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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Accuracy
    5. Mid Accuracy
    6. Treble Accuracy
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation
    2. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Bluetooth
    2. Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    3. Wired
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PC / PS4 Compatibility
    6. PlayStation Compatibility
    7. Xbox Compatibility
    8. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 vs Astro A20 Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017
Astro A20 Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1

Updated Mar 01, 2024 09:54 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Jun 20, 2023 01:34 PM

SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Picture

Variants

  • Arctis 7 (Black)
  • Arctis 7 (White)
  • A20 (PS4)
  • A20 (Xbox One)

Our Verdict

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017

Astro A20 Wireless

The SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 are slightly better wireless gaming headphones than the Astro A20 Wireless. The Arctis 7 are a bit more comfortable, feel better-built and more stable, have a better-balanced sound profile, a better microphone, a longer battery life, and can be used wired. On the other hand, the A20 have better controls, are much more consistent among different users, and have a wider and more open soundstage.

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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

6.9
No major differences between these headphones for mixed usage. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Design Picture 2
Astro A20 Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

7.5
7.0

Comfort Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Comfort Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.9 lbs
0.8 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

1.3 lbs
1.2 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

7.1
6.2

Controls Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Controls Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Xbox One

Ease Of Use  

Decent
Good

Feedback  

Great
Good

Call/Music Control  

No
No

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

Adjustable
Mute/Unmute

Channel Mixing 
 

Adjustable
Yes

Noise Cancelling Control  

N/A
No

Talk-Through 
 

N/A
No

Additional Controls  

No
No
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

6.6
6.8

Breathability After Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Breathability After Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

5.3 °C
4.6 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

5.9
5.9

Portability Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Portability Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Portability Picture

 

7.6"
6.0" (15.2 cm)

 

7"
6.9" (17.5 cm)

 

2.9"
2.8" (7.1 cm)

Volume  

154 in³
116.00 in³ (1,900.89 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
Yes
Show Text 

Case 
 

0.0
0.0

Case Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Case Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Case Picture

Type  

No case
No case

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.0
7.5

Build Quality Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Build Quality Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

7.5
7.0

Stability Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Stability Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Angled Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Side Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Front Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Rear Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Top Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 In The Box Picture
Astro A20 Wireless In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool

Bass Amount 
 

-1.14 dB
0.56 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-1.99 dB
0.38 dB
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

5.4
7.2

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

1.27 dB
0.57 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

8.3
7.6

Bass  

See details on graph tool

Bass  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

2.42 dB
3.45 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

10 Hz
23.78 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

-1.9 dB
-0.34 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

1.69 dB
4.27 dB

High-Bass 
 

3.6 dB
4.36 dB
Show Text 

Mid Accuracy 
 

8.5
8.7

Mid  

See details on graph tool

Mid  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

2.03 dB
1.79 dB

Low-Mid 
 

2.44 dB
0.24 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-0.91 dB
0.31 dB

High-Mid 
 

-0.75 dB
-1.71 dB
Show Text 

Treble Accuracy 
 

9.0
6.6

Treble  

See details on graph tool

Treble  

See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

2.23 dB
5.01 dB

Low-Treble 
 

-0.57 dB
0.66 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

-1.01 dB
7.4 dB

High-Treble 
 

-1.41 dB
-3.84 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

7.7
6.6

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.41 dB
2.35 dB

Dips 
 

1.16 dB
1.5 dB
Show Text 

Imaging 
 

8.5
8.3

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response  

See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.32
0.27

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

4.29
4.73

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

1.02
1.11

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.31
2.18
Show Text 

Passive Soundstage 
 

6.2
7.0

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

4.26 dB
2.03 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

8.97 dB
4.67 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

16.64 dB
13.28 dB

Openness 
 

4.9
6.1

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

3.7
5.5
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Astro A20 Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No

Room Ambience 
 

No

Head Tracking 
 

No

Virtual Surround 
 

No
Show Text 

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

8.0
8.2

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.251
0.176

WHD @ 100 
 

0.102
0.087
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Unknown

Power 
 

On

Connection 
 

Wireless (Proprietary)

Codec 
 

PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

Default

ANC 
 

No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Default

Microphone 
 

Boom
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

4.9
3.3

Noise Isolation  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-13.3 dB
-10.42 dB

Noise Cancelling  

No
No

Bass 
 

0.61 dB
0.27 dB

Mid 
 

-7.37 dB
-4.06 dB

Treble 
 

-33.64 dB
-27.58 dB
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

7.1
5.2

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

39.21 dB
48.78 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

No
No

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

Yes
Yes

Detachable Boom 
 

N/A
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Recording Quality 
 

7.9
7.1

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

84.76 Hz
91.1 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

3.89 dB
1.96 dB

HFE 
 

6,736.4 Hz
1,974.03 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

0.52
0.157

Gain 
 

23.6 dB
43.26 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

8.8
8.0

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

40.56 dB
27.23 dB

Noise Gate 
 

Always On

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

8.0

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

8.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.9
7.8

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

24 hrs
14 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

24 hrs
14 hrs

Charge Time 
 

3.5 hrs
3 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Yes
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

Yes
No

Charging Port  

micro-USB
micro-USB
Show Text 

App Support 
 

8.0
7.0

App Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 App Picture
Astro A20 Wireless App Picture

App Name  

SteelSeries Engine
Astro Command Center

iOS  

N/A
No

Android  

N/A
No

macOS  

Yes
Yes

Windows  

Yes
Yes

Equalizer 
 

Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets

ANC Control 
 

N/A
No

Mic Control  

Level
Adjustable Level

Room Effects 
 

N/A
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
Yes

Surround Sound  

DTS 7.1

Surround Support 
 

No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

0.0
0.0

Bluetooth Version 
 

N/A
No Bluetooth

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

N/A
No

NFC Pairing 
 

N/A
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

N/A

Android Latency 
 

N/A
Show Text 

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

8.7
7.8

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

125 ft
105.00 ft (32.00 m)

Non-BT Latency 
 

28 ms
60 ms
Show Text 

Wired 
 

9.5
6.9

Cable Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 Cable Picture
Astro A20 Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable  

Yes
No

Length  

4.2 ft
N/A

Connection 
 

1/8" TRS
No Wired Option

Wired Latency 
 

0 ms

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

60 ms
Show Text 

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

No

Wired USB 
 

No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC / PS4 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
No

PC / PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Show Text 

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
No

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PS5 Analog 
 

No

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
No

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
Audio + Microphone

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

No

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

7.0
4.2

Type 
 

Wireless USB Dongle
Wireless Dock

USB Input 
 

Yes
Yes

Line In 
 

Yes
No

Line Out 
 

Yes
No

Optical Input 
 

No
Yes

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

USB
USB
Show Text 

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017

Astro A20 Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 vs Astro A20 Wireless: Main Discussion

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