SteelSeries Arctis 3
Cool, but by no means calm, audio
STEELSERIES HAS LADLED on the gimmicks with its sport-inspired Arctis series, and while the model 3 lacks the USB connectivity and RGB lighting of the Arctis 5 ($20 more), and the wireless convenience of the Arctis 7 ($70 more), it’s still toting the lion’s share of the family’s genius touches. So, let’s dissect, starting with that funky ski-goggle headband, a feature most commonly seen on concept VR headsets. It makes the Arctis 3 infinitely adjustable and, once you’ve got it set just right, monumentally comfortable. It does take a little getting used to, since—despite claims that it eliminates pressure points— it seems to exert more direct pressure across your dome than a traditional padded band would. We’d like to blame at least one early headache on wearing it before it was properly adjusted, although our legal advisors point out that it could equally have been caused by our simultaneous, unblinking analysis of 4K footage.
Next up on the block, the Arctis’s modular cabling. It’s wonderfully long and stylishly gray. It gives you the option of switching between a four-pole and a pair of three-pole jacks in a tidy way. It is also a colossal pain in the rear. Several times during our test, we had the heart-inmouth worry of audio dropping out. Would we have to send a trashed headset back to SteelSeries with a groveling apology? No. We’d have to plug the cable back in to the right earpiece, or into the mid-cable join, where it had worked its way loose because we’d deigned to move our head just slightly. A little thing—probably not a deal-breaker, considering you’re unlikely to end up in a situation where a frayed cable renders your $80 headset useless— but it’s irritating nonetheless.
The slide-out bendy mic is super-neat, and among the best microphones we’ve tested on headsets in this price range. It’s clear, sensitive, and stands up very well to being boosted by software. If you’re buying this for speaking, you won’t be disappointed. Again, though, the specter of irritation creeps in. It’s bendy, but doesn’t seem to want to stay exactly where you’ve put it, and it’s an absolute magnet for disgusting breathing noise. What’s more, the mic mute function is reached through a tiny, lightly recessed button on the right ear; finding it while wearing the headset is hard enough, let alone finding it without inadvertently knocking the cable out…. SKULLDUGGERY Despite a couple of questionable design choices, the Arctis 3 is a well-constructed, sexy-looking set of closed-back cans, with 90-degree earpiece rotation, and pillowsoft velour pads—dubbed “Airweave” by SteelSeries—that feel just awesome. It’s light enough, and we found it a lot less tight on the head than other headsets, perhaps because of the unusually narrow head of your reviewer, or perhaps because it really is a little looser. Whether this is a positive or negative feature depends on both your skull and your personal preferences.
We’ve hit a lot of negative niggles, so here’s the turnaround: the Arctis 3’s audio quality is fantastic. Seriously, it’s delicious. There’s a brilliant, well-balanced sound stage on offer, one that doesn’t fight you with overwhelming bass, or pierce your ears with spiky treble. The middle doesn’t get lost, and the details remain pin-sharp. But don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s at all flat—this headset is the elected mayor of Rich City, and it’s not going to be leaving office for some time. We could, and did, sit and listen to the Arctis’s S1 drivers all day, although the 7.1 surround didn’t blow us away like we thought it might. Does it stand up to the same-price HyperX Cloud II in terms of overall construction quality and design acumen? No. But it could be more comfortable if your head suits it, and it’s a definite contender in the audio stakes—niggles and all.