9.10.2019

I've had this headset for a while and used it for listening to music, watching movies and most importantly online gaming on a PC where I've used the microphone extensively. I've broken my review out into different sections so it's easier to read.PHYSICAL OVERVIEW AND IMPRESSIONS:Out of the box I was impressed with the look and feel of the headset, the ear cups feel very comfortable and I appreciate that they're fabric covered and not imitation leather which I've found tends to disintegrate rather quickly.The adjustable top worked great for me, I was able to find the perfect level of comfort with only a minor adjustment out of the box.It maintains the size you set the headset at perfectly so you won't need to keep altering it.The Microphone being retractable and also adjustable to any position around the left side of your face is really a nice feature and the Microphone includes a light visible in your peripheral vision which only shines when you have the Mic muted (using the tactile button on the rear of the left ear cup) this is a nice touch.The headset feels quite light considering it contains two large drivers, batteries and no doubt a lot of electronics. SteelSeries have done well to choose construction materials and methods that are light so that there is some weight budget left over for those heavier electronic components.With those good aspects out of the way there are a few downsides to the physical parts of the headset which I will now list.1. It doesn't have a USB-C charging port and instead opts for Micro USB.2. There are so many buttons and dials on the ear cups (both sides!) that you will almost always click a button or move a dial inadvertently when putting the headset on or off. This is annoying especially if you put them back on only to have the volume now set much higher than before.So with that out of the way lets get to the meat and potatoes. How do they sound, what's the battery life like and how good is the wireless performance.OUTPUT SOUND QUALITY:Firstly sound, out of the box these sound like garbage. And I'm not mincing words here, they sound very tinny and everything you listen to sounds like it's coming through an FM radio. I'm no audiophile and I only own one other pair of headphones which are strictly intended for music but even I can tell that these sound very poor out of the box.But it is mostly fixable. Firing up an application like EqualizerAPO (Free and Open Source) and searching online for an appropriate Equaliser profile (or dialling one in yourself if you're feeling adventurous) changes the sound quality on these immensely. It's like a night and day difference. They really do go from sounding bad to sounding great. Not excellent or perfect, but great.MICROPHONE SOUND QUALITY:The microphone is the main reason that I needed such a headset to begin with, to be competitive in online games you need to be able to converse with your team mates. I play my games in quite a noisy room and so a Microphone close to my mouth with some kind of noise cancelling was paramount.In this regard the headset delivered exactly what I wanted. I recorded myself speaking and it sounds to me crystal clear. It will of course pickup wind noise if you have a fan blowing directly at your face but that's to be expected. Overall I'd give the Microphone audio quality a solid 8 out of 10 and the noise cancelling is more than adequate.Something to note here is if you install the SteelSeries 3 software you can set it so that the headset will broadcast what it hears on your Microphone directly into the headset so you can hear yourself talking. This is a must-have feature for a closed back over-ear headset like this one which will assist you in talking at a normal sound level to your team mates. I found this worked without any kind of discernible delay, it's a faultless implementation.The last thing to mention about the Microphone is that the headset does have a dial on the right ear cup which allows you to adjust the mix between the system/game sounds and the chatter from your team mates. This feature relies on the game or software you're using being able to send game/software audio to one audio source and the chat audio to another.For the games I play we use Discord chat which is able to send the voice chat to the chat channel of the headset and then any game I'm playing can target the game channel. These audio channels are clearly defined in all the software you use once you install the SteelSeries 3 software and this is a clever feature for quickly adjusting your audio balance without having to minimise a game to alter audio settings and it too works faultlessly.BATTERY LIFE:The headset boasts 24 hour wireless battery life and I've found that to be a completely accurate statement. The battery life is great and if the headset does happen to run out of power you can simply plug it in with the included cable and keep using it while it charges.The headset doesn't get noticeably warm even while being used during charging so the only inconvenience to charging it while playing is the cable dangling down your left side.WIRELESS PERFORMANCE:Whenever purchasing a wireless anything (Keyboard, Mouse, Headset etc) it's often been the case that the manufacturers stated performance and range estimates are wildly optimistic. It seems most companies idea of testing consists of placing the product in an open field with no other wireless transmitting devices or perhaps any trace of civilisation at all.So it will come as no shock to say that the stated 12 meters is likely only possible with a direct line of sight between the headset and its transmitter/receiver unit. I found through obstacles (one floor or a single wall) the range is about 3 to 4 meters.But I will say if you're staying in line of sight of the transmitter/receiver or you're within those 3 to 4 meters the sound quality (when adjusted as noted above) is perfect. It suffers from no drop-outs or quality degradation. That is to say the bitrate remains high and the latency low.So I have no concerns about the wireless performance of the headset for any of its stated usage scenarios (PC or Gaming Console). If you're in the same room as your gaming machine you shouldn't have any problems at all.CONCLUSION:I like this headset a lot when taking its cost into consideration and while its out of the box sound quality is poor after a few tweaks to your audio equaliser it does sound great. I think the price at £119.99 (as of review) is about right for this headset. Just keep in mind you may only be able to adjust your equaliser settings on a computer. You may not have that capability on a games console like an XBOX or Playstation.Now if you were to spend that same amount of money on a wired headset you will definitely get better sound quality (especially out of the box) but the convenience that the wireless feature provides is to me at least, worth the sound quality sacrifice.If there was one addition I would like to see in the package it would be some kind of carrying case. Just a drawstring cloth bag to store the headset in when not in use to keep it from getting dusty would be a nice value addition in my opinion.PROS:+ Good value for a wireless headset with Mic+ Great sounding microphone+ Tactile buttons that are easy to feel for+ Quite light and feels comfortable for extended play sessions+ Great wireless performance+ Great battery lifeCONS:- Out of the box sound output quality is very poor- Volume dial placement can lead to unintended adjustments- No USB-C port on the headset for charging

6.9.2019

First of all - I'm part of a very small minority, which has made finding and choosing a new higher end headset very difficult. I have a Hifi amplifier on my desk, which is connected to a DAC which has a USB connection to my PC. Its a modest setup but still cost a significant amount to set up. Therefore anything on my PC related to audio needs to utilise the existing equipment (3.5mm jack) or I've wasted my money.So that rules out wireless completely and also ruled out headsets that can only be wired via USB.My cheap (but very capable) Logitech G230, with individual 3.5mm jacks for headphone and mic, lasted 3 years of heavy use before one of the ears stopped working, so I chose to go premium with the replacement.I picked the Arctis Pro on their own (without GameDAC) as the DAC would be a waste in my case. Also based on the fact they are advertised as 3.5mm compatible.First of all - if somehow you have a similar setup to me: Please be aware the 3.5mm compatibility is only half true. These include a single combined 3.5mm jack for headphone & mic so you need to buy a separate splitter if you have separate headphone & mic inputs on your PC. I believe this is to provide console compatibility but considering the low cost of a splitter it would have been nice for Steelseries to include a splitter in the box. Also as you'd expect, the aesthetic lighting on the headphones doesn't work unless you are using USB and obviously the USB Voice/Game volume mixer plays no part via 3.5mm jack.So I was a little disappointed when I first received them and was very close to returning them.But - I tried them on and fully installed them via USB and was pleasantly surprised. They are snug but very comfortable. I have a very large head and the flexible strap adjustment was more or less perfect out of the box. The fit is snug enough to provide good sound isolation but there are no pressure points so extended use won't be an issue. I'd say weight is middle of the pack. Much heavier than my plastic Logitech G230s but its what I call "premium weight" - heavy enough to feel decent but nobody would comment on the weight especially.Via USB the sound is surprisingly powerful, detailed and pleasently bassy. Using 3.5mm via my DAC (for testing "hi-res" audio) the difference is noticeable. Sound is much better arranged and open than via a cheap soundcard. That said its not as huge a difference as I originally anticipated. Overall I'm very impressed with the quality of the headphones and they certainly deliver on the promise of being able to handle hi-res content.Despite connections not being quite what I was anticipating I've realised that the sound is more than acceptable via USB anyway. As I'll only need USB when I want to use the mic (and therefore will be chatting in game and not focusing specifically on sound quality), I've decided I can just switch to my DAC when playing alone or listening to higher quality audio content. If I had no DAC I would have paid the extra to get the Artics GameDAC as it's far cheaper to buy the bundle. For those unsure, I would advise getting the GameDAC and buying some hi-res audio files to really see what these headphones are capable of! I have ordered a 3.5mm splitter to see if I can go fully 3.5mm without compromising sound quality.That said - I like the connection system. There is a proprietary cable that connects to the headphones. Into the end of this cable you can either connect to the USB chat mixer, or the 3.5mm adapter. The connection looks a little like a mini USB connection and its easy to swap connections, if not a little stiff. The combined 3.5mm connection means you can use these cans on a mobile device and keep the use of the Mic. Not something I'd do but it certainly makes them versatile.On the actual headset there is the rectractable mic. The voice quality is clear and well rounded. I'm not a fan of the physical thing though. It is flexible so you can adjust it a little but it seems to slowly bend itself back into place. So you're more or less stuck with the positioning. Fortunately not too obtrusive and the default position is well placed. I would have preferred a non-retractable mic that lifts up but then that would make them less suitable for mobile use.Aside from that the headphones are beautifully simple and functional. There are 2 functions - a volume wheel and a mic mute button. Unfortunately both feel cheap and nasty. The wheel has a sort of gritty feel rather than a smooth cushioned movement. The mute button feels rough and wobbly. The button press almost goes below the surface making it unpleasant to use and it makes a horrible cheap spring sound when activated. Both buttons work perfectly fine but the cheapness does detract a little from the premium feel.The earcups are robust and should easily fit even the largest of ears without any crushing. They are cloth and do feel on the softer side (very soft foam) but the fact you can buy replacements puts my mind at ease as there's nothing worse than having to discard a perfectly good set of cans when the earcups begin to perish. Cloth seems to last far better than that rubbery fake leather material used on many other examples, so these should last well.Based on reviews, the size adjustment system is clearly divisive. I personally dislike it. Rather than the head band retracting behind the ear cups as you'd normally find, the main solid band is instead fixed in place. There is an elasticated "ski goggle" band that sits under the main band. You adjust how tight or loose this is via a velcro connection on the left side. This does make them very comfortable. It feels like the headset is in a suspended floaty state on your head. However for me it makes them difficult to quickly precisely adjust. The band has enough give for you to pull them down a little but you really need the strap perfectly adjusted to allow the headphones to stay perfectly in place on your head without drooping or moving up. All that said, once you are adjusted you tend to not play around with them much I suppose. I just worry that if the elastic starts to perish or slacken too much in future it will compromise the snug fit.That's enough waffle. I love the size and form, I love the sound quality (even via non-DAC USB) and the mic is perfectly acceptable. As mentioned before if you don't already have a DAC, definitely pay the extra to get the GameDAC as it's FAR cheaper to buy it as a bundle. Then try these out with some hi-res audio files to see what they can really do. Based on audio quality and comfort these are a 5 star all day long. Unfortunately the cheap buttons, poor mic position adjustment and lack of 3.5mm splitter in the box, in my opnion, detracts from the overall package.

7.5.2020

Purchased these so I would have a dedicated pair of wireless headphones for my XBOX X. Previously used Sennheiser Game One (wired). But time and time again the jack port on the controller would end up cutting out the sound. So wireless it was. I looked at numerous products, bought a set of Plantronics RIG 800LX, they were DOA so returned them. Then I looked at gaming DACS to use with my Sennheiser. No dice as feedback was they were great but didn't work with XBOX chat (unless using on your phone?) So naturally ended up looking at top of the range solutions. So AS50's were my next port of call. Numerous reviews with people trashing them and others saying they were interstellar sound.My finger must have hovered over the purchase button numerous times. I thought no, 300 quid for some headphones just not paying it.BUILD QUALITY & AESTHETICSSo I looked at Steelseries. Various products and many reviews later I opted for the 9x. For my first steel series headset must say very impressed with it. Build quality is excellent, A metal headband frame, with a velcro adjusted elastic support band (this comes into contact directly with your head). Almost like a ski goggle band. I think these can be swapped out for other designs if you like to change things up.The ear cups are closed cup design (I'm used to the soundstage of open back) I prefer open back but these are great at reducing sound bleed so if playing in a room with other people it prevents others hearing them. The microweave cushion is very very soft and so comfortable long gaming sessions and no ear-ache from headphones pressing on your ears (you can buy velour or pleather replacements) . I imagine that depends on the size of your ears. But as a whole my ears fit within the ear cups. As per the headband you can change up the design on the outer part of the cups (purchased separately). Closed cup also prevent external sound getting in, not completely but enough. The earcups swivel so they can be laid flat on a table/shelf when packed away, which is a nice design feature.The battery life states 20 hours which is pretty accurate. I do have quite long gaming sessions at weekends, 3-4 hours during the day and possibly another 5/6 in the evening. So a single charge will hold. However you will need to keep on top of it. The XBXOX dash has an icon on battery along with the controller.SOUNDThe sound itself, at least to me is very good. I'm no audiophile but for gaming they work well. I use DOLBY ATMOS (sonic works just as well) with them and no complaints. There are 4 presets; Flat, Bass Boost, Smiley, Performance. I tweaked these to my liking, as we all look for something different in sound. A lot of people say the sound is poor on these until they tweak the profiles. In all honesty the 'Smiley setting' is a happy medium. You will however need to plug these into a Laptop or a Computer to adjust EQ within the 'Steelseries Engine software'. If you don't have a computer to do so the smiley setting is the all round setting. Nice clarity and not too muddy bass. I have sensitive ears from years of diving so keep the bass quite neutral. Which is also why I prefer open back headphones.MICROPHONE & EAR CUP CONTROLSThe Microphone has an adjustable wire neck which coils up into the ear cups. Unlike other gaming sets where you flip the MIC boom up to mute the mic you have a button on this set. The mic has a red LED which illuminates once muted. If I am totally honest the MIC works and is very sensitive. However I think it could do with a foam microphone cover as it can be a little too sensitive. You can adjust this in the Software as well as the side tone. The sidetone allows you to hear yourself through the MIC, this is great so you don't end up shouting whilst using the MIC. As mentioned close cup headphones reduce the sound around you this includes your own voice.The Headphone volume is a small dial on the right earcup. The layout of the dials is clear and after a few uses you will navigate to them with ease. It is functional and works but from a design point of view, the actual dials could be bigger and less sensitive. More like click on each volume level would be better. Every time I take off the headset it is always at a different volume. So it is easy to move it by accident. A minor gripe but a gripe none the less. The EQ presets are on the right ear cup these are a single click of a button. You get a clear beep in the ear ranging from one to four to indicate the appropriate profile.The headsets works on the same tech as the XBOX X controller and pairs the same. It also powers the XBOX X on when the headset is powered up. The bluetooth works parallel to it so you can receive calls or listen to music via phone or ipad. This is a feature I didn't think I would use much but have actually really started to use it more with Lockdown. I stream music from my phone whilst training. Works really well, connection wise it is seamless and have no issues at all.The Chat volume/Game volume ratio is on the left earcup and this is a great feature. You can adjust the balance of the two on the fly. So if you have someone in your chat who is really quiet you can increase the chat bias or vice versa.Overall I would say this is a really good headset, now and then when powering on the connection can be a little funny. But nothing a headset restart doesn't fix. This isn't all the time maybe one every ten times I use it. The sound quality has a fair bit of depth and can be adjusted to your liking, coupled with Windows sonic or if you wish to buy ATMOS. There isn't much between them really. But they do make a difference and some games specifically support ATMOS. The price point, hmm I would say yeah maybe a little steep but they do have some decent features and wireless is great coupled with bluetooth. If you can pick them up for £150 even better,

23.11.2019

Update 9/6/20, I noticed Steelseries was having a sale so I ordered an extra 2 batteries, flux leather earpads, new covers & headband as a pre fathers day gift from my two daughters and with them all installed on the headset I noticed with the flux leather earcups the base/treble seems to be richer. Also I was gaming for a good 8 hours and they didnt make my ears sweat. Also when wearing glasses, they were also more comfortable.This is all a thought for those who catch a sale from Steelseries. Still the best headset I have ever owned.Update 12/02/2020, Just to let you all know, This headset has not faultered in any way since I have bought them and there has been a few updates to the software,The fact that I can go down stairs and make a coffee and still hear them and also the switchable battery has been a god send to me: Im so glad I went for them.Update: "25/11/2019" Get the Most From The Equalizer Settings:I have be experimenting with equalizer setting and the headset will be by default set to flat, do a custom profile on the control box itself and set it to +3,+2,-1 or 0,+1,+3 starting from left to right. I think you find a world of difference.To start, the reason for the title was to grab your attention as I wasn’t sure to buy these or not due to the price tag and I had to buy a wireless set regardless and if you can bear to read the full review and it’s not meant To Shill the Steelseries headset but to be an honest and fair review and I am using the headset with Windows 10.Firstly, Out of experience box is great, the Box itself, the Packaging, the Control Box, the Headset Weight, the Accessories, are top quality and just screams Premium “this is all based on my opinion”.Secondly, The ease of setup is good. You can get the headset up and running fast but it will take a bit of time to get the settings the way you want via the control box or the software, so be prepared for that.Thirdly, Just the sheer fact you never run out of battery Power “this was the main reason why I went for this version”. The first and second battery will die faster as this just depends on how long they were sitting about in a warehouse type area waiting to be purchased. However this isn’t the case when they get a good charge, so also be prepared for this.Fourthly, The Fit, Now on saying that, every ones head will be different. When I was looking at them on the website, I just wasn’t sure about the headband type headset but alas when wearing them for hours at a time I can report it is very comfortable “again I say in my case”. The clamping force is about right based on an average sized head like mine but only my left ear aches a tad for some reason.No: 5, The Range, I can go down two floors and through 4 walls before I hear any cut out but houses/flats/apartments will be different. So this will vary depending on where you live.No: 6, Another one that is very important to me, Auto Shut-off, These babies will auto shutoff if they don’t hear any sound coming from the speakers and you can set this in the control box or the software, you just have to set them to your time preference and this saves battery power. This is great as, if you forget to turn them off, they will do that themselves.No: 7, The Mic Quality, “in my opinion” The mic is really good for a wireless headset and everyone that I talk with over the internet say it’s really clear and sound of a good quality and always ask what I am using. Now this is all depending on your settings within windows 10. Small tweaks here and there can help. Various other programmes will also make it sound worse or better depending on what they are i.e. Teamspeak, Skype & Discord.A lot of people say they are to quite at max volume, you must go to the control box or software and turn the volume limiter to NO as it is set to yes by default and this will make the volume as loud as you like.Now folks, please bear in mind I have been looking for a set of good headphones for a long time and read 100s of reviews of different headsets and they all came up with 4 stars and I didn’t see a set with all 5 stars so it is hard to know what set to go for but what I can tell you, I am impressed with these, are they expensive, Yes, can you get just as good and even better set for the money, Probably Yes but at the end of the day, Its all down to you the buyer, if you’re happy, keep them, if not send them back, that was my logic in picking this pair anyway and at the moment ”23/11/2019” I am glad I bought them even though the price is a tad high but I bought them for the features and they are great.In this case I’m doing an early review because I want to see if they are any changes in the headset i.e. failures of the headset itself or the control box or flaws in the software as I see from some people’s reviews, they had a bad experience.I really could go on and on about this headset but that would arrive at a short novel but I will tell you this. My friend just arrived this morning and he listened to them and he owns a set of Sennheisers tethered headset and he was really impressed especially as these were wireless. So that must be saying something and his weren’t cheap.I will be sure to update this review if it goes downhill from here.After having your tea and if you got to the end of this review just take a look on YouTube and have a look at the different sets of headphones and then read the reviews on Amazon both good and bad and I promise you, you will be all over the place but take my advice, pick the ones that suits your needs and price range and stick to them. These ones are good and they suit me but that’s just me.Good Luck...............

23.3.2019

I'm very fussy about my audio set-up as I stream, game, love to watch movies, create music, and video edit. However, I've not just bought another £400 pair of headphones, so my review is based on the quality for value.BAD: (Because it's not that bad)These ARE NOT actually 7.1 (which I knew) but simulated. However, at least in windows, they only show up as a 2 channel device, which means some software will downmix the audio to the headphones, losing detail. I'm hoping this is fixable in future software.I can't be certain if this is why the surround isn't as good as other DTS headphones that do show as multi-channel but for this price and what I'm using them for (gaming, some music, some Netflix)there is an acceptable difference with simulated DTS on.The microphone suffers a little from being a bit too happy at picking up high frequency 'S' sounds, whch is typical of most noise cancelling mics I have tested. I don't know if this is tunable in the software but if it is, I promise to try and remember to update this review.The software isn't really helpful for set-up, perhaps there is a manual there somewhere but some tooltips would be nice!GOOD:Let's start with the EQ presets. I should hate them but coming back to price, and that EQ is hard (for some) the 'out of the box' software EQ settings are really rather good! The EQ is fully adjustable, even from a preset, so you can fine tune it.The chat/voice game mixer is also fantastic in the way it works. In the operating system, you actually get two devices, one for the actual game/video/windows sound and a mono device that you can set discord/teamspeak/mumble/skype (etc) to use. After that, the dial on the headset is a fader which you can then put the bias from full game to full voice comms.The microphone is very flexible and gives a good range of placement and the noise cancelling really does seem good. What's also fantastic is the microphone mute is a proper on/off type pushbutton, rather than a press to toggle.The extra band that suspends the frame is elastic and very comfortable, I don't feel the weight of these headphones on the top of my head that much at all. Also, the foam of the ear pads isn't too hard, so I don't feel pressure on my ears (and I've not got small ears, and also wear glasses and I'm not feeling my ears pressed into the glasses but outside sound is nicely removed)There is a 'live preview' feature available in the software itself, which is useful for setting up your levels, rather than having to do this in the operating system. However, this lets you know what your operating system hears, there is a small amount of latency. So there is a 'party trick' in the software. A feature called 'Mic Sidetone' routes the microphone directly inside the headphones, with 4 levels from off to high, meaning you can test, or always get to hear yourself, without needing to set this in the OS)On the subject of controls, you can adjust the auto power off setting from the software from 5, 10, 30, 60, or 90 minutes and, of course, disable this function)A quick final note, the software allows you to save multiple configurations, which means you can fine tune your audio environment for different usage (games/video/video conferencing) and recall these settings quickly, rather than needing to find a 'one setting for all' or having to tweak the settings every time!GREAT, but how do they sound?Well, they don't sound like a £400 set of headphones and they have no right to at this price! However, even without all the extra utility and gaming features, the sound is better than some playback only headphones I have bought at this price and up to the £200 mark. If you're happy (and able) to play around with the EQ settings I think you'll find a sound that fits what you want, I certainly have and in a fairly short space of time. I've already done some gaming, movie play back (Star Wars Episode 2 sounded really good after a couple of minutes creating a movie profile) and made my brain light up with some Prodigy, Disturbed, and Beethoven (yes, I'm that nerd!)Final Notes:The USB sound card is very clean, I'm not seeing any noise coming through that shouldn't be there. The USB cable for this is about 1.5m so is long enough for anywhere I need it, without having too much cable to worry about. It also has a fairly effective anti-slip rubber ring on the base. There are line in and line out ports, which I have yet to test, so no idea if this just plays to/from the headphones, or if that sound goes in/out of the operating system as well.You get an OK length USB charge cable, which is just long enough for me as I have my PC close to my chair but if you need something longer, go buy a good long Anker cable for it. You also get a 'smart phone' 3.5mm (if you've still got a phone with a 3.5mm) that connects stereo and mic to a usb input on the headphones, meaning you can go analogue if you need to (but again, I've not tested this as I don't really need to)VERDICTWell, when my wife finally gives up on her Logitech 'real DTS' headset, she's already said she wanted a pair of these and while I'd happily let her pay more, or buy her something more expensive myself, I think we'll be owning a second pair of these in the not too distant future, so yes, I'm very happy with them!

31.7.2020

For the record I use this headset with three platforms - Dell Latitude 7290 laptop, Dell Optiplex 5080 desktop, RealMe 6 phone. I have no connection or sound quality problems with any of those.The general quality of the headset body is excellent - light given its size, comfortable with a snug fit blocking out most external noise, well made (all plastic parts are singular - no seams) and the various controls on the earpieces are hard to change by accident. I can wear it for several hours continuously in hot weather. I have had £300+ headphones that were (far) more uncomfortable.Getting started with it was awkward - it had to be paired in spite of it supposedly being factory paired.There is also a ~200MB download of the SteelSeries 3 software required to perform the pairing, install firmware (no update at present) and make changes to the sound parameters. As Windows driver software goes, it is good - an icon sits in the System Tray, you are not pestered with pop-ups (or, worse, advertising) and functionality is clearly presented without masses of arcane controls. There are some nice features - for example, running an application can set a sound profile automatically (so Firefox implies YouTube and so on).I mostly use the headset for Teams and YouTube music. I must say that, despite the software settings offering all manner of scenarios, the output is, unsurprisingly, tuned for low-bit-rate streaming and speech, as the quality of those is excellent. It is not so good for high-bit-rate streaming (Spotify/Primephonic), and I switch to wired headphones for these.The microphone sound quality is good (so I am told!) The microphone quality is excellent - it is detachable and has a flexible stem which can be brought close to your mouth.Range is good - I would say about 30 feet from the dongle before the sound starts to break up. If there is a problem with receiving, a wire with a 3.5mm headphone plug on both ends is provided which converts the headset into a wired headset. I have never had to use it.The advertised charge is 17 hours. This seems about right from the battery icon on the driver software - I can use the headset for a whole working day and there is (notionally) half the charge left over. The charging socket is USB-A mini which is slightly disappointing - it would be great if everyone could switch to USB-C, but that is not happening as predicted.The only issues are:1. The shape of the dongle, which is rather large (just over 2" wide) and, on the laptop, cannot be used in the USB-C port because it obscures both the power and HDMI ports and, on the desktop, obscures the USB-A port on the front. A USB-C male-female extension cable is provided, but it is yet another cable to get in the way. Instead, I use an Acessorz USB-A to USB-C converter on one of the other ports and attach it that way. There may well be good signal transmission and reception reasons why it is so big, but "more research is needed" as they say.2. As noted, the headset is not factory paired. This would cause a problem under Linux, as pairing requires the SteelSeries 3 software which is Mac/Windows-only.3. (Not an issue with the headset, but worth noting). On Android OTG access must be switched on before the headset is recognised. ColorOS (RealMe's take on Android), although it is generally highly configurable, has no quick way of doing this - there is no tile in Notifications and the option is buried several levels down in Settings. (Edit: This was fixed in the August 2020 upgrade for my phone, which added an OTG on/off tile. However, it could well be a problem elsewhere).Overall? Strongly recommended and, really, I would still recommend this headset if it cost half as much again, although those with ultrabooks or using Linux might have some problems.

5.6.2018

EDIT: Notcied an annoying quirk, in that there is a subtle buzzing sound when charging a battery whilst using the AUX input.The range isn’t considerably better as I had previously stated..possibly the same as arctis 7..maybe a tiny bit better.I also wish I could use pc and aux at the same time, like the previous version - I realised that I used that feature often :((I was blown away with the arctis 7, after upgrading from my (in retrospect, AWFUL) turtle beach PX4... but the arctis 7 had a few features that bothered me, (main one being my computer having to be turned on to be powered.. so if I wanted to watch anything through my tv, I had to have my computer on.The wireless pro completely solved that..The arctis 7 also had a problem with signals being too ‘hot’, in that if the input level was a certain dB, it would just be clipping and kind of distorted; didn’t bother me too much, as I would just reduce the volume through the aux considerably, and boost it on the headset..but it was annoying and frequent enough to notice fairly often. I don’t have this issue with the pro... above these things, they also seem comfier, the range is better, the sound seems better, and the Bluetooth capability is perfect! Not to mention the battery charging. I also love the transmitter/control box, and you can control everything wirelessly from the headset itself.And just the attention to detail.. i.e, I would find myself wearing the arctis 7 in bed, but the volume knob was far too sensitive, so if I turned my head slightly, the control would rub against the pillow, and the volume would shoot up or down. Well, the volume knob in the pro has clicks in between to stop this.The input/output jacks on the 7s were also quite small, meaning it would only accept certain, more ‘slender’ 3.5mm jacks - so I had to buy little adapters.. pro doesn’t have this issue.Also my arctis 7 would struggle with connection when I’d go down the hall into my kitchen - Pro is much better at retaining, and I don’t think it has dropped yet. I haven’t extensively tested the range, but it’s definitely much better.I also prefer the fact that you can switch between the aux and PC, and not have the signals running simultaneously... that caused some slight hum/hiss on my 7’s, so i’d Have to unplug the aux all the time.They just seem like the best possible headset for me.. I use them for everything; from gaming, to films, to music, and now even phone calls/iPhone browsing (wirelessly) WHILST being connected to the transmitter.Yes it’s pricey, but you get what you pay for... I only bought them because I was so impressed with the arctis 7.. I figured why not upgrade to these? I’m glad I did, as it solved every problem I had with the 7s, even ones I weren’t consciously aware of.Also the range isn’t that much better as I had previously stated.Overall, a top quality item, and the best, most versatile headphones I have personally ever owned - I hope they last me for a long time. Kind of wish they were in white like my 7s, but it’s nice to have a change I guess.If you can afford them, I won’t hesitate to recommend them to you. If you can deal with some of the issues I mentioned about the arctis 7, those are also stellar; these just tick all those extra boxes. Also like, triple the price though.

5.5.2020

Absolutely incredible. Cannot be faulted in any way. They are incredibly comfortable, hugely powerful with incredible bass and the sound equaliser with 7.1 is completely flawless.From the beginning I was dubious about getting these and I had bought a turtle beach wireless just before hand, I was very annoyed as they was alot of money but they was terrible as too much bass on sound and drowning all the important noises made them just boom speakers, that with the terrible wireless connection made them unusable, so I sent them back. I then came across these and done my research been cautious after the turtle beach fail.I'm going to be honest, YES these are expensive,YES they put a lot of claim of specs and YES you can get good quality at cheaper price... BUT LET ME TELL YOU THIS... they are completely worth every penny you invest in to getting them. The sound is phenomenal, they are louder, more crisp and give you so much spatial awareness when in game or film or anything like that. Music sound is incredible such perfect sound and no distortion regardless of volume and everything is pin point bearable regardless of the volume. They are very loud, I have them with a limmiter on and only just under half and they feel loud and I can hear footsteps, gun reloads, grenades... everything I need to hear and I no exactly where they are coming from and the fact it has a DAC base station means you can change features and enhance everything to your way.Now with the turtle beach I was very annoyed at the range and quality of the sound coming through as they kept cutting out which was a shame and has really put me off them, with these though, I have to say they are flawless, instead of 5Ghz been bunched up for sound like most these run a 2.4, not you may think it is slower but the difference is negligible... seriously it really is, and the fact you can combine if needed the wireless with a extra 2.4 with bluetooth to create lossless sound and connection is amazing, now to be fair and honest yeah that probably uses more battery but you get 10hrs on 1 battery and you get 2 in pack meaning you charge while playing... so it doesn't matter how fast you drain them really.. anyway with the lossless design feature... to be honest I don't think you'll need it unless you get alot of interference I sit about 6 to 10 ft away and have no issue.. no buzzing or anything with just the wireless I get massive range and haven't had it cut out yet like going to get a drink or something...etc...Anyway I'll leave it there as ended up been long review... but there is so mu h to talk about which is great on this headset would take hours to go in real depth.As for a bad point for this headset I can only come up with 1 and that is that if you want it on a stand when not using it you need to get one as it doesn't come with it... but that would be a petty thing to put anyone off as can get one for £10 so it's not really a problem if you really need one.They are a great quality and build product and really will immerse you in to what your listening to, playing or doing and give you the premium that you pay for.

18.5.2019

This is the best headset i have used for pc, It can do so much and the audio quality is extremely good for a gaming headset, Less focus on bass and more on actual good audio.If you want something with a lot of bass the kraken v2 is a better optionThis headset comes with a base station that you can use to control the Volume, EQ, Chatmix, Source, Surround Sound, Bluetooh and some other things.What i found really great about this headset though is the ability to use more than 2 devices at once, 2 wired and one bluetoothThe base station has a line in and out port & usb so you can use your pc and a nintendo switch for example, at the same time and you will get audio from both sources,

10.8.2020

I ordered this headset to replace a broken pair of HyperX Cloud Stinger's (not an expensive headset) which the leather had completely degraded on and was leaving black leather marks all over my head everytime I wore them - not cool during lockdown with a ridiculous amount of video calls every day!I initially ordered a pair of Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero's, but sent them back after a couple of days as the sound was awful without some heavy EQ, and the software has some sort of (widely reporting on Reddit) fatal glitch that causes the installer to get stuck in a loop. This means the EQ doesn't work as the software can't load, leaving you with awful sound.

20.1.2019

I did a lot of research before buying these. I'd had a previous pair of fairly budget, but very good Gamsecom 780 wired headphones - sadly these had fallen apart and so I wanted to find a good replacement. I was worried that wireless headphones, like many "wireless" options wouldn't be all that great. I was wrong. I can say with certainty I wouldn't go back to wired headsets again.I knew of Steelseries, but had never tried their products before, however after reading multiple reviews for "best gaming headsets around £100" I decided that the Arctis 7 was the correct choice for me. I happened to find the (newer] 2019 edition on sale for less than the older version (Legacy)The newer edition has enhanced ear cushioning,

22.1.2020

After doing a lot of research on wireless Xbox One X headsets the decision came down to these (Arctic 9X) or Astro A50’s.After owning a pair of wireless turtle beaches which packed up within a month I was a bit skeptic although of how well these would perform, but I’m not disappointed.Sound quality is good, I’m no sound engineer but these work great and I was able to tell roughly what direction an enemy was coming from just from footstep sound on CoD, I can also hear friends clearly in chat and have yet to have anyone complain about my mic quality so I think it’s safe to say the mic is good too. You can buy Dolby Atmos through an app on Xbox store too if you want a change of sound which I have tried out on a free trial and it made a minor difference to the ‘out of the box sound’.

26.3.2020

The headset is comfortable, sounds great, and the mic works a treat.A headset being Wireless is now a requirement for me. I've never realized just how much I hated running over the wires with my chair and having to take them off to walk around the house. It's so much more comfortable being untethered from your PC. I've had so many headsets over the years (Turtlebeach, Astros, Corsair, Logitech) but these are the bee's knee's.The best thing I can say about this headset is the build quality. It's feels superbly well made. The headband is metal so you don't get any of that creaky plastic vibe and the rest of plastic components don't feel cheap and brittle. The fabric earphones haven't gone all gross and smelly.

8.4.2020

After four years of pretty much daily use, my Turtle Beach Stealth 420X+ ear cups have started to fall apart. Unable to buy spare foam parts anymore, so the search for a new headset started.My options were another set of Turtle Beach - possibly the 600 model - but fancied a change so looked at Razor and these ones from SteelSeries.After a few videos and reviews I decided on these. Not disappointed.Firstly this headset is heavier than my Turtle Beach ones, were I actually though they were going to make my neck ache, but once fitted was pleasantly surprised. The style of the strap makes them feel like they are floating, giving a very comfortable fit. The ear cups are fabric,

17.4.2020

Well firstly, lets get the negative out of the way. There was no optical cable to connect the DAC to my PS4 in the box. Fortunately, I'd already done my homework and knew the cable would have been too short for where I wanted to use it anyway, so I'd already bought a 3m optical and 3m USB to micro USB cable in preparation. Good job I did, huh?Secondly, the elasticated ski goggle band is only just about long enough for my head. I have the velcro at its extreme limit but I don't believe my head size is anything out of the ordinary. It could have done with being just a couple of centimetres longer but having said that it does the job.....just, but even so,

SteelSeries Arctis 3 Console Edition 2019 Edition - Reviews

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