SteelSeries Arctis 7 Review

With every day, the competition among gaming headsets has become fierce and hard. It takes a lot of effort and dedication in manufacturing a headset that can withstand the ever rising competition. In very rare cases, I have come across a headset is highly practical, gives outstanding gaming performance and delivers best features that a gamer would definitely love to hear. This is what the Arctis 7 wireless gaming headsets offers in a price that crosses $150 mark.

This is one of the premium wireless gaming headsets I have ever used. With flawless sound, comfortable fit and nice design you will definitely love your gaming session. Though it has certain down sides in terms of reduced bass, high price and low performance in surround sound, this versatile and practical headset accomplishes most of the features that a professional gamer requires for longer gaming sessions.

SteelSeries Arctis 7 gaming headsets black and white

SteelSeries Arctis 7

Maani

SteelSeries Arctis 7 is the most elegant wireless headset that offers excellent sound, amazing bass and long battery life.
Design
Performance
Features
Price

Summary

SteelSeries Arctis 7 is one of the best wireless gaming headsets that offers excellent sound, maximum bass and a good battery life.

4.5

Design

In terms of appearance the Arctis 7 is similar to its predecessor Arctis 5. The reasons may be hundreds, but I think the company is quite satisfied with previous design. For sure, the Arctis 7 comes with an elegant look, sleek yet stylish design and comfortable headband. The headband is adjustable as well, and you can adjust the headband according to your head’s size by two Velcro straps which make it quite easy to use.

You may also Like: Steelseries Apex Pro Keyboard review.

In terms of colors, there is not an extensive collection to choose from, as you can get either black or white color. Though it looks quite bigger than ordinary headsets, you can still enjoy it while travelling, and it fits easily in backpack due to its adjustable design and rotatable ear-cups.

SteelSeries Arctis 7 gaming headset box

We found a few of the useful buttons on this headset. The left button houses a micro USB charging port, a volume slider, and a 3.5mm audio jack to use it for mobile phones. On its right side ear cup there is a chat volume slider and the power button to turn it on. On good thing about Arctis 7 is that you can use it on mobile phones without charging the headset by using its 3.5mm audio jack. But without turning on the device you cannot experience surround sound feature on mobile phone.

Comfort

In terms of comfort the Arctis 7 is extraordinary. This is because of its plastic band that fits comfortably and perfectly. Surprisingly, this feature is available in only SteelSeries headsets which makes them pioneers in innovation and creativity.

The headset offered maximum comfort due to its elastic band. The presence of elastic bands is the best approach in proving reliability and comfort than using the hard and resistant to move arms.

The ear cups provide maximum noise cancellation as they fit perfectly around the ears. The comfort level that I received from this headset can be gauged from the fact that I never felt that I was wearing a headset even after using them for more than three hours.

Turtle Beach Recon 70 Gaming Headset is also a perfect headset for high-end gamers.

SteelSeries Arctis 7 audio jack image

But remember, though they can be used for walking and running because of the Velcro strap that makes headset to fit tightly around the ears, this is not the headset recommended for running or walking. For running or walking you may try other headsets available in market.

Gaming Performance

In every gaming option and features, the Arctis 7 proved to be the best complementary headset to the competitor headsets. I was even more surprised to see that it gave the same gaming performance as I achieved in some wired headsets, though this is not possible in most of the cases.

Not only I was able to get a bunch of equalization options, I also got the DTS 7.1 surround sound as well stereo sound. For different tasks like calling on skype, playing games and listening some refreshing music, I was able to use different customizations and configuration options and such a flexible configuration feature makes it a multipurpose wireless gaming headset.

Arctis 7 gaming headset in black color

In every game I played using the Arctis 7, I was able to intercept my enemies due to the clean sound, and I could easily discern the minute sound of footsteps of enemies approaching toward me in Overwatch, StarCraft II, Marvel Heroes and The Witcher 3. The SteelSeries Engine 3 software proved quite helpful for me in this regard as I was able to create profiles for multiple games separately.  You may also like: Astro A50 gaming headset.

Battery Life

After releasing the Arctis 7, the SteelSeries claimed that the headset’s battery lasts nearly 15 hours that was quite impressive. However, things became interesting after the release of its firmware update in which the battery performance was improved up to 24 hours on single charge. However, in our test the battery could last nearly 18 hours after the continuous use of Arctis 7 which is still much better for immersive and long gaming sessions. Also its charging time is quite impressive and it gets fully charged in a couple of minutes.

Arctis 7 in white color

Microphone

On the left ear cup, the headset comes with a foldable microphone. Like its predecessors, the Arctis 7’s mic fared well in every aspect. Not only the microphone delivered clear sound to my teammates, but also it cancelled any external sound perfectly. The mic however offers a bit heavy pitch, which gives high tone on sound like “o and s”. It help to delivering a clear and flawless sound during the gaming which is possible only by premium gaming headsets.

Connectivity

As the Arctis 7 comes with all possible connectivity ports and buttons to effectively control the headset. This is the reason the Arctic 7 comes with both wires and wireless connectivity options. As discussed earlier that there is a 3.5mm audio jack for wired connectivity options. But you have to compromise over surround sound and software when using wired options. You can however, enjoy all the features in wireless connectivity options.

The headset is compatible with all major devices especially, PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Swtich. In wireless connectivity it uses USB dongle to connect with other devices. The maximum connectivity range offered by this headset is more than 10 meters without any blockage by walls.

As you know that the Arctis 7 is a wireless model, you can plug in the wireless amplifier through USB port of PC, then connect the amplifier with headset to enjoy using this headset.

Software

The Arctis 7 uses the most amazing and user-friendly SteelSeries Engine 3 software. The software enabled us to customize its sound and allowed us to make different profiles for different games we played using it. One thing is important to note that the 7.1 surround sound feature is available only if the software is used.

Using the software I was able to adjust the sound and set output frequencies at different ranges. One impressive feature of SteelSeries Engine 3 is its Library section. In every tab of saved profiles for different games, you can see the SteelSeries’s sync options for headset, mouse and keyboard profiles at one place. The availability of sync options for these devices is available only if you are using all the devices developed by SteelSeries. Overall the software is much user-friendly and straightforward.

See Best gaming mice

Music Performance

In music performance the Arctis 7 proves much better than other gaming headsets. Though it could not live up to the headsets dedicated for the music, yet all the songs I listened to using the Arctis 7 were pretty clear with perfect balance among bass, vocals and treble.

The feature that made my music experience much immersive and beautiful was the surround sound in which I felt that I was listening to the music in the studio. But for this purpose I had to reconfigure the headset sound every time using SteelSeries Engine 3 software. Also the default Music presets available in the software are much pretty and handy to enjoy best equalization experience.

Overall the Arctis 7 is perfect choice for listening to everyday music, but remember this is not a professional headset dedicated for music, so don’t expect huge music performance from this headset.

Other Arctis Models

The Arctis is actually the part of series of gaming headsets developed by SteelSeries. The company has previously developed two headsets namely Arctis 3, and Arctis 5 respectively. The Arctis 3 and 5 come with nearly similar options as offered by Arctis 7, but this definitely is the much improved and best version of SteelSeries Arctis series that come at high cost. The Arctis 3 costs under $100, while Arctis 5 touches $100 mark.

Testing Results

Every gamer must be aware of the fact that the wireless headsets cost more than 100 dollars, and still the gamers have to compromise over many features for buying wireless gaming headset. The SteelSeries Arctis 7 is an exception as it not only is a wireless gaming headset, it also offers all the necessary and uncompromising features that a high-end gamer needs for an immersive gaming.

In a price above $150, the headset offers a versatile design, an extraordinary comfort, and exceptionally flexible features. If you are a fan of wireless gaming headsets and can bear the cost of this headset, we would definitely recommend you to buy this headset to outwash your enemies and excel the competitors in every game that you would like to play. Just go for this best wireless gaming headset for immersive gaming.

Reasons to Buy

  • Excellent sound
  • Highly comfortable for hours of gaming sessions
  • Good battery life
  • Fits perfectly

Reasons to Avoid

  • Lacks surround sound when not turned on
  • On Xbox One it needs wire
  • A little bit weak bass

Other Gaming Products you may like:

FAQs

Is the Steelseries Arctis 7 Bluetooth?

Yes, definitely the Steelseries Arctis 7 is a wireless bluetooth headset. However, it comes with dual options. You can use wired mode as well as wireless mode.

Is the Steelseries Arctis 7 compatible with Ps4?

Yes, The headset is compatible with all major devices like Gaming PC and game consoles especially, PS4 Pro, Xbox One X and One S, and Nintendo Swtich. It works well with all devices without any issue of connectivity.

Does Steelseries Arctis 7 has surround sound?

Yes, the Steelseries Aarctis 7 comes with DTS 7.1 surround sound as well as stereo sound, and offers average surround sound when it is turned on. But without turning on the device you cannot experience surround sound feature on mobile phone.

Arctis7 Vs Hyperx Cloud Alpha

BrandSteelseriesHyperx
Noise CancellingYesYes
Adjustable HeadbandYesYes
Frequency Response20Hz-20KHz13Hz-27KHz
Detachable MicrophoneNoYes
Impedence 32 Ω 65 Ω
Compatibility PS4, PC, Xbox One, Mac, VR Systems, Mobile devicesPS4, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch
Photo of author

Mathew Bradford

Hey! Mathew Bradford Here, A proud member of GamingExpert Team. I love playing games with new gaming gadgets. Our team is here to help you find the best gaming products, reviews of videos games and to help you decide which one is best for your. You can contact me if you need further assistance.