SteelSeries - Arctis 5
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
1102
404
"The roborock I have kicked and smashed with my foot so many times out of anger when it doesn't collaborate, and still he rocks 4-5 yrs later and no broken parts"
"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"I've used them for 1500 miles of multi-day hiking with no issues!"
1050
311
"Noble fokus rex5 best sounding change my mind. ... Five drivers per ear bud game changing for sure ... Yes, you're so right. They are by far number one. ... There may be a few airbuds that get better battery a little bit, better ANC but right now my two cents worth, there's nothing on a planet that sounds better than these. ... I have all the heavy hitters. The techniques 80/100 Sony 4 and 5 sennheisers 3 and 4 and the Devialet gemini II. ... Ronontech on YouTube did a review on the Aviot a few days ago. I belive he liked the Nobels better. ... Also on YouTube, check out Flossie Carter review on the Nobles, he went absolutely nuts. Best sounding wireless earbuds he has ever heard."
"As for gaming I'd probably rank them 1. A50 ... As for music I'd rank them 1. A50 ... And for movies I would rank them 1. A50."
"these fifth generation A50s sound better than anything I’ve ever used. ... New DAC, new Graphene drivers, really nice sounding."
4
2
"I effing love my Steelseries Arctis 7 headset. ... The two separate audio streams for chat and game are amazing. ... Best feature ever"
"That extra wheel to balance voice chat and other sounds is such a good idea."
"I decided to go with the SteelSeries Arctis 7 when I needed a headset that could handle both game audio and chat."
127
42
"The pinpoint accuracy is insane. I played Valorant on PS5, xDefiant and Warzone. ... This was more noticeable on Valorant as it is a more sound dependent game. You won't miss anything with these. I started to watch out at angles I wouldn't watch with the others because some audio cue made me suspect a door and ... it was 100% right all the time. I could tell where they were with excellent accuracy, both horizontal and vertical."
"For gaming, these are perfect. ... As a valorant immortal, tier 2 and premier player, I can confidently say that the imaging and soundstage are spot-on. ... Footsteps, directional cues, and in-game sounds are incredibly precise and natural, giving a competitive edge without any unnecessary bass/treble bloat."
"directional audio is amazing can hear all the opponents"
14
1
"it fits my ears perfectly"
"Definitely would pick Aful over OL due to comfort and size."
"Definitely would pick Aful over OL due to comfort and size."
Disliked most:
217
168
"QC issues, on my 2nd pair and they have a strange white noise that occurs randomly. ... First pair left earbud white noise was bad and had to return. ... 2nd pair same left earbud white noise and I’ve returned them. All happened within a week of light use."
"every 60 seconds or so it shrieked for a couple of seconds in an electric staticy kinda way."
"the Tea Pro are absolutely terrible. ... I couldn't sell them quick enough. ... Utter dogshit & not 10% as good as the Tea 2. ... utter crap with horrific mids, dreadful bass & terrible treble"
29
89
"I kept feeling them on and thinking they would fall off my ears at any moment, it would distract me from my run."
"I find I can't wear them for more than an hour without my ears hurting."
"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"
1
15
"auto-shutting off while playing audio ... 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 :("
"It’s a pain in the ass to have to set sonar as the primary source every time."
"STAY AWAY from anything DTS related‼️Especially drivers and DO NOT install DTS app - it will destroy any FPS gaming performance. ... I did the mistake couple days ago, thinking they fixed the driver/latency/distortion issues and ohh boy was I wrong! Tried everything to get rid of those, but eventually had to completely wipe out the system and start with fresh windows install."
0
2
"My other issue is with the cable and where it plugs into the headset. It's basically forcing pressure on the micro usb connection and bending the cord. ... I've had to replace the cord 2 times ... They are fully failing now. The usb port is loose in the headset, wiggling makes audio sound like robo porn. ... I don't want wired again because that's the failing point on every set I've had"
"My wired Arctis Series 5 finally took a dump after the cord deteriorated and stopped carrying sound."
Chafupa1956 1.0To throw a spanner in the works the Arctic 5 Pro still has Bluetooth/dongle connections you can swap between with a button on the headset and doesn't need use the control station/selector thing. You don't even need to install the software to use this function and I swap back and forth between my PC and PS5 seamlessly. You can probably get it for a great price over there.
CrumpetBadger 1.0Had my Arctis 5’s since they launched in 2016. Still sound great, super comfy and buy new ear cushions every few years because they are cheap and only probably I had was the cord went bad, which cost like $15 to replace.
Curryninjapurple 1.0Got a Steelseries Arctis 5 headset but it gets hot quite often. I *am* using synthetic cushions so that could be part of the problem. Looking for something I can wear while doing chores to listen to music and talk that doesn't get hot. Was looking at the Kimura Duo but that isn't wireless, is it? I do have an old modmic so I guess I could use a wireless adapter with like a Sennheiser? I can get Sennheiser HD560S, HD599 or HD569 for 130€ or less. Yay or nay? HD650 for 200? **Budget:** up to 400€, preferrably in the 100-200 range **Location:** Germany **Source:** mainly (if not only) PC, Android **How the gear will be used**: Mainly going to use it at home for listening to music and voice chat. Also gaming and movies. Looking for a setup I can use in other rooms as well. **Preferred tonal balance**: I like crisp sound, be it bass and drums or treble. I guess balanced would be right for me? **Preferred music genres**: ***JPop, JRock***, old Rock, Power Metal, Heavy Metal. Stuff like **Ado, Loluet, Aimer, Vocaloid covers, Beast in Black**, Disturbed, **Linkin Park**. Some oldies like Def Leppard. **Past gear experience**: Steelseries Arctis 5, some 30€ JBL on-ear for my phone, otherwise Philips or Sony in-ear headphones. **Anything else?** Would be good if I had a mute button on the device or the mic didn't pick up surrounding sound.
DifficultBreadfruit8 1.0+ for this. I have the 5 series, the app for profiles are amazing. Its kinda tricky to get custom modes for consoles, tho but not impossible. Also, its battery is over the top. Best experience with a headset, so far.
gosubuilder 1.0I loved mine until the mic started to not work well. Mic now makes everything I say barely a whisper.
I’ve had mine for over 10 years I think. Artis 5 wired.
hooligann8 1.0Tldr. My arctis 5s have been great when they work. Driver and update issues always cause tedious issues to fix before use. Design issues will cause failure depending on model, wired or not. . I've had steel series arctis 5 wired version for about 4 years. They have been great....when they work. Idk if it's just my pc but every single time there is a driver update. A Nvidia update or a windows update ...my settings get FUCKED. the main issue is with the channel knob randomly changing how it works . Ie turn it left, it mutes discord but game audio is clear. Turn it right and vice versa. Mutes game but discord is clear Often on updates this feature just stops working. You still get audio and mic working but it's open channel for everything. It will also change the profile setting in the SS software. It's an easy fix once you know how but it can still be finicky and tedious. My other issue is with the cable and where it plugs into the headset. It's basically forcing pressure on the micro usb connection and bending the cord. I've had to replace the cord 2 times They are fully failing now. The usb port is loose in the headset, wiggling makes audio sound like robo porn.
I hard disagree. But might just be our settings are different. I had to turn bass down for a lot of games
Did you use the SS software, do you remember you're profile settings? Bass boost etc? I'm genuinely curious as lacking bass is something I have never heard about SteelSeries sets. I'm mixed about recommending them tho. All modern ones are usb-c for the dongle , I can't use because my PC doesn't have a native usb c port. I don't want wired again because that's the failing point on every set I've had but fuck the Arctis 5s have been the best I've ever used. (Sound wise)
My music equipment set up is my go to but I don't have a designated mic to use. Playing PvP multiplayer I need to use my "gaming" set. I tried using my audio Technica for sound and my DS4 controller for the mic but it's a conveluted mess of cords at that point. And audio lag with a BT dongle.
jil825 1.0you cant go wrong with razer blackshark v2, steelseries arctis 5 and hyperx cloud 2/3. lahat sila over the ear design pero pinaka comfy is blackshark pero puro wired sila. Usually kasi mga wireless na headphones sa big gaming brands 7k starting price.
lonesurvivor112 1.0I personally had the Corsair HS70, I went looking for a headset in the 100$ range because I was a dumbass and tried to replace the HS70 battery snapping one of the wires and just failing overall. I got the SteelSeries arctic 5 and just felt super let down for the price. They sounded worse, build quality just felt cheap. For 150 I was kinda like yea no thanks. I was going to entertain the one reviewed above but that’s $300!!!! I ended up choosing the hyper x cloud alpha purely for the runtime. I was tired of recharging my headset and loved the idea of such a long runtime without a charge. Maybe it’s just a phycological effect but I feel like they even sound better than the steelseries given they have more chamber space. Idk just my personal experience I got a cloud alpha for 100$ referb on amazon
NymphMk 1.0STEEL SERIES ARCTIS 7. Ive used alot of headsets and these are by FAR the most comfortable, great sound quality and wirless depending on. the model. Arctis 5 is also great.
pjammin5 1.0I have the Epos PC38X. Haven’t used them on PC yet. On PS5, My friends get their voice echoed back to them and I dont necessarily want my wife and kids hearing my game/chat coming from the open backs. I’ve been using the SteelSeries Arctis 5 since i got a PC a few months ago. I may try the PC38X now!
I have PC38X. Haven’t used them. I don’t have a DAC and don’t care for the open back. My friends get their voice echoed back to them and I dont necessarily want my wife and kids hearing my game/chat coming from the open backs. (Unless I’m doing it wrong and missing something, please let me know!) Been using the SteelSeries Arctis 5.
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