SteelSeries Arctis 5 Is a Mature, Beautiful Gaming Headset
One of the annoying problems with a number of “gaming” headsets is that many of them look like gaming headsets. That’s fine if you’re at home in front of your computer, but if you’re looking to buy a headset that could also be the headphones you listen to outdoors, SteelSeries’ Arctis 5 is a great option.
First off, the Arctis 5 will set you back $ 100 directly from SteelSeries or Amazon , in black or white. As with most SteelSeries headsets, the microphone pops out and when it pops out it is at the right distance from your mouth. When retracted into the earbuds, they are unobtrusive and will not spoil the look or fit. Bottom line, you can wear them at home while playing, and your teammates hear you loud and clear in voice chat, and then remove the microphone, put headphones in your phone, and listen to them in public or on the train. without making them look flashy or out of place.
In terms of sound, the Arctis 5 is harmless. Not too metallic, not too bass, not as clear and rich as the reference headphones, but still pretty flat. You can certainly find headphones with better isolation, richer sound and a wider soundstage for $ 100, that’s for sure, but they don’t sound bad by any means, and the fact that this is a full-fledged headset makes it a good option for people who want to be able to listen sometime and speak at other times without changing equipment on their desk or connecting or removing an external microphone .
Since SteelSeries sent me a couple to try, I’ve used them as my daily drivers at work for a month or so and they sound just fine. A bit good because these are closed-back headphones.
The Arctis 5 is available in plain matte black or white with a patterned semi-stretch fabric band ( reminiscent of AKG Q / K701 ) under the headrest to match the look. The logo and ring around each earcup are actually RGB LEDs and slowly change color as you wear the headset or place it on a table. The LEDs are not bright and they are not distracting – they just add a little glare, which I really appreciated. Optionally, you can download the included software (SteelSeries says the software is available for Windows, Mac and Linux) and tweak the lighting scheme, set it to a solid color, or turn off the lights entirely. In fact, they are actually understated and look modern, or depending on your point of view, they look “grown-up.” Don’t take my word for it, our colleagues at Gizmodo felt the same way and we agree.
The Arctis 5 is a great place, priced at $ 100, and also includes a built-in chat / music mixer that you can connect to your computer via USB, and included software that lets you tweak the lighting. The Arctis 3 is a sub-tier at $ 80 , it has no lights and no mixer, and makes it easier to buy if you’re on a budget but misses out on style a bit. Arctis 7 for $ 150 removes light, puts the mixer directly on the headphones and wireless becomes a 40-hour time battery life (obviously less with heavy use). Take your pick as far as your budget allows, but 5s seems like a sweet spot for us.
Arctis | SteelSeries