SteelSeries Arctis 5 2019 Black
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According to our gaming headset expert
You won't be surprised by any lurking Reapers in Overwatch with the SteelSeries Arctis 5 2019 gaming headset. With the Dolby 7.1 surround sound, you can place every sound precisely and react in the blink of an eye. You'll be the one who surprises an enemy sniper instead of the other way around. The sealed fabric ear cushions have passive noise canceling, which keeps external noise to a minimum. You are clearly visible to the outside world, as this SteelSeries headset lights up in one of the 16.8 million available colors.
Note: 7.1 surround sound only works on the PC. You have 3D audio on the PS5 with this headset.
Connection type | Wired | |
Sound reproduction | Surround | |
Microphone noise suppression |
5 stars
104
4 stars
60
3 stars
2
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Sound quality
Fit
Wearing comfort
Design
Just to get straight to the point:
NondeJU!
My previous headset was the Thrustmaster Y-300X stereo. Since my k/d ratio in PUBG is mildly embarrassing because of the stereo sound, it was time for a surround headset.
For an entire Sunday, from noon to evening, I read reviews from the friends of Coolblue, Tweakers and Tom's Hardware to weigh up objective opinions of many headsets. My final choice fell on SteelSeries' Arctis 5 because of the USB connection (the A3 has a jack plug and the A7 is wireless, although the hardware is exactly the same from this Arctic series).
I have to say, the Arctis 5 is damn nice over your head. The soft ski strap (or elastic, whatever) is there for a reason; this is the innovative part that ensures the advertised wearing comfort. The earcups press fairly gently on your ears, and they don't completely cut off your hearing from the outside world (which is just as cozy for your partner sitting next to you). It should be mentioned that the Arctis can also serve as the most comfortable ear muffs for the winter, because man, man, man. Soaking wet ears after a few hours of intense gaming are guaranteed.
The volume can be quite loud but not painfully loud. That in itself is nice because when putting the headset on and taking it off, my index finger rests too often on the volume dial. There is no dB boost setting in SteelSeries Engine 3, so if for one reason or another you want to squeeze more volume out of those delicate speakers, you will have to consult 3rd party software.
The surround is controlled via the SteelSteries Engine 3 program on the PC. That's also why you have stereo, not surround, when used with consoles. The equalizer is suitable for everyone. There are a number of presets (flat, performance, immersion, entertainment, music, voice) where there is a clear difference in sound. The equalizer is fairly versatile and mixes the presets very precisely. There are a number of topics on Reddit with EQ settings that many users are happy with.
Lovers of deep, heavy bass tones should avoid this Arctis. After playing Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2 and PUBG it has become clear to me that the emphasis of this headset is on the "lifelike" (virtual) surround rather than bombastic, heavy undertones.
The DTS X, as far as I'm concerned, adds no value. In my experience, the surround sound is quite mixed up so that the whole sounds very muddy. Although it seems that SS advertises this DTS as evolutionary and innovative, it should certainly not be a decisive reason to purchase an Arctis!
A point of personal criticism is when the microphone is rolled up in the ear cup, and the mic is muted, the LED on the microphone reflects in my glasses. You could say I shouldn't pay attention to it, but hey, once you notice...
As a plus, I have indicated that the Modmic can be mounted on this headset. I don't know if a Modmic will be needed, as I haven't used Arctis' mic so far, so I don't know what its quality is.
Overall, I give it a 9/10. If it dies prematurely, I would buy it again.
Ronald Hendrikse
26 August 2017
Automatically translated from Dutch
I have had this headset for some time now, what strikes me is that the headset is very light, which makes it very comfortable to wear. The headset does not press too strongly on the ears but does provide a good seal and sound isolation. The band that rests on your head is removable so that you could possibly wash it out, which is nice when you wear a lot of gel in your hair like me. The RGB lighting is a funny addition, but it doesn't add much value to me, because the headset is on my head so I don't see the lights at all. The retractable microphone does its job well, but only feels a bit fragile, so I leave it in one position as much as possible. The last negative point The virtual surround sound is less pleasant for me, I always have this function turned off.
Tim Frijns
29 September 2017
Automatically translated from Dutch
I had already bought this first and was so happy with it that I also gave it to my girlfriend as a gift. #steelseries #awesome
Jeffrey Scheidelaar
14 December 2017
Automatically translated from Dutch
Product number | 759230 | |
Manufacturer code | 61504 | |
Brand | SteelSeries | |
Warranty | 2 years | |
Processing of your defect | Via Coolblue |
Compatible with Windows version | Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | |
Compatible with OS X version | Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite, Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan, Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks |
Sound reproduction | Surround | |
Audio channels | 7.1 | |
Volume control speaker(s) | ||
Volume controls location | Ear cup |
Microphone noise suppression | ||
Microphone mute function | ||
How to mute | Via the button on the ear cup | |
Microphone volume control |
Connection type | Wired | |
USB port | ||
Type of USB port | Standard USB-A | |
Headphone jack | ||
Braided cable | ||
Cable length | 3 m |
Lighting peripherals | ||
Number of colors lighting | 16.8 million | |
Zone lighting | Left ear cup, Right ear cup | |
Zones separately lit | ||
Lighting connectable with peripherals |
Including game(s) | ||
Includes external sound card | ||
Adjustable sound settings | ||
Equalizer | ||
Including receiver/transmitter |
Build quality | Basic | |
Material | Plastic | |
Ear cups design | Closed design | |
Ear cushion material | Fabric | |
Filling ear cushions | Foam | |
Foldable | ||
Color | Black |
