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

I REALLY enjoyed this product for the first couple of weeks I used it, save one or two small complaints, but as time has progressed it has become more of a hassle. They aren’t bad headphones and they work flawlessly with my PS4, but have given me persistent issues with my PC. The good: -The software on PC allows you to customize profiles for different listening applications which is nice (and necessary). -These headphones worked super well with my PS4, which has been super cool. -when they work on my PC I love being wireless and the battery life is pretty good and the headphones are super comfy. The Bad (long because I want to be fair and specific): -out of the box, the sound quality is ROUGH. I mean, sound profiles for headphones are definitely a matter of taste but out of the box I found the high frequencies to be PAINFUL, and there was a severe lack of bass. Any budget Bluetooth headphones is going to struggle to achieve wired levels of sound quality but the shrill and piercing highs almost made me immediately return them. (Definitely had to alter the sound profile with the software in order for them to be usable) -for PC, these headphones have so much happening in the audio drivers/devices side of things that your computer will become confused and stop delivering audio correctly. Sometimes these headphones work perfectly but for me it’s been a coin flip. It creates a proxy “discord” audio device for the discord volume dial feature which is fine if you are only running game audio and discord. I had to disable this feature because I would often listen to music while I listen to discord and game, the discord dial can sometime start effecting volumes of programs you don’t want it to, or may not work at all. Aside from The discord features, of these headphones die while your playing a game, sometimes you have to restart the game for it to re-register the headphones as the appropriate audio device, but sometimes it works fine. Sometimes, my Spotify won’t recognize the Arctic 7 audio device as a valid output and won’t play music through them unless the headphones were on when booting Spotify. Sometimes game sounds just stop and for seemingly no reason. Sometimes your computer wont recognize the Arctic’s 7 at all and aside from restarting your computer there’s not much you can do. There’s all sorts of fixes online for stuff like this online, but unless you enjoy uninstalling and reinstalling drivers and making sure weird caches are cleared it’s been easier in my experience to just restart my computer. Maybe it’s from windows updates, or bad software updates, my own personal setup, or whatever, but I’ve checked most of those things and sometimes there’s no clear reason for a glitch. All that being said, if it is working, it will work great for, usually, an entire session (keep in mind, never had ANY issues on PS4). If your audio setup on your PC is super basic (no speakers, no alternate outputs, just running game sound and discord through these phones) then maybe this is perfect for you. Overall: - I use these headphones all the time, but the 3/5 star rating is ultimately because I still have to keep my wired headset around for when these start to glitch out. The sound quality is rough at first but can be evened out, and I bought these headphones to try out a different sound profile then normal. I knew they would be kind of shrill with less bass, and I don’t ultimately fault them for that but with that in mind, if you like bass heavy profiles, look elsewhere. The directionality is spot on and the mids and highs are so sharp it makes in game sound cues like footsteps or gunshots stand out like crazy. However the highs are so powerful that gunshots are so loud you have to active the sound compression algorithm on the headphones in order to keep your ears from (bleeding?) ONLY hearing explosions or gunshots. These headphones have been a joy at times and a source of frustration as well. For 110$, your expectations can’t be too crazy, if you were to buy a high end mic and high end headphones, all with with a built in high quality Bluetooth DACs with software support for listening profiles you would expect to spend 10x that amount. So it’s a solid deal, but what your buying is wireless-ness not audio quality or reliability. If I had to buy another Bluetooth headset I’d probably spend a bit more money and try a different brand, with less features, more reliability, and better ootb sound quality but that’s my personal preference. TLDR: 3/5

Been using this headset for about 2 years now. They are a must grab if youre looking for a durable headset with good sound to them. I will say though my biggest complaint will be that eventually you are gonna have to replace the ear pads and headband. My fat head wore out the headband pretty quickly. The ear pads themselves are solid but not comfy if youre using them for hours. I just placed an order for more thick ear pads and a sleeve with padding as a replacement for the headband situation. Besides these complaints, I believe that for a wireless headset this is a solid option.

For those looking to purchase a good headset at a reasonable price (I managed to get these while they were at 99.99), you will be hard-pressed to do better. I have used it for quite some time now and feel comfortable reviewing it so heres some pros and cons: Pros: - Excellent sound quality. When I first purchased them the sound quality was excellent and hardly ever had any issues with it. The only thing I ever got which could be attributed more to the wireless connection rather than the actual sound quality is static that comes up very infrequently, Id say maybe once a month. - Incredibly comfortable. I have had a a lot of headsets and this one is by far the most comfortable I have ever had. The way it fits around my head is great and even when doing incredibly long sessions of having it on (8 hours +), my ears dont feel like theyre being crushed as I have had with other headsets. Whatever youre doing to keep these comfy SteelSeries, keep it up! - Easy to use. I have enjoyed the retractable microphone, the mute button and the adjustable volume dials on the sides of the headset. The only knock I would have on the design of this part is it has been very easy for me to accidentally adjust the volume dials while putting the headset on and make it too loud or too quiet. Not sure what could be done about that from a design perspective as I prefer it over buttons but maybe slightly adjusting the positioning to make it less likely. Cons: - Consistently turns itself off. So the biggest con I have experienced while using this headset is that it will fairly often just turn itself off. Sometimes I can go for a few weeks and not have a problem. Other times, I go a whole month of it randomly shutting itself off while audio is going through every half hour or so. It could just be my headset as I havent looked at other reviews prior to writing this but it is incredibly annoying. - The software for it is bad. Given the issue I had above with my headset, I had done my due diligence and made sure I had the latest software, the latest firmware and double checked any settings on the headset to make sure I wasnt causing the issue. At least, thats what I had hoped to do when I was having various issues with it but the SteelSeries software that ties into a lot of their other products just doesnt work consistently. I have had it constantly crash and bug out when attempting to use it and despite spending several hours trying different fixes both on their forums and not, I have been unable to get it working right. While it could just be my computer, during my research I saw a lot of other people having the same issues I described in regards to the software so I reckon it is more likely just bad software. That being said, I would be wary of that part of the product if you tend to dive deep into configuring settings for products such as headsets that you purchase. All that said, I would still highly recommend this product for anyone looking for a pretty reasonably priced headset (assuming you can get it at the 99 price point I did) but just be wary of it turning itself off every so often and the bad software. If you can get past that, its a great headset!

Have had about a week. Bought to replace my Hyperx Cloud Flights (which I bought to replace my Corsair HS70s!) As I review these I just finished a 5 hour gaming session, no usually my longest but the comfort is there. Still waiting to see if they give pain in my ears/face/jaw area like the two previous sets did but I think the outlook is well. You are required to install Engine 3 from SteelSeries to access battery meter and equalizer settings, no surprise there. Engine 3 uses a purely 3 bar battery for means of telling you how much charge is left.. % would have been better as 1 bar can mean anything from 5-30%! The ski band is kinda quirky but I can appreciate them trying something different. Despite it looking strange its actually quite comfortable to wear. The earphones also have a nice swivel that my previous headphones did not.. I think these two niches really set the headset apart from others on the market. Microphone is somewhat a mixed bag. You get a giant red led letting you know its off.. okay. While fully extended it doesnt seem to go right near your mouth so youre kind of talking out the side of your mouth to make sure its working. Sidetone users REJOICE! This headset has Sidetone from None, to Low, Medium and High; very good to include! I believe these are worth a try and if you like them definitely keep. The price is a bit high but I understand SteelSeries is a solid peripheral manufacturer.

Comfort: This headset is the most comfortable headset I have ever owned! I often forget Im wearing them as I walk away from my PC because I hardly notice them. Which is by far the best quality this headset possesses in my opinion. Sound: The sound quality is pretty good as well. Im not an audiophile, but this headset definitely has better sound quality than the Corsairs I had before (and I LOVED that headset). Features: The surround sound is pretty good, just like any other headset Ive used. There is a 2 channel volume system which ROCKS. So you have the ability to adjust between chat or your game being louder with a dial on the headset itself, I absolutely love this feature. The sound profiles on the headset are cool and all, but I honestly dont notice much of a difference between the options. The sidetone... is really quiet. I can barely hear myself talk, because the side tone is so bad and the noise cancellation is so good! This is one of the 2 reasons I did not give 5 stars. The other reason I did not give 5 stars, is the software you use to make changes to settings. Its TERRIBLE half the time the changes I make dont apply (yes its plugged in), the other half of the time so much as opening the software causes a high pitch beep that doesnt go away unless I reboot the headset. So overall, this is a really nice headset and its definitely worth the money. But the devils in the details, and I just wish those 2 previously mentioned things were implemented better, because theyd make this headset perfect in my opinion.

I’ve been using this headset exclusively for gaming on both my PC and PS4 for a month and a half now. Overall, I’d say it’s a very good headset and a nice upgrade from my Logitech G930 headset. Sound - (5/5) quality sound on both the PC and PS4. Take note that you don’t get true 7.1 surround sound on the console - that’s only capable on the PC. Mic - (4/5) my friends say that I cut out sometimes when I talk. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s too far from my mouth but I haven’t had any other complaints. The mic is also retractable, which is pretty convenient. Aesthetics - (4/5) pretty solid looking headset. They didn’t cheap out on the materials used. However, I’m not a big fan of the strap to adjust the fit on your head. It’ll be a hit or miss for some people. Comfort - (2.5/5) The biggest letdown with this headset. After gaming for at least 3 hours the top of my ears start to hurt. I have a rather average sized head and ears so I was so disappointed to find out that they bothered my ears after prolonged gaming. This could be a make or break for many but I’d advise seeing if other reviewers are having the same issue. Button placement - (3/5) for some reason they placed all the buttons right where your hands would grab when you’re pulling them off your head, so it’s easy to accidentally change up some settings. The mute button is also on the back left side of the headset, so it isn’t easily accessible and will have you clumsily feeling around before you press it. Tip: if you’re using this headset for the first time and cannot hear your fellow gamers in voice chat, you need to roll the wheel on the bottom right side of the headset. There’s a setting that allows you to drown out voice chat and turn up the game’s audio instead. Hope this helped!

Convenient for remote work and gaming. Highly recommend, quality sound.

This review is meant to clarify the actual compatibility of this headset with the PS4, so people can make a more informed decision about whether a purchase is justified. This product is marketed heavily as being compatible for the PS4, and like many other reviews will state, the virtual surround sound setting does not work on the PS4. Ive read SteelSeries representative responses that it cant be done because of the proprietary nature of the PS4 sound output, so that the USB dongle cant communicate correctly with the output from the PS4 to determine positioning (which to me is not valid excuse for not adding any sound improvement feature on the PS4, you can still have EQ settings that help with sound). This explains why for PC use, the sound is good. On the PC, you can install SteelSeries software that will allow the headset to have EQ settings, and a virtual surround sound. It may seem like a small issue, and I certainly thought so before purchasing, but after using them i can safely say these are absolutely not of good sound quality on the PS4 compared to other wireless USB PS4 headsets. I am also confident that many review sites that praise the headset on ps4 didnt actually use them and just wrote about the apparent features. The issue is the non-surround sound quality is average, without any justification for the $130 price tag. Dont be like me and assume that its not a big deal. The response Ive seen to this complaint is to EQ it on the computer. The issue with that method is the only way to adjust the sound profile is on the Surround Sound settings, which doesnt work on the PS4. So the Surround Sound mode can only be turned on while connected to a computer with the SteelSeries software, meaning the sound profile can only be adjusted when connected to a computer. The sound processing does not occur on the usb dongle or the headset, it is processed by the computer application. No application, no EQ. This is a very specific detail that had I known, would have stopped me from purchasing the headset. What about on PC? It sounds good on the computer with the surround sound mode, for anything, regardless of if youre trying to play a game or music that has directionality involved. Thats why its so unfortunate that it doesnt work on the PS4. So what headset is better? The Turtlebeach Stealth Wireless 600 series is what I had been using before, and I assumed that a more expensive headset would be better. I was wrong. The Stealth 600 has virtual surround sound which makes knowing positioning of enemies in competitive games very easy to detect. This is achieved by a button on the Stealth 600 headset that turns on that EQ mode, which is different than the SteelSeries where the virtual surround is tied to settings on the computer (making the SteelSeries claim of not working on the PS4 fall flat, you just have to design the USB dongle to process the sound output instead). I have gone back to using the Stealth 600 (at a $90 cost) on my PS4. I really wanted to like the SteelSeries headset, it looks really good and is comfortable (but not as comfortable as the stealth 600 if you wear glasses). I even considered dealing with the sound, but then people on online games repeatedly told me they couldnt hear me clearly... the mic sucks. Its just not loud enough for other people to hear, and yes I updated the headphones using the latest steelseries software when connected to a computer (which I dont believe makes a difference once you plug it into a PS4). A mic is either good enough for people to understand you or not. And its not, so I completely stopped using it on the PS4. Again I wish this headset had more compatibility with the PS4 because its fine on the PC, but if youre only getting this for the PS4 dont waste your money.

I got the Arctis 7 to replace my Arctis Pro Wireless and the white noise/hiss issue it has. I loved the Pro Wireless and I was hoping it would be similar enough headset wise to use but thats not the case. I give this headset a 3.5 / 5. Be warned that you cannot return this headset through Amazon. PROS: -Build quality is decent but its not aluminum like the Arctis Pro Wireless -Headset is lighter in weight than Arctis Pro -Fit is great and I love the ski goggle design, although my ears hurt after a long days working (9+ hours) -Steelseries headsets look very slick and not flashy or huge like the GSP670 -Retractable mic is a nice feature -Mic quality is good but sounds nasally -Connection distance is great and doesnt disconnect or distort when walking around -Battery life is great with 20+ hours of use NEUTRAL: -Sound quality is not good but not terrible either. You will definitely need to mess with the EQ to get it to sound right unless you like everything flat. Even setting the EQ to get things to my liking, the soundstage felt lacking. The sound signature is not the same as the Pro Wireless, which was to be expected. The bass is weak, which can strangely be remedied on the Pro Wireless with DTS 2.0, but not here. DTS 2.0 on the 7 muddies everything up. The headset doesnt handle higher frequencies well if you turn them up. They sound too harsh and clip. In games, things seemed quiet so I always had to crank the headset volume up. Then when I go listen to music or something else its blaring loud. The Pro Wireless wins in sound quality but has that white noise issue. CONS: -Headset does have a white noise/hiss issue but its nowhere close to the Arctis Pro Wireless. This only happens when the headset volume is set to the absolute minimum or maximum, regardless of the system volume setting. Setting the volume wheel 1/4 to 3/4 of the way wont trigger it. Even then, its not that loud. -Poor EQ settings. While you get 6 bars of EQ control vs. 5 on the Pro Wireless, they are not the same frequencies or normal EQ frequencies that you can control. For some reason, the Arctis 9 gets 10 bars. If you want full EQ control, you need a third party tool. -Like the Arctis Pro Wireless, there is a static sound when I stop/pause/mute audio regardless of media source, type, or volume. For some reason this only happens on Steelseries headsets. I cant recommend this headset if you are serious about your sounds in gaming. I can only recommend it if you are on a budget or dont care about sounds and just want a wireless headset. For me, I ended up going with the Audio-Technica ATH-G1WL which sounds better than both the Arctis 7 and Pro Wireless.

I want to preface this by saying I literally just got these, delivered 30 minutes ago, and these are my first impressions. I WILL update over time. I looked at reviews for these and were discouraged by the negative reviews. QC is obviously a little lackluster, and I sat on the decision to purchase these for months. Impulsively, I pulled the trigger for these and I hope I got the good stuff, not the defect. tl;dr (will also update this): They sound decent, would be excellent after EQ tinkering. Microphones hot trash, super quiet to my friends, with a constant beeping (not sure why, but it is an occurrence). Theyre super comfortable. I dont feel them on my head, but when I do, they feel like clouds. Clamp force, quiet. They dont clamp hard, just enough to stay on my head, and not enough to make my ears and head hurt from my glasses pressing into my head. Dials on headset are very sensitive. UPDATE: Upon tinkering, the microphone works! My friends said it sounded crisp, although a little fuzzy, too. Its very directional, which makes putting the mic in the right spot really difficult. The ski band, after proper adjustment, holds the headset on my head well, no changes there. EQ tuning made this thing sound amazing, with no harshness, and clear sound all around. All in all, my opinion hasnt changed, and the review still holds merit, and my recommendation of this set. Right out the gate, unboxing experience is really nice, but not premium feeling. I dont really care about this, just figured it should be known to some with pedantics about this kind of situation. Table of Contents (this is a much longer review than I expected) 1. First impressions 2. Clamp force and fit 3. Comfort 4. Materials, durability 5. Sound Quality 6. Microphone 7. The Et Cetera First Impressions - These headphones are literal plug and play. Before opening the manual (I didnt even pull it out of the plastic wrapping), I plugged in the transmitter, and the drivers were downloaded and implemented right away. I simply clicked the power button on the headphones at first, but having no reaction, I simply held the button and right away, the headphones were connected. And in under 3 minutes, I was using these headphones. Thats really impressive. Clamp force and fit - I have glasses, and headphones hurt me in the long run. And the super nice thing about these headphones right away, is the clamp force. Not too much, not too little. They come off if I violently shake my head (but who does that, anyways), but I can look down, look up, or whatever else without these coming off. They do shift a little, but I didnt adjust these to fit me perfectly, and I probably wont. They sit really nice. Back to the clamp force. Its really loose, in a good way. They have enough force to stay in place, but not enough to put pressure on my head with my glasses. Comfort - Right away, these are super comfortable. Theyre not light, but theyre not heavy. I find myself already forgetting these are on my head, despite my excitement about these. The ear cups are really soft and porous, they literally feel like marshmallows or clouds. I dont feel much on or around my ears, but when I do, theyre very very soft. If I could describe a physical contact interaction with an abstract adjective, quiet would be perfect. Materials, durability - I just got these, so I cant say much here. They feel solid, despite the plastic construct. The ear cups, as aforementioned earlier, are soft, and they feel like premium cloth(?). They feel great on my head and in my hands. A little concerned about the hinge connecting the cans to the headband, but we will see. Again, all speculation as of now, but I will be updating this review. Sound quality - Really good, but not great out of the box. They sound balanced, with highs, mids, and lows all in play. A little more bass could be nice, but Im sure I can adjust that, I do read about EQs a lot. Sometimes the highs feel a little harsh, which, again, probably adjustable. At 100% on both PC and these headphones, these are loud. Not extremely so, but loud enough for me to want to turn the headphones down before I lose more of my hearing. At max volume, everything sounds just as they do at 50%. At low, you start losing a lot of the sounds, and they start blending (but who cranks headphones super low). All in all, pretty grandeur. (Note in update with adjusted sound) The ETC. -The volume dials feel super sensitive, but theyre surprisingly not. Deliberate touch will move the dials and nothing else -Theres also a chat mix dial. Super awesome. To think theres a dial that can replace me tinkering with the volume mixer on pc, or adjusting everyones volumes in discord, is mindblowing, and very much a convenience I wholeheartedly accept.