With the release of our Arctis Pro line, we've learned a lot about improving our headsets, and revisited our original line of Arctis headsets to make them better than ever. So, what's new with the 2019 versions of the Arctis 3, Arctis 5, and Arctis 7?
(Update: all Arctis 3, Arctis 5, and Arctis 7 headsets on both SteelSeries.com and at retailers are now the updated 2019 edition described below, unless expressly listed on Amazon as "discontinued" or "legacy".)
Ear cushions
Some customers found the previous cushion to be too shallow, causing their ears to touch the inside speaker plate, so we added additional foam to the ear cushions, making them thicker and more comfortable. This alleviates this problem and increases the comfort of every Arctis headset.
Soundscape
The sound of the Arctis headsets has often been praised for its clear and highly detailed sound, but we felt that a little extra low end bump would improve the experience even more, so we tweaked the soundscape to slightly increase bass output, making it sound even better for gaming.
On-headset controls
We made the on-ear controls for volume and ChatMix slightly smaller and firmer. We received feedback that the controls were too easy to move, and could sometimes be bumped by accident. Making them smaller and requiring more force to adjust them should help prevent accidental volume changes.
Headset-specific improvements
In addition to the improvements discussed above, we also made some more specific improvements to the Arctis 3, Arctis 5, and Arctis 7.
Arctis 3
We received customer feedback that while the original cable system was versatile and convenient, there was also concern about misplacing the 4-pole (mobile) adapter when not in use. So we eliminated the adapter and made the 4-pole 3.5mm connector part of the main cable, and changed the dual 3.5mm cable into an extension. In short, we simplified the cable system from three components down to two.
Arctis 5
When we launched the Arctis Pro line, we introduced DTS Headphone:X v2.0, a significant upgrade to the surround sound tech. This new version is more immersive, more accurate, and overall provides a better surround sound experience for all types of games. We have now upgraded to DTS Headphone:X v2.0 in all Arctis 5 headsets, which is available through SteelSeries Engine for all old and new Arctis 5 users later this week.
Arctis 7
The original Arctis 7's outer steel headband flattened out slightly on top, which made it less comfortable for some folks with larger heads. When we launched the Arctis Pro line, we completely redesigned the headband to give it a rounder shape, more balance, and much improved comfort. We put a lot of work into creating an arc that was rounder and would offer more clearance for larger head sizes, and used those learnings to implement a design for the Arctis 7 headband that would accommodate more sizes and shapes, look better, and provide better overall comfort.
When we launched the Arctis Pro line, we introduced DTS Headphone:X v2.0, a significant upgrade to the surround sound tech. This new version is more immersive, more accurate, and overall provides a better surround sound experience for all types of games. Just like the Arctis 5, we have now upgraded to DTS Headphone:X v2.0 in all Arctis 7 headsets, which is now available through SteelSeries Engine for all old and new Arctis 7 users.
By popular request, we have also added an option in SteelSeries Engine to customize the Arctis 7's auto shutoff time, so users can select the amount of idle time with no audio before the headset turns itself off to save battery. The feature can also be disabled entirely for users who want their headset to always remain on unless they manually turn it off.
