SteelSeries Arctis 7 Lag-Free Wireless Gaming Headset - White (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

So it can be a tad confusing choosing between the Arctis 3, 5 and 7. I was under the impression that the more expensive model, the Arctis 7 would have a better sound stage, but I was wrong. All the headphones have the same sound card, but each headset have extra bells and whistles that are intended to work for PC, NOT the Xbox One. I don't own a PS4 so I cannot comment on if these extra features will/won't work.The Arctis 7 has wireless capability. It also appears to have separate volume channels for both game and chat audio (arctis 5/3 only have game audio volume adjustment) . Wireless is NOT compatible for Xbox One, so if you plan on using this for your Xbox only like myself, don't pay an extra $80 for a wireless feature that won't be put to use.The Arctis 5 eliminates the wireless feature and separate chat/game audio volume, but they ADD RBG illumination lights. Again, this works perfectly for PC. As for the Xbox One as another reviewer stated will not light up for your Xbox. Don't pay extra for a feature that won't be put to use, unless you're using this for PC games.The Arctis 3 is no frills headphones. Great sounding headphones, very boomy, and comfortable. Clever design with the retractable mic. I'm coming from the Hyperx Cloud II headset, though those headphones are extremely popular in terms of price, comfort and sound. I feel like the headphones are extremely overrated in terms of sound. The hyperx cloud 2 to my ears sounds a bit artificial. Hardcore gamers would describe moments in games where "you can hear enemies running from behind you." I never heard any of that with the hyperx. Seems as if they put more emphasis on comfort, which they did an amazing job on, but sound to me was average at best. The reason why I brought up hyperx is because in terms of sound, the Steelseries blows em out of the water. From gun fire, enemy footsteps, chatting with friends is way clearer. Only category that HyperX beats the Steelseries is comfort. But that's not to say the Steelseries are uncomfortable (they are pretty damn comfortable), but the shape of the hyperx ear cups are definitely bigger/wider and more cushiony. These headphones are a damn good bargain at $70.I'm docking one star because I wish somewhere in the description they would tell consumers certain features are not compatible with the Xbox One if consumers intend to buy the Arctis 5 or 7. I had to exchange from the 7, to the 5, to the 3.As my headline said, if your intended use for this gaming headset is for the Xbox One only, go straight to the Arctis 3. Save yourself some money and time.Update 09/14/17So after owning this headset for a while, they're still holding up strong and sound great. One thing to consider when using the mic. The mic is extremely sensitive, so if it's super close to your lips/nose, players/friends in the chat can hear you breathing.. which can be an annoyance for them. So as a courtesy, keep the mic a fair distance away from your lips/nose so gamers don't hear you breathing. Just something to be aware of before using this headset. Buy with confidence people!

Edit Oct 8, 2018: Almost a year later, my review still stands. Headset comfort and quality has not dropped at all, it's still as reliable as ever. I've even bought a second pair for office use.---- Original review below ----I've had the Arctis 7 for a week now, and my experience with it so far has been nothing but positive.Build quality is good. The headset feels much lighter than it looks, and is constructed out of a mix of plastic and aluminum. No RGB lighting anywhere on it, which lends a tasteful mature look to a gaming peripheral. The buttons and dials are responsive and offer tactile feedback.Comfort is amazing. This is the first pair of headphones that I've been able to wear for the entire day and not get hot and sweaty ears. The earpad material is breathable while still being able to isolate and block out external sound. Some other reviews say that the drivers can touch your ears owing to how soft the earpads are, but personally this has not been a problem for me. The clamping force around my head is firm but not overwhelming, and after half an hour I forget I'm wearing them entirely. The headband and earpads can also be removed for washing or replacement, which is a neat plus.The sound quality is not as bass heavy as other headphones on the market today, this will be up to personal preference. I don't mind it, and I find it enhances positional audio for me. The DTX Headphone codec built into the SS Engine software is not for me, however. It tends to muddy the sound from games. The built in Dolby Atmos for headphones in Windows 10 is what I use instead. Again, this is personal preference. The SS Engine software does have a rudimentary equalizer to change the soundstage slightly. I've played PUBG and Overwatch with it, and with I am able to effortlessly hear enemy players coming around the corner or moving through the building below me, allowing me to get the jump on them or sneak away from a fight I cannot win.The microphone is alright. I've used it for hours on Discord on open mic, and the people I was chatting with said they couldn't hear my fan, which is a big difference from my last headset. They also said that my voice came through quite clearly. The sidetone feature is appreciated as well.Other features that I hugely appreciate: the Chatmix dial on the right earcup, allowing me to balance the audio between chat applications and the game, without having to tab out and fiddle with the Windows volume mixer. Also, the ability to plug my speakers into the wireless transmitter and have them mute automatically when I turn on the headset (and unmute when I turn off the headset) is a quality of life feature that I never thought I wanted until now.Battery life goes way beyond the advertised 24 hours. I've had the headphones constantly on through the entire weekend, browsing the web, playing games for marathon sessions, and they still have charge remaining. I only need to charge them up once a week for the amount of time that I use them. Connectivity is decent, the signal doesn't drop even after putting a couple walls and a door between myself and the transmitter.For gaming, this is a very worthy wireless headset at $150. It's got all the right features that a heavy gamer like myself can appreciate. I can heartily recommend this to anyone who games for long hours and wants a quality wireless headset on a budget.

I hope there will be a replacement that's just as good some day.

I'll give my opinion after i list the pro's & Con'sPros:- comfortable. (especially for someone with glasses)- Wireless (bluetooth)- excellent retractable mic & also bidirectional that also filters background noise- Durablecons:- chatmix (doesn't work with ps4)- no dts 7.1 surround sound for ps4 ( it has to be virtualized)- can be comfortable but after long hours ( 5-10+ hrs) your ears might start to hurt- is not height adjustable (if you have a big head this might night be the right headset for you)My experience:I was pretty satisfied with this headset until it was short lived when audio only came from 1 side (the left side). I opened a ticket to support on their main website but it'll take a couple of business days. It's only been a month since i purchase this product (may 28) to be exact and so i'll proceed with getting a replacement item free of charge because i have until the 29th ... and supposedly the item will be coming tmr (amazing customer support amazon... kudos!)Overall i was looking for a gaming headset for my console (ps4) and i had other options but this one had me curious. For someone with glasses this i was skeptical at first.the pro's far outweigh the con with only 1 or 2 flaws that keep holding it back.The 1st one being that even though it has big cushions that cover the whole ear... inside the cushions is a very thin layer of fabric. So you can feel the hard metal against your ears and after long hours of gaming they can hurt.2nd one is not being able to adjust height. I have beats solo wireless 3 and that headset can adjust height by make it adjusting the cups. Here the arctis 7 there is no such feature. You can only make it longer (horizontal wise) with the strap on the bottom.3rd the chatmix. They boast about this feature where you can adjust the volume separately (game audio and friend audio). Although for the ps4 you are not able to do that.I was looking for a gaming headset for the ps4 because i only had earphones that came with the console. This is a decent purchase that i hope with the replacement item might last more than 1 month and hopefully more for a few years.This might be a good purchase for someone gaming on PC but on console i believe there are better options out there. Nevertheless for my 1st gaming headset purchase (taking out the account that it only lasted 1 month) i think is pretty good.

After owning a pair of sony mdr-xb70AP for 3 years and using them everyday i became somewhat audiophile so I had to research a lot on Steelseries, much of the reviews compared arctis 7 to the hyperx cloud flight and said the sound wasn't upto it for the $150 or Rs.10k pricetag, i still wanted something different because all my pals got a hyperX . Went for these finally after a week of indecision and comparing .First Impressions:Sound out of the box was so bland that my steelseries sims 4 headset sounded much better right then , downloaded the software , used it for like an hour and god the sound suddenly became equivalent to my sony mdr xb70ap (those are really good earphones) .After fiddling around the software I found a pending update, did it and wew, sound somehow improved a little bit more, bass became punchy and details were audible. The battery indicator in the headset is , green light for >50% battery, yellow light for <=50% battery and >20% and red light for 20% and lower.After 2 days:After like 20 hrs or so of use the burn in started, the audio quality jumped 100%, sound became twice as louder, bass twice as bassier, clarity as well . At this point the cloud and cloud 2 felt pale in comparison which were both like 6 months old . I just found out about custom equalizer for these ( APO equalizer) and custom settings and sound finally got a premium base and clarity, in my right mind I can guarantee that even sennheiser HD 598 couldn't compete with that equalizer on . The software now showed the battery in software through 4 sticks( old nokia phone battery indicator icon).After a week:New software update, i prepare for more improvement but have doubts since I believed arctis 7 was at its limits, BUT I AM TOTALLY NOT DISAPPOINTED. They rolled out DTS X: V2 for these , I was totally shocked to see the arctis pro's premium feature on my arctis 7, and there's bass boost and a few more new setttings which really work and give sound more definition .Cons:The only con I can point out is that the headband (its large,the reviews say its not but all of my friends can fit it and still have a lot of headroom left, 6 feet guys, 5 feet guys all alike) is kinda loose, i mean if you tilt your head left and right no problems but if you tilt it forward or backward you can feel the headset trying to slip and fall. Not really a problem if you dont look 90 degrees up or down and shake your head right in that position, which most people dont and wont do with headset on anyway.

I've owned a few wired gaming headsets and the Logitech G930 wireless headset.Comparing to the G930, the Arctis 7 is is much more comfortable off the bat. The weight is distributed across the top of the head due to the fabric band. It has woven cups instead of fake leather, which lets your ears breathe and reduces heat buildup. The clamping force is just right, even without having to bend the headband to loosen it up.In terms of performance, I was able to walk much farther from the receiver dongle with the Arctis 7 than my G930 without any degradation of signal, both receiving and transmitting. Mic quality was better than the G930, and while SteelSeries markets the mic as "the best mic in gaming", a wireless mic just cannot compare to the clarity that many wired gaming headset mics possess. Audio quality is also very good for a wireless headset, but of course it does not compare to a good pair of wired headphones.Feature-wise, this headset has a lot of bells and whistles. The mute toggle is a physical switch that pops out when muted, so combined with the very bright mute light there's never any doubt that you're muted or not, although the mute switch is quite small so it might become annoying to search for it to mute for a big sneeze or cough. I haven't tried the wired analog connection that comes with the Arctis 7, and while there is no Bluetooth support, I can see a use for the wired analog for taking these headphones with me for use on the go with my phone. On that note, the line-in/out available on the dongle is fantastic for piping in music from my phone while I game. The right earcup has a "ChatMix" dial that is like a crossfader slider which lets you alter chat and game audio levels, which comes in handy mid-game when you need to adjust incoming chat volume. Lastly, you can turn on Mic SideTone in the SteelSeries software that pipes mic input into the headphones so that you can hear (though at very low volume) what the mic pics up. At first I didn't understand the point of this, but the sound coming through is live, not delayed, so instead of feeling intrusive it just makes the headphones feel like they're open-backed, making your own voice sound more natural as you speak, as well as letting a bit of outside noise through. This is a great feature, in my opinion.I can't yet comment on the battery life or longevity of the parts, but overall I am very pleased with the build quality, performance, and feature set of the Arctis 7.

I've been looking for a wireless headset that works both on my ps4 and PC and this one almost checks all the boxes.First off I'd urge any owner to buy new pads for these. The stock ear pads are too thin and leave your ear right on the speaker which is uncomfortable enough to cause pain within 15 minutes. Once the pads are swapped out with something thicker, these are finally usable.On PC, I found these to be very basic headphones. The initial sound curve is very flat, and you have to immediately change the dynamic range compression to Low, otherwise these distort sounds. I like a more lively sound, so I've change my EQ to Immersion and left any simulated surround off as it makes them sound more hollow. In my case use I am more of an MMO than FPS gamer, so I always have music going as I game. My favorite feature is the balance wheel on the headphones for game/chat. It makes this set worth using as I can balance my sound on the fly.On the mic side of things, it has good sound cancellation and is clear enough. However, I am a soft spoken person and would like to have a bit more gain on the mic. Turning it all the way up in the settings gives distortion, so you need to leave it one level off max. Mic sidetone option is a nice touch as well. Just wish the mic mute was easier to toggle, but its fine.On others devices than PC its basic. Works just as a regular non-surround headset, no EQ or other settings. But that's fine, as my main use is on PC with other devices being secondary.Battery life is a non-issue and wireless range and reception are good.All in all, I am still searching for the best all device gaming headset but this one works for now.