SteelSeries - Arctis 7

My arctis 7 from like 2018 still works perfectly...

Thank you for clarifying the clamping force is much tighter. I just bought my friend nova 1's for his birthday and noticed how tight they were. I was wondering if this was the same on the pros. I have the arctis 7 and love how much looser it is. I was deciding between the nova 5's 7's and arctis pro wireless's. this may have helped me choose.

I disagree I think there build quality is solid. Their made out of plastic to be light. I have the arctis 7 right now and the only times they broke is when the happens to "accidently" hit a wall at speed. And when I spilled a drink on them. They can still work just fine but they don't hold a charge unless they are plugged in but that's not because of normal wear and tear these were abused yet lasted me currently over 3 years.

Where does it commonly snap? My arctic 7’s have a metal headband so that may be ma point of failure but I wouldn’t know. I heard something about the hinges but my hinges work great after 3+ years of use

I just realized the part that supposed to stop the range of motion in my hinge just isn’t there or doesn’t work on one of the ears .

I still have my refurbished arctis 7’s after 6 years and they’re still fantastic.

I had the very first 7s. They were good, though the headband eventually broke. That's when I got the Arctis Pros. That's when I learned that the headband fragility was something a lot of people expereinced, because the Pros had the same thing happen.

My last Steelseries Arctis 7 lasted me 4 years before being replaced

Replace the pads, they aren’t magically going to manufacture a headphone with pads that never wear down. Other factors like weak points are fair game. Arctis headphones are known to break at the cup arm.

I have my arctis 7 still after 6 years, I modded them to have a hotswappable battery, changed ear pads and headband a couple times as well. Won't be changing before they give up

I modded mine to take 18350 batteries, can just hotswap them and the battery lasts around 50-60h i'd guess before needing to swap. I can highly recommend it

I hated mine personally. Terrible software as well

I paid a restocking fee to return them after I kept getting sound blasted while playing BG3. I'm talking about high volume static noise that was only fixed by unplugging and replugging them in. They caused me physical ear pain, and this is after they were already uncomfortable to wear. I felt misled by reviews claiming premium comfort. Let's also talk about how the software doubled my boot times and how I would often have to restart my pc for the software to even function properly. I now have Audio Technica and they are so much nicer in every way for the same price

Steelseries artics 7, artics 9 if you care about bluetooth and dungle connection at the same time. My general tip is always wireless headset, once you go wireless you don't turn back

I love my arctis 7s. Comfy, great battery, incredible sound quality. Had them for about 2.5 years, and haven’t had any issues.

Idk what yall are doing to yalls headsets but I've had my Arctis 7s for around 4 years now and they haven't broken yet. Only issue is battery life has gone down

Same for me

Best headset i have ever had

I eventually switched to the SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless for my long gaming sessions. I liked that it offered easy on-headset volume controls and a mic that I could flip aside when I wasn't using it. The comfort was a big win for me during 10+ hour sessions, and the sound quality stayed balanced without overwhelming me during intense moments. It wasn't the cheapest, but I felt it was worth the investment for the overall experience.

SteelSeries Arctis 7. Love the quality and comfort. I wear glasses and the fit is still super comfy

I love my Arctis Steel Series 7 Wireless

I've been daily driving the steelseries Arctis 7 since 2017 and they are still going as strong as the day I bought them

A slight necro, but I have the Arctis 7, Arctis Pro Wireless, and Arctis Nova Pro Wireless - They're all (except the 7's) complete and utter GARBAGE. The Arctis pro broke twice in 6 months, (mic mute button, frequent disconnects, and occasional issues where it refused to connect to the DAC at all.) The Nova pro is no better, with the first one's 6-pole mic button dying in less than 6 months with VERY minimal use of the button itself, and the new headset they sent as a replacement under warranty does 3 beeps when toggling the mic on/off, has "digital compression lag" from interference, picks up my G502x+ if the USB receiver is on the same HUB, constantly disconnects from the DAC, and reconnects, occasionally refuses to perceive a newly swapped battery as charged, occasionally won't turn on...and more. I honestly can't believe that their "high end line" is worse quality than their mid-range, but it DEFINITELY is. My experience with these headsets has turned me off steelseries COMPLETELY, and I doubt I'll ever purchase another product of theirs.

im having issues with steele series arctis 7 not working in game chat, mainly halo infinite. tried every combination of setting on my pc and on the gg software with no luck.

Let me start by saying I love my wireless headset for gaming and the arctis line is great in terms of comfort and gaming headsets (I loved my arctis 7 wireless for years till it died on me). That being said they are NOT good headphones, even for the price. You can absolutely get better sound quality from other cans in the ~$75-$100 price range.

I've used the SteelSeries Arctis 7 for my own gaming sessions, and it worked pretty well for me.

Personally, I stopped using "gaming headsets" a while ago. Over the years, I've tried various ones (Razer BlackShark V2, HyperX Cloud (can't remember the exact model), SteelSeries Arctis 7) and concluded that they all have terrible sound quality and are uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. Pretty much the only time I used them was when I needed the mic for voice communication. Outside of that, I've been using an AKG K7xx and Sennheiser HD6xx, both from Massdrop, with an external USB DAC and amplifier - in my case, an O2+ODAC and an SDAC - also both from Massdrop. Both of these work fine both in Linux and Windows. A year ago or so, I got a desk microphone (Elgato Wave:3) for voice communications so I wouldn't have to use the horrible gaming headsets at all anymore. Currently using the Elgato Wave:3 as well as a Fifine AM8 (in two different locations), and both work fine with Linux as well. If I was to personally recommend something, it would be to get a decent headphone, such as Sennheiser HD6xx (or HD650, which is almost the same but probably easier to get if Massdrop isn't currently selling HD6xx) and DAC+amplifier, and a desk microphone for voice communication if needed. It'll be a bit more expensive than a gaming headset, and not wireless, but the difference in comfort and audio quality is massive.

Think I’m rocking the artic steel series 7 I believe the wireless ones and after about 5 yrs they’re still going strong and the battery holds a good charge still and they’re comfortable and the sound is great. Still think it might be time to upgrade to the next version and save these as backups. I’m on Xbox and not pc doubt that matters but they’re good headphones.

Steel series arctis 7 or nova 7, I need a good chat mix that actually works so the steel series are the only headphones that I can 100% say do this properly

I have chronic migraines and work in music, so I have some variety to work with. if I have a real bad day, it's no sound. :D okay, but for real, I hate the steel series software with a passion but the arctis 7 have not failed me in terms of clamping pressure and weight they put on your head. I got extra fat ear cushions off of amazon so that they don't hurt my cartilages because my ears are weird with my glasses, my bf has the same and doesn't need that though. I have had sennheisers which have extremely great sound and microphone but the clamp pressure is horrid. only for smol heads. if you can splurge and want something nice with awesome sound, I can absolutely recommend bang+olufsen beoplay h4. they are lightweight and my go to for bad migraine days. I have a set of beoplay h9i 3rd gen and while the sound is amazing, I will get the meanest pressure headache from them because they are too heavy and not well padded. I'm pretty sure they have improved that with later models (hx). I'd generally check weight for headphone models. for in-ears I have made a great discovery - technically it's clip-ons that don't go in your ear at all. it's the soundcore c30i. the sound isn't comparable to proper in-ears or over-ears but for bad head days these are a life saver. battery life is amazing, too. microphone sound is awful though, at least on my phone. but you get to look like a cute cyborg so that's that.

My first piece of gaming equipment was a pair of Razer Kraken 7.1 V2 USB headphones (the sleek Mercury white color) and I thought it was the best headphones in the world, simply because the white color looked nice, the retractable microphone was cool, it was comfortable and you saw YouTubers (pewds) wearing them with the stupid cat ears and you just had to have them… Fast forward a few years and I’m realizing Razer headphones were more sizzle than steak. Sure they look cool (for the most part) but the sound is nothing special. It wasn’t until I bought another set of premium gaming headphones did I realize that Razer basically markets to the average gaming consumer and banks on them not realizing what a good solid set of headphones should sound like. I bought a SteelSeries Arctis 7 wireless PC headphones and they sound a lot better than anything Razer has made. I don’t want to sound like I’m just shilling for SteelSeries but it really is true. My keyboard is a Corsair K70 MK.2 SE and my mouse is still a wireless Razer Viper Ultimate (I really like white) so I don’t have a brand I’m dedicated too. I basically just go on RTINGS dot com and buy whatever has the best ratings. My Arctis 7 headphones are still running strong and the sound is 10 times better than a Razer headset. Honestly, if Razer brought back its “Mercury White” theme, I might consider trying out a new headset but I’m just gonna go with whatever Reddit thinks is good

Well im super happy with my Arctis 7. I daily use them and have been with me for like 4 years plus. Headset is super light and is punchy. Lacks a little bit of bass but still a great purchase!

Steelseries Arctis 7…great sound, great mic, excellent battery. Been using for several years and no issues or drops in audio quality.

Can’t really speak to that. I play in a closed office but I don’t have a problem with audio bleeding if there are other noises.

I decided to go with the SteelSeries Arctis 7 when I needed a headset that could handle both game audio and chat.

I’ve tried the SteelSeries Arctis 7 for long gaming sessions, and they check most of the boxes. They’re wireless, comfortable for extended play, and include audio controls on the ear cup.

I've tried a few wireless models over the years and found that the SteelSeries Arctis 7 fits my needs really well.

So I actually just got these a few days ago. I found a few things with them that I just cant stand. While I'm not saying they're bad, but from my experience, I can't justify paying so much for them and getting such a lackluster experience. Also, I'm upgrading from a Steel Series Arctis 7 (I loved them so much! It's a shame that they started to die. They lasted several years though!) 1.) I use a Logitech G815 Keyboard, I REALLY don't like that the headset/software takes the ability to use the volume scroll wheel away and forces me to use the knob on the receiver/doc or headset. [https://www.reddit.com/r/steelseries/comments/vm93w3/arctis\_nova\_pro\_wireless\_cant\_adjust\_volume\_it/](https://www.reddit.com/r/steelseries/comments/vm93w3/arctis_nova_pro_wireless_cant_adjust_volume_it/) 2.) The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) is absolute trash compared to my Sony XM4s. I totally understand that it was built as a gaming headset first. But the ANC feels like it was just a marketing thing, my PC isnt loud by an means, but when I activate it, it makes no difference. At first, I thought I was doing something wrong/thought it wasnt working. No, my opinion is that the ANC is just bad. [https://www.reddit.com/r/steelseries/comments/13jcy85/is\_the\_anc\_of\_the\_arctis\_nova\_pro\_wireless\_good/](https://www.reddit.com/r/steelseries/comments/13jcy85/is_the_anc_of_the_arctis_nova_pro_wireless_good/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/steelseries/comments/11x3s3y/arctis\_nova\_pro\_anc\_not\_working\_well/](https://www.reddit.com/r/steelseries/comments/11x3s3y/arctis_nova_pro_anc_not_working_well/) 3.) The side tone is just a bit too strong, and I cant seem to find a way to either lower it or turn it off. 4.) I think this one is more on me. I really like a plug and play situation when it comes to headsets, but I feel like I was overwhelmed trying to figure out all the minute things about this headset which became frustrating after a while. 5.) Oh, I also ran into some issues with random popping sounds coming from my speakers and then my headset (when turned on) when my computer wakes up from sleep. I'm not too sure how to replicate the issue, but as of using yesterday, I didn't have the issue, but a few days ago I did encounter it. Others have reported this issue to. [https://www.reddit.com/r/steelseries/comments/16hpmy8/arctis\_nova\_pro\_wireless\_audio\_popping\_issue\_on/](https://www.reddit.com/r/steelseries/comments/16hpmy8/arctis_nova_pro_wireless_audio_popping_issue_on/) I don't see myself returning them, but damn, do I wish I would've known these thing before actually buying them. I'm still trying to get used to the cons, but overall, they're really comfortable. Some of the other features are really nice from some of the other comments on this thread, but I don't really use the other features. Also, I'm more than open to suggestions on how to fix these issues. I really want to like them but the issues I listed above make me not want to use them sometimes because I'm afraid I'm going to run into one of the issue. But as for pros of the headset, check some of the comments below, I would agree with just about all of them aside from the cons I mentioned above. Sorry for the long post, BTW, but I felt like I need to warn people about these potential issues. YMMV though! Happy gaming, GLHF! \*Edited #3- Figured out a few hours ago how to adjust the side tone, since then, the ANC has increased and is much more bearable. However still not as good as my XM4s, but again, to be expected from a gaming headset rather than an actual pair of headphones. I keep updating this for the next few days as I continue to play around with the settings some more. There's a lot of options with this headset, which in my case is a bad thing because I'm not a fan of playing around with settings, but can absolutely be a plus for people that know exactly what they want.

Great choice! I got them as a gift and loved them ever since. To be honest, I was looking at just buying another pair but thought I should try something new and hence here I am lol

I would it should primarily be used for gaming. If you are an audiophile, this is not the headset for you. While I'm not an audiophile myself, I'm sure plenty might agree with me when I say you can probably find a headset for music

Steelseries arctis 9 is pretty good same as the 7s

I can't recommend the Steelseries Nova Pro enough. Came from the Arctis 7 and the sound quality alone is night and day.

I've tried the SteelSeries Arctis 7, and it's been a solid choice for long gaming sessions.

I have the Steel Series Arctis 7 for years now and it is the comfiest headset of all time.

Uninstall their software. Just get your os to recognize the audio input and output and get rid of their trash. Worked for me as their software was awful and causing issues like you described.

As someone who dabbled in the headphones recommendations with a DAC and a separate microphone and then just ended up going with Steelseries 7 and Nova pro. Each headphones is different Gaming headsets focus on noise isolation, comfort , a microphone and software features ( Steelseries has 2 outputs and buttons and knobs that allow you to manage them, i.e I have chat apps going through one output while games go through another with different EQ and a button to mute or lower volumes of one side or the other ) While headphones focus more on sound quality. Being honest I would recommend getting a gaming headset like I did, is not the best of both worlds but is perfect for gaming and long computer usage. But if you don't spend time in discord or don't mind tuning in an external mic etc go for the headphones.

I used to be big on separate headphones plus mic setup. But I wanted to move away from wired, so I picked up a pair of XM3s and ended up having endless connectivity problems. They were the only bit of tech that I ever returned for a refund that wasn't an RMA issue. Ended up saying fuck it and going for a headset since I needed a mic for work as well and a headset was just the best wireless option. Ended up with the Arctis 7s from SteelSeries but later picked up Corsair HS80s and have never looked back.

Sounds like solid advice! How's the software accompanying it? I like my steelseries Arctis 7, but I'm often struggling with the drivers and "steelseries GG" messing up the two audio channels (chat and game), the thing going mute, or auto-shutting off while playing audio... And getting sick of it.

Unfortunately If I don't run steelseries GG, it'll default to the setting that is shuts down after 30 minutes. The only way to circumvent that bullshit then, is to actively use the microphone, that registers as "being used". Not the fucking fact that there's audio playing through the headphone :( I sometimes manage to get the auto-shutdown to 'never' via a profile in steelseries GG, but it usually only works a limited time :( never buying anything from them again.

Yeah, no thanks. I'm never buying anything again from Steelseries, let alone another headset.

Good wireless headsets have the same latency as wired. I personally love steel series, you can’t go wrong with them. I personally use the arctis pro wireless, but I also own the arctis 7 for my PS5 both are great.

mine lasted 3 months

I used Arctic 7's for like 4 years straight, daily use. Phenomenal in every aspect. Upgraded to the Pro's now. They have swappable batteries which is an incredible feature. Never have to plug in to recharge. Only downside is the faux leather ear foams are absolute garbage out the box. Had to get a cooling gel ones on Amazon for like $15, but they've been great the last year.

Cheers! I will say - the pros aren't like THAT big of an upgrade. They're great, but if your battery is still going strong after a swap there's really no reason to change it up. The 7's were phenomenal

I tried the SteelSeries Arctis 7 a while back, and it worked well for my long gaming sessions.

Hi there, I literally JUST changed out my Steelseries Arctis 7 this week, so this post caught my eye. I am assuming by your budget, that you are using the wired version. I am using the wireless version. But I loved my Arctis 7's, they had just gotten aged with wear and tear so it was time to replace. I stayed with Steelseries (since I also have an Apex Pro keyboard and am used to the driver software now), and I went with the Arctis Novo Pro. I couldn't be happier, I love them. I instantly heard a difference in them over my Arctis 7s. Like, instantly, I heard differences in the surround field that I had not been hearing in the 7s, and in the first game I brought up I was hearing ambient sounds that I have never heard before, same game, no changes other than switching from the 7 to the Novo Pro. Just thought I'd let you know my experience since I had steelseries also.

Arctis 7 has been working for me since Dec 2022

I effing love my Steelseries Arctis 7 headset. The two separate audio streams for chat and game are amazing.

I replaced my ear pads long ago. And randomly, my battery finally totally died after 5 years or so a few weeks ago. Got a new one online, soldered it in, good to go again. Pro set will be mine someday lol. Cheers : )

Best feature ever

You fancy bastard. Lol Mine get plugged in whenever I'm not using them. Aside from when they fully died, I don't think they ever quit on me during a session.

I switched to the SteelSeries Arctis 7 for my sessions, and it's been a solid fit. The headset is comfortable enough for long hours, and the volume controls on the ear cup let me tweak levels without fuss.

i used the arctis 7 for a while on my playstation, and it really just isn’t that great. i mean it works fine- mic is pretty good, sound isn’t absolutely horrendous and comfort is quite good. it just gets a bit hard to reccomend compared to a wired headphone, especially when you take price into consideration. if wireless is an absolute must, then the arctis will probably do fine, but you really should look into a wired headphone instead.

I have the Arctis 7 and I never use them. Not saying they are bad, but there is better value/$. Also SS software is trash IMO. Go look at r/headphones or [https://www.head-fi.org/articles/headphone-buying-guide.14163/](https://www.head-fi.org/articles/headphone-buying-guide.14163/) you will find MUCH better options. IMO most "gaming" headphones are overpriced for what they are. Edit: Added some clarification so it doesn't read like I'm straight bashing SS.

No PEBCAK here, more PU problems if anything. I hate having 6 different sound devices installed and software that changes all my damn settings everytime my headphones connect. It pigeon holes you into running your sound setup a certain way unless you remove the software. When you're running Discord + OBS + VM Banana + Game it gets frustrating. It adds unnecessary complexity for little to no gain for me. I've tried Sonar vs Sonic and I don't really not much of a difference. I run a K5 pro DAC/AMP, Sennheiser HD 660S, and an AT-2020 for my setup. It's massive overkill and I dont think thats what OP would want but the sound is fantastic.

Yeah exactly. I'm definitely more of an audiophile and like to choose my setup a la carte instead of an inclusive package. If you don't mind wired vs wireless then you can also get more bang for your buck. There is price premium for headphones being wireless, which is understandable as it requires more components and development. There is also a bunch of companies that hop on the "gaming" branded train and sell overpriced junk (Turtle Beach, Some Razer stuff).You can usually buy wired non-gaming branded headphones at the same price as wireless but at a higher quality. Also, with wireless you get what you get for power/amplification while wired leaves it more open to use what you would like. Personally, at OPs budget I'd go for something like Byerdynamic DT 770/990s, Sennheiser HD 558s, or Audiotechnica MX50s and spend the extra on a headphone AMP. From my experience and preferences having a good headphone AMP and a quality neutral sound profile headphone makes the biggest impact. You can always tweak the equalizer with software. If you spend $300 on headphones and plug it into your mobo soundcard good chances its underpowered and you're not gonna notice shit over a $150 set. But a $200-$220 headset and something like an e10k dac/amp would be a really solid balance at the same $300 price point. I have had my Arctis since 2018 and I think the construction quality is really solid TBH. I am very gentle with my stuff though. They still go strong and have just started to show some minimal battery decay. They have a very V shaped sound profile (loud highs and bass) which just isnt for me. They can get tin-y on the highs and pretty punchy bass. I prefer a Natural profile more with more rolled off bass. Mine don't have active noise cancelling but I don't really care. Closed ear super-aural headphones do good enough passive sound cancellation. For active noise cancelling even the best headphones can only cancel out consistent droning sounds (like a fan or ac) but not something like human speech very well. I have a pair of Sony WH-1000s for the plane with active noise cancelling and they do a great job. I have an old pair of Sennheiser PCX-550s as well and they are great but the Sonys are better. Both are better than the Bose QCs IMO. Ive spent way too much time/money on headphones over the years.... I sure know what I like though lmao. It's one of those things that you don't know what you're missing until you experience it though. It can also be off-putting because it's not forgiving. If you have poor audio sources, you will notice it. You'll pick up small artifacts in music like background noise , the singer breathing or even a guitarists fingers sliding up and down the strings the that you never noticed. But when you get a high quality audio source like some of the music off tidal, it's so much closer to giving you a "live music" experience.

Hey man I just bought the Arctis 7 like a few days ago and they are just amazing, without even having to set up custom sound profiles, so glad to hear that they lasted long for you

mine are still going strong and great. the ONLY issue with this headset is that there is no option to turn off the annoying led light thats always visible to indicate connection status or battery level

I shockingly still have my steelseries arctic 7 wireless which is like, 8 years old and I haven’t even really noticed that many issues with it even though it’s driver support is completely dead at this point. I have to say it was well worth the money. Only issue is the mic rubber coating is starting to degrade from being bent and pushed back in constantly

As a bald man, the parachute style the Arctic 7 has is clutch. Literally the thing I want most in a headset is to not hurt my head after a while. Doesn't matter if they're the best headphones in the world, I'm choosing the comfy one.

Comfort wise I support this. But reliability of them is very hit or miss. I constantly have issues on pc and ps5 with my arctis 7’s and have basically had about a 6/10 experience with them.

I absolutely hate headphones, they've always been very uncomfortable and I've tried many types and shapes. The only pair I could wear for a few hours were the Steelseries Arctis 7, the elastic band worked wonders and the cups are very soft. Sound quality was naturally not great but with some EQ it was passable. Don't know how they would work with a console, you'll have to shop for a version that specifies compatibility.

these are pretty comfortable but note that the mic quality is absolute ass. for anyone who cares

I had these and they were very comforatable and light. Lost sound on one ear tho and recently replaced with newest logitech lightspeed and they are superb with the cloth pad that come with. Also better battery. Can’t go much wrong with either.

To be fair, I've had my Arctis 7s for like 6 years now probably and the battery still lasts a couple days before I have to plug it in. And they're still in like-new condition except for the earcups which are easy to replace I just never have lol. And the only thing wrong with the earcups is their squishyness 😂 and I've put thousands of hours of gaming into them. However, they were like $130 on clearance and had I known back then what I was missing I probably would have made a different choice lol. Wirelessness really is a feature that's worth 20% more cost though. But it definitely affects the top end of the audio quality you can expect.

I love my Nova Artics 7

I had a steel series arctis 7 so was wondering how the nova compares to that

I agree fully with this. It’s the ease of comfort having the plug and okay benefit with gaming headsets even though I know they aren’t the best sounding headsets out there. I’d love to get the Sony XM4’s if I was purely getting a good headset. I rather not go and buy separate components either like a mic either. I’m not into streaming either just playing games and chatting. How’s the battery life on the nova 7?

I was a big fan of the 7 pros build quality was great, expensive, but really comfortable and I couldn't go back to any other branded headphones. After 2 years of using them they gave out on me so I got the nova pro wireless bc it was new at the time. I've always had problems with these fucking headphones man XD it constantly re routs my shit even with the setting turned off and everything else, besides the headphones, disabled thru my device manager still did it, ive run into problems with the doc constantly getting stuck in the screen "dragon is spawning in 30 seconds" reminder for league, sometimes it randomly disconnects and i need to factory reset it in order to get it re-paired, recently ive had this problem where my audio will bug out get really loud then just start dog whistling my ass and it also gets picked up with my mic so anyone unfortunate enough to be in disc with me also suffers the same fate, and as of yesterday GG wont even pick up my headset or recognize it despite everything else being able to half recognize the headset so now its (until further notice) all being routed thru the xbox funtion thru the doc -\_- 1 year. edit-figured out the last one just now tehee

Steel Series Artics 7 Pro or Logitech G Pro X. The logitech is kind of expensive but the only headset I can use while walking around my house or even parts of my backyard, worth it off that alone.

> Artics 7 Pro Too bad they've been out of stock for years. The wireless ones, anyways. I got my last set on ebay refurbished and they've been totally fine though.

Yes! I have had nothing but issues with mine and am looking to replace it!

Okay O have never ever used the software. What am I missing? I really like the headphones and never felt the need to use any software for it...

can confirm, this is a steelseries issue in general. had the artic 7 pro that kept disconnecting, used warranty to get the artics 9 as a replacement. its no longer disconnecting but now the steelseries GG program is changing what my selection for audio output is when i turn my headset off while my pc is on. i have to go back in and change it back every time.

Steelseries all the way but their APP sure has..issues.

I can't speak for Beyerdynamic as I've not had a pair, I'd say go with your gut after checking reviews and comparison sites if there are any. Steelseries headsets are great if you treat them nice but their app sometimes bugs out a bunch and can be a hazzle to setup properly and deal with. Sonar settings are real nice but setup can be tricky. I mainly went steelseries for battery life and range, like 90% of my gaming buddies also have them. All from 7s to 9s and Pro's but mostly 7s.

I currently have the Apex Pros and previously had the 7s and no hinge issues on any of them, as far as distorted sound I doubt it, sometimes when you use the chatmix it can get distorted but easily fixed with just adjusting it slightly on the scroll wheel. I looked into the beyerdynamic pair and they look great and i'd definitely want to try those aswell, they might be more bang for the buck.

False. You're either literally saying something like HRTF which is already in the game itself, and mind you something that engineered headphones take into account for, or something like simulated 7.1, which 0 headphones can mimic an actual 7.1. Both "gaming" or "audiophile" headphones will only receive 2-channel stereo. Also an FYI, my HD800 can tell more in all directions than 99% of "gaming" headphones can. Source: HyperX Cloud 2 and Steelseries Arctis user before.

Never heard a headset sound worse than the steelseries arctis

I love my Steelseries Arctis. It's a touch out of your price range but the features are top notch.

My steelseries Arctis headset is still going strong after 7 years. I had a hyper x one that didn’t even last a month.

Wireless the way to go. I have a wired Razer Kraken 3 which has good sound and comfort but not so much a quality build. Headband snapped, wire wore out, pleather wearing out. Good thing I got it as a gift. +1 for any Steel Series Arctis wireless as well. I ended up buying cheap $30 wireless from Amazon which works fine but not the same as a headset that has software to go with it. Even with Razer Kraken, the sound quality is better if you have a Dolby Atmos license (~$10?) for the virtual surround sound enhancements vs the Windows Sonic which is built into Windows.

Arctis steel series. I can hear more than my teammates typically with incoming cars etc

This is the best answer. I went steel series arctis until i upgrad

Whichever steel series arctis is in the range. I've had mine for 4 years and still going strong

It's kinda meh for me. I can dodo like the built in eq for games. It's kinda makes me have superpowers in CoD. I can hear footsteps across the map.

Yea SS is kinda overpriced for what it is. But it's also plug and play and easy to hook up to a PS, Switch, PC, or phone. I've had no issues with the headphones, but the keyboard I got is absolute crap. They marketed it as mechanical, but it's a clicky button that hits a membrane. Only took one year to die because the mechanical part broke the membrane. I won't be buying any steel series only because of the false advertisement from that. I love these headphones but there are other options since I only use them on my PC 90% of the time.