CHICAGO – March 13, 2018 – While the gaming graphics card and displays market continues to grow and push consumer expectations forward with beautifully immersive visuals, audio reproduction in speaker and headset solutions have fallen behind the curve. Today, SteelSeries introduces a breakthrough in gaming audio and an industry first with the introduction of the Arctis Pro Line.
The flagship model, the Arctis Pro + GameDAC is gaming’s first certified Hi-Res Audio System, ensuring gamers hear high-fidelity, full-resolution audio in its purest form. The GameDAC’s ESS Sabre chip delivers sound quality beyond anything gamers on console or PC have ever experienced. The Arctis Pro Wireless is a high-fidelity, lossless dual-wireless system delivering the versatility of a wireless headset and audio quality that earns its Pro name. The complete line consists of three headsets: the Arctis Pro + GameDAC, Arctis Pro Wireless and Arctis Pro.
“Until now, innovation in gaming graphics and displays have outpaced progress in gaming audio solutions,” said SteelSeries CEO, Ehtisham Rabbani. “The Arctis Pro is designed for gamers who seek high fidelity audio and who want to hear everything the sound engineers created, the same way they seek high-res, immersive visuals.”
Arctis Pro + GameDAC
The Arctis Pro + GameDAC is gaming’s first certified Hi-Res Audio System that ensures high-fidelity 96kHz/24-bit with no need for down-sampling. Featuring the legendary ESS Sabre DAC and amp, the Arctis Pro + GameDAC allows gamers to experience the pure joy of high fidelity audio.
The Arctis Pro headsets feature premium speaker drivers with high-density neodymium magnets that reproduce Hi-Res audio out to 40,000 Hz, nearly double the capability of most standard headsets (22,000 Hz). With 121 decibels (dB) of dynamic range and -95dB Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise, the Arctis Pro + GameDAC performs as well as high-end audiophile equipment. For gamers, this means they hear the cleanest and purest audio possible.
The SteelSeries GameDAC is a dedicated high-fidelity USB DAC and amplifier specifically made for gaming. The GameDAC transforms any PS4 or PC into a high-performance audio source by bypassing the low fidelity, poor quality DACs found in typical console controllers, USB headsets and PC sound cards. Its dedicated headphone amplifier circuit delivers abundant power to the Arctis Pro headset for strong output levels with extremely low distortion. The power of the ESS Sabre chip inside makes bass sound tighter, individual sound effects more distinct. Additionally, new DTS Headphone:X 2.0 technology delivers 3D virtualization over headphones and includes proximity cues and support for channel-based, scene-based and object-based audio, specifically to enhance the gaming experience.
The GameDAC also features an OLED screen for easy access to settings and controls without the use of additional software. This means PlayStation 4 gamers can fully customize their EQ, toggle surround sound, configure their headset illumination as well as see their volume and ChatMix levels, without using a PC. PC gamers looking for an even deeper level of customization can use SteelSeries Engine software for total personalization.
The Arctis Pro line shares the aesthetics of the Red Dot Award-winning Arctis line, but with the addition of premium materials throughout. The Arctis Pro lineup has a refined gunmetal finish on the lightweight steel headband, aluminum alloy hangers and a soft-touch coating on the removeable speaker plates for a sophisticated tactile experience.
The Arctis Pro line delivers next-level comfort with a self-adjusting ski goggle headband, which perfectly contours to gamers’ heads, while the athletics-inspired Airweave ear cushions wrap their ears in cool, soft fabric for long-lasting comfort.
The retractable ClearCast microphone delivers studio-quality voice clarity and background noise cancellation. Competitive gamers rely on clear, noise-free communication and the bidirectional ClearCast mic delivers.
“Every choice in components and features was made to achieve the best sound in gaming, and with high fidelity audio, gamers will be able to experience every sound created by game publishers in its purest form,” said Brian Fallon, Product Category Manager for Headsets at SteelSeries. “The Arctis Pro + GameDAC is more than a few new features, it is the only complete audio system for gamers that can deliver true, high-resolution audio in a beautiful package with comfort, durability and customization.”
Arctis Pro Wireless
The Arctis Pro Wireless is a dual-wireless gaming audio system that uses a USB transmitter for wireless 2.4G lossless audio and Bluetooth for mobile audio. All headsets in the line use the same industry-leading 40,000 Hz capable high-fidelity speaker drivers and feature the same comfortable, award-winning design. However, unlike the Arctis Pro + GameDAC, the Arctis Pro Wireless features the swappable dual-battery system first introduced by SteelSeries with the Siberia 800 and Siberia 840. Each battery has at least 10 hours of power for a combined 20 hours of gaming.
Gamers can use both the 2.4G and Bluetooth connections simultaneously for maximum flexibility, including gaming while using Discord chat or listening to music. The Arctis Pro Wireless headset connects to the wireless transmitter base station via SteelSeries’ 2.4G connection. This provides lossless and ultra-low latency wireless audio with up to 40 feet of range. Auto-channel hopping technology ensures the headset will always find clean RF space for interference-free performance.
Like the GameDAC, the Arctis Pro Wireless’ wireless transmitter features an OLED screen for quick settings adjustments without the need for additional software. However, for those who want even more options, SteelSeries Engine software on PC delivers deeper customization.
The Arctis Pro line is available now globally at SteelSeries.com.
The Arctis Pro + GameDAC is available for $249.99 / €279.99 and the Arctis Pro Wireless is available for $329.99 / €349.99. For more information about the complete line of SteelSeries’ Arctis Pro headsets and the Arctis Pro accessory packs, visit http://steelseries.com/
