The impressive SteelSeries Arena line is the gaming headset manufacturer’s first foray into the desktop speaker market.
Though the Arctis Nova line is exciting, SteelSeries is also entering a brand-new market: gaming speakers.
Dubbed SteelSeries Arena, these new gaming-focused speaker system setups are available today from SteelSeries and major retailers.
The Arena comes in three distinct setups.
The most basic setup, the Arena 3, offers a pair of compact speakers for $130.
Finally, the Arena 9 is a complete speaker system that offers 5.1 surround sound via USB.
All three setups feature both wired and Bluetooth connections, and the Arena 7/9 have reactive RGB lighting effects.
The Arena 9 is undoubtedly the most impressive of the bunch thanks to its surround sound.
I was mightily impressed with performance, even when connecting via Bluetooth and not taking advantage of surround sound.
Let’s take a closer look at each of three Arena models.
It comes with a pair of matching speakers, one for each side of your setup.
These compact speakers are a bit different than the similarly sized ones in the other two setups.
Though small, they make ample use of their real estate with 4-inch drivers.
These cone-shaped drivers handle the entire audio rangelows, mids, and highs.
The two-way speakers separate the driver from the tweeter.
The 6.5-inch subwoofer has a down-firing design that really helps deliver clear, deep lows.
For some added style, the Arena 7 features Reactive PrismSync RGB lighting effects.
The LED lights are located around the base and on the back of the speakers.
There are four lighting zones that react to action on screen.
Compared to similarly robust systems witha lotof pieces, the Arena 9 is fairly pricey at $550.
The center channel adds yet another duo of drivers that bridge the gap between the left and right speakers.
Ideally, you place this speaker directly in front of your monitor.
Surround sound is also a big step up from stereo sound, though.
The mic wraps around your ear but doesnt block your eardrum.
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