SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC Headphones Review

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC have a similar ski-band headband as the SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 but are more curved to better fit your head. These headphones also feel durable and premium too. You can even make them look slightly more casual by retracting the boom microphone into the left ear cup.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC are comfortable headphones. The ear cups spacious and have soft and breathable padding which makes them easy to wear for long gaming sessions. They also have the same adjustable, elastic ski-band headband as the Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless. However, as the headband can only expand to the length of the metal headband, users with larger heads may find this fit tight.

Although they're wired and don't have call or music controls, The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC have a similar control scheme to the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless. The headset has a volume dial and a microphone mute/unmute switch while the DAC has a channel mixing dial that can also act as a multi-function button when pressed and held, allowing you to switch between presets and EQ modes. All the buttons provide great feedback while being decently easy-to-use.

Update 02/15/2019: We've retested and updated the breathability score. The SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless are very similarly-designed but had a much worse breathability performance. We've since double-checked this scoring and can confirm this is also the case for the SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC have disappointing breathability. Although the ear cups are made with porous padding, they're still closed-back, over-ear headphones and can make you sweat, especially if you're wearing them while working out. However, if you're just wearing them for casual gaming, they shouldn't get too warm.

Like most gaming headsets, including the Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 SuperAmp, these headphones aren't very portable. They have large ear cups, a rigid headband, and can't fold up into a more compact size. Their DAC also makes them less than portable but you can always use them passively with their audio cable and adapter if you're on the go. However, due to their size, you can only store them in a bag or backpack.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC don't come with a carrying case or pouch.

Update 01/28/2021: We originally reported that these headphones were made of metal. However, they're mostly made of dense plastic. Their headband is a mix of metal and a silicone-like material. We've updated the text to better reflect these details. The scoring of this box hasn't changed.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC's build quality is as similarly great as the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless. The hinges, yokes, and ear cups are made from dense plastic while the headband is a mix of metal and a silicone-like material. There are even magnetic backplates that can be removed. These headphones feel like they can withstand several accidental drops or falls and even the microphone is well-built and flexible enough to be bent without damaging it. You can also detract the microphone into the left ear cup, which is a nice touch.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC fit decently tight on the head and shouldn't move around too much. While they're stable enough for playing video games at your desk or on the couch, they're still bulky and wired, which makes them less than ideal for physical activity or sports. The cable can also snag on something such as a table corner and yank them off your head.

• SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC headphones
• USB DAC
• USB charging cable
• Headset to GameDAC cable
• Optical cable
• 1/8" TRS adapter
• Manuals

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC's sound profile depends on how they fit on your head. Their position, seal, and whether you have glasses or thick hair can all affect sound delivery, resulting in inconsistent bass and treble. Once properly fitted to your head however, you should be able to get a consistent sound. Still, thanks to their DAC, you can easily tweak the sound to your liking using its built-in EQ.

The frequency response consistency of the SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC is disappointing. The bass delivery varies and a drop in bass can occur if the ear cups are not flush to your head or if you have glasses. The treble range is also inconsistent. As the overall frequency response depends on fit, seal, and positioning of these headphones, once you achieve a good overall fit, you should get a more consistent frequency response each time you use them.

Just like the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless, the SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC have excellent bass accuracy but its delivery can vary across users. Although there's a small dip in the mid-bass that slightly reduces body and punch, the response is otherwise very even without being boomy or muddy. However, the bass delivery can be sensitive to fit, seal, and whether you have thick hair or glasses so make sure you take the time to properly adjust them. This bass accuracy performance represents the average response and your experience may vary.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC have great mid accuracy and is fairly even and flat. However, there's a dip in the high-mid that makes vocals and lead instruments sound weak and distant.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC have mediocre treble accuracy but delivery can vary across users. Overall, it's fairly underemphasized and its low-treble can make vocals and lead instruments sound veiled and lacking in detail. While the mid-treble is slightly better, its underemphasis makes sibilants like cymbals or S and T sounds dull and lispy. However, this treble accuracy performance represents the average response and your experience may vary.

While the SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC's peaks and dips performance is good, their position, seal, and whether you have glasses or thick hair can all affect sound delivery, resulting in inconsistent bass and treble. Still, there's a lot of very small peaks and dips that can slightly affect your mix. However, the dip in the low treble can make voices sound dull and lispy while the rise into the mid-treble can make sibilants like S and T sounds piercing and sharp.

The imaging performance of the SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC is excellent. While there are some peaks in the low-bass range that are above the group delay's audibility threshold, it may not be audible for most users. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our test unit are exceptionally matched, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects and instruments (like voices and footsteps) in the stereo image. However, these results are only valid for our unit and yours may perform differently.

The soundstage of the SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC is mediocre. While the soundstage feels large and sounds like it's coming from the front of the user rather than inside the head, it can be perceived as unnatural and lacking spaciousness. As they're closed-back headphones, their soundstage may also not feel as open as open-back headphones.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC have DTS virtual surround support and a simple speaker modeling feature.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC's weighted harmonic distortion is good. While there's some distortion between the low to mid-bass and in the low-treble range, it's very slight and likely won't be noticeable to all listeners.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC's results are only valid for these settings.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC's noise isolation performance is disappointing. They don't block out any of the low rumble of bus and train engines and they barely cut mid-range noise like chatter. However, they can significantly reduce higher-pitched sounds like the hum of an A/C unit.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC have an okay leakage performance. The significant portion of leakage is found between the mid-mid to mid-treble ranges. If you like to listen to your music at a high volume and you're using them in an office setting or a similarly noisy environment, those closest to you may hear some of your audio.

This headset has a boom microphone.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC's boom mic has a good recording quality. Your voice sounds full, clear, and detailed so you shouldn't have any problems being understood by your teammates. However, there's a small bump in the treble that can make speech sound overly bright or sharp.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC's boom microphone is great at noise handling. It easily separates speech from ambient noise, even in loud environments like a gaming tournament.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC don't have a battery.

The SteelSeries Engine is great companion software that offers a lot of customization features. It offers a graphic equalizer with presets, DTS surround sound, live preview, mic monitoring, and mic volume control. You can also save your customization in the configuration tab so that you can quickly switch between different settings on the fly.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC don't have Bluetooth connectivity. If you want a gaming headset that also supports Bluetooth, check out the Turtle Beach Elite 800 Wireless.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC can only be used wired.

Update 02/14/2022: The connection was originally reported as 1/8" TRRS. However, the connector to the headset is a Mini B 8-Pin. The USB-Audio was also listed as proprietary. As USB-Audio reports the connector used to connect to the device, it's been changed to USB Type A. The results have been updated to reflect these changes.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC use an uncommon mini B 8-pin connector cable, which may be hard to find if you need to replace it. It also comes with an analog audio adapter so that you can listen to your favorite tunes on most devices. These headphones have voice support if you connect to your PS4 controller using the USB cable. However, if you're on the Xbox One, this USB cable only gives you audio support, so you won't be able to use your microphone.

These headphones have a DAC that adds a negligible amount of latency. You shouldn't notice any delay when gaming or watching movies.

Update 02/06/2020: We originally reported that you couldn't use a wired USB connection with the Xbox One. However, if you want to use a wired USB connection with this console, you will only receive audio support and you won't be able to use your microphone. You will need to change your Xbox One's audio output settings but SteelSeries provides straightforward instructions here.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro GameDAC are compatible with the Xbox One. If you plug them into your controller via an analog cable, you can use your microphone and receive audio.

These headphones come with a digital to analog converter (DAC) that has multiple inputs such as an optical-in, line-in, USB, and a line-out. Although the DAC is larger than that of the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II, it puts controls such as switching EQs or surround sound settings within easy reach, allowing you to tweak your audio experience on the fly.