Pushing the boundaries of gaming audio, the Arctis Pro gaming headset features ‘High-Res Audio’ drivers and ships with a USB DAC that is powered by the ESS Sabre 9018.
Product on Review: Steelseries Arctis Pro + GameDAC
Manufacturer: Steelseries
Street Price: Arctis Pro: £179/$179, Arctis Pro + GameDAC: £249/$249, Arctis Pro Wireless £299/$299
The Arctis headset series represented a maturity in gaming audio much needed by many. High grade materials, comfort, great audio, and a good microphone all bundled together. Steelseries takes this much further by using premium speaker drivers that have expanded the frequency range by almost double when compared to standard gaming headsets. Moving from the 20Hz – 22kHz featured in the base Arctis models, the Pro series is capable of reproducing audio in the range of 10Hz to 40kHz, earning itself the High-Res Audio Certificate. To compliment the Arctic Pro headset, it is also available bundled with the GameDAC, which is a USB DAC powered by the ESS Sabre 9018, providing up to 96kHz 24bit audio. But wait, there is more!! RGB LEDS!! <<< No, not just that, but DTS Headphone:X v2.0, the next step in virtual surround technology.
As exciting as this all sounds, the Arctis Pro and its premium features have the price tag to match, with the headset alone costing £179, or bundled with the DAC at £250, or the Wireless version at a whopping £300.
Overview by Steelseries
The Arctis Pro + GameDAC was designed as a complete Hi-Res gaming audio system. Each component meticulously engineered to maintain pristine, powerful audio from the digital output of the PS4 or PC all the way to the headset, and ultimately your ears.
Technical Specifications
Neodymium Drivers: 40mm
Headphone Frequency Response: 10-40,000 Hz
Headphone Sensitivity: 102 dBSPL
Headphone Impedance: 32 Ohm
Headphone Total Harmonic Distortion: <1%
Microphone Type: Retractable Boom
Microphone Polar Pattern: Bidirectional Noise-Canceling
Microphone Frequency Response: 100 – 10,000 Hz
Microphone Sensitivity: -38 dBV/Pa
Microphone Impedance: 2200 Ohm
Microphone Noise Cancellation: Yes
GameDAC Frequency Response: 5-40,000 Hz
Audio Formats: Up to 96 kHz, 24 bit
THD + N: <0.0032%
Headphone Frequency Response: 10-40,000 Hz
Headphone Sensitivity: 102 dBSPL
Headphone Impedance: 32 Ohm
Headphone Total Harmonic Distortion: <1%
Microphone Type: Retractable Boom
Microphone Polar Pattern: Bidirectional Noise-Canceling
Microphone Frequency Response: 100 – 10,000 Hz
Microphone Sensitivity: -38 dBV/Pa
Microphone Impedance: 2200 Ohm
Microphone Noise Cancellation: Yes
GameDAC Frequency Response: 5-40,000 Hz
Audio Formats: Up to 96 kHz, 24 bit
THD + N: <0.0032%
Packaging & First Look
The Arctis Pro comes shipped in a white box with a semi-recognisable background design, only in ‘burning orange’ rather than blue. It bares the High Res Audio badge clearly at the top right, while along the bottom it details various information about the product.
At the back you will find an overview, as well as some detailed information about the various technologies used with the Arctis Pro headset and the GameDAC.
Well packed and no strings attached; on opening the box we instantly see that the Arctis Pro is fully modular, as is the DAC.
Included in the packaging, Steelseries have provided a USB-DAC cable, DAC-Headset cable, mobile adaptor, and an optical cable. Though the DAC is only compatible with PC and PS4, there is no reason why this headset will not work with the Xbox One via analogue connection.
The Arctis Pro feels like a more refined model of the Arctis headsets, and is in all black, including the ski-google headband, which is a stark difference to the colourful designs we have seen.
Closer Look
The Black ski-google headband is stretchy and easy to remove, and is backed by soft foam lining the inner surface of the frame to ensure addtional comfort to the user.
The earcups are attached to the frame by specially designed housing which allows them to rotate 90 degrees. The earcups themselves are made from Steelseries’ air weave fabric which ensures long lasting breathable comfort. The earcups are easily removed, and replacement earcups are available from Steelseeries.
Side on, the headset looks sleek, and discrete with no garish lines or designs jumping out, with just the Steelseries logo subtly printed.
We quite like onboard controls for various reasons here at Vortez, this includes: not having a weakness in the cable which could compromise audio quality/reduce the lifespan. There is a clicky mute button, which turns on an RGB LED indicator in the microphone to remind you it is muted. We are glad to see the audio share port return also, allowing a friend to jack into your headset and listen to what you are listening to also.
As expected from Steelseries, the Clear cast microphone is retractable and flexible, and is able to extend long enough to reach your mouth.
The GameDAC is compact and features a 3.5mm out jack to connect to speakers, an optical port for connection to the PS4 or TV, and a line/mobile in. The OLED screen is clear and easy to read.
Performance Testing
Setup, Design & ObservationsTo setup the Arctis Pro + GameDAC you will need a spare USB port on either your PC or PS4, along with the correct cables to setup in one of the various ways outlined in the manual. As we are connecting to a PC, the setup was rather straight-forward, with the GameDAC waking up and providing you with an 18 step guide to setting it up. Unfortunately the latest software update supporting the Arctis Pro was not available to us, and so there are some features we could not access. These primarily include the RGB LED customisation, and likely some various noise reducing technologies for the microphone.
As expected of Steelseries, the build quality of the Arctis Pro is fantastic. Solid, good quality materials. The headset itself is rather flexible, and comfortable for long gaming sessions, but I had noticed that the Arctis Pro is rather heavy, and so may cause a little fatigue with some people.
Multimedia
Using the DAC to listen to some music we could hear the Arctis pro expertly handle complex audio, while remaining very distinct, and powerful. The bass is smooth, and tight, while the little details in the middle and treble remained.
We spent a little time playing through various games to test out the DST Headphone:X v2.0. It required some attentive listening, but the details provided in regards to positional audio was surprisingly excellent, despite it being rather subtle. Some may expect some static or background noise, or even an artificially widened reverb effect, but not here. Activating the DTS mode doesn’t widen the audio so much, but there is a mild improvement in the sense of depth and scale.
Microphone
We noted that while recording, the microphone was rather close to our mouth and it picked up a fair bit of puffy/mouthy/breathy sounds. This was recorded at Microphone level 5 via the GameDAC, and without any audio filtering or noise reduction that may be provided by the Steelseries Engine 3. Also, the microphone was tested without using the included windbreak which may help to reduce some of the windy noises.
Conclusion
We were slightly surprised by the direction Steelseries has taken with the Arctis Pro, especially considering the jump on the ‘High-Res Audio’ bandwagon. This certification is certainly adding a mark-up to the overall cost of the headset, something that isn’t entirely needed. Certifications are generally great for raising consumer awareness to new technology, regardless of whether they understand the specific details or not, but the reality is, it is entirely unneeded. Reputable audio manufacturers have been making ‘High-Res Audio’ capable headphones for a long time without the requirement of a certificate to prove it.
Despite the above, it is great to have the awareness raised for ‘High Res Audio’, and the Steelseries’ Arctis Pro isn’t just about showy lighting, and fancy materials. It genuinely sounds awesome, and the subtly impressive DTS headphone:X v2.0 will give people a more natural and exciting gaming experience. If you have the spare cash and want to invest in a complete audio experience, the Arctis Pro + GameDAC is a viable alternative to buying the Arctis Pro + discrete soundcard, and with that in mind, the pricing isn’t actually as expensive as it seems on first look, especially when the DAC is powered by the ESS Sabre 9018 and does provide various input/output options to improve its versatility. The DAC works great driverlessly, but once the software update is available (coming very soon), you will find a host of customisations and advanced adjustments. All things considered, this is an incredibly exciting step in the market for gaming audio taken by Steelseries, and if you don’t already have a discrete soundcard or DAC, but want a premium audio experience, the Arctis Pro + GameDAC makes a great deal of sense.
The Arctis Pro + GameDAC is the perfect package for those that want a complete, out-the-box premium gaming audio solution.
Pros.
+ Attractive design
+ Comfortable
+ High quality construction
+ Highly detailed, rich audio
+ Good quality microphone
+ Vibrant RGB lighitng
+ Versatile DAC (compatible with PS4)
Neutral
+- High-Res Audio Certificate is unneeded
Cons.
– Price
+ Attractive design
+ Comfortable
+ High quality construction
+ Highly detailed, rich audio
+ Good quality microphone
+ Vibrant RGB lighitng
+ Versatile DAC (compatible with PS4)
Neutral
+- High-Res Audio Certificate is unneeded
Cons.
– Price
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