CONCLUSION

    Even though SteelSeries released their Arena line of illuminated gaming speakers back in 2022 technology hasn’t really advanced since then in this industry and so the Arena 7 performed extremely well during the 3 weeks I ended up using them. Yes, Bluetooth v4.2 is not as good as the latest Bluetooth v6.0 version but for a desktop speaker system that doesn’t matter much since all the improved specs such as speed, range, latency, and energy efficiency are beneficial primarily to portable devices. When it comes to audio reproduction the Arena 7 produce detailed and crisp mids and highs with rich and powerful bass right from the box. You can of course further improve that by tweaking the equalizer inside the Engine software and yes, I do believe it’s worth doing so. Volume levels are also very good and up to around 85-90% volume you will notice no audio distortion (above that depending on the material you throw at them, you just might – still I doubt many people will even use them at 50%). SteelSeries uses a good enough USB DAC with the Arena 7, so I had no problems with features like spatial audio during testing (and unlike some other models it doesn’t act up when powered on regardless of the when). The 4-zone (2 on each speaker) RGB lighting is also quite impressive, if you enjoy such a feature that is. As a matter of fact, the Arena 7 are among the best looking in that regard I’ve used and/or tested.

    The current price tag attached to the SteelSeries Arena 7 of USD379.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 281.33Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) may not be great but it’s actually quite good for what you’re getting in return (still, US pricing needs a look). At the end of the day the Arena 7 by SteelSeries may not be the latest 2.1 speaker system to hit the market but it’s very good at what it does regardless of what you decide to use them for (gaming, movies, music) and that’s why it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Quality
- Audio Performance
- 4 Zone RGB Illumination
- Built In USB DAC
- Large Down Firing Subwoofer
- Connectivity (Bluetooth v4.2, USB, S/PDIF Input & Output, 3.5mm Aux & 3.5mm Headset Output)
- Engine Software

CONS

- USA Price (For Some)
- Bluetooth V4.2 (For Some)