB at 20Hz. This is quite significant and noticeable. Even at 100Hz, there's more than 12dB of deviation across multiple users. The treble range, on the other hand, has a good and consistent delivery.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X/50P have great bass. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 10Hz, which is excellent. Low-bass, responsible for thump and rumble common to bass-heavy music is within 1dB of our neutral target. Mid-bass, responsible for the body of bass guitars and punch of kick drums, is also within 1dB of our target which is great. However, high-bass, responsible for warmth, is overemphasized by almost 5dB. This makes the bass boomy and muddy sounding. Also, their bass delivery varies significantly across users, and is sensitive to the quality of fit, seal, and whether you wear glasses. The response here represents the average bass response and your experience may vary.
The mid-range reproduction is about average. The response is quite even and balanced throughout the range but with a 5dB tilt favoring lower frequencies, which is the continuation of the high-bass bump. This thickens the vocals and makes the overall sound a bit cluttered.
The treble performance is above-average. The response is relatively even and balanced throughout the treble range. Low-treble is underemphasized by more than 2dB, which along with the narrow 10dB dip at 5KHz reduces the detail and brightness of vocals and instruments a bit. On the upside, the response in the sibilance range (6kHz-10kHz) is well-balanced, so they won't sound too sharp on S and Ts.
The imaging performance is great. Weighted group delay is at 0.14, which is great. The GD graph also shows that the entire group delay is within the audibility threshold. The large spikes in group delay below 20Hz aren't in the audible range, so shouldn't have a noticeable negative effect on the sound. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our test unit were very well-matched in frequency, amplitude, and phase response. This is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video game effects) in the stereo field.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X/50P have a sub-par soundstage. The PRTF graph shows a little pinna activation, and the interaction is not very accurate. There's not a notch present around the 10kHz area, either. This and their closed-back design suggest a soundstage that is perceived to be located inside the listener's head, as opposed to in front.
The isolation performance of the Turtle Beach Recon 50X is sub-par. In the bass range, where the rumble of airplane and bus engines sits, they don't provide any isolation. In the mid-range, important for blocking out speech, they achieve less than 2dB of isolation, which is barely noticeable. In the treble range, occupied by sharp sounds like S and Ts, they isolate by about 20dB, which is about average.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X have a decent leakage performance. A significant portion of their leakage is spread between 500Hz and 2kHz, which isn't too broad. The overall level of the leakage is not very loud either. With the music 100dB SPL, the leakage at 1 foot away averages at about 42dB SPL and peaks at 54dB SPL, which is just above the noise floor of an average office.
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X/50P have a great boom mic. In quiet environments, speech recorded or transmitted with this microphone will sound full, natural, detailed, and present. In noisy situations, this mic can separate speech from background noise to a good degree even in loud environments, like a subway station or a game competition.
The recording quality of the boom mic is excellent. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 20Hz, which is great. This results in a recorded/transmitted speech that sounds full-bodied. The HFE (high-frequency extension) of 9.8kHz is very good too and means recorded speech will be detailed and present. The response between the LFE and HFE points is flat and even, so the speech would sound natural.
The boom microphone of the Turtle Beach Recon 50X is good at noise handling. It achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 26dB in our SpNR test, which means it can separate speech from ambient noise to a good degree even in very loud environments.
These wired headphones don't have any battery.
There's no companion app available for the Turtle Beach Recon 50X and they aren't supported by the Turtle Beach Audio Hub.
The included 1/8" TRRS cable is universal and works with PS4 and Xbox One controllers for audio and microphone. It can be used with a PC as well, but most computers will require a Y-adapter which is not included, unlike the HyperX Cloud Alpha.
There's no charging station or dock for the Turtle Beach Recon 50X. For good wireless headphones with a dock, check out the SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition.
