Customer Ratings & Reviews

I've used countless headphones and headsets for gaming, Audio-Technica, BeyerDynamic, Sennheiser, Astros, HyperX, etc. Finding the right comfort AND stellar audio is really hard to find. I had been using the 2016 SteelSeries Arctis 5's and while they were super comfy, they lacked the punch and treble I was looking for, it sounded rather flat. Once I my new Arctis Pro w/GameDAQ arrived, I was able to set it up within minutes on my PC. The clamp force on the headset is a little more firm, allowing less of a sound leak in the ear cuffs. The super simplistic design of the ski goggle strap works wonders whether youre wearing a hat or not, alleviating the weight of the headset and reducing wear fatigue. The GameDAQ is simple to customize and navigate given the large knob and very legible LED display. The equalizer has presets but also allows you to set your own settings and it does not fail to deliver. Watching Netflix, listening to Tidal (for Hi-Res audio), and playing games like Siege and PUBG all welcomed the headset with open arms. There is literally nothing but love on this headset, you can tell SteelSeries wanted to offer something for those who really wanted a focus on audio in the days of graphics, graphics, graphics. The highs and lows are accurate and you feel it. The situational audio works flawlessly, you know whats approaching from all sides. (SteelSeries Software hasn't updated at the time of this review)

Listen I had these for 6 months they sound good not bad at all but you have to setup the sound yourself to get the best to hear footsteps which sucked I think I had it the best tbh I didn't find myself having issues hearing after setup and had no problems with it at all just compared to the astro a50s these are 2nd best

I've had 2 pairs of these and they have both broken in the same exact way. The hinge that the ear cups attach on the right ear piece WILL 100% fail. The plastic on the ear piece is very thin and very cheap. The plastic breaks and there's no fixing it. For this price point I should have learned my lesson the 1st time but they are quite comfy and sound great. But that doesn't make up for the cheap materials and terrible build quality. Avoid Steel Series head phones at all costs unless you like them breaking at an inopportune time and having to replace them.

Got this for my kid. Overall it’s good, but the ear cups keep breaking. For $250, you’d think that it would be more sturdy. It’s not even a year old and this one broke.

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THESE HEAD PHONES THEY ARE KNOWN TO BREAK. THE RIGHT EARCUP HAS A DESIGN FLAW AND OR POOR PLASTIC. COMPANY ONLY GIVE YOU A ONE YEAR WARRANTY. THE HEAD PHONES BROKE AFTER 2 YEARS OF NORMAL USE. STEEL SERIES WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THIS MFG DEFECT. SEE PICTURES.

Breaks easily just by taking off the headset. Stay away from this headset.

I was pretty skeptical about dropping $250+ on a gaming headset. My Razer Kraken 7.1 v2's left earphone no longer worked (after only owning that thing for 9 months) so I decided to buy these. When setup properly (very important), the sound quality is fantastic! I've used the gamedac mainly for volume and mic/game volume but when you hop onto the SteelSeries Engine software for these headphones, you can manually add the bass boost. I was afraid these cans wouldn't have the bass punch that I'm used to with Razer headphones, but there's plenty of punch. I use these primarily for PC. The gamedac has a built in volume limiter but you can unlock that if you set the 'gain' setting to 'high'. Pros: -Excellent sound -DTS Surround sounds a lot better than most other virtual surround gimmicks I've tried -Very easy to figure out the GameDAC menus -Very comfy -The mic is excellent Cons: -Pricey -The headstrap is weird, to tighten this thing on your head, you have this one long strap to adjust that pretty much pushes hard on top of your head, I've loosened it up as much as I could -You really have to take the time to mess with your EQ to make the thing sound great -The GameDAC is only compatible with SteelSeries headphones. You can't use any other headphones to attach to it.

Overall this headset is very good. It has good clean sound is mostly comfortable and the game Dac gives you some cool features. Some of the shortcomings are that the wire between the headset and the game dac is too short if you use this with a ps4. I sit on a chair and unless I put the dac on a table or my couch the cord wouldn’t reach from the floor to my headset. The sound profile is a little thin for my taste and the highs are too sharp. I also find that the headset is a bit tight with no real way to adjust. Overall this is a great headset that gives you great overall sound and good features.

I’ve had really bad experiences with wireless Steel Series headsets in the past so I was hesitant to buy this. After trying out a few other brands I decided to give Steel Series another try except wired this time. In general I’m much happier with this model than the previous ones I’ve tried. With it being wired and having the gameDAC it removes the buggy wireless connectivity issues and the low-volume issues I’ve had with previous Arctic headsets. Overall the sound quality is great, better and louder than my previous Hyper X Revolver S. The Arctis Pro also has side tone which lets you hear your own voice (something the Revolver S didn’t have). The only downside to the side tone is it creates an audible humming noise when turned on, but after a while I’ve gotten used to it. Comfort is actually really impressive due to the adjustable headband. It’s also nice having performance fabric on the ear pads versus the fake leather you see on other headsets that cause your ears to sweat. There are a few major downsides to this headset that you should be aware of before buying. First off, the instructions on how to set this up on PS4 suck. The manual tells you to select “chat only” in the PS4 settings but what that does is play game audio from your TV Speakers and only the chat audio in your headset. Select “all audio” instead. Second, not sure if this is a PS4 issue but every once in a while when I turn on my PS4 it seems to not recognize the headset and I have to disconnect and then reconnect it from my PS4 for it to show up as an option. And lastly, the cable that connects the headset to the gameDAC can be a bit short for those who sit further away from their TV/monitor. I play on a 50” tv so I have to sit a bit further back and the cord barely reaches. Otherwise I’m very happy with the comfort level, the sound quality, and the side tone feature. Would recommend this model versus any of the wireless Arctic models.

Great sound, amazing details and bass! The setup on PC is easy. Plug the dac via usb and done. You may want to install the latest steelseries software and update the firmware. Beware though, it may crash in the middle of updating. Don't freak out, just close everything, reboot the pc and re do the update, it will pick up and do it faster. After that, they enabled the option to set gain to "high" giving the headset more volume (some people complained about the low volume). I was able to tweak the equalizer to my liking and now it sounds amazing with the DTS mode one! Play with the equalizer, it will make them better! One con, you cannot enable DTS surround if you enable Hi-res audio, its a limitation. I did try the hi-res mode and sounded amazing with some hi-res songs I got from a trial from tidal. You can try it and its amazing. Just hoping that frigging game developers start switching to Hi-res audio too. Well, they're barely starting to use HDR in video, so heres hope.... Tried it also on my PS4 and sounded great with the DTS on. Just too much clutter with the cables (they are long enough, about 6 or 7 feet) and all. I just settled using my sony platinums for the PS4 (these sound waaaaay better) and don't have the hiss that some people say the wireless $320 version has (didn't go for that one as doesn't have Hi-res).

I myself was tired of wireless headphones. Always having to charge the battery and so on. I got these instead, wired but not a problem at all. Like everyone, you want great sound. This is RGB, and it comes with the gameDac. I use the headphones for ALL purposes. Games, music etc, anything on my PC. The GAME DAC is where you really can fine tune things. When you first get them, don't be in a hurry to try to connect everything without looking at the manual. Simple instructions from me : Connect the cables to the gamedac, the gamedac is connected to your computer with the USB Cable. At first when you hear the sound it is very very low. Don't worry, nothing is wrong. There is a volume button on the headphones. Then you might think the volume is too low, like I did. Butusing the GAME DAC you basically have a small button and then the wheel with a button in the middle. You will get used to it,but the equalizer is where you can really make it LOUD! I moved each band all the way to the top, the headphones were so loud I had to turn down the volume. You can get GREAT amounts of high volume. Customize them the way you want. Change colors and so on. The mic pulls out.. dont' worry its there :) It also lights up. These are the most amazing headphones I have ever purchased. IF you want GREAT sounding headphones, that you yourself can customize to your liking, programmable colors , great bass, terrific sound, GREAT for game.. then these are for you! SO WORTH the money!

Headset is amazing. Firmware update for additional volume gain. Sound is crisp and clear with solid, punchy bass. For a gaming headset, music sounds amazing. I knew going into that the wired version would bother me slightly, with the limited range and all -- and it does, but it has been tolerable; so far. I purchased 10' optical and micro USB cables online so my range was improved; however, the proprietary cable from the DAC to the cans is much too short (I think Steelseries sells an extension on their website). To sum it up....I was incredibly hesitant to spend this much on a headset, but now I'm spendinf even more to buy and try the wireless version, to determine if the wireless performs the same so it can replace my travel headphones. Couldn't be happier with my purchase.

These headphones are AMAZING... the pin-point accuracy of where the enemies are, blow me away. I play a lot of BO4 and Blackout, and let me just say - NO one sneaks up on me anymore. I almost feel like I'm cheating...lol. There is 1 warning I give though, if your PS4 setup is more than a few feet from the TV (like a livingroom setup), then you will need to purchase a longer Optic Cable and Mini-USB cable... I found both on Amazon for about $10 each. If you plan to use these on your PC, the cords are perfect length and you won't have any issues. This was my first high-end headset (used to use a lower-end Turtle Beach headset), so make sure you plug the GameDAC into the PC, do software updates, and create a custom sound setup for first person shooters. There are a few pre-made sound setups, which I really like for non-shooter games, but for that crisp footstep and directional sound awareness, it's worth taking the time to research a good sound profile. I spent maybe an hour researching and tweeking, but it has been totally worth it! I bought and returned 10 different sets of headphones, before I found this one. I tried several HyperX, Turtle Beach, and a couple off-brands. A few of those were nice, but each also had something that was lacking a bit for me... if I was spending big money, I wanted a headset that wowed me! Most headsets were amazing on PC, but then only average (or worst) on PS4... since I'm 90% a PS4 player, I needed it to excel at both. So, yes - the wires can take a bit of getting used to, but the sound quality and comfort of these were worth the trade-off for me. Best of luck

I have and have had a lot of headphones, both for gaming/entertainment and recording monitors, and these are really good. They are not wireless for a reason, and the combination of the headphones and the game dac amp gives you all the sound quality and control you could need. Custom EQ, volume and mute controls, game balancing between game and chat... it’s all there and it’s quickly accessed after an easy to understand setup. I think there are some headsets out there that might be a tad more cozy/soft when you first put them on, but I find that I had little to no fatigue with them while playing long sessions. So these sort of catch up to the others over time and pretty quickly. The mic isn’t the most durable looking mic out there, but it is crystal clear, seems properly sensitive, and is retractable. I wish it was a little easier to form while positioning, but since it picks up the voice so well it doesn’t really need to be positioned so precisely. So this is just a personal preference thing. The illumination is kind of cool, if you’re into that sort of thing. Most of the time I just turn that off. Sound quality is great. Footsteps, shots, environmental, doors opening and closing in other areas... you name it, I heard them when my squad mates did not. I switched back to my Sony wireless golds and it was clear in some situations the Sony golds were just not giving me the same sounds, sound levels, or max volume. I would say, for those who want a very bass heavy experience, these may not entirely satisfy. Even with the custom EQ maxed on the low-end, it seems a fraction under what I would expect to be able to get. The audio quality description I would give these is strong, clear, rich, balanced, natural, accurate. I would not say heavy, or deep. Sometimes game or PC settings can help out those who want a lot on the low end. Really this headset is quite good and boils down to a value question: is it worth $250? To me, at $250 they are certainly good, but it’s a stretch to think of it In terms of a good value. But they go on sale. And when you catch these for $210, $200 - or less - they become fantastic.

The quality & sound is amazing. I love how I could adjust the sound. The reason I gave it a 4 star was because simply it isn’t made for big heads I had to take the strap off to use it. 2nd con is the cable provided it just wasn’t long enough you won’t be able to seat very far from the GameDac it’s maybe 3ft long.

After having my Logitech Headset finally break after years of use, decided to look for another headset. I am a gamer that games probably 6 hours a day on weekdays and all day on weekends. I came across this SteelSeries headset and almost fell over when I saw the price. My last wired logitech headset costed me $129. To pay more than double the price for a headset was a little eye opening. Upon further inspection it came with a little module called the DAC. Without going into the technical details of Digital to Analog conversion, just think of this essentially as a sound enhancer for your headset. The DAC has a built in EQ and if set up right you can make footsteps in games stand out over the other ambient noises. It has 2 options connect via USB or Optical Audio. It comes with both cables. Steelseries has youtube guides as well on setting up your DAC with a PC or PS4 if you wanted a step by step instruction. This is definitely a Luxury item and not a necessity. The sound is great especially with optical audio. However, you could get by with a good quality headset at half the price. If you dont mind splurging on a top of the line headset I say go for it.

Overall amazing headset. Works like a dream. Great sound and super comfortable. If you have a large head beware, the band will take time to stretch out. Also occasional small issues with getting software on windows to pick up both channels for output.

I’ve tried out several headsets from the $200-$350 range. This is by far the best one especially for $250. The DAC is easy to setup and get going. Very useful on the fly when you can’t access the app on your PC. I like the design it’s very comfortable with the band and not plastic like most sets. Can wear for hours with no issues.

About me: I play PS4 and PC games about two hours every day (more when I can), mainly FPS and story-based action games like Fortnite, the Uncharted series, The Last of Us, Battlefield, the Far Cry series, etc. and when I’m not gaming I’m listening to a wide variety of music, loudly. Since xmas last year, I’ve been looking at the higher end gaming headsets and music headphones. About the headset: I watched a bunch of reviews on the new SteelSeries headsets and was intrigued by the description of the audio quality from the DAC and the way they looked. Now, after a few days of gaming with the Arctis Pro + GameDAC I am completely blown away. The first night after the install I found myself going back to my older, favorite games to hear how different they sound now. Explosions sound massive, without being blown out and the little things like background animals and tree branches swaying sound so cool. Playing Uncharted 4, I swear I hear subtleties in Nathan Drake’s voice I didn’t before (Better acting through sound quality? I don’t know, weird). The install of the GameDAC to my PS4 Pro and PC was pretty easy and it’s so nice using the dial to switch back in forth instead of switching cables. The headset is super comfortable on my big head. I can’t say enough about how good these things sound. Music through my PC sounds fantastic. I haven’t watched a movie yet, or anything on Netflix, but I plan on updating this review when I do that.

I purchased this headset to use it with my ps4. The headset itself looks and feels very good. Made of very good material and super comfortable. The audio its super loud and clear, the mic sounds super clear. I had to returned them because my playstation sits 5 feet away from where i sit to play and the cord was not long enougn. I went back and bought the wireless instead.