SteelSeries Arctis 7 - Lossless Wireless Gaming Headset with DTS Headphone: X v2.0 Surround - for PC and PlayStation 4 - Black

I spend multiple hours researching wireless over-the-ear headsets and finally came down to the Arctis 5 and the 7. I however did not put the 9 or Pro series in the mix due to my use-case and cost. From a gaming perspective, the audio switching from game to discord voice chat is amazing, given that I select the correct audio option (there is a Game and Chat option for audio to make this work correctly). Its so convenient to fade out the game audio to hear voice chat a little better rather than digging through game options mid game and wasting time, especially when seconds matter. Same with when my friends are talking too loud and I need to focus on the game. From a music/audio perspective, this headset offers a very good audio mixer to adjust playback to the exact way I like to listen to music. The 7.1 surround makes movies sound exactly as they were intended to be watched. Battery life is amazing, Im able to use the headset all day and then some on just a single charge, which was a huge deal for me. I had a pair of wired Razer Megalodons before this and was worried that battery life was going to be an issue, but so far Ive been blown away by the 7s performance. Ive used the mic one time during a voice chat session and was immediately told it sounded terrible when compared to my Blue Snowball. So if you do not have an external mic, do not expect perfection from this headset. But, this is common among headset mics.

I 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.

Comfortable for long periods. 24+ hour battery life. The clearest mic Ive ever used short of prosumer/professional grade kit. All of that, and somehow the sound quality is also amazing. I could gush on end for an hour or more about these. I recommend them to anyone whos budget would afford them. I even bought a second pair because my girlfriend liked mine so much. Ive got 5 different sets of wired cans that are far more expensive than these. Audiophile-grade stuff. For most, there will be very little difference in sound quality. I actually prefer these over the others because they are comfy as well. The only set that actually rivals them is my Sennheisers, but those are on my desk at work. Before I got these and for a while after, I was using a Blue Yeti (one of the ones from before Logitech bought them) for comms with my friends and family. One day, the USB port broke off the Yeti so I started using the mic on these. Everyone said it was better. Said I was clearer than before and there was less background noise despite noise gates and filtering software used with the Yeti. I still bought a replacement, but only for table usage... for one-on-one I still prefer the Arctics mic. Did I mention theyre comfy? I have a fat head and mid-size ears. They fit and cushion perfectly. My Sennheisers feel better, but both of my Fostex sets are lacking in comparison. This is comparing to other, more expensive over-ears mind you. I make the above comparisons because if you go to a bunch of gaming enthusiasts and ask them what kind of gaming headphones you should get, they will ALWAYS tell you to get a good set of cans without a mic. Something youd listen to an album with. My observation is that before I tried these that was indeed what I would recommend. But now Im a believer. Ive use sets from Kingston (HyperX), Razer, Corsair and a few others and none of those could stand up to halfway-decent audiophile targeted cans paired with a standard desk mic. Steelseries made me a believer with the Arctic 7.

I really like this headset. I wear it for 10+ hours a day and it stays super comfy. The sound quality is great and I love the game/voice dial, its super useful. Plus the wireless is perfect, it has great range (about 40-50 ft) and they arent too heavy. However, the mic audio could be a tad better, according to people listening. Its not a deal-breaker though; the mic input audio is still miles ahead of airpods and other built-in mics, and only a couple steps behind a standalone mic, like the Blue Yeti. The biggest drawback is the confusing battery indicator. Its got three levels -red, yellow, green- but how much time is left on each of the levels is always inconsistent. Could be hours or minutes left on yellow, even if they were green a second ago. You can wear and use them while theyre charging, but you hear a faint buzzing noise that gets pretty annoying. Also, if the battery is red (bad, apparently) and then I charge them for 5 minutes, theyll turn green again even though there is no way theyre even close to that level of charge. Theres even more battery nuances than that, but those are the biggest issues. Overall, I think the utility of the headphones outweighs the cons, so Im happy with my purchase.

Comparing to the Hyperx cloud 2 (which i paid the same amount for) these are not as comfortable and do not have equivalent sound quality. If this headset were wired it would be around $60-$70 or so. So yeah you are paying for wireless, but nothing really amazing in terms of overall quality. Sound quality 7/10 If youre trying to listen to music it seems you have to leave the EQ untouched, otherwise your bass is going to be too loud and cause a very noticeable, very bothersome static/ vibrating noise. If youre looking to play games it depends on what you play. Things like car engines/ jet planes should be very loud, with deep bass for immersion and its the same issue as with music- this headset doesnt produce a ton of bass without making bad vibes. I recommend leaving the EQ Flat- with no bass boost. It seems that is the only way I can turn the headset up as loud as it can go and not have noticeable static/ vibrations. However, once youve found what works best for you the sound is pretty clear, and once you get used to the overall sound it does has enough depth to satisfy your ears. Comfortability is 8/10 I can wear it for hours and it never becomes noticeably uncomfortable/ painful, only after many many hours is it a little bothersome, but really just taking the headset off for 5 minutes is more than enough, really I cant think of anything I can do all day without being uncomfortable, so yeah they are fine, but still not nearly as comfortable as my Hyperx Cloud 2. (They have leather ear cups and headband, definitely nicer than the materials used on the Arctis 7) It isnt a bad headset overall, but lacks anything which makes it very good, other than being wireless. I would recommend it if you want less immersion than a wired headset of the same price- but with the freedom of Bluetooth.

I originally bought these in mid-2019. 3+ years and 2 moves later, these still look and perform like new (all though I did buy replacement pads to freshen it up last xmas). Sound customization in the Steel Series app works great and lets you make very precise changes to your sound profile. The surround feature is software driven, of course, and allows you to expand or contract your the sound stage to your liking. My single complaint is the lack of THUNDERING bass. Dont get me wrong, it does a good job, but when shells are falling around me I want to feel the boom, ya know? Anyway, Id definitely buy again. For the money, this headset beats out my Corsair and HyperX stuff no prob.

Update: I barely use these things, and they broke. The headphones hung in a desk cabinet and were forgotten about for a good 4-5 months because I hate dealing with the new app. I just picked them up and the left ear has no sound. If I turn the left earpiece I get crackle and low sound. Mic doesnt work either. The Volume slider works, but theres a crackle/hiss when the wheel is turned. While not in use, these managed to get a wire loose or something. lol. The new App is also junk..with the old app, the sound would improve a good deal once I opened the app. I didnt mind the trouble of opening each time I used the headphones. Now with the new GG app, I have to fight with it just to recognize my headset every time. Sometimes I have to restart, other times Ive had to uninstall and then reinstall to get my headphones detected. GG? Talk about an ambitious name fail... Used to love their mice and controllers, so I got their headphones. Now, you couldnt pay me to get anything Steel Series again. Just another company that got successful and then switched to cheap goods for profit. Im just tossing these...dont even care if theres a warranty or not. That GG app really sucks. Ive been using the earbuds I use with my phone on my PC instead. The mic isnt nearly as good, but they work and I dont need to spin in a chair 27 times on a full moon in order to get them to connect and work like I do with these headphones. Avoid, Avoid, Avoid. ***************************************** I’ve been using these for about a month. Prior to this I’ve only had in-ear buds for as long as memory serves. Pros + Battery Life +Above average sound. Good for games and movies, slightly above average for music. The surround works for me without a problem. +Great Range, minor blips but only in areas where disruption was expected. +Long battery life, charge indicators, recharges pretty quickly Meh +Mic may require sampling rate adjustment to DVD quality, then works great. - Comfort is tolerable…barely at times. If I was using these for marathon sessions I would have kept looking. Cons - Needs software to really shine. Not just surround, the quality jumps when I open the program. - I would rate volume as being 7/10. Maxed out, volume is totally tolerable unlike just about all of my other headphones. - Minimal instructions don’t cover much. - Volume rockers aren’t super loose to me, but I promise you’re going to touch them each and every time you touch the headphones, so they could benefit from being significantly stiffer. - Mic could be a little longer, an extra inch at max though. For the most part I’m happy and the only thing that will have me considering a replacement is a comparatively priced pair that also has Bluetooth capabilities. Having to use the wire when on my phone is probably my biggest complaint. I knew that going in so I won’t deduct for it. I was completely underwhelmed by the instructions. Basic features and that’s it. Being that these were my first “gaming headset” I was hoping a little bit more would be covered. I can do research, but I shouldn’t have to. The audio is better than 90% of what I have used…mostly mid-end Bluetooth stereo headphones or wired headphones, so I can’t compare it against other gaming headsets…but I’m happy with them. Nothing gets tinny or washes out. Bass is deep without rattling my fillings. The volume could definitely be louder. They work great in a quiet house/office, but quiet movies in a loud environment would be very frustrating. If you’ve got issues with hearing, I wouldn’t recommend these…there has to be louder sets out there. There is no possible way I would rely on these for a plane ride. At low volume, I can hear the dog barking next door. He isnt that loud, so Id give isolation a 4/10. The mic works great, but the default quality is CD and sounds terrible. Going to sounds>heaphones properties>advanced and changing the sampling rate to 48000 hz / DVD quality in Win10 fixed that. Quality after that adjustment is crystal clear and at a regular volume. Still, the little mic wand could be longer so that it could be better adjusted…it hangs near the corner of my mouth which could affect quality depending on how you speak. The range is great. These headphones have a slightly larger range than my default Bluetooth headsets…sometimes I get a little sound blip or brief static when going between rooms, but its gone before I can react. The battery life is as advertised. Lasts me a few days no problem, recharges quickly and there is a charging indicator on the mic. Timeout can be customized which is great for battery life. Comfort is tolerable. This might be just my preference for in-ear headphones…but other over the ear headphones are generally uncomfortable to me. These are…slightly better than others I’ve tried. The top band leaves a dent in my hair, but it is otherwise comfortable. The ear cups get hot in a hurry…the ear cups also cause the tops of my ears to start to ache after a couple hours. Breaks are needed with these….I would not recommend for marathon users…but comfort is subjective, so you never know until you try. The volume wheels aren’t super loose on mine, but I still touch and change the volume levels every-freaking-time I take these headphones on and off…pretty annoying, especially when you turn the volume all the way to chat and think there’s something wrong with them. readjusting volume becomes second nature quickly, but Id rather not have to. These volume controls should have been stiffer, or a tick style wheel instead of a smooth roll. There is a tick at the midway point between chat and sound levels. To sum up the software…I open the profile every time I connect these. More often than not, I notice a jump in quality. I just open the program every time now just in case it needs to be activated. I don’t mind because the jump in quality is worth it and takes a whole 2 seconds to do. Overall, I’m happy. I did a little research beyond all the paid Youtuber reviews beforehand, so I knew to get better I’d have to pay double at the least. I got these during the Primeday sale. Honestly, wait for a price drop or a sale, because I don’t think these are worth the regular retail…maybe if they had Bluetooth also…

I use this for cubicle conference calls and listening to music. No game interaction to comment on. Works great, love the red light on the mic when you mute it. Sound quality is awesome, former colleague turned me on to SteelSeries years ago as we used them for music and conference calls at our SEM tools, but those were wired. I can now take this headset and my laptop into our lab and hold troubleshooting calls with vendors and have both hands to do my tasks. I know others like Bluetooth ear buds, but I purchased these primarily for same thing a gamer needs, good sound and microphone. I havent used them in the cleanroom yet to comment on background noise, which is substantial in a fab environment. I had them on nearly all day at my cubicle and they never got uncomfortable or too warm like some of the leather ear cups can. I like SteelSeries microphones and how this one pushes into the headset. Actually that is one of my favorite features. The fit for me was great out of the box, I have a fairly large noggin, so no adjustment was needed. I also like how the size adjust is the band and not slip style as is typical of most headphones. So it has less parts to end up compromised long term. The headset I replaced, a on ear Jabra, failed due to the size adjust feature that took out the right speaker wire. This is a better design for long term wear. The Jabra set lasted me about 5 years. The only con for me is that Id like more friction on the volume and chat level dials like aviation stuff. I got about 50 away outside before the sound started cutting and having issues when testing tje wireless last night. I get even less trying to wander around at work, but wire free at the cube, even during conference calls, is a really nice feature when looking for bits. These are rated as PC Gamer product of the year, they earned it. SteelSeries speakers dont have the marketing of the nose in the air brands do, but they sure nail the sound quality and beat those price points. Very impressed. Im a 50 y/o engineer, so these will see much more conference time than gaming, but still a very well executed headset. Im more impressed than expected, and I tend to expect a lot at this price point.

This headset good for gaming. The audio is clear and I never had any connections drops using this. Battery life is great, usually lasting me 2 days before it needs a charge. Software is fairly customizable using the steelseries engine and dts can be unlocked via their separate software as well. Wireless is achieved through their receiver which uses usb. It even has an option to make a wired connection wireless through a Line In and Line Out connection. If you lose connection theres a pairing button on the side. You can even run your speakers through the Line Out for a seamless headset to speakers transition. The Build design is minimal with a mostly plastic body. You cannot adjust the ear piece length as it is designed much like a ski mask. It will have a little weight to it. I didnt find any issues with comfort or any signs of wear over 3 months. Your options on the headset range from your usual power, volume, charging port and even an option to use the headset wired. Battery life is also indicated by leds as well. Now this is where it became a hit or miss. Using this wired for Xbox would only work with their proprietary jack, the 3.5 option wouldnt pickup the microphone. It still worked fine as long as you used their proprietary connection limiting its versatility. Otherwise Volume controls are easy to adjust such as game and chat. Last is microphone mute button, no problems their. With that said the microphone is okay for chat. Its not the best in quality, but it is very easy to adjust both physically and through the software. Mute works as intended, even has a red led indicator when your muted. Its not in the way and picks ups with no problem. The software is fairly customizable. Nice features like a Equalizer, profiles, Microphone monitor levels, dynamic range levels, and this is where you can enable the 7.1 Surround. Dts surround will have it separate app, I founds this on the Windows app Store, and it automatically picks up as Dts enabled device. With the Dts Surround, it was another hit or miss scenario at least in gaming. It was noticeably more spacious than windows sonic, but it would also sometimes completely mute directional sound in games but this wasnt consistent between games. This also took me 2 months to realize I wasnt using Dts surround because I didnt have the app. After a month of Dts use, it sound okay Ive been using turtle beach headphones for so long, that its a adjustment for me. Overall this headset is feature rich if you can get it on sale. Build quality nice, sound is solid, and its quite versatile for a wireless set. Its does seem better suited for Windows 10 in my case, but a solid choice for decent audio quality.

I 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!