Review of SteelSeries Arctis Wireless System 1



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The SteelSeries Arctis 1, one of the best affordable gaming headsets, is now completely wireless and is the first headset to use a USB Type-C dongle. For $ 99, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless not only loses the strains of a cable, but it is also compatible with the SteelSeries Engine 3 software to provide a customizable equalizer. Of course, Arctis 1 always has the same comfortable ear buds and a solid playing sound.

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Despite this, the 2.4 GHz dongle is a bit wide for most gaming laptops and, surprisingly, its size is slightly larger than that of the previous model. And even with customizable equalizer settings, there are still muddy bass.

Still, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless is an excellent implementation of wireless connectivity in the Arctis 1 gaming headset, and it is particularly innovative since it is the first headset to use a USB Type-C dongle .

Design

The design of Arctis 1 has not changed much, apart from switching to wireless. The headset has the same understated but luxurious design. This is not cheap, nor does it look unnecessarily garish. You will not feel embarrassed by wearing this naughty boy in public. However, it would have been nice to see some changes, since that is double the price of the wired model.

The earphones have a matte black finish and the SteelSeries logo is at the bottom of each earpiece. The SteelSeries characteristic polygon design is painted in the atria. Like the wired iteration, the Arctis 1 Wireless features an adjustable steel reinforced band. The steel band is wrapped around a black plastic headband and, on the underside, is an elegant feather cushion, just for your head.

You will not feel embarrassed by wearing this naughty boy in public.

The Arctis 1 has only one additional control over the original, namely the power button located on the right atrium. I do not like the button sinks into the frame and that it sits at the bottom of the cup. This makes it a bit boring to go and light up.

Other controls include the mute switch and the volume dial, located on the left cup. You'll also find the 3.5mm audio jack, a micro USB input for charging and the input for the removable microphone. The microphone has not changed either because it stays short and flexible.

In the box, you'll find the 2.4GHz USB Type-C wireless dongle, a USB Type-C to USB Type-A adapter, a 3.5mm auxiliary cord, and a micro USB charging cable. Although you can not find a separate cable for the headset and microphone, like the original Arctis 1, the included adapter for USB Type-A ports is very neat, making it accessible to all gaming laptops .

Comfort

Surprisingly, the Arctis 1 Airweave fabric ear pads were a bit stiffer than those of the original Arctis 1 because I compared them side by side. The shape was a bit wide too. The wired suits me perfectly to the ears, but the wireless version rests me a little further on the head, even if it is in the narrowest position.

Surprisingly, even the feather cushion under the band is slightly stiffer. Of course, it is difficult to notice this difference if you do not compare the two side by side. Although not being so soft, the helmet bonnets remain comfortable. I just wish the band is a little smaller. And as I mentioned in the previous review of Arctis 1, it would be nice if there were notches on the steel band that indicate its position.

Whatever it is, at 9.6 ounces, the Arctis 1 Wireless was still incredibly light on my head and it did not move when I moved out.

Game performance

I had fun playing Arctis 1 Wireless. It is essential to increase the bass, but overall, it sounded good.

In Remnant: Ashes climb on the PC, I fired a crossbow at a group of enemies, and the brutal snapping of the release followed by the skin repair was incredibly satisfying. Rolling on metal had a pretty decent echo to seem immersive, even though it could have used a little more bass. When I spoke to the merchants, their voices were clear, but not so clear.

In Remnant: Ascent of the ashes, I shot a crossbow on a group of enemies, and the brutal snapping of the release followed by the skin repair seemed incredibly satisfying.

I played Fire Emblem: Three House on Nintendo Switch, and when I was building a link between Edelgard and Ferdinand (The Black Eagles for Life!), Their voices could have seemed a little clearer. When I was in combat, the explosions of my Levin sword seemed electrifying (literally), and Edelgard 's fire spell emitted a loud thud when he was hitting an enemy, followed by an electric shock. a good sizzle.

In the best karting driver in the world, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, the sound of the eraser on fire and my triple boost ignition sound perfectly. When I fired a rocket at the polar bear manifestly cheating named Polar, the missile went through the air until reaching its target, but the following blast did not seem as complete as she could have been. And when that sneaky little bear cub got me through an annoyingly unbelievable 3 milliseconds, Crash's angry reaction seemed thick and bitter as I felt.

Musical performance

The Arctis 1 is loud and, even though it does not provide enough bass for the music, the sound is overall correct.

I listened to "Jekyll and Hyde" of Five Finger Death Punch, and the first voices of the song did not provide enough bass to make it pass over the guitar in the background. When the chorus stopped, the voices and the guitar were well mixed. But I could barely distinguish the percussion in the background.

I had a similar problem while listening to "R U Mine?" D & # 39; Arctic Monkeys The bass was muddy and, although the percussion sounded good, it should have been stronger, especially the bass drum. Despite this, the voice was brilliant and the riffs of the electric guitar shone.

In Missio, "I see you," the percussion was surprisingly loud, but still a bit thin. Relief voices and main voices were clear during the chorus. The tambourine has become a little sharp. However, the piano sounded good.

Microphone

The detachable microphone of Arctis 1 was solid when I tested it.

I started a discordant conversation with my colleague and best friend from around the world, Michael Andronico, who also used the same headset, and his voice was clear and clear. And even though he was chatting with me in the middle of a crowded office, I could barely hear any background noise. However, there were times when the microphone seemed to crush the most treble sounds. I noticed it while I was talking and I could hear it via sidetone. For contextual reasons, the wired Arctis 1 microphone has also peaked.

Characteristics

You can connect Arctis 1 Wireless not only to your laptop, but to all the major consoles you have (and most USB-C smartphones).

It can connect to the Nintendo switch via USB Type-C, to the PS4 (and to a connected switch) via the USB Type-A-Type-C adapter and to the Xbox One via the 3.5mm audio jack. It can also connect to Android phones via USB Type-C (iPhones do not work well even with a Type C to Lightning adapter). My headset remained connected to my computer even when I was twenty meters from my kitchen.

The USB Type-C dongle will work with some phone cases, but the case of my Pixel 3 was slightly too thick for that. So, the dongle will probably not fit on an Otterbox. And one of the problems associated with using a USB Type-C dongle is that it can cover the ports of your gaming laptop. So you should probably use a USB adapter Type-A.

Although there are no built-in EQ settings, the SteelSeries Engine 3 application on your computer allows you to customize everything you may need. The most important is the customizable equalizer as well as several presets included. I found that music worked best for music. And this immersion worked better for games. You can also adjust power options, microphone tone level, microphone volume, and dynamic range compression. All your custom settings will be saved on the headset even when you are not on your computer.

SteelSeries evaluates the battery life of Arctis 1 Wireless for more than 20 hours, which matches my tests. I used it for a 2 hour ride Monday to Friday and I also spent several 5 hour gaming sessions with it without charge.

Bottom line

The SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless boasts excellent wireless connectivity with adapters for virtually any device on which you want to use it. It has comfortable ear buds to bless you with this sweet gaming sound, and its software makes this same audio customizable. However, the bass is still muddy, the size can be a little big and the dongle can be annoying if your laptop is exclusively USB Type-C.

If you're looking for a cheaper wireless alternative, go for the $ 50 PDP LVL 50 wireless headset, but be aware that you'll hear lower quality sound. If you're ready to spend more, opt for the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 at $ 120, which offers impressive sound quality and, for better or for worse, uses Bluetooth.

But overall, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless is the best wireless gaming headset you can get at $ 99.

Credit: Laptop Mag

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