At first we would like to thank SteelSeries for offering the Arctis 3 Bluetooth Gaming Headset for testing and reviewing.

 

About SteelSeries:

"From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making high performance gaming gear used by the most demanding, top professional gamers worldwide and peripherals that provide superior quality and a competitive edge to gamers of all skill levels. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying!

 

What originally began with two people who recognized the need for superior, high-quality/performance gaming gear that would give gamers a competitive edge, has grown into a global leader in gaming and entertainment gear sought after for their high performance capabilities.

 

Fast-forward to today, and we’ve come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!

 

While we are proud of our technology and product innovation, we are even more excited about how these products are developed to meet the needs of gamers. Many companies may claim to develop superior gaming products but few actually do. Instead, they spend countless hours with lab engineers trying to force fit a new technology with bells and whistles and mediocre functionality for the end-user.

 

At SteelSeries, we develop our products with a small internal team and a vast network of technology partners, channel partners, game publishers, and gaming communities around the globe. We aren’t afraid of being challenged and implementing new ideas. Our main goal is to always to listen to the collective feedback of our professional gaming community.

 

We won’t bore you with cheeky slogans, trying to underline our authenticity as gamers. We fully acknowledge that the best professional gamers in the world know more about what they want and what will make them better, than we do. We are proud to be working with our partners, but we can’t take credit for their invaluable input and feedback. Instead we tell it like it is: they help us. We want to know what works and what doesn’t. For this reason, SteelSeries creates innovative solutions that provide a competitive advantage for all gamers.

 

Critical to our company’s success is also our reinvestment in the gaming communities and the individuals who support them. As a result, our corporate philosophy is to take a substantial portion of our revenue and put it back into the gaming community to help spur industry growth. We support our community in numerous ways, ranging from co-hosting tournaments like Iron Lady and King of the Hill, and supporting gaming competitions of all sizes, to promoting the top and up-and-coming gaming teams/organizations.

 

Put simply, SteelSeries does not claim to invent or reinvent the gaming industry. Nor do we focus on one specific product, copy other companies or follow the crowd.

 

Instead we leave it to you, the gamer, our customer/partner/inspiration, to decide if we are deserving of such declarations and accolades. What we do promise, however, is to remain committed to you. We will continue to work with you and the gaming community to make the best products possible and give you that competitive edge. We will continue to do our best to support the growth of the professional gaming industry and give back to the gaming communities. By doing so, we don’t just talk a good game, we win!"

Product Features:

 

S1 Speaker Drivers

Gaming audio is not just one type of sound. This is why we engineered Arctis to deliver an amazing audio experience no matter what you play. Every Arctis headset includes the same speaker drivers we use in our $300 flagship headset to create a realistic and detailed sound with ultra-low distortion that rivals headphones that cost triple the price.

 

ClearCast - The Best Mic In Gaming

We designed the Arctis mic to be as clear as a broadcast-quality microphone. Like a broadcast mic, ClearCast picks up and reproduces an ultra-wide range of high frequencies, making your voice sound remarkably natural.

 

SteelSeries 7.1 Surround Sound -> via SteelSeries Engine software layer

 

Lightweight Design

Our goal with Arctis was to create a lightweight headset so comfortable, you'll forget you’re wearing it. We went back to the drawing board and stripped down all the unnecessary components, leaving us with a minimalistic design that’s more efficient at suspending the headset while being as light as possible.

 

Ski Goggle Headband

The Ski Goggle suspension band, which effortlessly wraps itself around heads of all shapes and sizes and evenly distributes the light weight of the headset. Use the simple Velcro adjustments to dial in the perfect amount of stretch, and you’ll soon forget you’re even wearing a headset.

 

Customizable in SteelSeries Engine

Get the most out of your Arctis with SteelSeries Engine. Customize your surround sound, EQ settings, microphone settings, and more. SteelSeries 7.1 Surround Sound available only in Windows 7+.

 

Product Specifications:

 

 

 

The initial Arctis line did arrive with the 3,5 and 7 headset series: we did take a look at the Arctis 5 which did feature RGB lighting, USB and analog connections, 7.1 virtual surround sound but also ChatMix. Next was the Arctis 7 (considered as flagship), which did communicate on a lossless 2.4G connection with its dongle and had both USB and analog connections available. As the Arctis 5, it did support ChatMix, but it dropped RGB illumination.

In this article we will concentrate our attention upon the upgraded Arctis 3 model with Bluetooth capabilities; this model is handy for people which are frequently on-the-go but also can benefit from added software features when they perform office work (via SteelSeries Engine 3).

The product was shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure that featured the usual SteelSeries box art signature:

 

 

 

On one of the box sides, we are shown connectivity options for different consoles but also Mac platforms, mobile devices; the Nintendo Switch procedure is explained separately:

 

 

 

On the backside of the box, SteelSeries does explain that this particular model helps when moving frequently from the office environment to outside, thanks to the Bluetooth capabilities. For example, when we do get tired after a long gaming session or productivity work, we can simply unplug the stereo cable and connect our mobile devices while enjoying the nature surroundings:

 

 

 

After unsealing the packaging, we will get to see that the artwork will continue on the inside:

 

 

 

Arctis 3 Bluetooth does resemble the Arctis 5 model, with the fully adjustable sky band, the comfortable earcups, retractable microphone but also the overall low weight:

 

 

 

The outer side of each cup does feature a rubberized layer, but also a grey SS logo:

 

 

 

 

The retractable microphone does feature a bidirectional pattern, a frequency response between 100Hz and 10000Hz, a sensitivity of -48 db, but also an impedance of 2200 Ohm:

 

 

 

 

 

The left cup does also house a microphone mute button and a volume wheel:

 

 

 

For connecting analog sources, the headset does come with a proprietary connector and the nearby jack plug can be used for audio output so a friend of yours can hear the same music/content you are listening to:

 

 

 

Moving further, SteelSeries has included a microUSB port for charging purposes:

 

 

 

The cups can be rotated 90 degrees in order to offer more comfort; the cushion on each cup does cover a soft foam. Thanks to the proprietary, “AirWeave” material, your ears won’t sweat during longer usage periods. Arctis 3 Bluetooth does use the ultra-low distortion S1 speaker drivers (40mm), with a frequency response between 20 and 22000 Hz, a sensitivity of 98 db, impedance of 32 Ohm but also a total harmonic distortion < 3%:

 

 

 

On the right cup, we will be able to spot a Bluetooth On/Off button, which does also feature a RGB LED, for signaling the charging status of the internal battery:

 

 

 

 

The sky bands are replaceable, so we can choose a design which fits our taste more; SteelSeries does now hold a promotion which implies sending a free headband along with the order (Artist Series: ThankYouX, Crushed Dawn, Winter Night etc…):

 

 

 

A dark grey rubber layer covers the solid plastic frame:

 

 

 

There are no other manufacturer/product logos on the top layer of the frame:

 

 

 

Next, we will proceed with the box, which does contain the bundle:

 

 

 

First, we will get to see the documentation, which does contain some links to different online resources, the Product Information Guide, but also a small leaflet containing an activation code:

 

 

 

The Product Information Guide does describe the product components, but also instructs the user on how to proceed with the installation, depending on the platform:

 

 

 

Plenty of cables are offered with the Arctis 3 Bluetooth:

 

-USB charging cable

-proprietary extension cable

-stereo cable for connecting to devices with separate headset/mic plugs

-adapter for connecting to analog mobile devices

 

 

 

The offered cables do come with customized connectors:

 

 

 

 

For optimal signal, SteelSeries has included gold-plated jack plugs:

 

 

 

 

The Arctis 3 Bluetooth headset connects via analog signal to your Windows 10 PC, so there is no way the SteelSeries Engine 3 software can detect it as-is; the solution is to use the provided code in your SS account, so the Arctis 3 Bluetooth section will appear right after login. Some extra software will be prompted for installation, after the code has been correctly used:

 

 

 

SteelSeries Engine 3 will practically act as a secondary set of filters over your existing audio drivers, in order to improve the overall experience; these filters can be enabled or disabled at will, in a very easy process. The software will ask the interface Arctis 3 Bluetooth is connected to, so it will apply the filters correctly; however, if you are already using a similar software on your computer it will come in conflict with this one and no actual effects will be observed:

 

 

 

The GUI is familiar to previous SS Engine 3 users and does come with the ability to turn on/off the 7.1 Virtual Surround feature, adjust the 10-band EQ, enable Bass Boost, use Live Mic Preview, adjust Dynamic Range Compression, Noise Gate or the Noise Reduction:

 

 

 

We can change the audio source from the interface from any time:

 

Speakers

 

 

 

Microphone

 

 

 

The EQ does come with different presets, but we can always customize it:

 

 

 

At first, we did test the Arctis 3 Bluetooth while having it connected to our PC’s Realtek 1220 CODEC; the overall experience was good, but improved considerably after enabling the SteelSeries Engine 3 filters. The sound quality is similar to the Arctis 5 and 7, mainly because these come with the same drivers and did not distort even at higher volume levels; the bass levels can be fully customized, while the 7.1 effect is nice to have in movies, but also in games. The solution SteelSeries is offering to the customer in this case is similar to the Razer Surround Personalized 7.1 Gaming Audio Software, and after you do activate the code on your SS account, you will be able to utilize the effects on any other set of headphones.

 

While using the Arctis 3 Bluetooth on our PC, we have also noted that we were heard loud and clear in conferences, thanks to the retractable bidirectional microphone; this experience changed a bit when switching to the Bluetooth connection. While the audio content quality sent from our HUAWEI P10 Plus was good, the microphone quality in conferences decreased a bit and we were able to confirm this by also using the Echo Sound Test Service in Skype. As soon as we did connect the headset to our smartphone via stereo jack, the microphone quality came back.

 

We did leave the phone in the living room and then walked in every room of the apartment; during this time, we did not experience any audio drops while listening to music or issues with the microphone, which is great!

 

Thanks to its rated 28-hour battery life, Arctis 3 Bluetooth can become your all-day listening companion, without the need of switching with other models; depending on the connectivity options of your audio source, you only need to switch cables and off you go!

SteelSeries Arctis 3 Bluetooth Gaming Headset is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to SteelSeries for making this review possible!