Hear the game like never before with SteelSeries wireless Xbox 360 headset. Easy to dismantle and interchangeable ear cushions.
Product on Review: Steel Series Spectrum 7XB Wireless headset
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Steel Series
Street Price: £164.99
SteelSeries are regarded by many as the World’s leading gaming peripherals brand. With products ranging from gaming glasses to mechanical keyboards, SteelSeries cover all the bases when it comes to professional gaming. Here at Vortez, we’ve had several SteelSeries products in to review, with the most recent being the 7H iPhone edition headset. Today, we will be reviewing the very familiar looking Xbox edition version of the 7H – the Spectrum 7XB Wireless headset, which is the second Xbox orientated headset released by SteelSeries, with the first being the 5XB.
There are currently 2 predecessors to the 7XB, the original 7H and the “iPhone” edition, both have previously been reviewed here at Vortez.net, with both getting mixed reviews. With a good base to go from, lets see if integrating Xbox compatibility and wireless technology into the 7XB can justify the high price.
This is what SteelSeries say about the 7XB:
SteelSeries Spectrum 7xb Headset is the wireless headset designed for Xbox 360 gamers. The SteelSeries Spectrum 7xb combines advanced wireless technology with SteelSeries ExactSND and LiveMix features, interchangeable leather earcups (with cloth earcups available on our web store), and innovative audio options with SteelSeries’ award-winning, signature features like the retractable, unidirectional mic, four-piece breakdown and 50mm drivers. The headsets wireless transmitter, no larger than a deck of playing cards, utilizes a 2.4 GHz proprietary radio interface which powers the wireless functionality of the headset. The transmitter connects directly into the Xbox 360 console and is equipped with connections for USB, 3.5mm and RCA jacks allowing the user to choose their preferred connection. The Spectrum 7xb will operate up to 30 feet away from the Xbox 360 transmitter and features a smart LED to notify when the headset is connected.
Features
And their quick overview of the headset, which lists the main features: – Wireless Xbox 360 headset
– Noise-dampening, interchangeable leather earcups
– Easily dismantles into 3 separate parts
– Retractable unidirectional microphone
– Independent game and voice volume controls
– SteelSeries LiveMix, for optimal Xbox LIVE® chat and ingame
audio
– Optimized and adjustable soundscape for high, low and mid tones
– Sound and voice compatible with Xbox Live
– Noise-dampening, interchangeable leather earcups
– Easily dismantles into 3 separate parts
– Retractable unidirectional microphone
– Independent game and voice volume controls
– SteelSeries LiveMix, for optimal Xbox LIVE® chat and ingame
audio
– Optimized and adjustable soundscape for high, low and mid tones
– Sound and voice compatible with Xbox Live
And the numbers
Headphones
*Frequency response: 18 – 28.000 Hz
*Impedance: 32 Ohm
*SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms: 112 dB
*Cable length: 1 m / 3.3 ft. (Detachable from headset to controller with 2.5 mm plug)
*Jacks: 3,5 mm
Microphone
*Frequency response: 50 – 16.000 Hz
*Pick up pattern: Uni-directional
*Sensitivity: -38 dB
Transmitter box
*USB Powered (from Xbox 360)
*3.5 mm stereo jack input
*Input level control
*2.6 GHz radio interface
*Range: 9 m (30 ft.)
*Dimensions: 83 mm x 83 mm x 26 mm
*Frequency response: 18 – 28.000 Hz
*Impedance: 32 Ohm
*SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms: 112 dB
*Cable length: 1 m / 3.3 ft. (Detachable from headset to controller with 2.5 mm plug)
*Jacks: 3,5 mm
Microphone
*Frequency response: 50 – 16.000 Hz
*Pick up pattern: Uni-directional
*Sensitivity: -38 dB
Transmitter box
*USB Powered (from Xbox 360)
*3.5 mm stereo jack input
*Input level control
*2.6 GHz radio interface
*Range: 9 m (30 ft.)
*Dimensions: 83 mm x 83 mm x 26 mm
Packaging & First Look
Different to both the 7H and the iPhone edition, the packaging is heavily orientated towards the Xbox, signalling its main purpose. Just like the previous versions of the 7H, the 7XB box contains a list of all the different features on the reverse. The side of the box also contains a transparent window from which you can see the left side of the headset.
The packaging is clearly geared towards Xbox users with the green accents
Inside the box the headset is attached to a plastic support that has a felt like texture. Contained within the box, you have the headset itself, the transmitter box and various other accessories.
All the accessories that come in the box, including some batteries to get you going
When the headset is removed from the support, you are presented with an almost identical headset to the 7H and the 7H iPhone edition. Still maintaining the impressive and stylish appearance, the 7XB features 2 main noticeable differences; the lack of a cable and the buttons on the right ear piece, which we will look at later.
The 7XB maintains an almost identical design to the other 7H editions
Closer Look
Just like the previous versions, the 7XB has a very high build quality that maintains its elegance yet aggressive appearance. The headset as a whole is very light, yet the metallic textures give it a more industrial feel. Like the other editions, the unconventional flat headband is perceived as more of a gamer headset that looks like it should be worn by a fighter pilot. Whilst this was a more daunting aspect of the iPhone edition, this particular style would suit many of the Xbox gamers out there.
Unlike the iPhone edition, this headset only comes with the one set of leather memory-foam earpieces. The ear cups themselves are just like the ones on the other versions – of a fairly small oval shape, which could be a problem to anyone with big ears out there.
Small earcups could be a problem for some users
Just like the other editions, the 7XB can be fully dissembled to aid in transportation and to change the ear cushions.
The 7XB remains very easy to breakdown
Common with many SteelSeries headsets, the 7XB also features a retractable mic.
The retractable mic means you can hide it away when not in use
Again, just like the previous versions, the 7XB comes with a set of foam ear cushions if you don’t want to block out as much of the ambient background noise.
The main feature of the 7XB is that it is wireless, so the right ear piece is home to all the buttons: volume +/- , power, ExactSND and LiveMix, which we will talk about later.
The right earcup features a multitude of buttons
Due to its wireless nature, there is also a wireless transmitter that connects into your PC via USB and 3.5mm audio jack. On the back of the transmitter there is also a wheel to control the volume output.
Not pictured, is also the connector for the Xbox controller. More on this later. Next up, let’s see (or hear) how they perform.
Performance
Just like with the other headsets there are the usual points to consider when checking them out, these are Gaming, Media and Comfort. In this case, we will be expanding the gaming performance tests to include Xbox gaming due to the headset being specifically designed with Xbox Live in mind. However, due Xbox orientated design, they have removed the ability to use the microphone when connected to the PC, just like the iPhone edition, so because of this we will not be testing the microphone quality on the PC. With the headset being wireless, we will also look at how long they endure for and the range.
Setup
Straight out of the box the headset can be connected to your Xbox or PC, without the need to install any drivers for the latter. In order to function correctly the transmitter must be connect via USB into the PC/Xbox along with the 3.5mm audio jack – for the Xbox, there is an adaptor provided. Once connected the headset needs to be synced with the transmitter (which is by default) with a push of a button on both the headset and transmitter. In order to use the mic with Xbox live there is an addition cable that connects into the Xbox controller via the mini USB port on the headset. There is also a switch to mute the mic on the cable. All of this was very easy to do, with no need to refer to the manual.
Gaming
As usual, we will test the 7XB for several hours on both the PC and Xbox, with the Call of Duty: Black Ops on the Xbox and Counter Strike: Source and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on the PC. Like all the other versions of the headset, the sound was crisp and precise on both platforms. Unlike the previous models however, the ExactSND button allowed on-the-fly changes to the sound quality that takes into account low, mid and high tones that provided much deeper bass – something very important for Bad Company 2.
When it came to using the mic the headset has a button that can optimise the audio/mic quality to suit ingame or Xbox live chat. This improved the quality of the audio when in chat and reduced it slightly ingame to reduce the bandwidth used – a very nifty feature.
Music
Again, just like with the other headsets, we tested its performance across a wide range of songs. Just like the gaming test, the different keys and tones were very precise and crisp. The lack of bass on some settings meant the ExactSND button had to be pressed to cycle through the correct tone range to get the optimal quality.
Now this is where things got interesting, the headset’s volume level is independent to the transmitters, resulting in 2 different volume levels (3 if you include the PC’s volume levels). Upon enquiry as to why, this is what SteelSeries said:
The reason for including a volume control on the transmitter is that we don’t know what equipment that the transmitter will be plugged in to. It could be the TV output, the Xbox output, a stereo system, whatever. These could have different output levels and we wanted to be able to adjust the input sensitivity to deal with every possible input level.
Most companies wouldn’t account for this, so thumbs up to SteelSeries for thinking of it.
Comfort and wireless performance
Just like the previous models, the 7XB was tested over several hours of use, so like the others, the headset did get more uncomfortable the longer they were worn, due to the slightly too small ear cups. To avoid this, constant adjustments needed to be made. The buttons on the ear cup are not easily distinguishable from one-another, which meant there was some difficulty locating the correct button whilst wearing the headset.
As for durability, the 2x AAA batteries provided lasted about 10 hours, which isn’t bad considering the quality of audio you are receiving. However, the lifespan for the headset is strongly dictated by the quality of the batteries, as when lower quality batteries were used, the lifespan was drastically reduced to about 3 hours. So skimping out on the batteries is not recommended!
SteelSeries say the range of the headset is approximately 9m, which can vary depending on the structure of the building. For this review however, I was able to take a walk downstairs with the headset on, whilst listening to music, with hardly any interference or a drop in signal.
Conclusion
Overall, the Steelseries 7XB is a solid product; however there are a few glaring omissions to its feature set. First of all, the lack of a rechargeable battery is a strange choice, especially considering the headset’s high price point. Also, the lack of microphone support when connected to a PC seems like a bit of a waste. On the plus side, the audio is clear and consistent over a wide frequency range and the headset is styled appealingly. The range on the wireless receiver is good.
The Steelseries 7XB is a high quality product for Xbox gaming, but lacks in other areas. The ridiculous price point limits the appeal for your average consumer, and there are better options available to audiophiles. Considering these points, there is little improvement over the previous models in Steelseries’ range; the additional features are appealing on paper but do not warrant the headset’s price.
If you’re looking for a PC headset, look at the 7H. Xbox gaming? Not the 7XB – the price just cannot justify the features, however, if you’re looking for Xbox gaming, occasional PC use and have deep pockets, the 7XB could be for you.
Whilst we enjoyed testing out this headset across both platforms, from a practical point of view it is very difficult to see any improvement over the other editions. With all this in mind, the 7XB just scrapes a silver award, purely because of the 7XB’s wireless capabilities and better audio quality (using ExactSND).
Pros
+ Style
+ Quality
+ Audio quality on Xbox and PC
+ Different volume levels
+ On the fly changes to tone range
Cons
– Uncomfortable for some
– Expensive
– Cannot use mic on PC
+ Style
+ Quality
+ Audio quality on Xbox and PC
+ Different volume levels
+ On the fly changes to tone range
Cons
– Uncomfortable for some
– Expensive
– Cannot use mic on PC
Big thanks to SteelSeries for sponsoring us with the 7XB and for their patience.
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
