Review: Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero – Quality from top to bottom

Turtle Beach is a name that is absolutely and entirely synonymous with video gaming. There wouldn’t be a gamer on the planet that hasn’t at the very least seen one of their MANY headsets. Being a staple of the industry, they’ve had years and years to learn from previous iterations and advance their technology – which is why I absolutely loved picking up the Elite Atlas Aero. Having used many Turtle Beach’s in my time, there have been plenty along the way that didn’t quite hit the mark, especially at the lower end. As a fan of the brand, I’ve loved being able to witness the growth the brand has experienced, and to say first hand that what they’re doing into 2020 is exceptional.

On first impression, you’ll note that the design of the Elite Atlas Aero is incredibly low profile, preferring a more professional and understated aesthetic. It’s reflected all the way from the controls, to the headband and ear cups;

Operationally, these ear cups are covered in what Turtle Beach say is a memory-foam padding. However, more than actually remembering anything, they are phenomenal at remaining cool! As a gamer, long sessions with a headset can get uncomfortable for two reasons – either you’ll get too hot inside the ear cups, or otherwise the headset will sit too tight on your head. For Turtle Beach to acknowledge and address this issue with the Elite Atlas Aero, they’re demonstrating that they understand exactly what it is gamers are looking for.

Along the left-hand side of the cup you’ll find the device controls – game volume, chat volume, programmable macro key, power button followed by a micro-USB charging port, AUX port and removable mic port;

Speaking of the removable microphone, I did initially have some concerns regarding the quality of the output but that was quickly put to bed after a few comparisons with other headsets. It seems the Elite Atlas Aero is prone to a much more bass-heavy microphone – with my preferences lying in a more flat sounding gaming mic. There’s nothing inherently wrong with one or the other, it really just depends on your own predisposition. 

The audio quality of a Turtle Beach goes without saying. Out of the box, the Elite Atlas Aero has a very true-to-life sound with a slight bass presence that only adds to the quality. We often find in gaming headsets that there’s a desperate attempt to try and pump bass through your head, feigning quality – however yet again Turtle Beach have narrowed it down to an art form. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it until the cows come home, but the chat/game volume scroll wheels really don’t do it for me as a PC gamer. Whether I’ve just never configured it properly or never found an actual use for it, I couldn’t say. But with access to the most accurate and simple audio controls in existence through Windows, the game/chat volume wheel really doesn’t do much for the PC players.

As per being a wireless headset, another make or break feature is the battery life – which for the Atlas Aero sits at 30 hours. A real sweet spot in that you can go on two or three serious binges without having to worry about a recharge. While many of you might be questioning how or why you’d need to go 30 hours without recharging a headset that is likely surrounded by power points, please spare a thought for those of us that are just way too lazy to remember to do that.

While it’s designed as a wireless PC/MAC headset, the Elite Atlas Aero also works on consoles in wired mode.

The price tag of $269 is a fair and reasonable price for such a high quality device. From the sleek design to the exceptional comfort, audio quality and great battery life, it’s a purchase you won’t regret. If you’re so inclined, you can pick it up from your local JB Hi Fi.