TechRadar Verdict
The Turtle Beach Recon Spark headset is comfortable and robust, working across a range of platforms. However, while the chat is clear and noise-cancelling is great, the sound is a massive disappointment.
Pros
- +
Multi-platform
- +
Comfortable fit (glasses friendly)
- +
Feels robust
- +
Clear chat
Cons
- -
Sound quality is severely lacking
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Turtle Beach produces some of the best gaming headsets on the market but, when it comes to the Recon Spark, there's a lot to be desired.
The Turtle Beach Recon Spark is undoubtedly primarily marketed at female gamers (just look at the headset's product page) with a softer color palette than Turtle Beach's usual offering and a focus on comfort.
But while the Recon Spark is an aesthetically pleasing and hugely comfortable gaming headset that works on multiple platforms, when it comes to sound performance it is seriously lacking – and it's a huge disappointment.
While the Recon Spark is affordably priced at £39.99 / $49.95, if you're looking for a gaming headset with powerful audio capabilities then this likely isn't the one for you.
Design
The Turtle Beach Recon Spark is beautifully designed with its white and lavender color scheme and robust (though plastic) feel. It almost feels like a premium over-ear headset with its chunky flip-up mic and adjustable metal-reinforced headband.
However, where the Recon Spark truly shines is in its comfort. Its one of the most comfortable headsets we've ever tested, with memory-foam ear cushions, padded headband and a glasses friendly design – making it fit snugly on your head.
Typically, wearing a gaming headset for hours on end can begin to put a lot of pressure on your head and ears. We've also found that, as a glasses-wearer, after a few short hours headsets typically become uncomfortable and regular breaks are needed to reduce the pain.
But we wore the Recon Spark headset for hours on end without any comfort problems - it was simply a pleasure.
Performance
The Recon Spark is a multi-platform gaming headset, meaning it works with Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PS4 Pro, Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile. That means you can use this one headset for all your gaming needs.
The headset's 3.5mm audio jack means you may need an adaptor for the likes of an iPhone - if an audio jack port isn't already built in.
But Turtle Beach's comfort-focused, multi-platform approach to the Recon Spark means that, unfortunately, it suffers in terms of sound performance.
Despite boasting 40mm drivers, the Recon Spark's sound is extremely tinny and overly quiet. We found ourselves trying to adjust the sound using the on-ear controls to make voices more clear, but as the sound increased (and voices became louder) they also became more distorted. No matter how much we tried to balance the audio, it still sounded like we were listening to someone in an underwater bunker.
When it comes to voice chat however, the Recon Spark recovers by offering clear chat through its high-sensitivity microphone - which flips up to mute.
Verdict
The Turtle Beach Recon Spark is an affordable and comfortable headset that is unfortunately let down by its disappointing sound quality.
If you're looking for a robust headset for multiple gaming platforms which will do the job without all the bells and whistles, and aren't particularly fussed on performance, then the Recon Spark could be for you.
However, if sound quality is as important to you as comfort then you can likely pick up a similarly priced headset with better performance.
