With the important prefix ‘gaming’ on the speaker, it is easy to imagine that SteelSeries would have augmented the bass and made it sound muddy. But that’s not the case – the Arena 7 sounds really good, with a precise, detailed sound and excellent clarity, whether it’s the smooth bass and synth combo of Genesis’ It’s Gonna Get Better, or the light and It handled almost every song I tried with ease, including the emotional tones of James Taylor’s Lighthouse.
The Arena 7’s 6.5″ subwoofer has great extension and resonance, making heavy bass tracks like Yes’ Roundabout sound gorgeous and more immersive even during Counter-Strike shootouts (played with bots, no angry comments please) This is largely due to the fact that the system is equipped with a Occasionally there can be too much bass, but you can dial it down thanks to a handy knob on the back of the subwoofer itself. The separation of the audio channels gives a wider soundstage, making games, music and movies more engaging. If space is at a premium, Arena 7 could also be a powerful home theatre setup.
The Arena 7 speaker system sits in the middle of SteelSeries’ new desktop speaker range: the Arena 3 is a simple stereo set-up, while the Arena 9 offers 5.1 surround sound, a dedicated volume control knob and two front speakers with RGB LEDs. The Arena 7 we tested is a combination of both: two speakers with RGB LED backlighting and a substantial 6.5″ subwoofer for the low end. connectivity via USB-C, optical audio, 3.5mm and Bluetooth. Bluetooth connectivity. This gives you a surprisingly wide choice of desktop speakers. I’ve been using it as my main speaker on my desk for the past few weeks, but sometimes I also play audio directly from my smartphone.
The Arena 7 and its companions can be used with games consoles, smartphones or any device connected via USB-C or Bluetooth. Where this system really shines, however, is on PCs that can use SteelSeries GG software. With this app, you can control the RGB LEDs in different waves and patterns. It is also recommended to set an idle timer so that the lights go off after a few minutes of non-use, as they are so bright.
At approximately 7.8 in/20 cm high and just over 3.9 in/10 cm wide and deep, it is large enough to provide punchy sound but small enough to fit into most desktop setups. The stand is fixed, but can be tilted up by approximately 30 degrees to provide the best angle for your listening spot. In terms of driver sizes and specifications, the two satellites are 3″ drivers and 3/4″ tweeters, while the subwoofer is a 6.5″ down-firing speaker.