Turtle Beach Atlas Air review

Our VerdictFor those dreaming of wireless open back sound in a gaming headset format, the Atlas Air is a commendable effort to mash these two demands together, but it may prove too niche for some.

Our Verdict

For those dreaming of wireless open back sound in a gaming headset format, the Atlas Air is a commendable effort to mash these two demands together, but it may prove too niche for some.

ForGorgeous soundImpressive, innovative form factorSuperlative comfortAgainstSound leaks outSound leaks in

ForGorgeous soundImpressive, innovative form factorSuperlative comfort

AgainstSound leaks outSound leaks in

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58 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆$129.99View$179.99$146.99View$199.99ViewWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

58 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆

☆☆☆☆☆

$129.99View$179.99$146.99View$199.99View

$129.99View

Turtle Beach Atlas Air…

Amazon

$129.99View

$129.99

$179.99$146.99View

Turtle Beach - Atlas Air…

Best Buy

$179.99$146.99View

$179.99$146.99

$146.99

$199.99View

Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Pro…

Amazon

$199.99View

$199.99

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Out of the box the Atlas Air is an underwhelming affair. It’s an open-back wireless gaming headset with much emphasis placed on its lightness, which explains its pared back look. It weighs a light 301 grams and, compared to some of the competition in this price range, it definitely feels less like an expensive jewel in the hands and more like a blunt weapon.

Don’t expect fancy swivel cups with joints that will likely wear in a couple of years: this thing feels like you could pull it out like a snap band. People with enormous heads, you’re in luck. Pushers, shovers, known klutzes: this may be for you.

This utilitarian approach extends to its interface. The left cup has a big volume wheel attached, meaning you’ll never accidentally unpair your headset or switch it to Bluetooth mode while adjusting the volume. The detachable mic is a pull back to mute affair, and I think few would argue with the brute simplicity of this approach.

There’s a power button and two buttons that toggle between Bluetooth and wireless modes, and an LED denoting power or a near-spent battery. Its battery has an advertised 50 hour life, and I only charged it twice during the three weeks I spent using it.

Atlas Air specs(Image credit: Future)Connection:2.4GHz wireless (Type-C dongle), Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C cable, 3.5mm analogue cableType:Over-ear, open-backFrequency response:20 - 40,000hzDrivers:40mm with Waves 3D AudioMicrophone:Uni-directional 16-bit 32kHz high-bandwidthWeight:301 gPrice:$150/£160/ AU$299

Atlas Air specs

(Image credit: Future)Connection:2.4GHz wireless (Type-C dongle), Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C cable, 3.5mm analogue cableType:Over-ear, open-backFrequency response:20 - 40,000hzDrivers:40mm with Waves 3D AudioMicrophone:Uni-directional 16-bit 32kHz high-bandwidthWeight:301 gPrice:$150/£160/ AU$299

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Atlas Air

Connection:2.4GHz wireless (Type-C dongle), Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C cable, 3.5mm analogue cableType:Over-ear, open-backFrequency response:20 - 40,000hzDrivers:40mm with Waves 3D AudioMicrophone:Uni-directional 16-bit 32kHz high-bandwidthWeight:301 gPrice:$150/£160/ AU$299

The overall impression is of a headset that promises to work. It’s aesthetically restrained, and the polyurethane shell doesn’t feel expensive in the hand. Its headband is made of a flexible mesh that some may clock as cheap, until its benefits shine through. This band is adjustable with velcro and is probably the main contributing factor towards both the Atlas Air’s lightness and its superlative comfort during long gaming sessions.

It’s hard to convey objective ‘comfort’ when it comes to headsets because a lot tends to rest on the size of one’s skull and one’s habits using it, but as a big skulled man who spent upwards of four hours in-session at a time for this review, I don’t think I’ve ever felt as unencumbered.

I mean, look how far these cans stretch out. There is 300mm between the cushions here:

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Atlas Air

The memory foam cushioned-cups ‘float’, which is to say, they’re not technically connected to the band at all but rather tightly secured via a total of 12 elastic bands. As you can probably imagine, this contributes to the stretchability of the unit as a whole. Securing the two most important components of a headset together in this fashion might seem a bit dubious in theory. While it’s yet to be seen how the Atlas Air fares long term, in my view it feels much more secure than cups that pivot from the band, or are held via usually thin metal hinges. I’ve had headphones worth more than double the Atlas Air break within six months of use based on these mechanisms: maybe some thinking outside the box is welcome.

Over the three weeks I spent using this thing for review—both at my deskgamingand also using it as a Bluetooth set of headphones for walking and commuting—the Atlas Air’s featherweight comfort is the quality that stuck out to me. It has other strengths, but boy, does this thing seem to dematerialise once you’ve placed it on your skull.

But that’s just one major aspect of the Atlas Air’s pitch; the other is its audiophile chops. It’s little wonder that half of the contenders on our list ofthe best audiophile headphonesfor gaming are open back. Note that list is for “headphones” too—not gaming headsets. It’s a relatively niche demand, and its drawbacks are often too severe to warrant inclusion in a device designed specifically for gaming.

Image1of4(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

Image1of4

(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Atlas Air

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Atlas Air

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Atlas Air

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Atlas Air

Buy if…✅ You want accurate ‘audiophile’ sound:The Atlas Air sounds brilliant thanks to its open-back design, with a huge focus on staying true to the sonic source material.✅ You’re a stickler for comfort:While not the lightest headset on the market, it feels lighter thanks to an unorthodox approach to design.

Buy if…

✅ You want accurate ‘audiophile’ sound:The Atlas Air sounds brilliant thanks to its open-back design, with a huge focus on staying true to the sonic source material.✅ You’re a stickler for comfort:While not the lightest headset on the market, it feels lighter thanks to an unorthodox approach to design.

Don’t buy if…

This is, according to Turtle Beach, the first wireless open-back headset “designed for PC”. It’s of course not the first open-back gaming headset—I reviewed thisAudio-Technica modela few years back—but the combination of wireless and open-back is ostensibly new here. As someone who generally prefers open back and can cope with its inherent drawbacks, this combination is extremely welcome. Which leaves one final consideration: how’s the mic?

As you can hear in the sample above, it’s perfectly clear and, mirroring the qualities of the speakers it’s connected to, has no truck with accidental lower frequencies. In other words, it doesn’t add bass to my voice like some mics do, and in practice it cuts through with all attendant detail thanks to its 100 to 16,000Hz frequency response.

What’s the verdict, then? As someone who prefers the detail and ‘truth’ of open-back headphones, I love this marriage of that principle with wireless functionality and a great microphone. The fact that this appeal to my niche interests comes in a bizarrely feathery and flexible form factor is a bonus. The Atlas Air is niche, and you probably shouldn’t buy an open-back headset without understanding the drawbacks. If your gaming PC is set up in the same room as the family TV, for example, this is probably not for you. But if you’ve been waiting for a wireless open-back for gaming, well: this is it. And it’s done very well.

Turtle Beach Atlas Air: Price Comparison

58 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆

☆☆☆☆☆

$129.99View$179.99$146.99View$199.99View

$129.99View

Turtle Beach Atlas Air…

Amazon

$129.99View

$129.99

$179.99$146.99View

Turtle Beach - Atlas Air…

Best Buy

$179.99$146.99View

$179.99$146.99

$146.99

$199.99View

Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Pro…

Amazon

$199.99View

$199.99

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

The Verdict80Read our review policyTurtle Beach Atlas AirFor those dreaming of wireless open back sound in a gaming headset format, the Atlas Air is a commendable effort to mash these two demands together, but it may prove too niche for some.

The Verdict

80Read our review policyTurtle Beach Atlas AirFor those dreaming of wireless open back sound in a gaming headset format, the Atlas Air is a commendable effort to mash these two demands together, but it may prove too niche for some.

80Read our review policy

Turtle Beach Atlas AirFor those dreaming of wireless open back sound in a gaming headset format, the Atlas Air is a commendable effort to mash these two demands together, but it may prove too niche for some.

Turtle Beach Atlas Air

For those dreaming of wireless open back sound in a gaming headset format, the Atlas Air is a commendable effort to mash these two demands together, but it may prove too niche for some.

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Our Verdict#

Our Verdict