We tested the Steelseries Arctis 7P Plus gaming headphones.
We put the Steelseries headphones next to the Astron’s acclaimed headphones. Steelseries / Astro
The Playstation 5 was released in November 2020. It’s been so long since the release that console gaming headphones are starting to hit the market. One of the largest headphone manufacturers is Steelseries, which recently launched the Arctis 7P Plus wireless headphones.
The Steelseries low-delay headphones support the 3D sound of the Playstation 5, which makes them interesting. The price of the headphones is about 200 euros.
We tested the new Arctis headphones alongside the Astron A50 headphones. The Astron headphones represent the premium class of gaming headphones on the console side. However, they are already beginning to be some age, so a separate adapter is still required to take full advantage of their features.
Really comfortable away
Steelseries has been successful in designing the Arctis 7P Plus headphones. The headphones are in line with several other headphones in the company, and no attempt has been made to reinvent the wheel.
The collar on the headband makes the headphones especially comfortable to wear. The headband itself does not press against the head, but the elastic collar keeps the head quite apart. The tension of the collar can be adjusted to suit your own head. The collar makes even longer game sessions comfortable when the headband does not start to press the head cap.
The headphones have soft and comfortably large pads covered with a soft cloth. The buttons are located on the back of the headphones and are easy to use. The microphone opens by pulling on the headset, so it’s out of the way when it’s not needed.
Steelseries Arctis 7 Plus. Steelseries
When comparing the Steelseries headphones to the Astro A50 headphones, the material choices stand out clearly. The Astros have a much higher quality feel, but in terms of ease of use, the Steelseries Astron suffers. The 7P Pros are lighter and don’t squeeze as much as the A50 headphones. The Steelseries are also smaller, although the pads are in the same category on both headphones.
Unlike the Astron, the Steelseries headphones do not come with a charging dock. The 7P Plus is charged via the USB-C connector on the headphones. Steelseries promises a battery life of 30 hours. This seems to be the case, as the headphones lasted without mumbling even long gameplay. The headphones also charge quickly and with 15 minutes of charging you get three hours of playing time.
The Astrot, on the other hand, is charged by default via the included dock, although the headset has a Micro-USB connector. The battery life of the A50 headphones is about 15 hours, so Steelseries wins in this comparison.
Simple to use
The Steelseries 7P Plus comes with a small transmitter that plugs into the Playstation 5’s USB-C port, an audio cord for mobile devices, a charging cord and a USB-C to USB-A adapter. Setting up the headphones on the console is really simple: attach the transmitter to the console, turn on the headphones, and you’re ready to play.
For example, if the console is located behind the TV or the distance is starting to come, you may want to use the included extension cord to get the transmitter closer to the headphones. In the test, the headphones showed chipping when the console was behind the TV and at a distance of about three meters. When the extension cord was used and the transmitter was brought up, there were no more interruptions.
On the connecting side, the Astrot and Steelseries are largely on the same level. However, in the case of Astros, it is mandatory to bring up the required adapter for the Playstation 5, which is purchased separately, for about 50 euros. The adapter provides an optical connection for the best possible sound quality. At the same time, however, you’ll have to compromise on the Playstation 5’s 120 Hz support if your own TV supports it. When the adapter is in use, you only have to settle for 60 Hz. This is an unfortunate downside, as the € 300 headset and the € 50 adapter combined with the narrowing of the console are not a good combination.
Good sound quality
Directly from the package, the Steelseries 7P Plus offers a comfortable, balanced and enjoyable listening experience. 3D audio support works well and game sounds are played evenly and securely. There was nothing shockingly surprising about the headphones, but overall the experience remained positive.
In the big picture, the 7P Pros is no different from many other headphones. Alongside the Astros, the Steelseries are overshadowed, with the Astron offering a more robust-feeling bass as well as slightly brighter tones, but in the end, the difference is by no means particularly significant. Astrolle Plus has a variety of listening modes that can be quickly switched by pressing a button on the headphones.
The user of the Steelseries 7P Plus can be satisfied with the headset presets, but if necessary, he can use the Steelseries GG software on the computer, which provides an equalizer for those who want to make changes. However, based on the test, this is not necessary.
In summary, the Steelseries 7P Plus is one of the best headphones for the Playstation 5. They also work with Nintendo Switches, mobile devices and PCs, which of course come with a lot of qualified headphones. If you are talking purely about using the Playstation 5, you can recommend these headphones. Deployment is really effortless and the headphones feel comfortable on the head.