Arctis Pro + GameDAC Wired Gaming Headset - Black

2 YEAR UPDATE! I just want to add something, as there are a lot of people complaining that the hinges are weak and that they break easily. There is a simple fix for that - don't pull on the earcups when you put em on. Grab the metal band above the earcups, stretch it and put it on that way. I've had my Arctis Pro for 2yrs now and they are in excellent condition and the hinges are perfectly fine even tho I only started opening em this way recently. I bought the Arctis Pro + GameDAC around Black Friday 2018 for $200. I decided to give myself at least 6 months with them before writing a review. I mean you really can't write a fair review of a headset on the day or 1st week you get them. I can now say that this is the best gaming headset I've ever had the pleasure of owning. I also currently have the Sony Platinum headset and previously the Astro A40, TB Stealth 700, HyperX Cloud Revolver, Sennheiser Game One, and a few others. The Arctis Pro is leagues ahead of all of them imo. The sound signature is not like most gaming headsets and is tuned a bit more neutral and not heavy on the bass as many gaming headsets are. That doesn't mean there isn't any bass, it's very crisp and punchy but doesn't distort or get muddy at higher volumes like lesser headsets would. It's a much more natural sounding bass, not exaggerated the way a lot of headsets are these days. If you're on PC though, you can realllly crank the bass up with their software if you want. It's probably the easiest peripheral software I've used tbh. The sound is excellent and very clear/crisp sounding with zero distortion at high volumes. The volume is also more than adequate; I've never felt that I needed them to go louder than they are capable. I suggest going into the GameDAC audio settings or SS Engine 3 and turning the gain to "high" if you find the volume lacking and make sure the dial on the headset itself is turned up, as well as on the DAC. I find the sound on these to be pitch perfect for positional audio, I can really pinpoint where the little animals are that I'm hunting in Red Dead 2 or exactly which direction an enemy is coming from in Warzone. I almost feel like I'm cheating sometimes because I'll be able to aim at where a person will be right before they get there...but I still get killed cuz my reactions are getting too slow to keep up with these kids 😂 The soundstage and imaging are the best I've heard in a closed back headset. Overall, when it comes to gaming headsets, I think these are one of the best out there. The sound is just so clear, full, and natural. They're extremely comfortable and don't give me a headache after wearing them for hours. You can easily find replacement ear cushions for them. They feel very sturdy, like they're made with quality materials (update: they've held up great for 2yrs now) and there don't appear to be any particularly weak points to worry about aside from the joint where they swivel but mine feel just as solid 10 months later as they did on day 1. The RGB lighting is really subtle and well done as well. I'm not usually a fan of RGB lighting on a headset cuz it's often gaudy but that's not the case with these. There's even a customizable RGB light on the microphone which tells you when it's active or muted. The GameDAC is awesome and gives you plenty of options to customize the audio to your liking, incl an EQ with 10 separate sliders so you can really dial it in to the smallest degree. It's worth noting that the wireless version only has 5 sliders for the EQ (on the transmitter base), but you have all the same features for both in their software. I'd also like to mention that the virtual surround sound, DTSx 2.0, is by far the best VSS I've heard on a headset. It widens the soundstage, provides excellent positional audio and it doesn't sound tinny or hollow the way many others do. It doesn't overemphasize the bass or the treble, it just makes everything sound more full. The SS Engine 3 software is very user-friendly, far more than programs like Icue. Setting up multiple profiles or "configs" took me just a few minutes, and each one genuinely sounded very different. It's a great piece of software imo. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Hi-Res audio that these are capable of, especially now that I've finally experienced it 2 years later. In 3 words...IT'S A REVELATION. Seriously, it's absolutely incredible, like hearing songs for the first time. I recently built a PC and signed up for Amazon music so I listened to some of their "Ultra HD" tracks. I kid you not, I sat there listening to music for literally 5 hours. And I am not the kinda person who listens to music when I'm in my house, I'm usually watching, playing or reading something. Everyone should experience hi-res music at some point. I would also recommend getting an extended warranty on these since SS warranty is only 1 year. The extended warranty is only around $18 and it covers pretty much everything incl normal wear & tear. It's worth paying the extra $20 to safeguard something of this quality. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this headset and I think it's well worth the $220 I spent. Great sound, solid punchy bass, really good sub-bass and crisp, clear highs and mids. The GameDAC is an excellent piece of hardware that really helps these headphones shine, the comfort is great and the surround sound is the best implementaion I've heard in a headset.

Before I start I'd like to point out that I've always had a bias for USB headsets and good value ones, and I did own an Arctis 5 so I am fairly biased. I love the Pro over the 5 because of its higher quality build and feel, I believe it's made with aluminium instead of plastic, the Gamedac that came included with my variation is also a welcome feature, there is no need to install drivers to unlock the full capability of the headset (although from my past experience, the software is amazing compared to ones coming from Logitech/Razer which tend to be more clunky and 'overdesigned' imo), except for maybe integrations into some games, which is not anything you'd care about as all it does really is change the lighting of the headset according to maybe your healthbar or something which you can't even see, with the headset atleast. The audio quality is great, I don't know whether the 96khz 'Hi-Res' mode does make any difference, I can't tell if there's placebo at play or not but I still tend to use the mode when I am listening to music / watching content just so I can be sure. Hi-Res mode also disables the Chatmix feature though, watch out for that if you like the feature. The surround sound although not the best is pretty good, I'm faceit level 7 in CS and Plat in Valorant and with map knowledge its surround sound doesn't help too much since I already have a developed gamesense, perfect surround would only help n00bs imo as it would give them a headstart and get the ball rolling quicker but I don't think it has the best spatial audio. Love the improved earcups over the Arctis 5, those were soft and always heated up over a 2 hour session and got uncomfortable and I haven't felt the same with these, but their stiffness does make it a bit uncomfortable too, but I'd prefer this anyday. Also included with the headset this time around is a microphone pop filter, loved the addition, didn't need to buy one separately this time around and fits well. It comes with the option to use 3.5mm for your phone / console as well as with an optical cable. The cables being in a modular style makes it easier for you to get replacement ones from SteelSeries although I don't like that they use the almost proprietary cables for their products, but it is much better than having to send the whole headset away when you have a damaged USB cable or something. Great product, haven't had a SteelSeries product fail on me, I give it a 10/10. I don't know why people are complaining about customer support in an area which is about product review, that should be going on somewhere on the internet like trustpilot/reddit rather than here, I haven't had to deal with any of those issues and I hope I won't have to.

My husband had a pair of Sennheisers for 7 years. Loved them. Only replaced them because the vinyl on the earpieces was getting pretty gross. They were awesome - I still use them... Well I did until these ArcitsPros went tees-up and no one will stand behind them. I bought him these for Valentine's Day because I'm just that awesome (and we blow so much on our kids for x-mas that I can't afford a good gift for him until V-Day anyway). I have to admit, I'm a cheapskate and these were really expensive at the time, so I saved about $35 by purchasing the "Used: Like New" versions from Amazon. I did not see any glaring info about how you aren't covered by the manufacturer's warranty. But in the not-so-cheepskate move, I purchased a 4-year SquareTrade policy to go with it. I figured 4 years was good, but of course I was judging them by the Sennheisers bought 7 years earlier and going strong for way less money... When they arrived, apart from the Amazon sticker over the edge of the box, you could not tell these had ever been opened. Just looked like a buyer's remorse return. So he got these around February 6th and raved about the sound - "the Game DAC was totally worth it", "Can't believe how great these are", etc. I thought I had an epic win in the books. No weird mishaps, no drops, no nerd-rage throws, nothing. Daily use from desk to head to desk. Happy as a clam for almost 5 months. MONTHS, mind you. Around July 8 (we were away for a family trip for a week), hubs noticed the left earpiece was feeling a little loose and clunky. Then by the end of that week, it snapped. A chunk of plastic flew out and the "hinge" was exposed. I use that term loosely, because these substantial headsets are held together with a thin ring of metal in PLASTIC. Shocked, gutted, cheesed off to say the least. How did I spend a quarter-G on some friggin' headphones that nominally lasted 5 months. I thought, "Whew! Glad I got that SquareTrade!" My experience with them had been top-notch in the past. I logged on to make a claim with SquareTrade: an Allstate Company (first red flag - these people do not like to pay). They send back an email - contact the manufacturer. Contacted SteelSeries, gave all the info, sent the pictures, yadda yadda. "We're sorry, there's no warranty because you bought them Used on Amazon". WHAT?? Go back to SquareTrade, send them the denial, they send back an email saying to call them. After a half an hour with them on the phone, answering multiple times that they weren't involved in an accident, they come back and say that they can't cover them, only "mechanical and electrical failures" (What is this if not mechanical??). I know that insurance companies get sued for "auto-denying" claims, so I asked for the supervisor that told him to deny the claim. When she came on the phone, I asked her what further information she needed from me to process the claim and she offered a mail-in repair. So now I guess we wait. I don't have high hopes, but maybe they will be able to swap out the headsets. It's obviously the cheap part of the deal because the Game DAC works great. If they continue to fail, I'll go back to Amazon and see if they're willing to back their sale. The moral of the story? Go German, or not at all. If anyone actually decides to stand up for this product, I'll come back and post an update. This is one chica not holding her breath. Seriously, while I'm waiting for the next round of BS, I'm going to go shop for Sennheisers. UPDATE - SquareTrade will not cover the mechanical defect that caused the issue. One last shot with Amazon. UPDATE 2 - Amazon saved the day, but trust me, spare yourself the frustration and pass on this piece of crap.

PROS - Audio quality is excellent. I can actually hear all the missing background noises some games have that weren't noticeable with cheaper cans going through my Creative Z audio board. -It can be loud when properly adjusted. (This is relative based on each user of course.) -Bass is there once GAIN is set to HIGH and EQ bands adjusted in the lower ranges. Also the Steel Series 3 software allows some additional BASS boost adjustments. -HIRES Music when found sounds utterly fantastic. It really is noticeable. Its almost like being in the sound booth with the entertainers. - Dolby Headphone X V2 is very good. Not perfect as the rear surround is still slightly more on the weak side but it is definitely there. Listening to anything with 5.1 or ATMOS in Netflix or other media has been very positive. -RGB Lighting for those interested on the cans. I synched the colors to match the FIRE theme my Razor KB, Mouse, and Chroma Firefly I am using. -Can be used for any media. Music, Movies, and to a certain extant games. -GAMEDAC module is very easy to use. -Extremely comfortable on the ears and head. -Isolates outside noise and leaks little compared to my last cheaper set. CONS -Wired. (Personal choice between budget, loudness, and RGB options) -The joints between the cans and head piece seems weak due to it being made of plastic. I worry about a drop. -Gaming surround sound. Completely relies on software virtualization as there is no EAX support. I don't think Dolby Headphone X v2 creates 3d sound in non Dolby games. (I cant find proof either way at this point. Will update once known) -Cable lengths are relatively short for the GAMEDAC to Headphone plug. They should add another 3ft as a minimum. -Expensive. Review: So I am a PC gamer and got these cans to replace my failing Creative Fatality headset. The moment I configured and tested this Arctis set was the moment I realized how much I was missing in music and movies. Although my Creative Z did a decent job in creative a soundscape they just ended up losing when going against the Arctis Pro. The clarity was amazing and once I got the BASS thumping again there was no contest at all. I understand that I had an economy analog headset before but it was worth it to get a nice set of Premier Cans. The sound from music is amazing especially when playingback Hi Resolution Audio. Movies are great as well if they have surround as the surround playback is pretty good. Sadly though for gaming its a wash. The sound is truly superior when listening in stereo but older surround based games loose their surround abilities unless they use a software 3d sound library. like Miles. What's worse is I don't think there is a way to pass through the virtual audio from my older sound card to the Arctic GAMEDAC. In the end its only truly a problem for older games as newer ones either use Dolby or either software equivalents. Just be aware of the changes if your a PC gamer. In the end the boost in overall audio quality is still worth it. The Acrtis Pro with GameDAC is truly a nice piece of hardware with excellent audio quality that sacrifices a touch on PC user surround effects. I will update the last sentence as I confirm with others.

Ahh the Arctis Pro...I didnt know how good I had it until I lost you. Not really "lost" but after 4 years these unfortunately started having issues so I downgraded (didnt know this at the time) to the Arctis Nova 5 wireless. Those just dont compare to the sound quality, versatility, and just overall experience of the Pro. The Gamedac was definitely the shining star of this headset so if you arent using these for a pc with the gamedac than just dont bother. Weight wasnt too bad for being wired. Personally think they are some of the lightest headphones on the market, considering all the tech they had inside them. Earcuffs were a little uncomfortable after extended periods of time, sometimes my ears would be sore after use but I could get at least 7hrs out of them before I was dying to take them off. If these weren't so expensive I would buy myself another pair. Highly recommend.

I've had this headset for about 2 weeks now and it's leaps and bounds above my previous Corsair wireless headset. My old Corsair was GREAT, don't get me wrong, but I decided switch back to wired and the GameDAC bit was too much gizmo for me to resist. Everything works great, the sound quality is superb and I'm very happy with the overall build quality. The cord length is perfect for my setup, and barely noticeable after making the switch from wireless. While looking at buying this, I was curious about how the separated game and chat volumes worked. From what I've used, it changes the volume of the game itself and a secondary chat program. If you use Discord or the Xbox overlay dealy in WIndows, it will change that chat volume independently. I haven't fiddled with the settings enough to know if it will separate chat volume inside of a game (using in-game chat in Warzone, for example). The GameDAC has a proprietary plug for the Arctis, BUT includes a little adapter for other headsets which is a nice bonus. I believe that little dongle is available from Steelseries as well, but it's nice to know that you can plug in another wired headset to use the features the GameDAC provides. The mute button and volume buttons are out of the way, but easy to use. You can change the volume on the DAC and in the headset to find your perfect levels. I haven't inadvertently hit either while taking on or off the headset. The microphone is retractable and feels very sturdy when extracted. The arm it sits on is adjustable and stays put when you set it, it's very nice. My friends say my voice quality is great, and even better when using a standalone chat program (like Discord). The included software that controls the whole spiel has a bunch of features to tweak microphone settings to your liking. I think if streaming is your bag, then maybe a standalone mic would work better (I just like to play games, people don't need to watch me do it so the included mic is just fine for me). It's a pricey headset at over $200, but I've not had any regrets in this upgrade for me. The sound quality is great, the mic works great and the build quality is excellent. Overall, it's a very nice headset for price and I would highly recommend it. Hopefully the quality holds up for the next 7 years like my previous Corsair (that was great also).

In the market for a new headset and I've bought from SteelSeries before. I tried this model on a whim and though I was dismayed to realize it was a permanently wired headset, this could be managed around and I would no longer have to worry about charging as with wireless. (Permanently wired headset, this may be a deal breaker for some if you didn't notice this) The tight fit against the ear and resulting discomfort within an hour or so of wearing it was quite apparent, whereas other models I've tried along with 3rd party earmuff replacements have offered comfortable fits. If you stick with this model, I'd recommend looking for replacement earmuffs immediately. (Became uncomfortable for me to wear after 1-2hrs, seek earmuff replacements if you get this) While the additional features offered by the GameDAC are expansive, virtually all of the controls are in the GameDAC itself, which for me is either in my lap or at arms length. Other SteelSeries models have Chat/Game Mix and Headset Volume with their own dials built into the headset itself, easy to find while playing a game. Additionally, the GameDAC's max volume (In US mode) is still substantially quieter than previous SteelSeries models I've owned. (Game/Chat Mix and Volume control are in the GameDAC, only Mic Mute on headset. Max Volume is rather quiet compared to other models) One last thing; price. The 2 models I've owned from SteelSeries are similarly/cheaper priced than this model. I would buy those models again before settling for this. These qualities combined, I cannot recommend this model. Pros: Sound quality was great, as was chat audio with hardly any audio being dropped by the mic. Feedback from friends was good, my voice was crisp but I wouldn't recommend the foam mic cover. While annoying, the lower capped volume will probably prolong both its, and your ear's, longevity with the speakers even when cranked to max.

The short review: This is the most comfortable (*see Cons below), best sounding, best performing, headset I've ever owned or tested. I paid nearly twice what I paid for my nearest contender, the Logitech G933 Artemis Spectrum. Is the Arctis Pro + GameDAC twice as good as the G933s? No doubt about it. The G933s was very good all around, especially for the price, but the Arctis is outstanding in almost every way. Over the years I've owned or tried at least a half dozen gaming headsets. Some were good, some were good for the price and some were terrible. This headset is a textbook example of "you get what you pay for". Pros: Sound - Sound quality is amazing! Very crisp and clear, decent bass without being muddy. Excellent "sound stage", the direction of sounds is quite noticeable. DTS performs quite well in movies that are encoded with DTS. I like that I can turn DTS on and off with the press of a button. The game chat mixer function allows you to really dial in the balance between game audio and chat on the fly. Comfort - This is by far the most comfortable headset I've ever worn! The top strap puts nearly no noticeable pressure on your head. Both the top strap and ear pads are very breathable. I can game for hours without any pain or sweating. *See Cons below. Build Quality - It has a heavy and study feel to it and it really looks like it's built to last. DAC - Intuitive menus and interface. Quick access to the most useful functions, volume, chat mix and DTS on/off. Cons: Comfort - There is a very limited range of adjust-ability for head size. This is done with a Velcro adjustment of the cloth head-strap length and that adjustment is very limited. In addition the metal frame of the head-strap is pretty stiff. I think if you have a bigger head this may not be the headset for you. Software - The software is not terrible, but the user interface is a bit clunky and unintuitive. As I understand it, it is necessary for DTS support. Overall I would say that if you have the budget for this headset, and don't have a large-ish head, look no further.

I guess my ears flap out a little bit? i dont know why but i cant keep them on for too long or i start getting ear pain and eventually head aches. I love them though, they sound great and the mic is superb. i genuinely dont want to have headphones on all the time anyways, so I got me a nice set of logi speakers and now i dont always use them. They look good and have a bit of rgb on them, i guess thats cool right? the dac is nice but the connector is kind of annoying. overall its nice but wished it didint hurt my ears after a couple of hours of use.

Sound quality is great and headphones look nice with RGB. GameDAC is also excellent. However, build quality is very poor-the earcups startes breaking from the hinges after a year of use. The headphones were well taken care of, never fell down, etc, but it seems to be a fault of poor quality materials/manufacturing processes. The 3rd party seller also ignored requesta to honor the warranty.

Los compré para mi PS4 Pro, los estoy conectando directamente a la salida de audio óptico de la consola. Antes de hacer nada es recomendable actualizarlos, para lo que necesitarás acceso a una computadora e internet para descargar el software Pros: - El audio es muy bueno! es fácil ubicar la posición de los enemigos dependiendo del sonido - Son muy cómodos. Los he usado por varias horas a la vez sin ningún tipo de cansancio - El ecualizador puede ser un game changer Contras: - Los audífonos son de una entrada similar al USB-mini de 4 pines, pero no estoy seguro de que sea ese cable. Pero si se daña el cable habría que comprar un repuesto especial. No vale cualquier cable de audio - El cable de los audífonos como tal es un tanto corto. Tendrás que colocar el game DAC cerca de ti - Los audífonos tienen un slider en la orejera izquierda para subir o bajar el volumen. El problema es la ubicación, pues cada que me ajusto los audífonos acabo subiendo o bajando el sonido involuntariamente

Doesn’t really work properly. Can only get sound out of the chat output, the game output doesn’t work at all - and so the headsets best feature (the game sound / chat sound mixer) is completely wasted.