Arctic Sound P531 USB Headset Review

👤by Vinh Thai Comments 📅26-07-11
Conclusion

The Arctic Sound P531 is Arctic’s current premium gaming headset. Its most prominent feature is 5.1 surround sound, achievable thanks to four individual drivers in each ear cup. The surround sound allows the user to experience a 3-dimensional environment, whether it is during gaming or while watching movies. As long as the source audio was 6-channel, the P531 reproduced it very well. The same cannot be said if the source audio was 2-channel, however. The up-conversion of 2-channel to 6-channel audio horribly denatured it.

The sound spectrum of the P531 was generally well-balanced with mids taking priority over both the lows and the mids. The bass was thumping, but it was not sharp enough. The subwoofer features vibration feedback units that vibrated the ear cups in response to bass. This added a whole new level of enjoyment to the sound experience.


The Arctic Sound P531 provides an enjoyable sound experience thanks to its 5.1 surround sound and vibration feedback ear cups. Overall comfort is disappointing, but it is manageable. Priced at €60.29/USD $79.99, the Sound P531 is a decent alternative to a 5.1 speaker system.


The flexible microphone performed well enough in both gaming and Skype conversations. A more attractive and compact design would have been preferred.

The headset itself can be adjusted in many ways. The headband can be extended to add up-to 3.5 cm to each side. There are no discrete levels of adjustment, so fine tuning the headband’s size is possible. Furthermore, the ear cups can swivel by 90-degrees. Unfortunately, the folding design of the P531 does not work well; the microphone arm obstructs it.

As for comfort, it is mixed. Depending on the user’s ears or the manner that the headset is worn, the Sound P531 can adopt either a supra-aural or a circumaural configuration. I personally loathe supra-aural headphones because I wear prescription glasses. When the ear pads rest on top of the ears (that is, a supra-aural design), the Sound P531 make the ears sore after an hour of usage. The general tight fit of the headset makes it even worse. Thankfully, the headband loosens up after a while, and this improves long-term comfort. Removing my prescription glasses also help too. Thicker padding for both the ear pads and the headband should have been used. Even after a few hours of usage, my ears were warm and a bit sweaty.

In a nutshell, the sound experience provided by the Arctic Sound P531 is very enjoyable. The 5.1 surround sound works very well with the right games, music and movies. Long-term comfort is initially lackluster, but it improves with time. Those that do not wear prescription glasses will find the headphones much more comfortable than me.

Does the Arctic Sound P531 constitute the ideal alternative to a 5.1 speaker system? I would say no because of the cons listed above. Besides, a 5.1 speaker system can be purchased at the same price as the P531 (MSRP €60.29/USD $79.99). Nevertheless, if you’re looking for headphones to enhance your sound experience with 5.1 surround sound and vibration feedback ear cups, this might just be your ticket.

With all of this taken into consideration, Vortez awards the Arctic Sound P531 the Vortez Bronze.



Pros
+ Amusing vibration feedback response in the ear cups
+ Decent microphone quality
+ Easy-to-use software
+ Fairly balanced sound spectrum
+ Good 5.1 surround sound

Cons
- Bulky in-line volume control
- Folding mechanism does not work well
- Supra-aural design gives poor long-term comfort, especially if the user wears prescription glasses
- Padding for ear cups and headband could be thicker
- Plastic construction crackles, but it is strong
- Same price as some inexpensive 5.1 surround sound speaker systems




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