SteelSeriesArena 9 Illuminated 5.1 Desktop Gaming Speakers – 5.1 USB Surround Sound – Wireless Rear Speakers – 2-Way Speaker Design – Subwoofer – RGB Light, Bluetooth – PC, PlayStation, Mobile, Mac

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the SteelSeries Arena 7 and 9 speakers are not cheap. But why do I argue they offer the best value for their price? These aren’t just “gaming-grade” speakers—they transcend that category. Whether you opt for the 2.1 Arena 7 or the 5.1 Arena 9, you’re getting audiophile-grade speakers with a gamer-friendly design. And I don’t make that claim lightly; I own two sets of Arena 7s and one Arena 9 system.A New Standard in Gaming Audio:Typically, gaming audio hardware offers incremental improvements: slightly better drivers, basic tuning, and tighter quality control. Audiophile-grade sound is rare in the gaming space, but the Arena 7 and 9 break that mold. SteelSeries exceeds expectations by delivering more than just a gaming experience—these speakers are premium in both form and function.Extra Features that make the Arena 7/9 stand out:- The RGB lighting is a standout feature. When set up via SteelSeries’ software, the RGB effect is one of the best I’ve seen. Pro tip: By positioning the satellite speakers on either side of your monitor, you can improve perceived contrast. For the best effect, use a light blue or near-white color. Regardless of where you place them, the speakers look great.- A notable design feature: the satellite speakers are adjustable. Each one can be tilted to optimize sound direction, a feature not often found at this price point. However, the vertical-only tilting mechanism is a letdown, as a pivoting or raising option would have been ideal.- The Arena systems allow you to connect a headset, which automatically disables the speakers (something that used to be common for all audio setups, especially in the gaming sphere). They allow you to mix different audio inputs. These features elevate the Arena 7/9 systems above most competitors, even at higher price points. Many systems lack these two simple yet very necessary gaming centric features.On the Speaker Drivers and Sound Quality:The drivers in the Arena 7 and 9 go beyond standard dynamic woofers. Even high-end brands like Sonos use dynamic woofers to cover a wide frequency range, but the Arena systems use true component drivers for clarity and detail. Each satellite features a two-way split design (the Arena 9’s center channel is a 3-way split, with left and right woofers and a center tweeter), providing dedicated tweeters for crisp highs and woofers for mid-range and upper bass frequencies. This results in a full, accurate sound experience spanning from 38Hz to 20kHz.Both the 2.1 and 5.1 setups include a 6.5-inch bottom-firing subwoofer that delivers clean, powerful bass with minimal distortion. I was surprised by how powerful the subwoofer is—don’t place it directly on your desk unless you want to feel the rumble in your bones.Out of the box, the sound profile is neutral with a slight warmth. The treble is crisp, the bass is punchy without being overwhelming, and the mids are well-defined, offering excellent clarity for both dialogue and music. For action-packed games, adjusting the subwoofer’s volume (located on the back) is enough to get the punchier sound I prefer, but SteelSeries’ Sonar software provides further customization if needed.Connectivity and Versatility:One of the Arena systems’ biggest strengths is their versatility. They support a range of connectivity options, including low-latency Bluetooth, USB, Aux, and optical connections, making them easy to integrate into any setup. While HDMI ARC support would have been nice, it’s not a dealbreaker, as the design clearly focuses on gamers and audio enthusiasts, not the TV market.Using a PC as the hub unlocks the full potential of the Arena speakers. SteelSeries Sonar software is an industry leader in gaming audio, with a robust equalizer for fine-tuning and positional adjustments that simulate surround sound with exceptional accuracy. This allows the Arena 7s to deliver an Atmos-like experience for all content.The Arena 9’s control box is a neat inclusion. The Arena 7s are controlled mostly by a button on the right speaker’s base, but the display control box for the Arena 9 is preferred, as it lets you make adjustments without having to go into the software. Additionally, the included DAC (for when you utilize aux or plug in a headset) is top grade as well. I’d have to research to see what they’re using, but it’s either a Sabre or a proprietary chip—I wasn’t dissapointed with how well it powered my planar magnetic HiFi Mans and it actually sounded just as good powering my Nova Pro Wired (I have taken to removing nova’s included dac because of the cable mess.)The CaveatsNow, let’s talk about the flaws. The biggest issue with the Arena 9 is the required USB connection for true surround sound. Even then, it’s not guaranteed. For example, the PlayStation 5 only supports upmixed 5.1 audio, and using optical or aux connections doesn’t help—they’re limited to upmixing by default. The same issue applies to the Arena 7, but to a lesser degree, as surround sound must be emulated regardless of the connection method.SteelSeries made a misstep with the Arena 9. Many potential buyers don’t have receivers or monitors that support audio over USB, and even when they do, not all audio formats are compatible. It would have helped justify the price if the system supported Atmos or DTS natively, but that would likely require HDMI. I’m baffled that the Arena 9 can’t decode 5.1 over optical.The final area of concern is footprint. Generally speaking, neither configuration is a space hog, but there is a great deal of cable clutter. However I’ll take cable clutter over low quality sound. It’s just worth pointing out because each speaker is wired into the subwoofer (as far as the Arena 7 is concerned.) the Arena 9’s cable clutter is as to be expected honestly. I prefer having a wired sub to the source over a wireless variety because they do not provide the same audio quality at higher volumes in my opinion.Why They’re Still Worth ItFor gamers and multimedia enthusiasts, the Arena 7 and 9 are worth every penny. While they don’t natively support advanced formats like DTS:X or Atmos, SteelSeries Sonar software provides a comparable experience, offering exceptional positional audio that surpasses what most systems in this price range offer.The Arena speakers also offer multiple connection options, making them incredibly versatile. Personally, I recommend the Arena 7s over the 9s, as true surround sound on the 9s requires USB, which again, could be a dealbreaker for some and rightfully so.Final ThoughtsThe SteelSeries Arena 7 and 9 are more than just gaming speakers—they’re audiophile-grade systems designed with gamers in mind. With premium construction, superior audio quality, and flexible connectivity options, they offer fantastic value for those seeking a high-performance audio experience.I rate the Arena 7s 5/5 (this is all most users will ever need, and they work with most TVs, etc., unless you absolutely need true surround, Atmos, or DTS:X decoding). I rate the Arena 9s 4/5 (true 5.1 surround requires USB, and the lack of HDMI ARC hurts their appeal, but the audio quality still makes them stand out).Quick Comparisons:Vs Razer Leviathan (Original): The Leviathan offers decent bass and connection options but falls short in audio reproduction and immersion compared to the Arena 7/9.Vs Leviathan V2x & Panasonic Soundslayer: These all-in-one systems beat the Arena 7/9 in footprint, but the Arena 7 delivers more power and better sound quality. The Leviathan V2 Pro’s simulated surround doesn’t compare to the true surround of the Arena 9.Vs Logitech G560 2.1: Logitech’s G560 provides solid performance but exaggerates RMS output. The Arena 7 excels with superior audio, virtual surround, and better connection options.Vs Creative Katana V2: Creative’s Katana V2 offers decent tuning but lacks the raw power and audio fidelity of the Arena 7/9. The Arena 9, in particular, delivers superior sound reproduction.Vs High-End Soundbars ($400–500): Premium soundbars from brands like LG and Samsung may offer better decoding but are unable to match the quality of sound. So it becomes a battle of trade offs as to what you’re needing. If you’re just looking to give you’re living room a good sound setup, I recommend the high end soundbars, but if you need something for your media pc hub, the Arena is your best bet. Whereas if you’re looking for a more true to life high grade audiophile experience. I doubt you’re even reading this review.

I tend to prefer creative speaker solutions, and I own there t40's, t40 II's, and their katana soundbar. I really like the t40's but as I moved to a three monitor setup, they were just too tall, so I have recycled them to my grandma's computer, and my work pc, and that's when I got the katana.I use the katana as my primary audio, and I purchased the logitech mx sound 2.0 speakers in 2019 as secondary speakers that I use for my streaming music, netflix, nba pass, youtube, etc while gaming. The primary reason for choosing these speakers is that they fit under my monitors, but they have an issue where the energy savings technology will turn them off at low volume. So periodically I have to wave my hand at the right speaker to reactivate them because they are motion sensing energy saving nightmare.I have been home for a week after gallbladder surgery, and the logitech speakers touched my last nerve, they had to go. So I'm shopping around, none of the creative options were quite what I wanted. I like razers new nommo vx2 form factor, but they lack 3.5mm, and headphone i/o so they were out.I considered edifier, audioengine, mackie, presonus, all have various pro/cons, but then I saw these steel series arena 3's, they are about the same width as the logitech's, and taller, but fit under my side monitors with an inch of clearance. While checking out reviews, and specs, I discovered an incredible feature that solves a major issue with desktop speakers. When you plug in headphones, which is often behind the speakers, and annoying, this disables the speakers. The arena 3's have a selector so you can leave your headphones plugged in which solves the issue of having to plug, and unplug your headset when you want to use them which is fantastic. I absolutely love this feature. You can tell the engineers are real gamers, or they remember when this kind of basic functionality was standard stuff since before I was born in the 80's.They sound good, I can watch content at low volume with good clarity while playing games on my katana soundbar, so it solves my need. They look good, I hope they hold up like creative products, the only problem I ever had with creative speakers is when my t40 II's fell off my desk, and jacked up my 3.5mm ports which is the only time I have had to replace them, but otherwise they last forever.My only concern out of the box is that they do not have grills, so the speakers are exposed. When opening I commented to my self that I am glad I don't have kids or cats. I would hope steel series incorporates grills in future revisions but otherwise these are fantastic.i/o options are great, two 3.5mm inputs, headphone out, bluetooth syncs fast. Most speakers you must select a single source, the arena 3's you have three active sources at the same time, two 3.5mm, and bluetooth. This is great because you can have your game audio, and your music playing at the same time, which is great for people like me who still use a dedicated mp3 player, and hate modern racing/gta soundtracks.The steel series engineers have created a great piece of kit here.