Logitech G533(Launched $149, often on sale for $99-$129): The G533 launched earlier this year. In spite of having a lower model number and price, it's actually a refined version of the older G933. It takes the same new Pro G drivers from that model and pairs them with a lighter, better-built body. 

RGB lighting went away to improve battery life, and Dolby Headphone was cut in favor of solely supporting DTS Headphone: X, probably to decrease licensing costs. The result is a premium-feeling, cheaper headset that still has great sound.

SOUND QUALITY

I went completely insane over the last day and a half trying to decide which headset I preferred for sound.

It wouldn't shock me if they were both tuned to the same target frequency response curve.

Our brains and ears don't process headphone sound the same way that we process regular sound/sound from speakers, so a bunch of tuning is done to make headphones sound natural. This is part of why every headphone sounds different: they're all differently tuned. A "neutral, balanced" headphone will actually have peaks and valleys in its response to account for the way your ears and brain work.

These headsets both sound amazing. Set to their default flat EQs and in stereo mode, I listened to a ton of music and game audio that I'm very familiar with. They both produce satisfying, accurate bass response, natural mids, and detailed high frequencies.

The Logitech G533 is just a little bit warmer, meaning that its bass is slightly more thumpy and its highs are a bit quieter. The EQ modes built into the Logitech software play up this warmth, and some of them get quite aggressive in the bass area at the expense of muddying up the rest of the sound just a bit.

On the Arctis, the true star is the upper end of the frequency spectrum. They are exceptionally detailed, narrowly edging out the G533 in air and pinpoint precision in the highs. The built-in EQ modes in the Steelseries software maintain this level of high-end detail, even if you choose to emphasize the bass.

But without any software tweaking...they both sound nigh-identical. Which is a very good thing. It's better to start from a neutral platform and then EQ the sound to your liking from there, rather than have a headset that distorts or colors the audio too much. Both of these are incredibly capable performers. You can rest easy knowing that you're getting sound that accurately reflects what was originally produced. Bassheads will slightly prefer the G533, and detail-hounds will slightly prefer the Arctis.

I went back and forth a stupid number of times trying to decide which one I liked better. And I couldn't.

The soundstage is a little bit better on the Arctis, and I found that I could hear just a tiny bit more detail in the sound thanks to its better isolation. But in a perfectly quiet room, this difference will be less noticeable.

Virtual Surround

Both headsets use DTS Headphone: X, but only the G533 shows up as a 7.1 device in your Windows hardware settings. Certain games look at this setting instead of talking directly to the surround software, so you might have some issues getting surround audio out of stuff with the Arctis. But it's not a dealbreaker, in my opinion.

Both have solid implementations of DTS...but I think the preset names make more sense inside the Logitech software. If you don't like the "virtual speakers in a room" feeling of DTS Headphone: X, you can use the free Razer Surround software with the Arctis 7...but not with the Logitech G533.

It's kind of a toss-up then, virtual surround wise. Minor occasional DTS compatibility issues are outweighed by the Arctis working with Razer's excellent software.

WINNER: TIE. The Arctis is a tiny bit better if you prefer detail/acoustic material/vocals, and the G533 is a touch better if you love huge bass. But they both have flat, accurate, well-tuned sound.

lowest frequency

20 Hz

20 Hz

The lowest frequency at which the device produces audio. The lower the low-frequency response, the stronger and juicier the bass.

highest frequency

20000 Hz

22000 Hz

The highest frequency at which device produces audio. The higher the high-frequency response, the clearer and crispier the treble.

has active noise cancellation (ANC)

✖

Logitech G Pro Gaming Headset

✖

SteelSeries Arctis 5

This type of device allows you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the volume to overcome background noise. Ideal for plane rides and morning commutes.

driver unit size

40 mm

40 mm

The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device. Bigger drivers are more powerful and can produce better bass.

sound pressure level

107 dB/mW

98 dB/mW

Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.

impedance

32 Ohms

32 Ohms

Impedance is the device’s electrical resistance to the current being pushed through it. The lower the impedance, the easier it is to get higher volume and requires less power.

has a neodymium magnet

✔

Logitech G Pro Gaming Headset

✔

SteelSeries Arctis 5

Devices with neodymium magnets are lighter and more powerful than those which use ferrite magnets. They also have more bass and clear high notes.

has passive noise reduction

✔

Logitech G Pro Gaming Headset

✔

SteelSeries Arctis 5

The device sits tightly in place, creating an acoustic seal which reduces background noise and prevents your music from leaking out.

drivers count

2

2

A speaker driver is an individual transducer that converts electrical energy to sound waves. More drivers may result in better sound quality.