SteelSeries Arctis 9H Gaming Headset Review: A Closer Look at its Features and Performance

The SteelSeries Arctis 9H gaming headset has become a staple for many gamers, thanks to its innovative design and features. One of the most notable aspects of this headset is the concealed noise-cancelling microphone within the left ear cup. This feature has become synonymous with SteelSeries, as it provides an additional layer of comfort and convenience for users. The microphone is retractable, low-profile, and flexible, making it easy to store when not in use.

Upon closer inspection, we can see that the microphone is quite noisy by default, but with the addition of mic noise reduction and compression features, the audio quality improves significantly. The mic noise reduction feature helps to clean up the sound, while the compression feature levels out the volume, ensuring a more consistent and balanced audio experience. This makes it ideal for gamers who value clear communication with their team.

One of the standout features of the Arctis 9H is its custom connector for the cable, which is detachable and braided with a mic mute button and volume control wheel. The microphone also has a separate section underneath that houses the SteelSeries Custom Connector, allowing users to attach the headset jacks or the custom USB Jack. Additionally, an extension cable is included, providing extra reach for users who require it.

Another notable feature of the Arctis 9H is its USB sound card, which provides 24-bit, 96 kHz audio quality. The sound card is small and compact, making it easy to integrate into the headset. However, we found that the sound card lacks proper amplification, resulting in a lackluster overall audio experience.

When testing the Arctis 9H with the included sound card, we noticed that it struggled to bring out the full potential of the headset's drivers. The USB sound card failed to provide sufficient power to drive the headset to its full range, which was a disappointment considering the headset's capabilities. Furthermore, the Equalizer settings on the sound card were limited, and users could not tweak them as much as they would like.

In terms of comfort and build quality, the Arctis 9H excels in both departments. The headset is designed to be lightweight and comfortable, making it suitable for extended gaming sessions. However, we would have liked to see interchangeable earpads, which would provide a slightly more open audio experience and enhance the sound stage.

Overall, the SteelSeries Arctis 9H gaming headset is an excellent choice for gamers who value clear communication, detailed audio, and comfort. While the included USB sound card falls short of expectations, the headset's drivers deliver exceptional performance, making it an ideal option for professional gamers. With its innovative design, comfortable build quality, and impressive audio capabilities, the Arctis 9H is a must-consider for anyone in the market for a high-quality gaming headset.

In conclusion, we found that while the SteelSeries Arctis 9H has some minor drawbacks, such as the lackluster USB sound card and slightly higher price point compared to similar headsets on the market. Nevertheless, its excellent audio performance, comfort, and innovative features make it an attractive option for gamers who value quality and convenience.

When testing the headset with various settings, we discovered that the included presets were a mixed bag. The FPS mode brought out notable details in footsteps and gunfire, while the Explosive Action preset was surprisingly well-balanced, providing a good balance between punchy bass and clear highs. However, the USB sound card failed to bring out the full potential of these presets, resulting in an underwhelming audio experience.

In addition, we used the SteelSeries Engine software to configure the headset's settings. This software allowed us to adjust microphone volume, enable Dolby Surround for a larger sound stage, and create custom profiles for different gaming scenarios. The software is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to get started with the headset.

One of the most useful features in the SteelSeries Engine software is the ability to create custom profiles. This feature allows users to save specific settings for their favorite games or scenarios, ensuring that they can pick up where they left off seamlessly. We created a profile for Battlefield 4, which brought out impressive details in footsteps and gunfire.

In conclusion, the SteelSeries Arctis 9H gaming headset is an excellent choice for gamers who value clear communication, detailed audio, and comfort. While it has some minor drawbacks, such as the lackluster USB sound card and higher price point compared to similar headsets on the market, its innovative design, comfortable build quality, and impressive audio capabilities make it a must-consider for anyone in the market for a high-quality gaming headset.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enlining as there are other headsets and the single external thread that adds to the overall appeal and I do like it they provide some noise isolation from your surrounding environment uh but surprisingly have quite a bit of leak which isn't a good thing if you like to blast the volume the headband also features extra padding and notice there are four cushions that help to shape the 9h over your head without any specific pressure points and combined with lightness of the headset this type of headband design is great for long-term Comfort the noise cancelling microphone is concealed within the left ear cup uh it's become sort of the staple for steel series as the mic is retractable uh and a very low profile and flexible so here's a sample of the microphone as you can hear it is quite noisy so let's turn on mic noise reduction with that on you can hear it is becoming a lot cleaner and uh now let's turn on mic compression which levels out the volume so when you raise your voice or lower your voice it auto levels the microphone for a more uniform volume now right underneath is still series custom connector for the cable that is detachable it is braided with the mic mute button and volume control wheel uh and at the end you attach the mic headphone splitter or the 90° headphone attachment for Mobile use we do have an extension cable included if you require that extra reach the 9h also includes a USB sound card that is 24bit 96,000 HZ it's quite small and allows you to connect both headset jacks or the custom USB Jack uh from the 9h I would have liked to see a longer USB cable so you can place the sound card facing you uh but get inside the steel series engine software uh it will automatically detect the headset where you can enable Dolby Surround choose your presets or adjust the equalizer yourself activate mic noise reduction for cleaner chat and compression for uniform volume and also adjust microphone volume getting into the configuration tab you can create your own profile so battle for for example add the executable and it will activate that profile when you launch into the game so it's quite useful now I first fired up into Battlefield 4 with the included sound card to see if it was any good and I got to say I'm not a fan of Dolby Surround for gaming it does open up the Sound Stage a little bit uh which for a closed type headset is useful so your audio environment is a bit larger but then you sacrifice on the detail of those audio elements in the game and it doesn't sound natural with the Dolby round plus it doesn't really benefit directionality I did play around with the included presets choosing the FPS mode does bring out the detail in those footsteps and that gunfire they're passing by you uh and the explosive action preset was also surprisingly well balanced for that a little extra Punchy base uh but still maintaining the excellent high range the USB sound card however doesn't bring out the best in the 9h so I used our audio engine deck to see what was missing and the first thing I noticed was how much more detailed I could hear from the drivers the USB sound card does lack a proper amplification and 100% volume it just wasn't loud enough and the car doesn't do justice to these drivers that's because steel series drivers are well tuned for gaming with excellent and detailed high-end and proper mid-range the lower base is pretty weak and doesn't particularly impress but for gaming FPS Shooters especially the base isn't everything hearing this thing direction of where sniper fire is coming from is key and giving this as a Clos type headset you do compromise on the size of the sound stage but I think the detail makes up for it driver Imaging is also great for stereo sound and being aware of audio elements around you and like I said Sound Stage could be a bit larger uh but that's just a limitation of the close design overall the 9h has a bright sound with emphasis on audio elements that matter for professional Gamers and while the included USB sound card has The Equalizer settings and profiles so you can quick two new toal properties I found it lacking the proper power to really drive the headset to its full potential and I will conclude by saying that there are many positive aspects of the 9h starting with the build quality and comfort both of which are crucially important within this very competitive sphere of gaming audio the retractable microphone is something I think more companies should take note of and the drivers are tuned well for gamers who need every bit of detail in the game as the 9h can deliver very detailed and clear audio then included USB sound card like pretty much every gaming headset out there is quite poor and while you can't play around with the equalizer it lacks the proper power to drive the headset to its full potential and because of this the $160 price tag is slightly high and i' would like to see a cheaper package without the USB dongle I also would have liked to see interchangeable earpads like with their other headsets uh just to provide a slightly more open audio that would enhance the Sound Stage so guys if you are in the market for a gaming headset this should certainly be one to consider that is if you want a closeth type experience so make sure to like this video if you want to see more gaming reviews don't forget to subscribe and we'll see you in the next onelining as there are other headsets and the single external thread that adds to the overall appeal and I do like it they provide some noise isolation from your surrounding environment uh but surprisingly have quite a bit of leak which isn't a good thing if you like to blast the volume the headband also features extra padding and notice there are four cushions that help to shape the 9h over your head without any specific pressure points and combined with lightness of the headset this type of headband design is great for long-term Comfort the noise cancelling microphone is concealed within the left ear cup uh it's become sort of the staple for steel series as the mic is retractable uh and a very low profile and flexible so here's a sample of the microphone as you can hear it is quite noisy so let's turn on mic noise reduction with that on you can hear it is becoming a lot cleaner and uh now let's turn on mic compression which levels out the volume so when you raise your voice or lower your voice it auto levels the microphone for a more uniform volume now right underneath is still series custom connector for the cable that is detachable it is braided with the mic mute button and volume control wheel uh and at the end you attach the mic headphone splitter or the 90° headphone attachment for Mobile use we do have an extension cable included if you require that extra reach the 9h also includes a USB sound card that is 24bit 96,000 HZ it's quite small and allows you to connect both headset jacks or the custom USB Jack uh from the 9h I would have liked to see a longer USB cable so you can place the sound card facing you uh but get inside the steel series engine software uh it will automatically detect the headset where you can enable Dolby Surround choose your presets or adjust the equalizer yourself activate mic noise reduction for cleaner chat and compression for uniform volume and also adjust microphone volume getting into the configuration tab you can create your own profile so battle for for example add the executable and it will activate that profile when you launch into the game so it's quite useful now I first fired up into Battlefield 4 with the included sound card to see if it was any good and I got to say I'm not a fan of Dolby Surround for gaming it does open up the Sound Stage a little bit uh which for a closed type headset is useful so your audio environment is a bit larger but then you sacrifice on the detail of those audio elements in the game and it doesn't sound natural with the Dolby round plus it doesn't really benefit directionality I did play around with the included presets choosing the FPS mode does bring out the detail in those footsteps and that gunfire they're passing by you uh and the explosive action preset was also surprisingly well balanced for that a little extra Punchy base uh but still maintaining the excellent high range the USB sound card however doesn't bring out the best in the 9h so I used our audio engine deck to see what was missing and the first thing I noticed was how much more detailed I could hear from the drivers the USB sound card does lack a proper amplification and 100% volume it just wasn't loud enough and the car doesn't do justice to these drivers that's because steel series drivers are well tuned for gaming with excellent and detailed high-end and proper mid-range the lower base is pretty weak and doesn't particularly impress but for gaming FPS Shooters especially the base isn't everything hearing this thing direction of where sniper fire is coming from is key and giving this as a Clos type headset you do compromise on the size of the sound stage but I think the detail makes up for it driver Imaging is also great for stereo sound and being aware of audio elements around you and like I said Sound Stage could be a bit larger uh but that's just a limitation of the close design overall the 9h has a bright sound with emphasis on audio elements that matter for professional Gamers and while the included USB sound card has The Equalizer settings and profiles so you can quick two new toal properties I found it lacking the proper power to really drive the headset to its full potential and I will conclude by saying that there are many positive aspects of the 9h starting with the build quality and comfort both of which are crucially important within this very competitive sphere of gaming audio the retractable microphone is something I think more companies should take note of and the drivers are tuned well for gamers who need every bit of detail in the game as the 9h can deliver very detailed and clear audio then included USB sound card like pretty much every gaming headset out there is quite poor and while you can't play around with the equalizer it lacks the proper power to drive the headset to its full potential and because of this the $160 price tag is slightly high and i' would like to see a cheaper package without the USB dongle I also would have liked to see interchangeable earpads like with their other headsets uh just to provide a slightly more open audio that would enhance the Sound Stage so guys if you are in the market for a gaming headset this should certainly be one to consider that is if you want a closeth type experience so make sure to like this video if you want to see more gaming reviews don't forget to subscribe and we'll see you in the next one\n"