I rarely buy speakers that output sound from my computer these days. The reason is that the display port and the HDMI port provide audio output as well as video output, and you listen to the sound from the simple 3-5W speaker built into the monitor. This is especially true since the Nvidia graphics card driver defaults to the default setting for audio output through the LCD monitor’s built-in speaker. It is obviously a convenient location, but unfortunately, you have to listen to a flat, colorless and odorless sound that is not really fun.
However, wireless headphones are now developing to such an extent that it is difficult to find a difference between wireless and wired, such as the appearance of compression codecs, higher versions of Bluetooth, and the use of better 2.4GHz channels with low latency . Unfortunately, along with this, the price of wireless headphones changes significantly, but…..
▲ Arctis Nova Series Steel Series, a wireless gaming headset that supports wired and wireless and can be used with computers, PlayStation, and XBOX.
The product to be presented at Brainbox today is the Steelseries ARENA 3 speaker (hereafter Arena 3) which can be connected via a traditional 3.5 pi stereo plug to hear gaming audio. Let’s take a closer look at what features and advantages this product will catch the ears of gamers.
■ steelseries ARENA 3 Gaming Speaker
▲ Brief specifications: Satellite speaker / For PC / 2.0 channel / Full range / 1 unit / Unit size: 4 inches / 91dB / Bass reflection type / Input / output: AUX, headphone jack / Volume control / Bluetooth v4.2 / Angle Control / Parametric EQ
The inside of the SteelSeries Arena 3 box was firmly boxed like a luxury product, and printed “FOR GLORY”, the catchphrase of SteelSeries gaming gear.
The accessories provided with the product include a user manual, an adapter, and a 4-pole 3.5 pi stereo cable, and the length of the cable is about 2 meters long enough to connect to a computer. The output of the included adapter is 15V, 2A, and it can be concluded that this speaker has a power consumption of about 30W.
■ Steelseries arena 3 correct speakers
The left speaker of the Arena Steel Series 3 is marked with “L” on the back to distinguish the product as a left speaker, and the back only has a port that can be connected from the right speaker via a stereo cable.
Both speakers are made of a structure that can be tilted 10 to 20 degrees based on 90 degrees, and the base under the speaker moves smoothly like a hydraulic bearing, but it is fixed firmly .
This product is a speaker that can produce high, medium and low sounds through a single 4 inch full range speaker. A port for bass reflex (bass reflection) is located on the top of the speaker to make the bass more solid. The frequency that this speaker can produce is the audible frequency of 50~20,000Hz, and the sensitivity for the microphone is 100dB.
■ Steelseries arena 3 left speaker
The external difference between the left speaker and the right speaker is the LED indicator located at the bottom of the speaker unit, the button located on the pedestal, and the rotary type volume knob. First of all, the LED indicator shows the operating status of the product in blue-green-orange colors, and it is transformed every time it is pressed. Every time you press it, it becomes silent (mute) – headphone connection – Bluetooth pairing – LED toggle, and if you hold down the corresponding button for about 3 seconds, you can sync with Bluetooth.
The rotary volume knob increases the volume when turned clockwise, giving a very soft and luxurious feel. And the bottom pedestal was matte-treated, and like this, the volume knob was also matte-treated to add a sense of unity. The Bluetooth version is 4.2, and currently most smartphones support Bluetooth versions higher than that, so you can pair without difficulty.
▲ The Arena Steel Series 3 speaker was able to pair with the iPhone 14 Pro and Bluetooth without difficulty.
On the back of the left speaker, there is a 4-pole stereo plug for headset bypass, an external AUX input, a 4-pole stereo plug to connect to a computer, and finally a DC port to connect to the content adapter.
■ Customize your sound with the SteelSeries GG app
The best way to customize your SteelSeries gaming gear is to install the SteelSeries GG app. Since the Steel Series Arena 3 is connected to a computer with a 4-pole stereo plug, it is difficult to control the hardware directly, unlike some speakers connected via a USB port, but you can use the output audio and software noise cancellation function through AI.
First of all, in order to use this software (app) 100%, you need to register as a member by email. Signing up for membership is fairly simple and can be done quickly and easily. After that, select the connected speaker and select the connected audio output, input, microphone input, output, etc. It is convenient because some parts are automatically selected.
Starting with a sound preset for a specific game, it is 2 channels, but it is almost upgraded to 7.1 channels so that you can feel as if the sound is output from 7.1 channels in FPS games. In addition, through the noise canceling function, noise heard from the input, microphone input, and speaker output can be offset to some extent.
Finally, the SteelSeries GG app provides registered members with a separate game key to download free games as well as tune or customize their gaming equipment, and automatically uploads the game play content to their SNS account Typical events that may occur in the game can be specified so that they can be saved and shared. This part is also partially supported by Nvidia drivers, but the fact that this function is also included in the Gaming Gear software is an indirect way to know how sincere the Steel Series is in games.
■ What about sound quality and functionality?
First of all, this product mysteriously allows you to hear two sounds at the same time from a connected PC and if it is paired with your smartphone and Bluetooth. In other words, you can listen to two sound sources through one speaker, and I thought deeply about the reason why I made Arena 3 this way.
First, if you live in a studio, you can play games on your computer and then listen to podcasts or YouTube on your smartphone before going to bed. It’s a little bit, but the case of making it convenient is this speaker Not connected to the computer via a USB port, connected to a stereo plugSince the power is input through a separate adapter, it is a gaming speaker for computers, but it can also be used as a two-channel speaker that can be used by connecting to a tablet such as a smartphone or iPad. In other words, it is not a speaker that can be used entirely by a computer, but it is also very easy to use as a speaker for a tablet such as a smartphone or an iPad that supports Bluetooth.
Therefore, if one speaker is connected to various sound sources, especially one computer and mobile devices via Bluetooth, it shows enough and more sound quality and volume. Of course, it produces sound that is different from cheap Bluetooth speakers for smartphones. If you want to feel a little more varied sound quality on your smartphone, it is recommended to adjust the internal EQ presets or the sound quality options.
I believe the speaker that can do PC gaming, mobile gaming, and music appreciation with one is the Steel Series Arena 3 speaker introduced in today’s article. Some people who buy this product may be mistaken by buying directly overseas through websites such as Naver. In the case of products distributed in Korea, as shown in the picture above, the Korean 220V adapter has not ‘to include, and you need to be careful because you can’t get a support service. The Serena 3 game speaker introduced in today’s article can be purchased for about 200,000 won through the Naver Steel Series Mall Brand and has a free service period of two years.
