SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless Gaming Headset Review
SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless Gaming Headset Review – Real World Testing
During testing, we found that the Arctis 7 will automatically power off after no playback has been detected for several minutes. This will save battery, but it does create a frustrating situation where if you leave your PC for a few minutes and come back, you won’t hear any audio because you’ve forgotten to turn off the headset. Unfortunately, this is built into the headset and isn’t a feature you can toggle with the Engine 3 software.
Music playback on the SteelSeries Arctis 7 was really well-balanced, though highs tend to be a bit more pronounced on this unit than on other gaming headsets. The SteelSeries Engine 3 software allowed for equalization customization and we found that the pre-configured “Music” equalization setting allowed for a solid, albeit slightly bass-heavy, experience. The DTS Headphone:X setting for music added too much effect for my liking and didn’t do much to give the impression of a live music feeling, but rather spaced instrumentals out in an odd fashion. Using the basic stereo mode with equalization sounded great.
The Arctis 7 have a well-balanced sound and are great at picking up detail. Rather than relying on overpowering frequencies, SteelSeries has presented a headset with a pretty flat sound curve, thus giving end users a platform that they can configure to their liking. The Arctis 7 can play loud and clear, which is essential to FPS games like R6: Siege, where their lightweight, comfortable design and lag-free, clear sound had me playing as good as I ever have. My regular teammates also said that that ClearCast mic sounds good, but that they could tell a difference between it and my Snowball mic. We found that the ClearCast mic did pick up mouse clicks and typing, but did a good job of cancelling background nice such as televisions or dishwashers in the backround.
Overall, the user experience here was great. Music playback was smooth and natural on the Arctis 7, which is great, because a lot of gaming headsets struggle with just providing a well-balanced sound. The gaming experience was awesome because the Arctis 7 work so well and are so comfortable. You can pop this headset on and set it to your liking and forget that it is even on at times, it is that comfortable. I experienced less fatigue and discomfort over long sessions when using the Arctis 7 than I have using other headsets, such as the Logitech G933 and Corsair Void, which is a testament to the quality of the Arctis 7.