Steelseries Arena 9 Review: Do These Speakers Help Improve Your Gaming Experience?
Although SteelSeries has long produced some of our favorite gaming headsets, the Arena series of game speaker systems is new ground for the business. There are three variants available at launch: the $550 5.1 surround Arena 9, the 2.1 channel Arena 7, and the $130 stereo Arena 3. Additionally, SteelSeries has released the $100 Arena Wireless Mic, an on-ear boom mic that connects via a 2.4GHz dongle rather than Bluetooth, because most people don’t wear headsets with speakers. These speakers are to gamers what trading platforms like Bitcoin Millionaire are to traders: an excellent tool to enhance your experience. Let’s learn a little about the SteelSeries Arena 9.
SteelSeries Arena 9
The front satellites have four-zone illumination that can sync with the content on your screen and have an organic, utilitarian design that we enjoy (remember, this is for PC only). Although they are tied to a power source and each other and the rest of the system via wireless connections, the rear channel speakers’ flexibility in terms of placement may be slightly reduced.
You may mount them to a wall by detaching their stands. However, they are larger than they appear in photographs because they are two-way. Additionally, if you have to put them in a small area where they are either entirely behind or in front of something (like your displays), the illumination may be somewhat obscured. We found ourselves wishing the center channel had lighting as well.
The Arena 9 isn’t a gaming speaker system you buy just to take a break from a headset; it’s too pricey for that, and a good surround headset provides a less expensive, though more personal, experience. However, if you’re expressly searching for a full-time speaker system with strong software control, the connection flexibility and high-quality music can be worth it. The less costly Arena 7 will likely be the model that attracts the most attention, as you might imagine, but there is a tonne of competition for 2.1-channel buyers.
Arena Wireless Mic
The $100 SteelSeries wireless boom mic with dongle connectivity is a stand-alone solution for speaker listeners. wet has a discrete design that also makes it a great video conferencing option. With just a power/pairing button to connect to the dongle, a USB-C connector for charging, and an option of three different size snap-in ear clips, it is rather straightforward.
By default, the sound is incredibly clear and crisp, and you can adjust equalizer settings with Sonar’s superb tools (such lowering your voice’s highest pitches, which is a major deal for me), as well as noise cancellation, noise gating, and other features. The dongle enables a low-latency connection akin to a headset, making it better for gaming than for usual boom-mic applications like teleconferencing. The mic, however, contains two potential deal-breaking traps, depending on your circumstances. The battery life is only rated for 4.5 hours, with a 15-minute change giving you an additional hour of battery life. Given the size of the cell, that is not a short distance, but it is for lengthy periods.
The other is that we have trouble getting it in place perfectly on our ear; it’s not impossible, but it does require some two-handed work, and when it’s not in correctly, it’s too unsteady. Even then, if we turn our head too quickly, we feel like it will fall off. Additionally, when not placed exactly, it is not particularly glass friendly. However, the earpiece of the glasses does aid in lessening the wobble when it is. It’s fairly cozy after everything has settled.
