Turtle Beach Battle Buds sounds like a mobile game featuring Ninja Turtles in boardshorts battling Splinter and gang somewhere tropical. But it’s not (as far as I’m aware.) It’s an in-ear gaming headset designed for mobile gaming. And it’s really good … for mobile gaming.
Gaming on the go is a good marketing slogan for this affordable, portable, and functional headset from Turtle Beach, one of the best brands in the gaming audio business. Unlike it’s more expensive siblings, the Turtle Beach Battle Buds are inexpensive at just under $30. The Battle Buds come in two color choices: Black/Silver and White/Teal.
The ear buds have universal compatibility with the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4 Pro and PS4, as well as PCs and mobile devices with 3.5mm connections. The marketing from Turtle Beach is a bit muddled as they push the mobile application of the ear buds, while also promoting their usefulness with gaming consoles. I’ll get into more later in the article.
FIT
The Turtle Beach Battle Buds come with three sets of interchangeable ear tips and stabilizer wings to fit just about any ear. Changing the ear tips and stabilizers was quick and easy to find the right fit for my ears.
As it goes, I’m not a huge fan of wired ear buds. For gaming, I prefer over-the-ear headsets, and Apple AirPods for anything on my mobile device. Considering my dislike for wired ear buds, I found the Turtle Beach Battle Buds to be relatively comfortable and secure.
SOUND QUALITY
For the price, the Turtle Beach Battle Buds sound really good. I put the Battle Buds through the paces on several mobile games. Game and music sounds were clear and balanced. The range of sounds between lows and highs was roughly equal. The Battle Buds employ 10mm speakers that achieve sound quality on par with more expensive ear buds I’ve tried in the past. I didn’t experience any glitches while playing mobile games.
The same can be said about using the Battle Buds with a Nintendo Switch in mobile mode. I didn’t try it with the chat function while mobile, but the headset performed well for game sounds and music. The Turtle Beach Battle Buds are a strong headset option for mobile gaming.
On the Xbox, the headset quality was less desirable, but still adequate for game play. My biggest issue was a clicking sound whenever I adjusted my position or hands. The plug was secure in the jack, so not sure why this happened. I tested the Turtle Beach Battle Buds with my Microsoft Wireless Elite Controller.
Also, I had to monkey around with the audio controls on the Xbox system and within game to get the headset volume loud enough and generating sound in the best range profile. Not a big deal, but thought I should point this out.
As I mentioned earlier, the Turtle Beach’s marketing is a bit confusing. They tout the Battle Buds for use on Xbox and PS4 consoles. However, the sound quality is secondary to standard over-the-ear headsets like the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Wireless Surround Sound Headset, which I use as my primary gaming headset. Again, the Battle Buds price comes into play. They do cost $70 less than Stealth 600, so if money is tight, the Turtle Beach Battle Buds is a viable option.
A better marketing pitch for use on consoles would be “Turtle Beach Battle Buds sound pretty good for the price and won’t muss up your hair like over-the-ear headsets.” Seriously, you don’t want to go out for a night on the town with headset hair.
MICROPHONE
What makes the Turtle Beach Battle Buds a “headset” is the removable high-sensitivity mic. I really liked the flexibility of mic stalk. For multiplayer chats on Xbox, the sound quality is acceptable. It’s good for a headset that only costs $30. I’ve had more expensive over-the-ear headsets that delivered approximately the same quality for chat.
I also put the headset to the test over Skype on my iPhone. The audio quality from the speakers and mic was good. I use AirPods for my iPhone, so I’m used to a high-quality audio experience for video chats on my device. The Turtle Beach Battle Buds are a good back-up.
The biggest problem with the mic is that it’s too sensitive. It tends to pick up environment sounds such as other people talking nearby or ambient sounds.
INLINE REMOTE
The inline remote is satisfactory for what the headset was made for. It’s sturdy, but without the higher-quality functionality you’d find on more expensive headsets. It has a volume control slider, mute button for the microphone, and a multi-function button to control supported devices. The inline remote does the job without a lot of thrills.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Turtle Beach Battle Buds delivers a good audio experience for a mobile gaming headset that costs less than $30. The Battle Buds perform adequately for console games and mobile device conversations (voice and video). For a better experience with console games, spend a little bit more and get a decent over-the-ear headset. Especially something with surround sound.
Where the Turtle Beach Battle Buds really shine is mobile gaming including use with the Switch. They are light, compact, and affordable (which is good in case you lose or break them in your travels). More importantly, the headset delivers a high-quality audio experience for mobile gaming and mobile device use.
I highly recommend the Turtle Beach Battle Buds for your mobile gaming needs. At $30, the Battle Buds deliver an audio experience as good as more expensive headsets.
PACKAGE CONTENTS
- Battle Buds Headset
- Removable Microphone
- Ear Bud Tips (3 sizes)
- Stabilizer Wings (3 sizes)
- Carrying Pouch
- Quick Start Guide
- And, of course, a Turtle Beach sticker
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