Steelseries Arctis 1 wireless headset review
I have been using earphones my whole life. I still got my apple earphones here and they still work perfectly fine. But recently, I just got annoyed with it considering that it's wired and it gets in my way while painting.
Then I remember a conversation I had with @acidyo last year when we talked about headsets and how he's so comfortable with using a wireless one. He also got this great mic quality so I got jealous!! He then suggested I buy a Steelseries headset. So I did!
My previous one
I actually had a Steelseries Siberia V2 as a freebie for my laptop but I didn't really use it much. First of all, I didn't like how it compresses my head so much that it kinda gives me a headache. Second, it felt like the music that I was listening to was too far away. It was a good gaming headset with a good mic too, just not good for music.
So why buy a gaming headset????
I am not a gamer. I'm the one who played a few games but I'm also the one who would rather spend my time more on making art. I rarely play games.
So why tf would you buy a gaming head-
yeah yeah, I will explain
I wanted to buy something specifically for music since that's my purpose anyway. But then I realized that I am planning to play games in the future anyway just for fun, so I will be using it still. I've read in reviews on how this headset is still good for music even though it's specifically for gaming anyway. So I concluded I will just buy the music earbuds that @nerdfury reviewed. (Thanks for the review, man!)
Also, since gaming headsets have good mic, this will be a good chance for me to finally talk shit in Hive Discord Servers. jk though, I'm shy.
Steelseries Arctis 1 Wireless
4 in 1 Wireless Gaming Headset
A wireless gaming headset that's compatible in 4 devices (PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Android) and it's only $119.99!
The box contains the headset, detachable mic, some wires and the wireless thing shit you're supposed to plug to connect to the device.
Connectivity
This is the wireless transmitter. All you had to do is plug that to the devices directly and it is ready to go. For phones, it can be plugged in to devices with USB-C ports, so mostly Android and recent models of iPhones.
If there's no USB-C port on the PC, you can just plug it to the connector.
If you really want to connect it to your phone that doesn't have that port though, you can use this and connect it to the audio jack. It's not wireless anymore in that case, but you'll be able to use it still! Isn't that cool :p
Wearability and Design
The headset is lightweight and is comfortable to wear. It doesn't fall off easily unless you randomly dance hardcore.
The first time that I put it on my head though... after a minute it gave me this kinda headache that is caused by the compression of my head. It isn't that tight, it's just that I'm not used to wearing one. If you remove the clamping effect though, it is really comfortable to wear.
The cushion is so soft and it's not leather. So it won't peel off. So fluffy. :3
It has this soft pad under the headband too so it would still be comfortable even if you're wearing it for hours.
Since it doesn't look like most of the alien-looking gaming headsets, you can wear it in public without looking like Star Trek or some shit. I think this is also the reason why they made the microphone detachable instead of it being retractable.
The look of it is also really cool and modern. I like the simplicity.
Functions
Most buttons are located on the left side while the power button is on the right. The ones on the left are the switch for the mic, volume, audio jack, port for charging. The power button on the right can also be used to answer/end voice call, play/pause music, next track and previous track.
They are easy to scroll and press and are not "weird to press". It's like... snappy. Once you wear it, it's not hard to find these functions so it is efficient.
When you want to use the mic, you just attach it near the front. I find it quite annoying to attach and detach it every time but it's also a good thing that it's like that since it will be quite weird to have the mic showing even though it has been hidden (for retractable ones).
Performance
The sound is good and like any other gaming headsets, you will be able to hear footsteps and shit like you're in the actual game. The environment is so lively.
When it comes to music, I was actually surprised it wasn't like my previous one where you feel like it's too far away lol. Just like what I have read in reviews, it delivers good performance even for music. You know, gaming and music headsets are really different since they have different functions. Gaming headsets can mess your music up since it's supposed to deliver the sounds like it comes from in every direction. But this one delivers it good. :3
There's also a program that you could install to tweak its settings, test the mic, configure the equalizer, etc.
The mic is also crisp and it can cancel out the unnecessary background sounds and noise.
Battery Life
The battery life is like 20 hours. When I first turned it on, it was like 20% power but I charged it in a few minutes and now I am still using it while writing this. :3
Overall
A good and affordable headset with lots of functions and compatibility is hard to find and I'm glad Steelseries released this. It's simple, comfortable, delivers a good performance for both gaming and music. Of course, it can't deliver a great music one like those audiophiles, but I would say it is good, for my taste at least.
TL:DR
Buy this if you're looking for an affordable gaming headset that you can also use for music. :)