The SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless are gaming headphones with a long 25-hour battery life. They're the next generation of the SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 headphones and have slightly thicker padding that can help you stay comfortable during long gaming sessions. On the downside, they have high audio latency and can sound different depending on who's wearing them. However, the unique ski-band headband can be adjusted to give you the best fit possible, and the companion software gives you access to a great graphic EQ to further fine-tune your listening experience.
Our Verdict
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 are decent for neutral sound. Their bass and treble delivery depend on their fit, seal, and positioning on your head. It's possible to get closer to a more neutral sound profile if you take the time to adjust their headband a bit though. That said, their default sound profile is a bit boomy and sharp. You can also tweak the way they sound to better suit your needs using their companion software's graphic EQ.
- Great companion software with many customization options.
- Inconsistent audio delivery.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 are sub-par for commuting. They don't really reduce bass-heavy noise like bus or plane engines. They're comfortable headphones but not very portable and don't fold, which is less than ideal for travel. If you want to use them wirelessly, you also need to have your laptop handy as you need their transmitter. That's not an issue if you want to use them wired, however. On the upside, they have an excellent continuous battery life of roughly 25 hours.
- Comfortable and stable.
- Excellent continuous battery life.
- Slightly bulky design.
- Poor noise isolation performance.
- May be less comfortable for people with bigger ears or heads.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 are passable for sports. Their fairly tight and secure fit is comfortable, but their bulky design makes them less portable. They're also somewhat breathable, but you might still notice a rise in temperature around your ears, especially while exercising. Still, they're a gaming headset and aren't designed for sports.
- Comfortable and stable.
- Excellent continuous battery life.
- Slightly bulky design.
- Not extremely breathable.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 are fair for office use. While they're comfortable to wear, they won't isolate you from much of the noise around you. On the plus side, your co-workers around you shouldn't hear much of your music even if you turn it up. Their battery life also is more than enough to get you through the workday and they can be used passively.
- Comfortable and stable.
- Excellent continuous battery life.
- Poor noise isolation performance.
- May be less comfortable for people with bigger ears or heads.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 are decent for wireless gaming. Their ski-band headband and soft, padded ear cups are comfortable enough for long gaming sessions, and long continuous battery life means you don't have to worry too much about prematurely pausing your gameplay. They have a bendy boom microphone that does a great job of capturing your voice clearly, even in noisy environments. Unfortunately, they have high latency. They can also sound different depending on who's wearing them, but the companion app offers presets and a graphic EQ so you can customize the sound profile.
- Great mic performance even in noisy environments.
- Comfortable and stable.
- Excellent continuous battery life.
- Inconsistent audio delivery.
- May be less comfortable for people with bigger ears or heads.
- High non-Bluetooth audio latency.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 are very good for wired gaming. They're comfortable, have virtually no audio lag when wired, and the microphone clearly captures your voice, even in more noisy environments. You can use the companion software to find the right sound profile for you. On the downside, they can sound different depending on who's wearing them so it's important to get a proper fit and seal to ensure you get a consistent sound.
- Great mic performance even in noisy environments.
- Excellent continuous battery life.
- Inconsistent audio delivery.
- May be less comfortable for people with bigger ears or heads.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 are decent for phone calls. The microphone records voices clearly, even in loud environments like a gaming tournament. However, you might have a hard time hearing whoever's on the other line as these headphones do a poor job of isolating noise around you.
- Great mic performance even in noisy environments.
- Excellent continuous battery life.
- Poor noise isolation performance.
- May be less comfortable for people with bigger ears or heads.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 29, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Mar 09, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Feb 04, 2021: We've retested and updated the 'Comfort' test results.
- Updated Feb 05, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 are available in two colors, black and white. We tested the black variant, but expect the other color to perform similarly. If you come across another variant or yours are different, please let us know in the discussions below so we can update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The SteelSeries Arctis 7 are over-ear gaming headphones that have a unique stretchy ski-band headband, like most SteelSeries headphones. They're comfortable and stable, but sound delivery can vary a lot depending on how they fit you. Fortunately, they work with a companion app that offers lots of customization features, including a graphic EQ. They have an impressive, 25-hour continuous battery life and a great microphone, but unfortunately can't be used wirelessly with Xbox. If you're looking for a gaming headset that works for this console, take a look at our recommendations for the best Xbox One headsets. For more options, see our recommendations for the best PS4 gaming headsets and the best gaming headsets.
The SteelSeries Arctis 5 2019 Edition and the SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless are similarly designed gaming headphones, but the wireless 7 is a better option. They feel noticeably better-built and their mic also has better recording quality. Their wireless design means you can easily play games from your couch without a wire going to your controller. However, you have to manage their battery life, which some may find less worry-free than a plug-and-play headset like the 5. They also have high non-Bluetooth wireless latency.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7+ Wireless have a slight edge over the SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the Arctis 7+ have a better battery performance, more robust sound customization features in their companion software, and have lower non-Bluetooth wireless latency. However, the Arctis 7 2019 have a better overall boom mic performance.
The newer SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless are slightly different style-wise from the SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 and seem to have more padding on the ear cups, making them deeper and more suitable for big ears. However, the overall performance of the two models is fairly similar and may not be worth the upgrade if you didn’t have any issue with the fit of the 2017 model. The 2019 Edition has a better wireless range, and you can now set your desired auto-off timer in the SteelSeries Engine software.
The Logitech G PRO X WIRELESS LIGHTSPEED Gaming Headset is a somewhat better headset for wireless gaming than the SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless. The Logitech are more comfortable, and they have a more neutral, less bass-heavy default sound profile than the SteelSeries. Also, their boom microphone has a better recording quality and noise isolation performance, so they can help you communicate better with your teammates, especially in noisier environments. That said, the SteelSeries are better built and have a more stable fit, and they can be used wired, which some gamers may prefer.
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