SteelSeries' high-end headset pumped out rich, engulfing sound for a variety of genres and offered a notable step up in volume and separation compared with the Arctis 3 Bluetooth I use at home. The standard SteelSeries Arctis headsets sound very good. I understand why the GameDAC is built the way it is, but if I'm buying a $249 headset for my PS4, I'd like to be able to use it from my couch. You could, theoretically, fix this if you have superlong optical and micro-USB cables sitting around, but using the cables that came in the box, I had to sit very close to my TV in a chair. You can dig into the GameDAC's equalizer and switch between various presets that emphasize bass or treble, or even tweak all 10 frequency bands yourself. The Arctis Pro + GameDAC is designed to be used at a desk, which is great if you're a PC gamer or keep your PS4 in your command center, but a bummer for everyone else.

The DAC offers a staggering number of features for gamers and audiophiles alike, but it also holds the Arctis Pro back in one key area.įor all of its great functionality, however, the GameDAC has one big flaw: The cables are way too short. In layman's terms, that means higher-resolution, less-compressed audio than what you'd get from a typical USB or analog connection. GameDACĪt the heart of the SteelSeries Arctis Pro is the GameDAC, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that allows SteelSeries' headset to pump out 96-kHz/24-bit audio. I wore the Arctis Pro for hours on end both at work and while gaming at home and never got the urge to take it off. The headset once again features SteelSeries' signature ski-goggle headband design, which automatically conforms to your dome for a snug but cozy fit.Īnd if the headband doesn't feel right out of the box, you can easily make it looser or tighter via a Velcro strap at the top of the headset. Like previous Arctis iterations, the Arctis Pro is a delight to wear. The mute button is bigger and more textured this time around, making it easier to find in the middle of a heated play session.

A volume knob, retractable microphone, mute button, and 3.5mm and proprietary audio jacks all rest on the left cup, and all are pretty painless to reach. Extra goodies aside, the Arctis Pro sports the same on-ear controls as other models.

Steel series arctis pro