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.

7.4.2020

Disclaimer: I don't like gaming headsets.I own several pairs of superb headphones for music, and reference - and every time I don a set of "gaming" headphones they tend to feel like a toy - that said, I felt these warrant a review.The build quality on the Arctis 9X are great - the sound quality is also very nice, but at this price point - you expect that. Different pre-sets subtly change the sound from more natural, through to some that are more bassy which are good for movies - but on the whole, they don't have any gimmicky features like my old turtle beach set, which branded "saturated midtones that make my ears bleed,as a trade off for hearing footsteps louder" as "Superhuman hearing" or something similar.Connectivity:On my Xbox One X - I don't think these have ever dropped out other than one time I forgot to charge them.Whilst my One. was being repaired, I temporarily re-used my old regular Xbox one. I noticed a fair few dropouts, needing me to turn the headset off and on again.- This was an issue I had read in some reviews after buying the headset, and I was concerned - I was never able to recreate the issue until I used an OG Xbox One, so in my personal experience. Perfect on the OneX - frustrating on a standard Xbox One.Volume: 10/10They are not deafeningly loud, (except in COD - which has the worst sound mix of a game ever.) but they definitely dont suffer with being too quiet. If they don't go loud enough for you, then you've probably already done some damage to your hearing.Sound Quality: 8/10Comparing them to a set of high end reference headphones is unfair, they don't reproduce a huge wide soundstage, with intricate highs mids and lows, however... after burn in - ive found that they perform better than most closed back headphones I own, the mids are far clearer on these for example, than on HD25s, HD280Pros, or aiaiai DJ headphones.Overall - I was surprised at how good these sound.Comfort: 10/10Aside from a pair of AKG702s i own - which is like wearing a pair of pillows on your head - these are the most comfortable headphones I own. I can play games in them for hours on end, and then settle into a movie before taking them off. Being over ear they are comfortable as they dont put pressure on you, the elasticated headband makes a clever snug fit to your head, without being tight - and they are heavy enough that you trust them not to fall apart, but not so heavy that they induce fatigue.Sound isolation: 8/10No complaints here, the isolation is really good, so if someone is sleeping next to you, and you are watching tv - you probably wont disturb them unless you have it cranked right up, or take them off to break the seal to your head.Battery Life: 10/10Incredibly long battery life. Since covid kicked in and we've all been working from home, ive had these on all day every day almost - as they pair to your phone to be a bluetooth headset too. There is an indicator light that changes colour depending on how much battery you have left.Connectivity: 9/10Being able to play games and listen to music off your phone, or take phone calls whilst gaming is almost seamless (with 1 caveat ill address in the downsides).Microphone: 10/10I've had several people join parties and query what mic I have because its so clear, they assume im using a dedicated mic like streamers use. It's also very easy to mute the mic with the button just behind your right ear, and the mic has a light on it so you can see in your peripheral vision if you are muted.Price: 6/10I paid £130ish for these on Amazon in the sale. There are better "headphones" available for that pricerange, but in terms of gaming headsets, I dont know. they are feature rich, with a long battery life, and great reliability, but for £190 that they are currnetly listed at, Id rather they were more than just a gaming headset, which they could have done with some aesthetic changes - which would have pushed this score up to a 9 or 10.Ergonomics: 7/10On either headset cup at the back,there is a jogwheel, the left one changes chat+game mix (very useful when your super loud friend crashes the party) and the overall volume on the right one. The chat mix also has a marker point for the mix at 50:50 that you can feel without looking. The power button is convex, and the bluetooth/answer call buttons is convex. Without looking, you can easily feel exactly what is what.In principle - everything about the design is perfect.. Until you lean back against the sofa/pillow, and the jogwheel catches the seat/pillow behind you, and either turns the sound off, or cranks the volume to the max.Placing these controls under the earpieces, or on top of them instead of at the back would have made them perfect.Aesthetics: 6/10They nearly got this perfect, the earcups are minimally styled, and the matte black looks sleek - however they have a truly gharish green pattern to the headbands that makes them look a bit childish. It is also a real shame that the microphone doesnt sit flush when it retracts into the headset. This would be the difference between them being a set of headphones that never leave the house, and being a set of headphones that never leave my side... I just dont want to be on the tube in a set of headphones with a boom mic, and a gharish pattern on the headband.Charging: 7/10The problem I have with the charging isnt that it takes long, they seem to charge really fast! The issue is that if you are using them and put them on charge without turning them off, I dont really understand what they do.. but it doesnt seem to charge. Ive found that once i finish using them I either have to turn them off, then plug them in, or plug them in, and immediately remove the charger, and plug them in again. This could be by design so that when you first plug a usb in it works to connect to a PC or something, but it does mean that occasionally if you forget, you can plug your headset in - but it doesnt charge. Once you realise you need to see the slow pulsing light to know its charging, then you'll probably be ok.Overall: 9/10My first headset from this company, due to the build quality I cant see myself replaceing them any time soon, and if in the same position again I wouldnt hesitate to get these. If you are looking for a great gaming headset thats comfortable to wear, these are my shout.If you want a set that doubles up as something you would use as wireless headphones out and about - the non-detachable/hidden mic might put you off, as it did me. If you are less vain than I am, then youll have a nice sounding set of headphones for your travels too. :)

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,

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.

17.4.2020

I got these as a recommendation from some glass-wearing friends. My head is small (I'm petite and a female, I have the whole combo) and on top of that I'm prone to having headaches and I wear glasses. This means that I've never managed to wear a headset for over an hour without having a massive headache that usually lasts 2-3 hours.Ever since the lockdown started (I'm in UK) I've had to attend meetings and lectures online which meant I would be using a headset for over 4-5 hours a day, so it was URGENT to get a proper headset and this does it.I have been wearing it and the ski-type headband is the best idea I've ever seen. I can feel how the weight is nicely distributed and the padding on the cups is the perfect amount for me.It doesn't press too much against my glasses and even though I need to do some tiny adjustment from time to time, I am overall happy and have not suffered from a single headache since I started using them (amazing).Sound-wise, I am a bass-head and I normally would listen to music through my SkullCandy Crushers with bass enhancement, so this ones being more real, pure sound, do sound weird to me, not in a bad way but simply different. However, the sound is quite involving thanks to the virtual 7.1 sound system so if you're not a sound purist (or if you just wanna hear the music / sound of your game sharply, these will do nicely.I do like the pick-up range of the mic, because it will pick up my voice even if I decide to mutter, but it won't pick up other loud noises occurring nearby such as strikes of my mechanic keyboard (which is quite loud) nor my dog barking next to me (as long as it is not a very loud bark). My classmates have reported to hear me sharply and comfortably.The Game-Chat system seems a bit pointless to me but just because I don't give it much use (I prefer single-player games where chatting ain't that important and I usually don't speak while playing), so I cannot say much about it.I would like it to have a longer Jack 3.5 cable extension as it is surprisingly shorter than the USB one, and I dislike having such a short cable wondering around. Losing this bit will probably be unavoidable long term if you're slightly messy as am I.The external design of the headset has me mesmerized. The feeling is sturdy even though it's plastic, but also smooth and the matte finish makes it look elegant while still having a nice gaming touch with those RGB circles. There are buttons on the left ear cup, but as I have disappointingly realised, the mute unmute button does not sync with Zoom (it doesn't even recognize it as a key if you try and modify it from settings). I haven't tried it with discord yet though. The other thing that could be nice is an option to turn the RGB off if you feel like it, but this is not vital and I don't even have a huge preference for it, but it would be nice to have the option anyways.The little wheel below the mute button on the left ear cup is smooth, but doesn't run on her own. It regulates the volume as well as the Game-Chat wheel that comes attached to the USB connection cable. The wheel itself feels a bit more plasticky than the rest of the set, but it runs smooth, although a tad too smoothly imo, I've accidentally lowered the voice because the cable moved and I touched it with my arm.Last comment: the retractable mic is comfortable, but I am sceptical and I feel it a tad soft, making me think that maybe I would not fiddle too much with it if I want it to last long. I hope that time proves me wrong!Overall, I recommend this, particularly, if you have issues with headsets due to glasses or due to pressure feeling on the top of your head because of the weight of it. I also recommend it if you look for a nice involving sound that it is not too bass deep.

7.10.2019

This is perhaps one of the most versatile headsets I have ever owned. Not only does it use lossless wireless, it also supports a bluetooth connection so you can connect directly to your phone or laptop without needing the transmitter base.It is very comfortable thanks to the strap that at first I almost did not want to buy it due to the strap. However, strap was easy to adjust (far easier than I expected) and it only took me two attempts to get it just right. The strap also makes the headset feel a lot lighter on the head as you do not have anything hard pressing resting on the top of your head. The earpads bend all sorts of ways so you can get that perfect angle you want to have it on your ears to suit the shape of anyone's head.Comfort aside,the hot swap batteries work so well, shockingly I do get the advertised +-10 to 9 hours of usage per charge per battery. The batteries charge very fast in the transmitter base and tend to be fully charged long before your current charge is empty on the battery you are using (fun fact: the design of the batteries is pretty much identical to that of the much loved G7 Logitech gaming mouse, so if you have used that then this will feel all too familiar!)In terms of sound quality this is far better than any headset I have ever owned and I think you actually will not be able to find a headset that can beat the sound quality on this device!The reason I say that is that the drivers in this headset are clearly designed to perform well regardless what you toss at them - music, movies or games it just can take it and then some!Using the official SteelSeries software you can get the most out of it though and can setup mutiple set sound profiles so if you prefer it one way for one game or for music and then another way for a different game or for movies for example you can just rightclick on the SteelSeries app and select the profile you have setup in advance.The sound really changes drastically depending on the settings you put in the app but regardless of settings you can really hear how well these drivers perform. The output is just such a high fidelity regardless of what you are listening to that nothing can outperform this headset.There is also a clear distinction when you enable and disable the surround sound not just in games but also even in music. If you are listening to any music that has an orchestral background for example the surround really helps you hear the depth of the orchestra versus the surround off it will sound a lot more bland.This is also why this headset shines in that any audiophile headset a- will not have a built in microphone (which all my friends on Discord say sounds extremely clear) and b- will not perform equally good on all sound usage. Audiophile headsets tend to perform best at music but then if you give them a game or a movie their performance just is not as good as a gaming headset.But where previous gaming headsets failed at music, this one really shines especially with the simulated surround sound using DTS X v2.0 it just somehow processes the stereo sound in such a way that your ears perceive it as being far deeper than a regular stereo headset.I have used other surround headsets but DTS-X v2.0 just is a massive improvement in the technology over previous surround headsets.The specs speak for themselves if you compare them to audiophile headsets you really see how great the drivers are in this headset added on to this what DTS X v2.0 can get out of them is why so many people rave about this product.

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.

1.5.2019

this headset is really nice, ive had plenty of headphones but currently use 3 sets so will do a quick direct comparison to those, i use these on pc only.first of all the design, its really clean, minimal, nice subtle use of RGB and fits the head nicely, not much adjustment so larger heads may feel a little tight but with that said i have a rather large noggin and it fits me fine. only let down is the ear pads are soft but not the softest and they keep your ears a little too warm compared to others ive used but its not terrible, just a minor annoyance. the logitech g933 stock earpads are far worse, not for heat but for feel, so rough in comparison, my hyper x cloud 2's are just lush,really nice feel and comfort so they edge it for me here.sound wise, im using the arctis pro with DAC and it sounds really clean and clear, theres a lot of detail there and this is even more true when gaming, i quite honestly noticed immediately i could pick out enemy directions better than both the other two and i think its down to the width in the sound, quite airey for closed headphones. the headphones are a lot lighter on bass than i expected but the bass does extend real low, as a result its actually quite refreshing to listen to music that isnt bass heavy with very little bass and music that is bass heavy it starts to come alive, more often than not bassy headphones ruin music by adding that bass to all your music and you start thinking thats normal but its not designed that way your headphones are adding that in and thats where the term boomy bass or bloated bass comes from, these are not that, bass heads should steer clear.now theres one large issue with the sound and thats the volume out of the box, its just too low, even putting the gain to high its and removing the europeon limiter its just too low.... that was until i figured it out, the EQ plays a massive role in the volume and you really should slide every setting to the max and then reverse EQ the sound to your liking, the wonderful thing is it seems this is how they were designed to be used because theres no distortion at all. using them this way nets you that volume you wanted and you can then tune each setting down a touch to find your desired sound.the headset really does work great when you have it all figured out, lots of options on the dac for adjusting mic and game and chat volume mixing, even surround sound settings, the ''high res'' audio is a nice feature but doesnt do much for the sound unless your listening to a source tuned with high res in mind, some games do such as rainbow 6 siege, alot dont.in comparison to the other two, its a better quality sound but both of the others will give you a warmer sound, they just dont express the same detail as these.

1.7.2019

Coming from Astro A40's which were a few years old where the adjustment mechanism wore out and become really loose causing the headphones to fit badly, these are a great replacement. Sound quality I'd say they're about equal, but I'm not too picky on sound, so don't really know what to be listening for. Sound is perfectly fine for gaming, listening to music and watching movies.I'm pretty sensitive to audio desync, so one of the things I was worried about was audio delay over wireless causing the video and audio tracks to be out of sync, but there is absolutely zero perceptible lag.The headphones are amazingly comfortable, they fit perfectly. They don't put any clamping pressure on your head that some headphones do,

14.7.2020

I got these as I got fed up of being trapped at my desk in the countless teams meetings I have to do while working from home. I can now walk off and make a cup of tea while still hearing my workmates drone on and they have no idea.The battery being replaceable was another draw, if it conks out, down time is minimal. The battery lasts me over a workday.The sound quality? Maybe lacking in bass, but my habit of listening to old school acid techno is satisfied by these. The bass is present, the acid drone has a lovely clarity and I have turned down the top end high hat drone.I spent today listening to piano music and got lost in the sound,

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.

2.3.2021

The sound and functionality of these is great. Everything works well and they are comfortable.I’ve tried a pair of Razer Nari Ultimate (RNU) prior to these and overall the Arctis 9x are far superior.Stand out feature of the Arctis 9x?Being able to connect a 2nd device via Bluetooth like your phone and use it simultaneously whilst gaming. So you can listen to music or take a phone whilst you enjoy the sound coming through from your game. The buttons work well and they are comfortable. Battery life is good too.The ear pads could be thicker for those of us with bigger ears - although these are easily replaced, the RNU was better here and the RNU has this immersive vibration option to make things feel more intense - most of the time this was good.

SteelSeries Arctis 9X - Reviews

Info

Analysis

Detail