Mic monitoring—also called sidetone—feeds a small amount of your own microphone signal back into your Turtle Beach headset so you can hear yourself while speaking. It helps prevent shouting through closed-back earcups, but it does not make your voice louder for teammates or improve the outgoing microphone signal by itself.
What mic monitoring actually does
Your microphone captures your voice, and the headset returns a low-latency copy to your earcups. The result is a local feedback signal that helps you judge your speaking volume, notice whether the microphone is active, and spot breathing or other sounds. Wireless and software-based implementations can introduce some delay.
“Mic monitor,” “mic monitoring,” and “sidetone” are generally interchangeable terms. They describe what you hear, not what other players receive. Turtle Beach explains the feature and its wearer-only effect in its Stealth 700 audio-controls documentation.
Why gamers use it
- Prevents shouting when closed-back or noise-isolating cups block your natural voice.
- Helps you maintain a consistent chat volume during long parties, calls, or streams.
- Confirms that an unmuted microphone is picking up sound.
- Reveals poor boom placement, breathing, keyboard noise, or room noise.
What it is not
Mic monitoring is not microphone volume, gain, noise cancellation, game volume, chat volume, or an audio recording. It is a monitoring path for your own voice.
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Mic monitoring versus other headset controls
| Control | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Mic monitoring | How loudly you hear your own voice |
| Microphone volume or gain | How strongly your voice is sent to other people |
| Game volume | Game audio level in your headset |
| Chat volume | How loudly other players sound to you |
| Game/chat mix | The balance between game and chat audio |
| Noise gate | Which quiet microphone sounds are allowed to transmit |
| EQ or mic preset | The tone or processing applied to the outgoing signal |
Turtle Beach documents Microphone Volume and Variable Mic Monitor as separate controls, and notes that its Control Studio monitoring path may not use the selected microphone EQ preset: Control Studio features.
How to adjust mic monitoring
Controls differ by model, generation, connection method, and platform. Identify the exact headset before applying a procedure.
Xbox
- Connect or pair the compatible Turtle Beach headset.
- Press the Xbox button.
- Open the Audio panel using the speaker icon.
- Adjust Mic monitor to your preferred level.
This path is shown in Turtle Beach’s Recon 200 Xbox setup and Recon 70 Xbox setup. The panel may look different across Xbox software versions and may appear only when compatible hardware is detected. A headset dial, button, or app can supplement or override the console control.
Headset controls
Depending on the model, a dial may provide continuous adjustment, a Mode button may cycle levels, or a microphone or multifunction button may toggle monitoring. Turtle Beach’s older Headset Audio Controller cycles Off, Low, and High after a long press of the Mic button: controller button documentation. The Stealth 600 Gen 2 PlayStation guide labels its control Variable Mic Monitoring.
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Supported Turtle Beach software can expose a Mic Monitor or Variable Mic Monitor slider. Newer products such as the Stealth 700 Gen 3 use the Swarm II desktop and mobile app for adjustable sidetone and other controls. App names and available settings vary by generation.
PlayStation
- Select the Turtle Beach headset as both input and output in the console audio-device settings.
- Make sure the boom is lowered or otherwise unmuted.
- Raise the headset’s mic-monitoring control.
- Check PlayStation microphone input level separately.
- Test in a party or system microphone test.
- If applicable, confirm USB-transmitter pairing and update firmware through the supported Turtle Beach app.
Do not apply the Xbox Audio-panel path to every PlayStation model; the headset control or companion app is usually the relevant adjustment.
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PC
Monitoring may come from headset hardware, Turtle Beach software, Windows Listen to this device, or a communications/streaming application. Select the headset as the default input and output, then check the game or voice app’s own devices. Turtle Beach’s compatibility guidance covers these choices for Stealth 700 Gen 2 and Stealth 600 Gen 2. Prefer native headset monitoring where available; Windows or app monitoring can add delay and create duplicate feedback.
Switch and mobile
Support depends on the model and whether it is connected by 3.5 mm, Bluetooth, USB, a dongle, or a controller. Platform compatibility alone does not prove that sidetone is available. Check the exact model’s manual and connection mode.
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There is no universal best setting. Start at low or medium, speak normally, and raise the level until your voice is clear without competing with game audio. Lower it if the sound feels distracting, unnatural, or noisy; turn it off if you dislike hearing yourself.
Closed-back cups, room noise, natural speaking volume, boom position, wired versus wireless design, and the headset’s signal path all affect the comfortable setting. Turtle Beach’s model-specific instructions demonstrate why maximum is not a universal rule: Recon 200 specifies minimum during one setup, Recon 70 says to use the preferred level, and Recon 50X illustrates maximum for its configuration.
Why mic monitoring is not working
- Raise the monitoring control; it may be disabled or at zero.
- Unmute the microphone. On flip-to-mute models, lifting the boom can disable monitoring.
- Confirm you are changing mic monitoring rather than chat balance or game volume.
- Check that the headset is fully connected, paired, and selected as the input device.
- Open the companion app and verify that monitoring is enabled.
- Update headset firmware and app software where supported.
- Check whether active noise cancellation or another model-specific mode disables monitoring; Turtle Beach documents this behavior for the original Stealth 700 in its mic troubleshooting guide.
- Verify that your current connection mode and product variant support sidetone.
Echo, delay, and unwanted noise
Echo heard by teammates
Lower mic monitoring, game, and chat volume. Disable Windows, Discord, OBS, or other application-level listening so only one monitoring path remains. Use one active microphone and output device, move the boom away from the earcup, and test in a private party. Speaker leakage or another person’s speakers can also create feedback.
Delayed self-voice
Hardware sidetone is designed to feel immediate, while Windows or streaming-software monitoring can add noticeable latency. Disable duplicate software monitoring and use the headset’s native control when possible. Wireless designs can also differ in latency.
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Room noise in the headset
Sidetone returns whatever the microphone captures, including breathing, keyboard sounds, fans, conversations, and television audio. Lowering monitoring changes how loudly you hear those sounds; it does not necessarily stop them reaching teammates. Adjust boom placement and use a supported noise gate or noise-reduction feature, which is separate from mic monitoring.
Why you can hear yourself but teammates cannot
Local sidetone proves that the headset is receiving a microphone signal, not that the console, game, or chat service is transmitting it correctly. Check mute status, input-device selection, privacy and voice-chat permissions, party channel, microphone level, wireless pairing, USB-transmitter connection, and boom placement. Use a party test or recorded test message to separate local monitoring from outgoing-chat problems, as recommended in Turtle Beach’s troubleshooting workflow.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which Turtle Beach headsets support it?
Do not assume every Turtle Beach headset has the feature or exposes it in the same way. Look in the model’s manual or app for Mic Monitor, Variable Mic Monitoring, or Sidetone; inspect the physical controls; and verify support for your platform and connection mode.
Buying only if you need a replacement
- Recon 70: an inexpensive wired option; verify the exact platform variant and monitoring behavior.
- Stealth 600 Gen 3: a lower-cost wireless multiplatform choice with Bluetooth and advertised mic-monitoring support. The U.S. product page showed $109.99 full price and $89.99 sale price when accessed; prices can change: official page.
- Stealth 700 Gen 3: a premium wireless model with dual-transmitter connectivity, Bluetooth, Swarm II, and adjustable sidetone. The U.S. page showed $199.99 full price and $149.99 sale price when accessed: official page.
- Stealth Pro II: a high-end option for broader premium features, not a necessary purchase for basic sidetone; the listed full price was $349.99 when accessed: official listing.
If your current headset already supports monitoring, identify its model before spending money. Choose a replacement only when you need a different connection type, platform support, or control set.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is mic monitoring the same as sidetone?
Yes. Turtle Beach and other headset makers commonly use these terms for returning your own microphone signal to your earcups.
Does mic monitoring make my microphone louder for friends?
No. It changes only the level of your locally returned voice. Microphone volume or gain controls the signal sent to others.
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- QuickSwitch Button for Seamless Wireless to Bluetooth switching
Can I use mic monitoring while muted?
Usually not. On documented flip-to-mute Turtle Beach models, monitoring stops when the microphone is muted.
Does it work on Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Switch?
Support depends on the exact headset generation, platform variant, connection method, firmware, and software. Check the model-specific guide rather than assuming cross-platform support.
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Start low or medium and raise it until your normal speaking voice is comfortable. Reduce it if you hear distracting noise, echo, or game-audio competition.
Does noise cancellation affect mic monitoring?
It can on some models and modes. Check the headset documentation; noise cancellation and sidetone are separate signal functions.
Can I turn mic monitoring off?
Supported models generally provide an Off setting, a zero-position slider, or a button cycle. The exact control depends on the headset.
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