I touched on this in my previous review for the SteelSeries Arena 7 gaming speakers, which is that if you use speakers to listen to your gaming audio, you’ll need a mic if you want to chat with your buddies. You could opt for a cheap mic, but then you’d pick up all the background noise from your speakers and other sources. Instead, you need a noise-canceling mic that only picks up your voice. SteelSeries has you covered with their new SteelSeries Arena Wireless Mic, designed specifically for speaker use.
DESIGN
So what makes the SteelSeries Arena Wireless Mic different from other non-headset mics? Most mics you use that aren’t attached to a headset usually sit on your table or on some kind of attached arm. These can range from cheap little units to larger more sophisticated ones. The Arena Wireless Mic is different because this clips to your ear and has a mic extension that sits right near your mouth. This extension is bendable and can be positioned in numerous ways for comfort.
What’s also interesting with this mic is that there is no earpiece, meaning there isn’t something that goes into your ear so you can hear the person on the other end. Instead, it’s an open-ear design so you can hear your own speakers loud and clear. This includes chat audio which gets pumped in through your speakers.
The box includes three EarHooks of different sizes so it should fit any ear out there. It goes over the top portion of your ear and then a little part of it clips into one of your ear grooves. There’s a hole in this part so that sound can travel through it unobstructed. It’s a pretty nice design and one that feels really comfortable and sturdy. You do however have to wear it on your left year as the mic is only designed to fit this way. The box also includes a USB-C wireless dongle, a USB-C to USB-A adaptor, and USB-C charging cable, and a microphone pop filter.
Lastly, the back of the unit also has a button that is used to turn it on and off as well as enable mute.
EXPERIENCE
Setting up the SteelSeries Arena Wireless Mic is as simple as just plugging in the wireless dongle into your computer. If you have a spare USB-C port, use that. If not, you can use the USB-A adaptor and plug it in like that. This also works if you’re trying to use the Arena Wireless Mic on a PlayStation. On a PlayStation though, you won’t have the audio benefits from the SteelSeries Sonar app.
Speaking of which, the SteelSeries Sonar app is where you’ll be adjusting all SteelSeries Arena Wireless Mic settings, however, it does not get its own device settings like the rest of the SteelSeries devices. Instead, you adjust everything through the Sonar section of the app under Chat and Microphone. Here is where you can enable the Clearcast AI Noise Cancellation future along with Echo Cancellation. There’s also a Smart Voice setting to adjust volume automatically while in chat.
So what makes the SteelSeries Arena Wireless Mic so good is the noise cancellation. The unit utilizes a Supercardioid noise-canceling microphone that works in conjunction with the Clearcast AI algorithms and Acoustic Echo Cancellation. What that means is that other players on the other end only hear your voice and nothing else. Even if your speakers are at full blast, no one on the other end will be able to hear any of that noise. You can also use the included mic pop filter to further reduce any ambient sounds.
I’ve tested this with my friend and they all have said how clear I’ve sounded. Not only that, they have even said that this might be the clearest they’ve ever heard my voice, which is a surprise even with music blasting or a game going on in the background. This mic is perfect for those who might have kids or just live in a noisy place. It’ll do wonders for your voice and will also keep you from annoying your mates on the other end. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to mute someone because half the time it was just annoying background sounds.
I’m also just happy that it’s comfortable and barely feels like I have it on when I’m using it. You’ll get about 4.5 hours of use per charge, but if you’re in a pinch when it’s out of juice, you can quick charge it for 15 minutes and get about an hour of use.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you decided to pick up the SteelSeries Arena speakers, you’re going to want to pick up the SteelSeries Arena Wireless Mic along with it. This is especially true if you plan on doing any form of online gaming where you want to play with friends. There were times before when I would tell my friends that I would play but didn’t have a mic because I just didn’t want to put my headset on. With the SteelSeries Arena Wireless Mic, I don’t have to make the excuse anymore because it’s just so comfortable to use and I don’t have to worry about it messing up my hair or not being able to hear my kids or wife when they’re trying to ask my stuff.
Overall, this might be my new favorite way to game. As much as I love playing with a dedicated gaming headset and the immersion that it gives, I always feel like with it on, my kids and wife think I’m ignoring them. With this new Arena speaker and mic setup, I can game, but still, be part of any conversations my kids and wife might be having.
The SteelSeries Arena Wireless Mic is available now on their site.
