Review: SteelSeries Arena 7

I have a confession: I’ve been using the same desktop speakers for nearly 20 years. This set of budget Logitech speakers have, miraculously, served me well since 2004. When I started testing SteelSeries’ new Arena 7 speakers, they had an almost unfair hurdle to clear. 

They impressed me enough to consider permanently upgrading, which is high praise, considering the near-archeological significance of my Logitechs. 

Photograph: SteelSeries

The Arena 7 speaker system is the middle option of SteelSeries’ new desktop speaker line. The Arena 3 is a simple stereo set, while the Arena 9 comes with 5.1 surround sound, a dedicated volume control knob accessory, and RGB LEDs on the two front speakers. The Arena 7 I tested is a bit of a hybrid of both.

The set comes with two speakers equipped with RGB LED backlights and a substantial 6.5-inch subwoofer for the low end. You can connect the system via USB-C, optical audio, 3.5 mm, or even Bluetooth. This gives you a surprisingly wide range of options for desktop speakers. I’ve used them as the primary speakers on my desk for the past few weeks, but I’ve also occasionally used them to play audio directly from my phone.

This latter use case is surprisingly convenient. When paired via Bluetooth, the audio signal will mix with whatever is coming through the desktop/console. So, for example, you don’t have to choose between playing music via your phone while you’re up and about and hearing a ping from your boss on Slack.

The speakers themselves are squat, bulgy little guys, connected to the subwoofer by decently thick cables. (On the Arena 9, the rear speakers are wireless.) On the right speaker, you’ll find a volume knob, as well as a multi-function button that can be used for muting or pairing Bluetooth devices.

As I mentioned above, my bar for desktop speakers hasn’t been particularly high. When I need to edit videos or just want to get really good sound from a movie, I’ll pull out a set of headphones that are technically capable of much better sound. But the desktop speakers don’t need to be the best in the world. My Logitech X-530 speakers weren’t that impressive even when they came out, but for $80, they offered impressively rich sound on a budget.

Photograph: SteelSeries

Given the difference in price, it’s no surprise that the Arena 7 speakers sound better. Even with only two speakers, the audio felt comparable to or better than the soundbar in my home theater setup. The subwoofer under my desk was even more impressive. Too impressive, in fact: I had to dial the bass down quite a lot so it wouldn’t drown out the voices and higher sounds in whatever I was listening to.

What surprised me about the Arena 7 speakers is that they weren’t just great as a desktop system, but they were powerful enough to use in my living room. For a little while, I connected the Arena 7 speakers to my PS5, and even when I'm much further away than I would be at my desk, I felt immersed in the game audio.

The Arena 7 and its companions can be used with consoles, phones, or any device that’s connected via USB-C or Bluetooth. But the system really shines on PCs, where you can use the SteelSeries GG software. This app lets you control the RGB LEDs with a variety of waves and patterns. I’d also recommend setting an idle timer so they turn off after a few minutes of non-use, because they are bright.

The PrismSync applet inside of the GG application lets you sync the RGB LEDs with other SteelSeries devices, coordinating your entire setup. As a longtime Philips Hue user, I have high standards for smart lights, and while SteelSeries hasn’t yet built the same kind of convenient scene and room-based lighting controls, I was impressed enough with how easy it was to string together multiple devices and customize my desktop lighting.

There are also plenty of audio control options. The Sonar tab lets you create profiles for different games or applications with their own equalizer settings, output volumes, and a lot more. The EQ settings come with built-in presets for specific games, and you can also create your own. While we’ve been impressed with this software in the past, the major annoyance remains the number of device inputs it adds to the system tray, creating a lot more clutter than there needs to be.

I’ve struggled for a long time to find a reason to upgrade my trusty speakers. They always sounded great (or good enough that I could use a headset if I needed better audio for work), and I didn’t lack for much. This is the first set of speakers I’ve encountered in the past 20 years that made me think I really could stand to spend money on something better.

The wealth of connectivity options, the excellent RGB LED system (which means that’s just one less smart-light product I need to buy from some other company), and the highly customizable audio software have given me the kick in the pants I need to finally retire my faithful Logitechs.