Closer Examination, Build Quality and Comfort

In terms of design, build quality, and wearing comfort, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 is nearly identical to its wireless sibling, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless (reviewed here), so I have no choice but to rehash some of the stuff I wrote in its review. Of course, all of the following photos are of the wired Arctis 1.


While generally very similar to other members of the Arctis gaming headset family and, as such, instantly familiar-looking, the Arctis 1 comes with a redesigned headband. Instead of the excellent dual-headband design we saw on the Arctis 3, 5, and 7, as well as the Arctis Pro and Pro Wireless, SteelSeries went with a more traditional implementation of a single, much narrower headband. My guess is they wanted the headset to look more subtle and better-suited for outdoor usage. They definitely succeeded: Once you detach the microphone (it was retractable on the Arctis 3/5/7/Pro/Pro Wireless), the Arctis 1 looks like an ordinary pair of headphones. The headband feels sturdy, does not creak at all, is very flexible, and decently padded on its inner side, which makes it comfortable. Even though the dual-headband design of the Arctis 3/5/7/Pro/Pro Wireless looks and feels more luxurious and ends up being even more comfortable over long gaming sessions, you're still getting your money's worth with the Arctis 1 comfort-wise.


The ear cups and cushions didn't change from what we saw on other Arctis gaming headsets. There are no annoying and pointless RGB LEDs or effects to be found here, the plastic ear cups only have a subtle SteelSeries logo printed on them. The shape of the ear cushions is elliptical (inner dimensions are 5x6.5 centimeters), and they completely surround the ears. SteelSeries covered them with a soft and breathable fabric. Thanks to that, they're superbly comfortable and much less likely to cause your ears to sweat during prolonged gaming sessions. Seriously, these are among the nicest ear cushions on the gaming headset market.


Should they wear out over time, the ear cushions can be removed and replaced.


The ear cups can be rotated up to 90° inwards, which is a welcome feature, both for making it easier to rest the headphones on the table and wearing them around the neck.


The height of the ear cups is adjusted by sliding the ear cups down the inner metal frame. There are no markings that would assist us in adjusting the height on both sides of the headset equally. This is one aspect where the dual-headband design of the Arctis 3/5/7/Pro/Pro Wireless proves to be more intuitive as there are no adjustments to worry about—you put the headset on and the inner headband automatically stretches as needed. Still, I don't see anyone having issues with adjusting the more traditional headband of the Arctis 1.


The SteelSeries Arctis 1 can be flexed in various directions without showing any signs of potential breakage. Thanks to that, I felt comfortable throwing it in my backpack and carrying it around without any special protection.


On the inner side of the headband are subtle markings of the left and right channel.


The controls are placed on the left ear cup, starting off with a microphone mute switch. Beneath the microphone mute switch is a nice volume dial. It's an analogue rather than a digital volume dial, meaning it won't mess with the volume setting in Windows.


Other headsets from the Arctis lineup use a retractable microphone, whose head slightly sticks out of the ear cup even when the microphone is fully tucked away. Like the Arctis 1 Wireless, the Arctis 1 uses a detachable microphone you can completely remove for when you take the Arctis 1 outside as mobile headphones. The hole and plug are shaped such that you will always have the microphone capsule facing your mouth. The microphone sits in its place snugly, and there's absolutely no chance for it to accidentally fall out. Using aftermarket microphones isn't impossible, but you'd have to find one that's fairly narrow around the plug or it won't fit into the hole. This isn't really an issue as microphone swapping isn't something users are generally interested in.


The rubberized arm of the microphone is easily bendable and tends to stay in place. The microphone capsule isn't very fussy about positioning; just pull it fairly close to your mouth and talk away.


The rubberized audio cable of the headset can't be detached. It terminates in a 4-pole (TRRS) 3.5-mm plug you can connect to your laptop, smartphone, console, or a mobile device to use both the headphones and the microphone. If connecting it to your PC, which probably uses two audio ports (microphone input and headphone output), you'll have to use the supplied dual 3-pole (TRS) splitter cable.