Thanks to Stealth Gaming, we were lucky enough to try out the range of gaming headsets brand new to the Australian market. The Stealth Hornet is a robust stereo gaming headset designed to deliver high-quality chat and game sound simultaneously. The headset takes its name from the F/A-18, an all-weather plane designed as a fighter and attack aircraft.
With shopping opportunities restricted at the moment, I made the choice to not to rush my review of this product. Before making any purchase recommendations, I made sure to put in hours first - I've spent the last 2 months cycling between this set, another Stealth set and my trusty HyperX Cloud Revolver S to get a good feel for each and see exactly what the differences are between them.
The Stealth Hornet is great for all platforms, compatible with PS4, XBOX ONE (older XBOX ONE controllers may require a separately purchased adapter), Nintendo Switch, PC (pink and green jacks require a PC splitter cable - not included), mobiles and tablets (via 3.5mm jack connection). If you're looking for a good sounding, entry level headset at a great price ($89.95RRP) then this is the headset for you.
Out of the box, the Stealth Hornets are a very slick looking headset. Extra points to them in the packaging department for using zero plastics; which despite being irrelevant to performance, is a bonus in my books. The headset itself looks very solid and tidy, with ample padding around the top of the headband and around the ear cups. The only disappointment I had when unboxing this product was the flimsy looking inline control for volume and mircophone control. However, while it looked flimsy, it actually functions perfectly, I've used it for over a month now and have had zero issues. The same can also be said for the microphone, it doesn't look or feel as solid as the one on my Hyper X, but again with continuous bending and twisting and plugging and unplugging, it still works as well as the day I got it.
The sound quality from this headset is obviously not the best, but is probably better than that on the A10's the microphone, whilst not blowing me away was fine, I never had any issues when talking to any of my friends online, however there was a noticeable wind noise when using my ceiling fan which is directly above me, but that's to be expected. The biggest issue I have with the headset itself is that it doesn't quite sit right on my head. This is a problem I seem to find with most cheaper headsets so it could be a "shape of my head issue" rather than a product issue, however it doesn't affect performance, nor really the comfort in any major way but you are constantly aware that its not sitting how it should be and will find yourself regularly trying to adjust it to no avail.
Another great feature of this headset is its flexibility. The level of bending and twisting this thing can take is phenomenal. Obviously bending and twisting for the sake of it is never good for a product but its good to know I could put these in my backpack or suitcase and that they will be fine, which also makes them a great choice for kids. Id safely say that this headset is much more flexible than my HyperX.
Don't get me wrong the Stealth Hornet headset is definitely not a market leader in quality. It would be unfair to even compare it to headsets like the Arctis Pro, Astro A50's or my personal favourite, the Cloud Revolver S. The Stealth range doesn't profess to be the best and prices itself accordingly. When comparing them to other entry - mid level products the Stealth really does hold its own. In fact, when compared to the Astro A10's, the Stealth Hornet headset was in my opinion better in almost every way. The cheaper hornets had better sound quality, microphone quality and are probably more durable than the Astros.
Pros:
Slick design
Versatility
Decent mid level sound quality
Price
Decent mic quality
Flexibility and durability
Cons:
Doesn't sit right on my head
Flimsy controller
Overall, the Stealth Hornet headset is a good entry - mid range headset on a budget. They are great for kids given that the sitting off the head thing isn't an issue and perfect if you're looking for something relatively light weight and cheap, that you can use across all your devices. The sound quality is good (not great) but the price is reasonable.
This headset is currently available through EB Games and at the time of posting is on sale for $69. Click here to be taken to EB's product page.
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