SteelSeries - Arctis GameBuds for PlayStation

The low volume issue on PS5 has been fixed for the gamebuds with the most recent firmware update.

First of all, thank you for posting here and for being willing to help and provide answers. My journey has unfortunately been quite challenging, and any support you can offer would be greatly appreciated. I used the Nova Pro Wireless for two full years. I disliked the microphone but loved the battery system (similar to what I have with my Shark vacuum and Ring doorbell, haha), as well as the transparency mode(used to have it on like almost maxed out), since I need to be aware of my surroundings-taking care of mom. I also appreciated the ability to connect via both Bluetooth and the dongle simultaneously. Then, I bought a used Maxwell because it was very affordable and used it for about nine months. However, the microphone was almost as poor as the Nova's, and it didn’t support simultaneous Bluetooth connections. Half a year ago, I purchased the A50 Gen 5, but I still miss the Nova Pro Wireless because of its excellent battery system, transparency mode, and the ability to mix Bluetooth and dongle connections at the same time. Currently, I’ve returned to using the Maxwell due to the capability to have the earcup's microphones to act as a transparency mode with sidetone functionality on a very sensitive level (currently on 80%) I even tried the SteelSeries Gamebuds, which also feature transparency mode and sidetone, but unfortunately, I had a disappointing experience with them as they feel unbaked I would be super grateful if you could do a side-by-side transparency-mode test of the new Elite headset versus the Maxwell on 70-80% sidetone to see which one is 'better' and louder. I find the Audeze Maxwell to be quite little too sensitive, but I like how loud it does it so it can get just as loud as watching a youtube vid in normal volume. EDIT: I HAVE THE SAME ANKER CUBE AND ITS LOVELY Thanks and god bless

I have the Steel Series Arctis Gamebuds and Wartapes V.A.L is the way to go. I have a custom EQ on them as well that brings out a little more bass from gunfire and explosions and it makes it wonderfully chaotic.

I'm sitting about 10 feet from my 65" tv while using them (I do have the dongle connected to a rear USB port on my Series X using the short USB cable it came with and have it routed so it is peeking out from the top of the console due to my cord management OCD issues and not wanting it dangling out of the front USB port) and mine connects fine with no issues. I have not tried it with the dongle hidden behind the console yet.

I just have the white version. This sound great to me when adjusting eq settings but the default is even better than my Galaxy buds pro lol. They are so comfortable for longer use and they won't fall off even when running. Batter is really great as well. Just getting used to the buttons compared to soft touch. Overall, I loved it.

Back when I was researching them the Arctis game buds were the only wireless earbuds that had noise cancellation. I’m pretty happy with them. Wish I could just use my AirPods Pro with it though or any Bluetooth device.

The Arctis steel series ones that are marketed for Xbox work with PlayStation too and I see now they have some PlayStation branded ones too

Huge congrats! I had the Arctis 9X since launch (middle of 2019 I believe) and just recently had to lay them to rest (hinge on ear cup snapped). Ever since then I have missed having a SteelSeries headset, but the other day I saw the Arctis Gamebuds were heavily discounted for prime day, so I snagged a pair and have been super happy so far! Like most anything there will be negative reviews, but me personally I have never had an issue with anything from SteelSeries. The quality is there along with exceptional sound. Enjoy the new headset!

I use the steel series arctis gamebuds. They have a dongle (no sound delay) but also bluetooth mode (slight sound delay). Sound quality and active noise cancellation are both quite good

I just got a pair. The sound is good. The Mic is absolutely garbage. Wouldn’t use if I was in a party chat.

I am using them on 2.4 and ANC, and I estimate 6 hours

Probably the worst product I've ever bought. Microphone sounds like a garbled mess. Like, what you say is not even legible. Left earbud broke after three days usage. And why the fuck do they have silicone anyway?

You have been tricked.

I think the audio quality is great, but I've had them since just before Christmas and I can't get rid of the crackly static sound I get from both buds whenever I play a game on my PS5. It's not super loud, but it's definitely there and really quite annoying.

I’ve had mine for a bit now and I have zero regrets. They sound fantastic, the presets sound great and the battery is solid so far. Money well spent.!

Yep, no issues. For me it was a solid purchase

i have distorted sound in high volumen

i buy today the arctis and going to take they back the sound is too low vs the inzone , and dont know why have distortion when anc is on

they fix ps5 low volumen but the anc distortion is not fixed theycare break 

I bought some. They are nice for a pair of earbuds, but they're just convenient. They're definitely no substitute for my main headset which is a Beyerdynamic MMX 300, but sometimes I can't be bothered to put it on and I might be playing a game that doesn't need truly immersive sound, or maybe I don't want to mess up my hair and get "gamer-head". But yeah, convenient and "good enough" sound. They're like a mid tier gaming headset but with very weak sub-bass and a poor soundstage, which is to be expected. The mic also makes me sound like I'm on my phone inside of my bathroom lol, but at least people can understand me.

Oh they're good, don't get me wrong. I paid the $170 for them and feel like it was totally worth it, I just wouldn't go as far as saying they would replace my real headset. You'd be totally fine with maining these, but if you don't already have a headset I'd spend that 170 on an Arctis Nova 7 instead.

Got mine. From time to time keeps disconnecting one or the other bud for some reason - still waiting on the support ticket what steelseries will say about htis. The sounds are quite good - much better than airpods, but the mic even after tweaking for hours on equalizer is like a radio. For good audio also you have to play around on the SS software as default settings are not as good. More, if you are familiar with steelseries software, and you like it - its ok. IF you dont, (even though it is really good in a sense, and there is much you can do) it's annoying to use on a daily basis. ANC and transparency mode does almost nothing. ANC - nothing, transparency mode, you can hear that it adds something. Sidetone is also very minimal. I am not a hater, was waiting long for these to come out, but overall got really disappointed. For the price that they are being sold, I'd say not worth it - unless you really need **gamebuds** for gaming.

I had the same issue. Moved the dongle from the back of my PC to the front, away from the Wi-Fi adapter. And it works fine now. I'm guessing it happened due to some Wi-Fi interference.

I used it for a while (with Wicked Cushions pads) but just replaced it with the Steelseries GameBuds. They sound better and cost less money. No EQ needed as the game buds sound great right out of the box. Better bass and an overall more pleasing sound signature. Sounds like a Harman tuning to me. More comfy too!

It's good. But I just gave mine away after getting the Steelseries GameBuds. They sound better and more comfortable, which is crazy because they are less money. The mic is better on the Pro wireless but I use an outboard mic so I don't care about that.

The GameBuds are like that too. I use them on PC, Xbox SX, PS5, Switch 2, and Meta Quest Pro. Works all the way across the house which is kinda crazy for little earbuds.

Except it isn't. The xbox version supports dolby atmos ,the PlayStation ones don't because the PlayStation doesn't have atmos. Therfore all presets in the app are different. PlayStation sound settings are different for each game so PlayStation warzone settings are different xbox because of atmos

I love mine but honestly the ANC is barely noticeable and feels pretty bad specially compared to the sony or bose ones. Are you having the same experience? Wondering if they might be defective at this point... I can clearly notice the switch between transparency and noise control off but ANC honestly does very little compared to it... I also changed the parties for foam ones thinking silicone ones couldn't possible do a decent job to no avail... Edit... playing with the settings I wondered what side tone for the microphone did... had it at max... definitely fucks with the ANC... Turned that shit down to 0 and it made a huuuuge difference... leaving it here in case anybody else is in the same boat...

Yeah that's what I understood... there's levels to it but max sidetone did seem to make ANC feel like Transparency...

Have the 5, gamebuds and pro wireless. The 5 are the smallest earcups - and the built quality isn’t as good as the pro - but you can find the 5 on offer a lot. With the mobile app - they sound great when you set up the EQ etc :) You can’t steam from both BT and 2,4ghz at same time though - you have to swap with a button - but they will connect to your phone at the same time, in case you get a call - one button press will swap to BT If you have an Xbox in the mix remember you will need the 5X - which also work on ps4 / PC/ switch and mobile :)

I picked these up yesterday, I was surprised at how good they sound in game

They do fit well, the dongle comes in handy, I put it on my tablet and keep the by connected to my phone

I got a ton of ear piercings recently and it started to hurt to wear any over-ear headsets at all, so I bought the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds. I was really worried they'd be total shit, but they are actually super comfortable, the sound quality is good, and I don't receive any complaints about the voice quality when I'm talking in Discord (disclaimer, though - I am not a audiophile and not terribly discerning when it comes to sound quality, lol). All in all, though, it's a pretty decent gaming earbud if you want to forgo over the ear altogether!

I had the Inzones from Sony but I just recently got the SteelSeries Arctic GameBuds and it blows the Inzones out of the water.. they sound almost on par with over the hear top of the line GAMING headphones.. qi wireless charging, 2.4ghz through a dongle and Bluetooth compatible too

Alright. Couldn't resist. Ordered them. Will see how they compare to the Sony InZone Buds.

Ahhh I forgot all about this, - apologies. My first set were defective (whistling sound, reported by at least some people). My second set works perfectly and I’ve been very happy. Far less audible hiss than the Sony buds, more comfy, and the dongle is way lower profile and easier to deal with, as is the smaller case it all fits in. Very happy thus far, but Steelseries needs to sort out their quality control some more.

I believe so. I’m perhaps not as picky as some about that since I don’t play FPSs much, but there’s plenty of presets for you to play with.

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.

The Arctis ones do it with a cool little dedicated box where you can also control other things. I had some years ago and it was a very handy feature...though yes, windows now does much better, channel-based volume control. Still not as cool as a dial on a box though :)

I live and breathe by the steel series arctis series. They have lasted me a LONG time and has withstood a lot over the years with zero damage.

steelseries arctis are as good as it gets for me. I've tested every major headset over the last year and they've been the best sounding and by far most comfortable. they suffer from some software issues when using in pc but outside of that i will be sticking with steelseries offeringsbfor the foreseeable future

I’d look into a hyperx headset. Those usually are good quality and last quite a while. I haven’t found one I’m not a fan of but I’m also not an enthusiast although I currently bounce between the alpha and a Steelseries arctis headset.

Steelseries and something in your budget in the arctis series. I am on my 3rd model. I love the headband part that doesn’t press on my head, and the material on the earpads are so comfortable.

Just got these. I can recommend them. Not tested mic yet. As for comfort: I have a large head, and am finding the clamping a bit tight however, and the earcups just fit around my ears - it's a bit snug. Nothing bad, per se, but not quite in the super comfort zone of some other headphones. They'd be fine for gaming sessions, but not something I'd want to wear all day. I'd have preferred a bit more of a relaxed fit. On the other hand, a relaxed fit means very big headphone that can turn some people off.

Having owned the arctis, and now just picked up the Scape, I can tell you that it's in a different league to the Arctis. It's very good. Not quite as good as my high end audiophile headphones, but very, very good compared to most gaming headsets. I'd rate them in the same class as the Audeze maxwell. Happy to listen to music on them. Excellent controls too. And very nice looking in person. I have a large head, and am finding the clamping a bit tight however, and the earcups just fit around my ears - it's a bit snug. Nothing bad, per se, but not quite in the super comfort zone of some other headphones.

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.

I use the Steelseries Arctic for 3 years. Still solid

What headset you recommend? Currently have a hypercloud 2 and it´s breaking down as I´ve got it for 8 years now lol, bought the hypercloud 3 and it´s whack, literally feeling pressure on my ears and the microphone is bad. Tried arctic steelseries and even that one felt like pressure on my ears.

Audeze Maxwell - Considered one of the best wireless gaming headsets. Popular with music creators as well as for gaming. Mic is reasonably good, though can clip a little. Comes with leather earpads, but they can be replaced easily. Drop + EPOS PC38X - One of the best wired gaming headsets for sound clarity and mic quality. Bass reproduction is a bit muted, which is common for older style EPOS / Sennheiser headsets, and common with open back headphones in general. The mic is essentially the best of any consumer headset you can buy. Generally can only be bought directly from Drop's site. Comes with both cloth and velour earpads. [https://drop.com/buy/drop-epos-pc38x-gaming-headset](https://drop.com/buy/drop-epos-pc38x-gaming-headset) Steel Series Arctis headsets are generally a decent middle ground in terms of decent bass and mic quality. The overall audio quality isn't as good as either the Maxwell or PC38X, but they're closed back so their bass response is more like the Maxwell. And the mic quality is generally better than the Maxwell, but no where near as good as the PC38X. Most (maybe all?) use cloth earpads. Nova Pro Wireless and Nova 9 are both quite good, with the Nova 9 being slightly better in terms of audio clarity and mic quality, but the Pro Wireless has better bass and noise cancelling.

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