The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air Wireless are wireless gaming headphones with customizable RGB lighting. They're well-built, decently comfortable, and have a fairly well-balanced sound profile that can be customized through their feature-packed companion software. They also have a detachable mic that offers very good recording quality and does a great job of blocking out background noise. Unfortunately, they let in a lot of ambient noise, are very bulky, and don't have an especially stable fit.
Our Verdict
The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air are decent for neutral sound. They have a reasonably well-balanced out-of-the-box sound profile, though some users may find it to be a little boomy. Thankfully, their companion software features audio presets as well as a graphic EQ that lets you customize their sound profile to your liking. Unfortunately, they don't deliver audio very consistently and have a closed-off soundstage.
- Variety of sound customization features.
- They struggle to deliver audio consistently.
The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air are middling for commuting and traveling. They're very bulky, don't come with a carrying case, and can only function with the use of their USB dongle, so you need an adapter to connect them to your phone. They also really struggle to filter out ambient noise like the rumble of bus engines. That said, they offer roughly 16 hours of battery life and are quite well-built.
- Great battery life.
- Good build quality.
- Bulky design.
- Poor noise isolation capability.
- No Bluetooth connectivity.
The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air are inadequate for sports and fitness, though this is some way from their intended use. They're big and relatively heavy, with a somewhat unstable fit that's likely to cause them to fall from your head during only moderately intense workouts. They also need an adapter to connect their USB-A dongle to your phone since they aren't Bluetooth compatible.
- Good build quality.
- Bulky design.
- No Bluetooth connectivity.
The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air are mediocre for office use. They do very little to block out any ambient chatter from nearby coworkers and leak a fair amount of audio. You also need to plug their USB dongle into your work computer since they aren't Bluetooth-compatible. However, their 16-hour battery life should get you through a couple of workdays, and they're decently comfortable to wear for extended periods.
- Great battery life.
- Poor noise isolation capability.
- No Bluetooth connectivity.
The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air are a decent option for wireless gaming. They're equipped with a detachable boom mic that should ensure that your teammates hear you clearly, even in noisy environments. Their companion software is feature-packed and should allow you to customize most essential aspects of your gaming experience. However, they have high latency via their USB dongle, which can cause syncing issues between your audio and visuals.
- Variety of sound customization features.
- Very good microphone recording quality and noise handling capability.
- High latency via USB dongle.
- They struggle to deliver audio consistently.
The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air are wireless-only headphones and can't be used on a wired connection.
The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air are satisfactory for phone calls. Their boom mic makes your voice sound full-bodied, natural, and mostly free of background noise, so people on the other end of the line should understand you with little difficulty. However, due to their poor noise isolation capability, you may have trouble following what's being said if you're calling from a loud environment.
- Very good microphone recording quality and noise handling capability.
- Poor noise isolation capability.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 10, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Apr 13, 2021: We've updated the PC/PS4 Compatibility test with additional information regarding controls.
- Updated Jan 15, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Jan 13, 2021: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air only come in one color variant: 'Black', and you can see their label here.
If you come across a different variant, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air are wireless gaming headphones. They're compatible with PC as well as PS4 and PS5 consoles, offer a wide variety of customization options, and have a detachable boom mic with very good overall performance. Unfortunately, they aren't quite as versatile as alternatives like the SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless since they aren't Bluetooth compatible and have a very bulky design. If you're looking for alternatives, take a look at our list of recommendations of the best PS4 gaming headsets, the best wireless gaming headsets, and the best gaming headsets.
The SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless are more versatile than the ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air Wireless. The SteelSeries have lower non-Bluetooth wireless latency and are Bluetooth-compatible, allowing you to stream music off your phone as you game or chat with friends. They're also comfier, are better built, leak less audio, and have a longer battery life. Their boom mic also has superior recording quality and noise-handling capability. However, the ROCCAT take less time to charge.
The Logitech G PRO X WIRELESS LIGHTSPEED Gaming Headset is a superior choice for wireless gaming compared to the ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air Wireless. The Logitech are more comfortable, deliver audio more consistently, have a boom mic with superior recording quality and noise handling capability, and last longer on a single charge. They also have a companion software with more features and significantly lower wireless latency. That said, the ROCCAT have a better noise isolation performance.
The Corsair HS70 Wireless are better gaming headphones than the ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Wireless. The Corsair have a more comfortable fit, feel better-made, and charge substantially faster while offering similar battery life. They also have lower non-Bluetooth wireless latency. However, the ROCCAT offer on-board controls for channel mixing, and have a boom mic that delivers superior recording quality and noise handling capability. Their companion software also has a broader range of customization features.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless are better than the ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air Wireless. The SteelSeries are more comfortable, better-built, leak less audio, have superior overall microphone performance, and last significantly longer on a single charge. They can also be used on a wired connection via a 1/8" TRRS cable and they have lower non-Bluetooth wireless latency.
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