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Gabriel
> 24 hourI bought this headphones after long research on the net. Im not quite an audiophile but been using lots of headphones over the years, mainly for music. This was my first set for gaming, and i was aiming for the comfort and the sound quality of course. Ill be describing each aspect separately: Sound: Right out the box, i must say i was worried: these not sounded like i expected (considering what i paid). I had to play a little while with the software and the presets to get them to a sound quality i merely liked. But what really did the job was actually, time. After some burn-in they really started to bring some power over the mids and bass. Now Im using the regular preset and quite satisfied with the quality (considering these are for gaming mainly). You get a good sense of spacing and clarity of whats going on in-game, especially at regular volumes. One point I havent found good use to it yet is the DTS X v2.0 Surround: For me it was kind of messy the way it digitally distorted sound to make it more global, so after trying it for a few days, i decided to turn it off and havent looked back since. As a last comment, this headset sounds well locked from outside noises, but not even near passive noise cancelation levels. It should do more than ok in a quiet enviroment or a small room, but in bigger places youre gonna be in need of raising the volume too high, which isnt a good thing at all. Comfort: Probably the best thing about this set is how comfortable they are. They really feel all around well constructed, and havent felt any discomfort in my ears after several hours of use, something i was really aiming for. Microphone: Maybe the lowest point in this set is the microphone. Dont get me wrong, it isnt a bad microphone at all, it sounds clear and feels ok, but you would probably expect more for the money youre paying, in terms of the crystal clear quality theyre offering. So, wrapping up, this is good headset overall: good sound, great quality and design, ok microphone. It should totally fill your expectations in the gaming area (it did for me, at least), but if you want audiophile quality sound for music, editing and other stuff beside of gaming, maybe you should look somewhere else. UPDATE: After 3 weeks of using this set, i began to have some trouble with the signal: sudden interference with the sound and some static crackling. Even unpairing would happen for around 5 seconds. Did all the troubleshooting, contacted the TS and the conclusion was that i got a defective transmitter. Solution to that? Buy a new one! Not a single solution given by Steelseries, not even a discount on a new pair. Luckily the support from Amazon was flawless and they responded for it, for what im grateful. Consider this before buying from this brand, i wont be doing so in the future thats for sure.
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LIsa
> 24 hourWould be amazing if it didn’t add its own programs to the computer and I don’t want it.
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Jeremy W.
> 24 hourOverview - the SteelSeries Arctis 7 (2019 edition) has a good quality set of drivers and microphone, plus is made from very high quality materials and includes lots of extras which leaves very little to be desired. The Good: Build Quality - 5 out of 5 These headphones are made from very durable and quality materials, and overall feel very solid. I especially like the ski goggles headband style since you only have to adjust it once for your head and then never have to worry about readjusting it, unlike the traditional telescoping headband that most headphones have. The headband is made of steel and plastic with an elastic band for support, and the earphones are made from high quality plastic. The ear cups are made from memory foam covered with an interweaved material which is light and breatheable, but still keeps external noise out well. There are very few points of articulation in this headset which I like because that means there are less potential points of failure. Sound Quality - 4 out of 5 Overall the sound quality is solid, and these headphones have a generally flat frequency response, with a slight bump in the mid-lows. Its taking me some time to adjust to this flat EQ because the headset that I was using previously was excessively muddy and boomy in the lows (Kingston HyperX Cloud), however the sound is very balanced across the frequency spectrum. Connectivity Options - 5 out of 5 This headset includes a ton of connectivity options right out of the box, and you can tell that the engineers who designed it took interoperability and ease of use into consideration when building it. It includes a wireless dongle which plugs into your computer via USB and is used to sync to the headset wirelessly, as well as a USB charging cable for the headset and a 3.5 mm headset jack to mini usb cable for use with non-bluetooth enabled devices (such as the Xbox One). I especially like that the wireless dongle includes an audio in and audio out headset jack, so you can run an alternate line in (like a music player) or line out (to a secondary set of speakers). The best part is that the wireless dongle will automatically switch over to the line out when the headset is powered down or disconnected, so you can run the line out cable to a set of external speakers and can switch between your wireless headset and the external speakers by just turning the headset on and off. The included configuration software is also very nice and has many options for adjusting the input sound, frequency levels as well as saving various profiles for different uses. The Bad: Comfort - 3 out of 5 Unfortunately, these arent the most comfortable headset Ive ever tried or owned, and due to their design they are very limited in terms of adjustability (more of a 1 size fits all approach). Many people complain that the headband was too tight or too loose for their head, but luckily it seemed to fit me perfectly. My problem lies with the earcups themselves. While the cups are soft and very breatheable, they are quite thin and the inside of the cups dont offer nearly as much padding as other headphones that Ive owned. I also wear glasses and have large ears, which ultimately means that these headphones cause fatigue in longer wear sessions. I have found that I can only wear them for a few hours at a time before my ears start to get sore and I need to take them off for a bit. If comfort is the most important feature for you then you are probably better off looking for a more adjustable headset, however I find these to be as good or better than most so ultimately it wasnt a deal breaker for me.
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Joseph Millis
> 24 hourI could wear these all day and practically forget they are on. The headband cushions the weight wonderfully, and despite my big head, I havent had a problem with the limited adjustability. The biggest complaints in terms of build I have are the two volume dials being a little too easy to accidentally adjust, and that I would prefer a flip up mic rather than roll out style this has, but that hasnt cause any actual problems. Sound quality is quite good, the best wireless Ive had. Im sure for several hundred more I could get better sound quality, but I think these are already at the sweet spot. Battery life is quite decent, enough that I havent really paid attention to how long they last before needing a charge. The signal strength is really where it shines. I can not only go anywhere in my apartment without interruption, I can walk out the door (on the far side of my apartment, with two walls in between) around the corner and down the hall about 30 feet before it finally begins to cut in and out. Other features I appreciate are the line in and out on the wireless transmitter, which is also on a long cord to allow for optimal placement. I also love the 3.5mm output on the headset themselves, allowing me to easily share sound. I actually find this quite useful for linking to my partners headphones when we watch streaming video while chatting with friends over discord, allowing us to cast to our TV without the sound coming over the microphone. Will most people use those features? Probably not, but they are also just the icing on the cake.
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Agile
> 24 hourBut I cant. In fact, I usually dont write 3 star reviews, but in some ways, I feel like Im being generous. I actually have two of these headsets. I personally found them so comfortable, that when I had to stop b/c of running out of power (and FYI, the 24 hour estimate is hogwash!) I wanted a second pair to put on, despite the annoyance of having to go into Windows to reset my audio every whatever. Heres the thing though. This set has a TON of quirks that Ive just never seen in another set. And, TL;DR - its enough for me to finally give up on the most comfortable headset ever. 1. Beeping. Go google it. Youll find TONS of people saying the thing beeps, and there are just as many solutions, but in my case, none of them work. Get this: even muting system sounds doesnt make it stop. Somehow, this has a receiver thats sitting not three feet from the headset itself, yet, it still makes disconnection sounds, sometimes, about ten in 5 seconds. Yes, that fast. Its insane. 2. As mentioned by others, distortion. Dropping $150 on a headset, you figure you can crank this puppy up, but nope. Particularly with voices (like watching 90% of youtube or twitch), when a person is talking, its very easy to pick up a lot of cracking and distortion. 3. The aforementioned time. Good grief, Im lucky if I get ten hours out of this thing after a year. Its certainly not 20+. 4. is related to 3 so...I did figure out this one issue - I had thought it wouldnt take a charge, but in actuality, theres a bug in the software where the green light on the power button (which is where you know its charged) turns red.. and STAYS RED. It was out of the warranty period, so I bought another headset, but turns out, that if you leave it plugged in while its charging, and then turn it on, while plugged in, the light turns back to green. ...? WTF! Yes, its a known bug, they havent fixed it (and face it, they wont now) but, if you have this headset - youre welcome. /eyeroll 5. Volume. As others have noted, at MAX setting there are times when I can barely hear whats being played, which is kind of insane. I have a Razer Synapse that performs WAY better. I just have to assume their governor in the Arctis 7 is set to protect the user, but in fact, its really disappointing. Im all for not blaring music, but this is ridiculous. 6. Did I mention the beeping? Ive tried so many things - moving the receiver (it comes with one that is already 3 feet long - it sits on my desk). I also learned that plugging a headset into a USB hub can cause issues (and it did seem to get a little better when I took out that thing from the loop) but it didnt fix the problem. And, when its fully charged, it seems like it works a bit better. Sometimes I can get a few hours without any beeps. But then, another time, Ill pull it off the shelf (I have three headsets hanging on the wall behind me) and BAM.. fresh off a charger, it beeps at me about 30 times in a minute, and I just give up and go back to a Razer I have. I definitely cannot recommend this headset to anyone else. I read on many websites a few years ago how this one went back and forth with a few other brands for being the best available at the time, but I just dont see it. When they have several common errors that they refuse to fix, one just has to assume its the company not willing to go the distance. Am now in search of another wireless headset that
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flamelier
> 24 hourI did a bunch of research on a new headset(with or without a mic). I asked around to a discord I am in (1k+ members) and they suggested a bunch this one was with in my budget and was mentioned a lot. I love it. When I was away at school, I would walk around(playing VR), go make food(Listening to music or chatting), and yes actually play games with it. I never had connection issues when I was in the one story house. NOW that may have you think oh one story house so he has issues now. Actually the only time I have connection issues is now when I leave the two story house I am in and go down the drive way. Ill lose connection. (receiver is on the second floor in my room). It does how ever reconnect as soon as it can. I have lost some connections when I was all the way across the house down a floor. But thats because I am wayyyy outside the normal range these are meant to run at. Plus it reconnects pretty easily! The mic is great, Ive had no issues nor complaint from anyone(I stream and Voice Chat a lot). I have an sound/audio setup that has an AT2020 mic. Personally Ive been using this headset more now. The mic on it s good quality plus the ability to mute it by just reaching up and hitting a button is awesome. (leave the mic boom push all the way in). I can change the volume of game AND chat on the fly plus the actual volume of everything combined really easy. Really helps with someone wont shut up in discord and Im trying to listen to something in game. I can also set it to where I can hear my music but the game more. Which is awesome. It has a little notch/grove setting for game/chat volume control which is normally perfect! Over all 10/10, 5/7 product!
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Eric
> 24 hourI was in the market looking for a new gaming headset that wasnt going to break the bank. I was able to snag these for around low 100s and pulled the trigger on them! I have heard many great things about this headset, but I wanted to really try them for myself and see if I liked them. After a year of using these bad boys, I can definitely say it was worth all $100! I think the sound quality is good enough, especially for the price of $100. My favorite thing about this headset is the simple/easy bluetooth connection. I leave the dongle connected to my PC and anytime I want to use my headset I just turn them on and theyre prepared to go! The headset is built pretty nicely, very sturdy & strong build. The ear cushion is pretty cozy, I have definitely worn this headset for 4 hours straight gaming. Absolutely no complaints, its really well-built and nice! The only issue I would have with this headset is that sometimes it loses connection on initial set up & the battery life is aite... I use this headset pretty often so I can see why the battery life has been diminished. I charge mine after every use because I like the portability aspect of it being wireless. If this is a deal breaker for you, the Arctic 7 pros comes with an additional battery for you to swap while the other one is charging. Only regret I have on this headset is that I didnt wait long enough to get the white ones :(. Other than that! Absolutely A1 headset for gaming!
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SobaUnnie
> 24 hourThe SteelSeries Arctis 7 is a well-made, wireless, and aesthetically pleasing set of headphones. I originally bought this because (1) I needed a new set of headphones, and (2) it was recommended by a friend. I am writing this review after four (4) months of almost daily usage. AESTHETICS/PACKAGING The packaging of the product and the aesthetic of the product itself is great. I have zero complaints as I have received the package in brand-new condition. I absolutely love the white colour of the headphones -- it is sleek, matte, and clean. There is no RGB feature, so if you are an RGB junkie, this product is not for you. FUNCTIONALITY (1) PC: I use a Windows 10 system, and so far the functionality has been fine for me for the most part. At first, I didnt know why it just turned off after 30 minutes of being idle. It took me a while to figure out the fact that I can set up the headphones to automatically shut off, or just to leave it on (although thatd drain my battery). The nice thing about these headphones is that if you forget to power it off after shutting down your PC, itll automatically power down after a solid 10-15 minutes, which is great for power-saving. I also love how I can go back and forth with Game and Chat mode on my headphones. At first it was confusing, but with some time and usage, I got used to it and became handy when I utilise Discord and whatever game that I am playing. The fact that I can mute myself without using a mute function on my software has to be the best thing. Sometimes my friends find me suspicious or weird when I mute myself (I... dont know why), or sometimes if I have to sneeze/cough a lot because Im sick, this is a quick and easy way to excuse myself from others during a voice call. As for usage with gaming, it is very smooth and does not break or disrupt. The only time when it will is if you have a connectivity issue with your wireless hub thats provided (probably with your wire or USB), or your Internet connection (for any voice calls). (2) OTHER ELECTRONICS: I have tried using this for my phone, but the only issue is that your phone will not work with the wireless functionality, as it must be wired (wire for 3.5mm jack is provided in the package). Ive used it for my phone once, and never again. The headphones are kind of bulky for me to carry it around unless if I bring it for conference calls in business trips. COMFORT As a female, my head is smaller than an average male head and so sometimes I find my headphones slipping off here and there. The ear cushions are soft and comfortable -- Ive never found an issue with the cushions regarding comfort. CONNECTIVITY The fact that these are wireless are life-changing. If youve never used wireless anything, its really time to change. I can go from my room to the restroom (which usually causes disruption) to another room thats at least 15 feet away, and there is no disturbance or disruption. In fact, I went outside (right by my back door to the back yard) and I can still speak and listen to music/audio clearly. COMPATIBILITY I can only speak for Windows 10 (PC). It works perfectly with the system and Ive had no problems with it so far. BATTERY LIFE Obviously with any system, the battery life is pristine the first time you use it. The headphones have lasted me about 3 days of an average of 4-6 hours of usage/day. I would say thats pretty solid for a set of wireless headphones. The great thing about this headset is you can tell when the battery is going low by the power button light (will not be green) and the sound it makes when you power on/off the headset (will have a slower sound when power is low). Currently, I use the headphones for 4-6 hours a day, for about 3 days of usage, with just a single full charge. I charge my headphones when I do not use my PC (with my PC on since it is USB charge). NOISE-CANCELLING FEATURES This is the one feature I dislike about this product, which is why Im giving this product 4-stars. Ive noticed that the noise-cancelling feature is the weakest point of this product -- the sound leaks A LOT from the headset to the point where if I were to just leave my audio running with my headset off with medium volume, I can hear the music from about a 5-10 feet distance. Id say, thats not a good sign if you want noise-cancelling features. Luckily I do not care so much about this feature and my rooms door does that job, so Im okay with it. OVERALL 4/5 rating, mostly because of the noise-cancelling feature and my grip with these headphones. Otherwise, the general functionality, compatibility, and aesthetic features of the product is very satisfying. Its a great overall product, and Id recommend it to anyone who isnt sensitive about noise-cancelling features.
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Michael
> 24 hourI was on the hunt for a new headset after the one I had which used a flip up to mute system stopped working. I work fully remote, and generally wear headphones for 6-8 hours a day for music/meetings. I needed a pair that would meet my needs, all day comfort, quality mic and audio, a physical mute button, and wireless. It took me three tries, with different brands before I finally decided to bite the bullet and spent what was previously an unimaginably large sum for headphones for me. This model had by far the most reviews of any other, it had solid reviews across the board and I figured it was time to pay for some quality. I could not be happier. The fit is perfect (although it takes a few tries to get used to adjusting with this particular strap mechanism), the sound is great, the retractable mic is convenient and works well, its comfortable for long periods of time, and the wireless range is great (I can move from my office, through multiple walls into the kitchen without losing signal). Ill never go to another brand. Pay for quality, its worth it.
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Ben
> 24 hourI have been eying wireless headphones for a while. I love the sound quality of my current setup, but I wanted to have a little more freedom to move around while casually using my computer or gaming. When I saw these on sale, I decided to go for them. Sound Quality: The sound quality on these is pretty cool. At first, they sounded a little iffy, but I was able to go into the Steel Series software and tune it to how I liked it. This was really easy. I gave them a 4/5 because they work great for gaming and for casual use for YouTube and stuff like that it is closer to sounding good than great. I briefly tested the microphone so I could include it in this review. I would call it passable. If you are using it for chatting in-game or over discord, I do not think anyone would think it is bad - but I wouldnt do any sound recording with the mic. Comfort: These are some of the most comfortable headphones I have used. I love the headband design and wish it was used everywhere. It is super easy to adjust to fit your head and is barely noticeable while wearing. You can definitely wear them for multiple hours without fatigue. I have tried them with both glasses and without and have not noticed it being much, if at all, more uncomfortable with the glasses on. Miscellaneous There isnt much else to put here. I think the position of the controls is all right. I have been using them for a bit and still have a hard-ish time finding the power button or the mic mute button without looking. The software seems pretty robust (this is used to change the sound settings and all of that). The bright red glow on the microphone when it is muted is a little annoying. When I wear glasses, I can sometimes catch the reflection of it in the corner of my eye. I would have also preferred if it just muted when you slid the microphone into the hidey-hole rather than using a toggle/button. The wireless is amazing. My setup is on the second floor, and I can go literally anywhere in my house without it dropping. Even the basement. The only time the signal got iffy was when I was standing next to a microwave. Verdict Overall, I would 100% recommend these at the price point I got them ($100) if you are looking for a wireless headset with a microphone. Once you move past $100, you start to get into the territory of other headsets that also have good reviews. I have not personally used any other wireless headset for almost 6 years, so I cannot speak to that. I can say I still would have been mostly happy with these at their retail of $140 (as of writing this review). But my complaints about the controls would have been more substantial at that price point.