CONCLUSION

   First of all although i mentioned this in the intro gape i still have to point out that i like the design of the P533 Military Stereo Headset by ARCTIC quite a lot since it resembles those used in helicopters and airplanes (much like the Blackshark 2.0 model by Razer). However i also have to point out that i think ARCTIC should had used better quality plastic for the exterior of the earcups (the Blackshark for example featured thicker plastic) since i feel that'd add to the overall realism (that could be just me however). Moving to the audio department mids and highs are quite detailed and crisp but unfortunately the P533 doesn't do as well in terms of bass levels. Now i could obviously throw the blame to the medium-sized 40mm neodymium magnet drivers but the reality of the matter is that we've tested a few gaming headsets in the past with equally large drivers that offered richer and deeper bass than the ARCTIC P533. The boom microphone with its long arm actually made me forget about all the plastic parts of the P533 and i think it's what actually adds the largest amount of realism to the product. In terms of receiving audio quality i wasn't impressed but i can say the same about the majority of similarly priced headsets and in some cases even a lot more expensive ones.

   Price is what it all comes down to when we test "budget" oriented headsets and with a current price tag set at USD63.58 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 53Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) it seems that ARCTIC has the P533 Military Stereo Headset priced just right. That being said the somewhat bulky design of the P533 is certainly not for everyone so i expect that there are gamers out there who'd rather get a more "up-to-date" designed headset. Still the P533 has its own audience namely flight simulator fans and to that segment of the market realism matters a lot more than a fancy looking headset with LEDs all over. Bottom line the ARCTIC P533 Military Stereo Headset is aimed towards gamers looking to get a budget model that looks a lot like the real thing and since it does well overall we strongly recommend taking a closer look if you're out in the market looking for one.

PROS

- Design (After Attack Helicopter Headsets)
- Good Overall Audio Quality (Mids/Highs)
- Comfortable
- Gold Plated Plugs
- Bundled Protection Case
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Low Bass Levels
- Plastic Used