SteelSeries’ high-end Arctis headsets feature a strong design. The absence of RGB lighting gives the entire unit a clean appearance; only the white lines of the adjusting strap and SteelSeries logo break up the pure matte black. There are no exposed wires, which is something I dislike in other headphones, such as the similarly priced Razer Blackshark V2 Pro and Logitech G Pro X Lightspeed. When you first take the Arctis 9 out of the box, it just looks so professional. Because of the ski goggle design, this headset is also simple to put on your head. A steel headband is surrounded by a Velcro strap that is adjustable for a tighter fit on smaller heads. The design makes it simple to pass the Arctis 9 Wireless to another person without requiring any modifications. Many headsets press in on your head from the sides, but the weight of the Arctis 9 Wireless is actually held in place by the strap around the headband. The Arctis 9 Wireless is equipped with the same 40mm neodymium drivers as the Arctis 9X, Arctis Pro, and Arctis Pro Wireless. When it first debuted, the Arctis line offered superior audio quality in comparison to other gaming headsets. However, competitors have shifted to newer drivers this year, with Razer including 50mm Triforce Titanium drivers in its new BlackShark line. Logitech has its 50mm Pro-G drivers, and HyperX has 50mm drivers on its mid-range headsets. Larger drivers can produce more powerful sound, particularly in the bass range. The frequency response on the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is simply higher, peaking at 28 KHz versus 20 KHz on the Arctis 9 Wireless. SteelSeries chose a retractable microphone with ClearCast noise cancellation, a bidirectional design, and Discord certification. The microphone quality on these cans is excellent. Noise cancellation was also excellent. The Arctis 9 Wireless will show up to every Discord gaming session without a hitch, capturing every errant scream you make in Phasmophobia.
