Headphones are something we really beg here at senses.se and this time I have had the opportunity to test the Steelseries Arctis 9 X. This is a pair of wireless headphones that are designed especially for Xbox One. Now, of course, they also work in other formats as well, but more on that later. As you know, the Xbox One lacks Bluetooth, which leads to a lot of problems as most wireless handsets are based on just that technology. So what the Steelseries Arctis 9x does is that you can connect them to the Xbox in the same way as you connect your wireless controllers – this is unique and thus means that you avoid the dongle that otherwise needs to be connected in the USB port on, for example, Plantronics RIG 800 LX. Here you click on the search button on your Xbox and the search button on the headphones and vips and they have connected. Very flexible – but with one drawback, which I will discuss shortly.
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Arctis 9x feels really light and is very soft and comfortable. After several hours of playing, I did not feel the slightest discomfort or fatigue. The sound in them is crystal clear with a nice and deep bass. However, it lacks surround effect, which is a shame. This is exactly where this wireless technology falls a little short, because it is not possible (so far) to send a surround signal without being connected with a cord on Xbox One. The mic is built into the handset, but you can easily roll it in and avoid having it in front when you do not need it. You can also turn off the mic with a clear button on the back of the handset. Then the mic lights up red so you can not miss that you have it turned off. You also have analog volume control and mix between chat and game sound.
Arctis 9X is as I said developed for Xbox, One but that does not mean that they can only be used for that console. They also support Bluetooth, which makes it possible to connect them to your computer or smartphone (both Android and iOS). The sound I experienced was a little lower during conversations than I was used to, but those on the other side heard my counterpart well, so it works fine anyway. Battery life is tremendously good; it was eventually so that I almost began to wonder if I had charged them once without remembering it. The sound quality is maintained to the last and they emit a sound signal when the charge level starts to run low.
So what does not work so well then? One thing that bothered me a lot is the function that you can start your Xbox when you start up the headphones. You can not turn off this function. If you’re near your Xbox when you turn on the headphones – to have them on your phone, for example – you need to turn the Xbox off! Not so smart function. Maybe not the whole world, but quite annoying in the end. Then as an odd bonus, the headphones are connected to both the Xbox and the phone at the same time, so you can play and answer on the phone at the same time, without having to change headsets, which of course is convenient.
In conclusion, these headphones are clearly a must. If you want a pair of really nice, wireless headphones for mainly your Xbox One (or, for that matter, any other console that supports Bluetooth, your PC, Mac or smartphone), these are really affordable, comfortable and with a really full and good sound. The Danes can.
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