SteelSeries Arctis 7 vs 9 vs Pro

For passionate gamers and multi-media enthusiasts looking for a pair of wireless headphones to up their audio game while also enhancing digital communication experiences (for zoom meetings and the likes), the SteelSeries 7, 9, and Pro are heavy-duty contenders to take a look at. This series comes with a remarkable variety of options catering to multiple needs and preferences. From the Arctis 1's slender price that offers high quality on a budget to the feature-laden finesse of the Pro, the options are broad between the three of them.

In summary, the general quality of all three headphones maintains very high standards. The primary differences are in connectivity (the SteelSeries 7 has no Bluetooth), weight (the Pro is the lightest by far), mic control (the Arctis 9 comes with adjustable levels), and sound (the frequency ranges of these headphones increase in ascending order while the virtual surround sound systems are different on each as well). Last but not least, battery life varies on each pair of headphones (the SteelSeries 7 provides the longest battery life, and the Pro has the shortest).

Let’s go have a closer look.

Design

Consumers paying a premium price for headphones have the right to expect not just premium sound but also premium aesthetics and comfort. The Arctis SteelSeries’ design definitely delivers this. In fact, it might be one of its biggest strengths. One that the Danish company has received a lot of praise for. The following is a summary of the minute differences between the three.

SteelSeries Arctis 7:

The overall appearance of this headset is sleek, sophisticated, and streamlined for maximum ease of use. The flexible headband that adjusts itself with velcro straps is only one example. These are a huge plus. Basically, you get to 'customize' a fit according to your comfort.

The power button and chat volume slider are on the right earcup, while the regular volume control is on the left—a micro USB port for charging and a 3.5mm audio jack. Wireless and surround-sound functionality need the phones to be powered, but normal listening through the 3.5mm output doesn't.

While slightly larger than some headphones, the Arctis 7 is still portable enough to stash away in your daypack to use during a commute. The flexible earcups, which let you flatten the device during carriage, add to this convenience. The volume slider and power button on the right earcup make it easy to adjust settings when out and about.

The earcups seem to have found that sweet spot that gives you a fit snug enough to immerse yourself into the audio without uncomfortably clamping in on your ears. It might take some additional experimenting with the headband to find the right fit while on the go, so it doesn’t keep sliding off.

• Weight: At 0.77lbs, these headphones are light enough to make extended use comfortable as well. 
• Color Options: Black and White

SteelSeries Arctis 9:

The Arctis 9 stays true to the overall classic look that the SteelSeries is known for: minimal, no-nonsense, and streamlined. The chassis is black, and the headband (like its siblings) is also elastic. As do the portability and ease of use on the go, the earcups are plush, soft, and comfortable, making extended use a comfortable experience. So all the advantages you just read about on the Arctis 7's design apply here too.

However, the separate master volume and chat volume controls are a huge plus over the Arctis 7.

• Weight: 0.82lbs. (So these are a little heavier than the Arctis 7)
• Color options: Black

SteelSeries Arctis Pro:

No surprises here at first glance. The Pro comes with a monochrome black, understated, minimal look in alignment with the SteelSeries. You'll be confident sporting them in any environment with no geeky flimsiness to worry about.

On closer inspection, though, you notice that the Pro does go a little more premium on its material, opting for an aluminum frame instead. Giving it that 'Pro' look and setting it a class apart from the Arctis 7 or 9.

The magnetic ear-cup covers are removable and come with customizable RGB lighting. The latter is included on the mic as well. Make no mistake: the detail and perks of this headphones design are obvious in how it is a cut above the two. The magnetic ear-cup covers are removable and come with customizable RGB lighting. The latter is included on the mic as well.

Last but not least, the Pro is the only one of the three, which comes with an L-shaped plug that doesn’t get bent inadvertently when you carry your device on the move inside your pocket or a bag. This makes both the device and the headphones less prone to damage.

• Weight: .08lbs. These are the lightest of the three
• Color options: Black

For those who like additional earbud, in-ear, or on-ear forms for their headphones, please note that none of these options are available. All three headphones come with over-ear, closed-back ear cups. None of them can be folded.

Additionally, one major con you might want to note is that none of these headphones are dust or water-proof.

The Arctis 7, however, while not offering the L-shaped plug, does come with a tangle-free cable.

Check out the Product Information Guide of SteelSeries Arctis 7.

Base Dock

The SteelSeries Arctis 7, 9, and Pro come with a wireless base dock for connectivity.

Steel Series Arctis 7:

The Arctis 7’s base is a wireless USB dongle with a USB input to connect to. Powered via USB as well, it offers you a line-in and line-out. It can’t be used to charge the headphones, though.

Steel Series Arctis 9:

In the Arctis 9’s case, the dock gives you similar specs, albeit without the line in and line out jacks.

Steel Series Pro:

The Pro gives you an upgrade here. A wireless dock where you can charge your headphones, it also offers you optical inputs in addition to the line-in and line-out jacks. As with the other two, this is powered by USB as well. 

Controls and Features

As you’ve probably gathered by now from the description of its design, user-friendliness has been prioritized by Arctis. They go the extra mile to offer consumers a host of features and access to tactile controls. This makes it an enjoyable and seamless experience.

While slightly different on each, some examples of these are:

Volume Control: 

All three headphones offer you easy access to audio volume while operating.

Control for Calls and Music: 

The Arctis 7 does not offer this. The Arctis 9 and Pro do.

Microphone Control: 

The Arctis 7 and Arctis Pro both provide mute and unmute options for the microphone. The Arctis 9 provides adjustable levels. 

Noise Canceling Control:

None of the three offers this feature.

Channel Mixing: 

All three headphones offer this feature.

Bluetooth Control: 

The Arctis Pro offers Bluetooth sync, while the Arctis 9 gives you Bluetooth sync along with presets. The Arctis 7 offers neither. 

Sound

No headphone will have enough features to compensate for poor sound. And thankfully, that’s not a quirk you would have to worry about with any of these headphones. Each of them gives you hi-res performance but with subtle to noticeable differences.

One weak spot all three of these headphones bring is poor noise isolation. None have any noise-canceling mechanism, which could be a deal-breaker for some (especially those looking for air-travel-friendly gear).

SteelSeries Arctis 7:

The Arctis 7 comes with stereo and DTS 7.1 surround sound. Coupled with an array of equalizer presets, you can combine and configure (and even save) according to your taste. This makes the Arctis 7 a great pair of headphones for gaming and zoom meetings.

However, while listening to music, the performance might leave a lot to be desired. While the multiple options give you a lot of flexibility, the passionate music lover will notice immediately that these cans were aimed at multimedia usage. They don't compete with high-fidelity music headphones designed exclusively for optimum performance during music listening. The clarity and frequency response is impressive enough, but the character of the sound is somewhat sterile.

Specs:

Frequency Range:
Bass: -0.9 db
Treble: -1.29db

Impedance:
32 Ohms

Driver Unit Size:
40mm

Sound Pressure Level:
98dB/mW

SteelSeries Arctis 9:

The overall sound of the Arctis 9 is not a lot different from the Arctis 7. This is both good news and bad news. So while its strengths spillover, so do its weaknesses. The gaming and meetings are enjoyable. Music listening is still not high on the list of pros for those looking for an audiophile-grade experience. But frequency range is the broadest of all three.

The Arctis 9 comes with Windows Sonic Spatial Audio surround sound.

Specs:

Frequency Range:
Bass: -3.5db
Treble: -1.51db

Impedance:
32 Ohms

Driver Unit Size:
40mm

Sound Pressure Level:
98dB/mW

Arctis Pro:

This Arctis Pro performs a cut above its two siblings. While that doesn’t imply poor audio quality for the Arctis 7 or 9, the Pro excels where they tend to fall short. Pleasurable audio response for music lovers. So for those looking to satiate that need in addition to gaming and multimedia/communication, the Arctis Pro is the one that makes the cut.

Live recordings of band performances almost give you the feeling of being in the room with them. And enhanced nuances like vocal texture, snare pops, expansive guitars, synths, and a very balanced and powerful bass response on songs, gratify the serious listener’s needs.

The Arctis Pro comes with a virtual surround sound system as well.

Specs:

Frequency Range:
Bass: -0.63db
Treble: -1.33db

Impedance:
32 Ohms

Driver Unit Size:
40mm

Sound Pressure Level:
102dB/mW

As is evident, the Arctis Pro comes with the broadest frequency range and sound pressure level.

Higher sound pressure levels are usually louder when used with devices. So although not necessarily more powerful per se, the Pro gives you more volume and headroom to play with.

Here are the complete specifications for SteelSeries Arctis 9.

Microphone

One of the biggest pros the Arctis series comes with is its microphone. Retractable and bendable, it has been a favorite amongst gamers who find its aerodynamic, sleek design a welcome alternative to the usually geeky counterparts most gaming headphones offer. The LED that confirms ‘mute’ status is very convenient as well.

Additionally, the quality of audio the microphone offers is almost studio-grade. Your voice sounds clear and crisp with none of the garble a lot of budget mics tend to struggle with. So Skype meetings are a breeze. Beed to record for podcasts or streaming content to use for your brand? That’s an additional feature these headphones could potentially be used for.

All three headphones come with the same microphone. 

Battery

If you’re an old-school user who still prefers the trusty 3.5mm cable to wireless audio conveyance, this might not be as relevant in your choice of headphones. But the battery life of multimedia headphones is a crucial factor in gaming and everyday use. Very few things are as frustrating as a disruptive halt to the workflow due to an empty battery.

Overall, all three headphones offer solid battery performance.

The Arctis 7 takes the prize here, though, with 28 hours of continuous battery life, followed closely by the Arctis 9, which offers 25 hours. The Pro falls short by a more significant margin with a little over 15 hours. It takes the least amount of time, though, attaining a full charge in 1.3 hours, whereas the Arctis 7 and 9 need 3.3 and 2.4, respectively. So the trade-off is quite fair and evenly distributed among the three. The Pro and Arctis 7 come with a power-saving feature (an auto-off timer) that the Arctis 9 won’t give you.

All three headphones can be used while charging. 

App Support

All three headphones use the signature SteelSeries engine as their app, which gives you a choice of preset EQs that can be customized to your tastes.

An important point to note is that these headphones work with Mac OS only. They are not compatible with Android. They work with Windows, though, so PC gamers will have no issues.

You might want to see the User Guide of SteelSeries Arctis Pro. 

Compatibility and Connectivity

SteelSeries Arctis 7:

The Arctis 7 offers audio and microphone compatibility with PC and Playstation 4 platforms. The latter is in both analog and non-Bluetooth wireless formats. But this feature is absent while using the Xbox, where you get regular audio and microphone compatibility only. 

SteelSeries Arctis 9:

The Arctis 9 offers audio-only compatibility with PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox platforms. It does offer non-Bluetooth wireless audio and microphone compatibility with the latter. 

SteelSeries Arctis Pro:

The Pro gives you audio and microphone compatibility on PC and Playstation 4 (including non-Bluetooth wireless connectivity). On Xbox, you get the audio and mic compatibility as expected and audio compatibility with non-Bluetooth wireless connections. 

Price

SteelSeries Arctis 7: Approx. $199.99
SteelSeries Arctis 9: Approx. $ 219.99
SteelSeries Arctis Pro: approx $ 199.99

(Please check your local dealers for details). 

Verdict

Now that we’ve done that extensive comparison, let’s summarize how the Arctis SteelSeries 7, 9, and Pro stack up against each other:

• Design: The SteelSeries Pro is the lightest and the most premium-feeling of the three. This owes itself to the impeccable design standards this series inherently adheres to. That being said, overall, I’d say it’s a tie. 
• Sound: The SteelSeries Pro wins. While the Arctis 7 and 9 are great for gaming and multimedia. The Pro is the only one that would qualify as a legit music-lovers headphone.
• Connectivity: The SteelSeries Pro wins. 
• Price: The SteelSeries Arctis 9 is the most expensive. The Pro and the 7 are head to head.

In conclusion, all three headphones offer premium quality and connectivity for a very enjoyable and competent user experience.

That being said, the SteelSeries Pro does offer value in exchange for the price tag. The Arctis 9 is probably more cost-efficient in the long run considering it comes with a surprisingly competitive range of features rare in its price range. And the Arctis 7 attempts to strike a balance between the two.

Some will argue that with the Arctis 9, you’re essentially paying the extra dollars for just the Bluetooth connectivity. And while that might appear to be the case at first glance, it doesn’t consider its feature-packed compactness, including details like 3 hours of battery life, a broader frequency range, and adjustable mic levels. These make a big difference eventually.

If quality is your priority, the SteelSeries Arctis Pro is the winner. All three high-end gaming headsets offer a formidable customization list for gamers and audiophiles, in addition to high-quality audio that can be used by music lovers as well.