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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 Profile: Target Compliance
    5. Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    6. Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation - Full Range
    2. Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    3. Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    4. ANC Wind Handling
    5. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Wired Connection
    2. Bluetooth Connection
    3. Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless vs Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Jan 06, 2025 01:22 PM

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Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Jan 18, 2025 12:03 AM

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SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Picture

Variants

  • Arctis Pro Wireless (Black)
  • Arctis Pro Wireless (White)
  • + Sennheiser PC38X (Black)
  • + EPOS PC38X (Black)
  • + Sennheiser PC38X (Black/Yellow)
  • + EPOS PC38X (Black/Yellow)

Our Verdict

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless

Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless are better overall gaming headphones than the Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X. The SteelSeries have a virtual soundstage feature, though we don't currently test its performance, and their mic has a better noise-handling performance. They can also be used wirelessly, support Bluetooth for more casual use, and are compatible with SteelSeries Engine software, which offers a graphic EQ and presets to help adjust their sound to your liking. However, the Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS are more comfortable and have more consistent audio delivery.

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Black
Arctis Pro Wireless
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Black
+ Sennheiser PC38X
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White
Arctis Pro Wireless
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Black
+ EPOS PC38X
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Black/Yellow
+ Sennheiser PC38X
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Black/Yellow
+ EPOS PC38X
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Main Differences for

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

7.3
8.0

Peaks/Dips 
 

6.7
8.6

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.5
9.5

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

5.5
7.6

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Design Picture 2
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Open-Back

Wireless  

Yes
No

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic

Show text

Comfort 
 

7.5
8.0

Comfort Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Comfort Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.8 lbs
0.55 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

1.2 lbs
1.4 lbs

Show text

Controls 
 

7.8
5.6

Controls Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Controls Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Good
Good

Feedback  

Great
Decent

Call/Music Control  

Yes
No

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

Mute/Unmute
Mute/Unmute

Channel Mixing 
 

Yes
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

No
No

Talk-Through 
 

No
No

Additional Controls  

Bluetooth Sync
No

Show text

Breathability 
 

5.3
6.4

Breathability After Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Breathability After Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

8.5 °C
6 °C

Show text

Portability 
 

5.5
5.5

Portability Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Portability Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Portability Picture

 

7.5" (19.1 cm)
7.4" (18.9 cm)

 

6.9" (17.5 cm)
6.7" (17.1 cm)

 

3.5" (8.9 cm)
3.6" (9.2 cm)

Volume  

181.00 in³ (2,966.05 cm³)
181.42 in³ (2,973.00 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No

Show text

Case 
 

0.0
5.5

Case Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Case Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Case Picture

Type  

No case
Pouch

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

 

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A

Show text

Build Quality 
 

6.0
7.5

Build Quality Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Build Quality Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Build Quality Picture

Show text

Stability 
 

7.5
6.5

Stability Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Stability Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Stability Picture

Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Angled Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Angled Picture

Side Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Side Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Front Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Front Picture

Rear Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Rear Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Top Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless In The Box Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X In The Box Picture

Show text

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

500 Hz
400 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

4.0 dB
-4.2 dB

Treble Amount 
 

0.5 dB
-2.8 dB

Show text

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

5.5
7.6

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 
 

1.18 dB
0.48 dB

Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.7
7.4

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

5.0 dB
5.5 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

20 Hz
29.76 Hz

Low Bass 
 

0.82 dB
-7.59 dB

Mid Bass 
 

6.48 dB
-2.91 dB

High Bass 
 

6.31 dB
-0.47 dB

Show text

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.5
9.5

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.52 dB
0.74 dB

Low Mid 
 

1.4 dB
-0.64 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

1.55 dB
-0.9 dB

High Mid 
 

0.48 dB
0.34 dB

Show text

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

6.4
6.6

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

3.79 dB
3.63 dB

Low Treble 
 

-0.71 dB
-1.13 dB

Mid Treble 
 

2.14 dB
-4.92 dB

High Treble 
 

-3.02 dB
-8.32 dB

Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

6.7
8.6

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.88 dB
0.82 dB

Dips 
 

2.56 dB
1.28 dB

Show text

Imaging 
 

8.8
8.8

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.37
0.17

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

2.15
2.83

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.42
0.93

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.52
1.43

Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

6.3
7.1

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

3.43 dB
2.84 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

7.72 dB
2.22 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

22.05 dB
8.7 dB

Openness 
 

5.6
9.4

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

3.4
7.8

Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

2.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Virtual Soundstage
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

On/Off
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

Yes
No App

Show text

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.8
7.6

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.316
0.359

WHD @ 100 
 

0.106
0.134

Show text

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

MCU 1.7.0.0
No Firmware

Power 
 

On
Passive

Connection 
 

Wireless (Proprietary)
Wired

Codec 
 

PCM, 16-bit, 48kHz
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz

Test Instrument  

Audio Precision APx517B
Audio Precision APx517B

EQ 
 

Off
No EQ

ANC 
 

No ANC
No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Boom
Boom

Show text

Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

4.3
1.5

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Noise Cancelling  

No
No

Overall Attenuation 
 

-10.15 dB
-3.45 dB

Bass 
 

6.94 dB
0.21 dB

Mid 
 

-11.44 dB
1.00 dB

Treble 
 

-29.42 dB
-12.79 dB

Show text

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

3.5
1.5

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-7.06 dB
-2.44 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-6.85 dB
-2.67 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-8.32 dB
-3.04 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless ANC Wind Handling Graph
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X ANC Wind Handling Graph

ANC Wind Noise 
 

N/A
N/A

Leakage 
 

7.0
3.1

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

39.37 dB
57.66 dB

Show text

Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

No
No

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

Yes
Yes

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Show text

Recording Quality 
 

8.4
8.7

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

20 Hz
20 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

2.56 dB
1.6 dB

HFE 
 

6,639.82 Hz
8,010.97 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

0.305
0.176

Gain 
 

30.11 dB
27.08 dB

Show text

Noise Handling 
 

8.3
7.5

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

48.8 dB
35.95 dB

Noise Gate 
 

Always On
Always On

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

8.5
7.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

8.0
7.5

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show text

Active Features

Battery 
 

8.8
0.0

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
No Battery

Continuous Battery Life 
 

15.3 hrs
N/A

Additional Charges 
 

1.0
N/A

Total Battery Life 
 

30.6 hrs
N/A

Charge Time 
 

1.3 hrs
N/A

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Auto-Off Timer
No

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
No

Passive Playback 
 

Yes
Passive Headphone

Charging Port  

micro-USB
None

Show text

App Support 
 

7.5
0.0

App Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless App Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X App Picture

App Name  

SteelSeries Engine
No App

iOS  

No
No

Android  

No
No

macOS  

Yes
No

Windows  

Yes
No

Equalizer 
 

Graphic + Presets
No

ANC Control 
 

No
No

Mic Control  

Mute/Unmute
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

Yes
No

Show text

Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

7.0
9.9

Cable Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Cable Picture
Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

Yes
Yes

Length 
 

4.10 ft (1.25 m)
4.23 ft (1.29 m)

Connector 
 

Mini B 8-Pin
1/16" TRRS

Latency - Analog 
 

26.5 ms
0.3 ms

Latency - USB 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog
Analog

Show text

Bluetooth Connection 
 

6.8
0.0

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.1
No Bluetooth

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

Bluetooth + Console/Non-BT Wireless
No

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

No
No

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

No
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

187.00 ft (57.00 m)
N/A

Latency - SBC 
 

256 ms
N/A

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency Codec  

SBC
No Bluetooth Audio

AAC Support 
 

No
No

Show text

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

8.9
0.0

Line Of Sight Range 
 

175.00 ft (53.34 m)
N/A

Latency - Dongle 
 

22 ms
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

Show text

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
No

Show text

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
No

PS5 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
No

Show text

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio Only
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Show text

Base/Dock 
 

9.6
0.0

Type 
 

Wireless Dock
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

Yes
No

Line In 
 

Yes
No

Line Out 
 

Yes
No

Optical Input 
 

Yes
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

Yes
No

Power Supply 
 

USB
No Base/Dock

Show text

Check Price

Black
Arctis Pro Wireless
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Black
+ Sennheiser PC38X
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White
Arctis Pro Wireless
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Black
+ EPOS PC38X
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Black/Yellow
+ Sennheiser PC38X
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Black/Yellow
+ EPOS PC38X
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SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless

Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X

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  1. Comparison

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless vs Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X: Main Discussion

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