Im a console gamer, specifically im an xbox gamer.
And a few months ago I switched from gaming with my HyperX Could Alpha’s to the Steelseries
Arctis 3.
And over all I hands down prefer the Acrtis 3 over the cloud alphas cause for me they
fit better, I really like having the retractable microphone, their fabric ear cups keep my
ears sweat free and cooler after long gaming sessions and being able to use them as a pair
of normal bluetooth headphones with my phone is a huge plus.
So when Steelseries announced their new Arctis 9X, a wireless gaming headset designed specifically
for Xbox I knew I had to check them out.
So today we’re going to checkout the Arctis 9X, we’re going to compare them to the Arctis
3 and hopefully answer the question that is is it worth paying double for these over these.
Now the Arctis 9X retail for $200, where as the Arctis 3’s retail for $100… but theres
also a non bluetooth version of the Arctis 3’s that retail for $70.
So if you just strictly want a gaming headset and have no intention of ever using them with
your phone then you’ll probably be better off getting the non bluetooth version.
But personally I do recommend getting the bluetooth version.
But if you wanna pick any of these headsets up they’ll be linked down below.
So the most important difference between the Arctis 9X and the Acrtis 3 is that you can
use the Artcis 9X completely wireless, you pair them up to your Xbox just as if they
were a normal controller, there’s no Dac or amp to worry about.
Where as with the Arctis 3 you gotta plug them into your Xbox controller.
Now personally, im a little indifferent when it comes to having a wire connected to my
headset or not cause when im gaming I don’t really notice the wire period.
But I have grown to really appreciate being able to just drop my controller while in a
match making lobby, head into the kitchen and get something to drink all while still
wearing my headset and still being able to chat with my team and still being able to
know when a game is about to start cause when I play with headphones I play with the tv
on mute.
But cutting the cord isn’t the only difference between the Arctis 9X and Arctis 3’s theres
also some performance and build quality differences.
Now first off, the 9X’s get significantly louder than the Arctis 3 when you’re gaming,
which means its going to be much easier to hear incoming footsteps or a fire fight happening
out at a distance.
And the 9X’s also have 4 on board EQ’s to choose from.
Personally I prefer the Bass Boosted EQ cause this way you can have the volume up pretty
high so you can hear for those foot steps but you’re not going to go deaf from ear
pricing gun shots if you get caught in a close quarter fire fight.
Now like I mentioned earlier, both the Arctis 9X and Arctis 3 can be paired to your phone.
And if you want you can listen to both your Xbox audio and phone audio at the same time.
So what I do is that I’ll play a game and while im in a match making lobby I’ll watch
a video on my phone.
Its all seamless.
But when it comes to overall connectivity performance on the Arctis 9X theres no perceivable
latency when you’re gaming or watching videos on your phone which is super important and
the connection is stable so it dosnt cut out mid game.
So over all, wireless connectivity on these guys is stelar.
But since the Acrtis 9X are a wireless headset, its going to mean you’re going to have another
thing to remember to keep charged.
Now when you turn these headphones on you’re going to see an indicator light telling you
how much battery you have left and these headphones are good for 20 hours of playtime.
And you charge these headphones through their micro USB port.
And since the Xbox controller also charges via a micro USB, im going to let the lack
of USB C slide today.
So just as a quick recap, tech spec wise the Arctis 9X are completely wireless, they have
a stable connection without any perceivable latency, they have a 20 hour battery life,
and they get significantly louder than the Arctis 3.
But from a design standpoint there are some minor differences between the 9X and Arctis
3.
First off the 9X do have slightly better build quality than the Arctis 3… specifically
the headband is all steel and its soft touch underneath.
But the 9X’s are also slightly heavier than the Arctis 3’s weighing in at 371 grams
versus 314 grams.
And after long gaming sessions this 60 gram difference is pretty noticeable.
Now both of these headsets have the same ultra breathable fabric ear cups that do a phenomenal
job of keeping your ears nice and cool.
But the ear cups on the 9X are slightly more spacious than the ear cups on the Arctis 3.
Now don’t get me wrong, both of these headsets have very spacious ear cups and they’re
both big head approved… but the ear cups on the Arctis 9X do have slightly more room
than the Arctis 3’s.
Now when it comes to onboard controls and ports there’s your game volume dial on the
right ear cup, the left ear cup has your chat mix dial, there’s an on board mic mute button
that also shines a red light on the mic it self, there’s your bluetooth and power buttons,
that micro usb port I mentioned earlier, and a 3.5 millimeter audio jack just in case you
still want to use a wired connection with these headphones.
But finally, the last thing I want to talk about are the clear cast microphones on these
headphones.
They’re both good microphones that do a very good job of just picking up your voice.
But from what I can tell, there’s really no audio performance difference between the
9X and the Arctis 3,
so no matter which of these two headsets you use your teammates are going to be able to
hear your your mama jokes just fine.
But over all, I don’t have any issues with the new Steelseries Arctis 9X… they offer
a very simple solution for any Xbox One gamer that just wants a truly wireless gaming headset.
You literally just charge them up and connect them to your Xbox, there’s no external DAC
or Amp to worry about.
And personally as a whole I’m really starting to like Steelseires’s headsets cause their
suspicion set up make them comfortable to wear and their super breathable ear pads keep
your ears sweat free even after long gaming sessions.
Personally I think you can’t go wrong with either the Arctis 3 or Arctis 9X, but if you
do go with the 9X over the Arctis 3 you’re not just going to be getting that truly wireless
experience.
The 9X’s are also significantly louder, they have better build quality, and their
ear cups are slightly more spacious.