Arctic Sound P531 Surround Sound Gaming Headset

A Closer Look

The P531 is quite a large headset compared to most but this is a result of having four individual driver units in each earcup. Unfortunately this also adds significantly to the weight of the headset which exceeds 400g. But for those who want a proper surround sound headset, this is always going to be the case.

Arctic have used a similar grey and black colour scheme for the P531 that we saw with the P311 recently. This should appeal to a wide spectrum of people but doesn’t infuse us with excitement about the headset like the brightly coloured options available from SteelSeries. The plastic used in the construction of the headset feels a little cheap considering the price point but we can’t foresee it breaking too easily.

The ear pieces are a rather unconventional shape but we would assume this is how they have managed to fit four driver units in each. The ear pads are covered in fabric which makes the headset more comfortable to use for long periods of time. The headband is also adjustable so that every user can achieve a comfortable fit. For those who frequent LAN parties, the earpieces also fold up into a more portable form.

We find the microphone protruding from the left earpiece on a long flexible boom which can easily be positioned for optimum performance. And when you don’t need it, it folds up out of the way. But we don’t think it is such an elegant solution as the retractable microphones used on SteelSeries’ headsets. The microphone’s performance is just as we would expect and the sound quality is more than adequate for chatting in game.

The built in USB sound card is located half way up the cable and contains a number of wheel switches that allow you to control the levels of each channel. There is also a small slider switch that lets you mute the microphone when its not in use. The cable itself has a plastic shielding that seems reasonably durable even though we would prefer to see proper braiding.