Been a gamer since ten I can very much emphasize how sound is important specially in a first person shooter. And personally been a PC gamer, I believe that the Steelseries arctics pro wins the award for the best gaming headset for PC overall.
Not just by its build or the lightings or by its comfy nature, but by the quality of the sound it delivers. But as always let us take a quick glimpse of the things to know before purchasing a gaming headset.
Things to “consider” before buying
Compatibility with your hardware– First and foremost check for the requirements of the headset and if it complies with your hardware components then you are fine. For example if its wireless then bluetooth is needed, the necessary audio jacks and sound cards.
It might sound like a joke given we are gonna talk about the best PC headset. And you might be the proud owner of an awesome gaming rig with a high-end GPU, good RAM and an equally powerful processor. But still lets not take the risk. Also the software of the headset may have some specific requirements too.
Performance(Sound quality, sensitivity etc) – The sound quality is directly linked to the driver of the headset. The bigger the better. But our concern here is gaming. So noise cancellation is the important factor which we will talk in a minute.
Wired or wireless– This depends on your needs. If you are a PC gamer then why pay more for wireless? But if you are a Xbox or PS guy then wireless might sound better.
Durability– How long will you be able to use the microphone? the material of the ear cups, strength of the cables and also how good is the headband?
These are just a few things to check first. But now lets jump straight to the review as to why the steelseries arctics pro is the best PC gaming headset at present!
SteelSeries Arctis Pro
Arctis Pro + GameDAC is the world’s first certified Hi-Res gaming audio system. With specs surpassing the Japanese Audio Society’s rigorous Hi-Res requirements, you’ll hear game audio and music like never before. The heart of the GameDAC is the legendary ESS Sabre 9018, revered for its unsurpassed audio quality with 121 dB of dynamic range and -115 dB THD+N.
Bass sounds tighter, effects more distinct and positional cues more accurate. The intuitive OLED menu lets you quickly adjust your volume, balance your ChatMix, and dial in your perfect sound with the onboard 10-band equalizer, all without installing software.
From the gunmetal finish on the lightweight steel headband and aluminum alloy hangers, to the soft touch coating on the removable speaker plates, every surface is a sophisticated tactile experience. Premium speaker drivers with high-density neodymium magnets reproduce Hi-Res audio to 40,000 Hz, nearly double most headsets (22,000 Hz) and twice what the human ear can hear.
Join external VoIP chat or take phone calls from another device via the 3.5mm mobile jack. Use the Line Out jack to connect to a pair of powered speakers or to output your audio mix for streaming.
I believe the above description will suffice how this gaming headset became the best PC gaming headset. Lets really review if it delivers the above mentioned features in real life usage.
Most critics have commented on the steel headband and how it might be uncomfortable for someone with a big head as you can expand it only to a certain extent. But some also agree that it renders no discomfort whatsoever.
Because of the High-res gaming audio system most gamers were thoroughly impressed on how clear is the game audio. Especially even if you throw a grenade but still you can hear the footsteps of your enemies even when the blast occurs.
You know how important it is to hear the footsteps of the opposition while playing call of duty or overwatch. The sound is so crisp,clear and accurate that it is possible for you to shoot at your enemies just by their footstep sounds. This 3-d audio engineering outputs sounds in a game 360 degree all the way.
“Arctis Pro’s virtual surround sound is pretty convincing , making up for another one of Arctis 7’s shortcomings. While playing Hitman, we could hear voices passing and from behind us; with Dishonored 2, we could hear the guards running up to us before we even see them” was what techradar said.
According to Hardware canucks and many more critics the mic is considered to be the best in the industry. Delivers studio-quality voice clarity and exceptional background noise cancellation.
It annoys most of us if your teammates can hear the clicks of keys on your keyboard or mouse. And equally important when shouting over the mic that no background noise is there. The audio output therefore is awesome. But may reduce the bass effect a bit if your voice is too deep.
When it comes to music quality some even refer to this as an “Audiophile”. Regardless of the fact that you may be into rock, blues, pop, Classical this headset renders the best music quality with the certified hi-res audio with 40000 Hz.
Although it has to be mentioned the bass might be a little off, so the bass part of the heavy metal music you play could be a bit damped.
What does the Game-Dac do?
The Game DAC unit is a handy little thing, letting you change the mix between game and call audio, as well as volume, on the fly. A small button next to the main dial toggles surround sound, which is great when switching back and forth between audio sources.
The Arctis Pro’s best feature is its digital to analog audio converter designed specifically for gaming.
So basically you customize your headset with this device. And it also takes away the workload from your PC with the Hi-res audio system and everything. Things like the brightness, audio settings and equalizer are changed here.
But then again some experts say that if the PC supports 40k Hz (which most do) then the game-dac is not needed unless its for console. One thing to keep in mind is that the when using GameDAC has a maximum volume limiter. When you’re going analog instead of using the GameDAC, the headphones are much louder.
Final thoughts
As you have read, the arctics pro lacks in area of what a PC gaming headset should posses. The build of headband and the comfort of the speaker plates. The best microphone for the gaming industry with combined 3-d audio engineering.
The awesome ESS chip for digital to analog conversion , Hi-Res audio ,DTS Headphone:X v2.0 And an audiophile for music lovers. You are in for the best gaming and music audio experience you can have.
Purchase here->SteelSeries Arctis Pro
