Introduction

SteelSeries' current lineup of gaming headsets goes by the name of Arctis and consists of three models simply dubbed the "3", "5" and "7", with the Arctis 3 starting at $80 and the most expensive one, the wireless Arctis 7, costing a full $150. Today, we'll take a look at the Arctis 5 positioned between them, both in terms of features and price. It's available online for $100, which automatically means its ambitions are high.



I did my best to find out if the word "Arctis" actually means something, but with little to no result. It's most likely a simple play on the word "Arctic", which would be in line with SteelSeries' inclination of naming their headsets by the coldest places on Earth. The company's entire lineup of headsets preceding the Arctis line was run under the name "Siberia", as many of you surely remember.


The SteelSeries Arctis 5 is an over-ear, closed-back USB gaming headset that sports several very interesting and unusual features, such as a ski-goggle headband, an RGB lighting system (SteelSeries calls it "Prism"), a so-called ChatMix Dial, built-in volume controls, a retractable bidirectional microphone, and cloth ear cushions. It also boasts DTS 7.1 Surround Sound capability and is available in two basic colors - black and white. Supported platforms? All of them, including the PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, VR headsets, and smartphones. Even though the Arctis 5 is officially an USB headset, SteelSeries didn't forget to equip it with a 3.5-milimeter port and USB-to-3.5-mm adapter to give it much needed versatility connectivity-wise.

Coming in at $100, the SteelSeries Arctis 5 is by no means cheap, but read on to find out why I think it's worth every single penny SteelSeries is asking for it.

Specifications

• 40 mm dynamic drivers (neodymium magnet)
• 32 Ω impedance
• 20-22,000 Hz frequency response (specified by the manufacturer)
• DTS Headphone:X 7.1 Surround Sound
• Closed-back, over-ear design
• Retractable bidirectional microphone
• USB and 3.5-mm connectivity
• RGB lighting system
• ChatMix Dial
• Detachable 3 m rubberized cable
• 3.5-mm 4-pole (TRRS) adapter
• Weight: 308 g

The Package

Whoever designed the box for the SteelSeries Arctis 5 took exceptional care to make it look as pretty as possible. It's very modern-looking and bound to draw your attention in the store. It's also quite sturdy, which is always nice to see.


The front of the box shows us the headset's design and lists all of its key features. Among other things, there's a bold statement that particularly caught my attention, claiming "Best Mic in Gaming". We'll see about that!


On the rear, you'll find an in-depth breakdown of all of the features of the Arctis 5. You'll most likely be confused with listing #2, which says "USB ChatMix Dial - Balance your game and chat audio". It's a very unusual feature, one I grew to absolutely adore after only a day or two of testing the Arctis 5. I'll explain it in greater detail on the next page of this review.


Here are the contents of the box. You get the headset itself as well as the aforementioned ChatMix Dial, a detachable USB cable (with a fairly rare 8-pin Mini-USB plug), and a 4-pole TRRS adapter that will let you plug the headset into a standard 3.5-mm audio port. Two additional things I'd like to see are the Y-splitter that would make it possible to connect the headset to a sound card that uses separate 3.5-mm audio in and out (SteelSeries sells it as an $8 accessory) and a simple audio cable with 3.5-mm male jacks on both ends.


If I'm honest, neither is absolutely necessary. On devices that use separate audio in and out - namely, your PC - you can (and should) use the USB connection. And since the USB-to-3.5-mm adapter is supplied, you won't need a separate 3.5-mm audio cable. The only reason I suggest you get one is so that you can use it when you take the Arctis 5 on the go. Having a separate audio cable for that will allow you to leave your "primary", supplied USB cable at home, plugged into the ChatMix Dial. The cable you see in the photo above is one from my personal collection - you won't be getting it in the box.

Overall, the box and the unboxing experience are great. You dished out some serious cash and SteelSeries did its best to make you feel that way.