Im trying to purchase a gaming headset for Linux. I keep eyeing the Steelseries Arctic 7 but i see so many conflicting reports about them either being great on Linux or entirely unusable. I personally want something wireless that supports 7.1 audio but again drivers seem to be a mess. I’m running a flavor of arch Linux. I was also considering the Corsair Virtuoso. I don’t really care about fancy features or RGB. I just need superb audio quality and good battery life. Any suggestions or input from people using wireless headsets on Linux?
EDIT 1: I live in the Philippines and had a hard time trying to source some of the headsets listed in this form. However, I did consider the recommendations and was able to get the Corsair Virtuoso RGB. They worked flawlessly on Arch Linux Kernal 6.11. I also listed my system specs in the photo here, so anyone who finds this and needs to know minor details like DE can see what I got it working under. Final thoughts is the Virtuoso has excellent mids and treble. The clarity is immaculate, and the stock mic is perfect for taking phone calls and general VC. The bass headset audio is a bit flat, but I corrected it with a software EQ called Easy Effects available on Flathub. Overall very happy and had no issues under my system. Thanks for the recommendations and help. Hope this assists someone else.
Most if not all should work out of the box, you shouldn’t need any bloaty software to drive your headsets. If they sound like crap, get a pair of better quality.
Do you really want 7.1? That’s a bit of a gimmick, simple stereo can provide you with surround sound when you have the drivers right next to your ears.
I have been using a pair of Bluetooth Bose over the ears for years without any real issues on Linux. They are not gaming oriented but they are comfortable, the sound quality is good nothing amazing, the mic is usable, and the battery life is really good plus noise cancellation if you want it. I am not saying buy a pair of them as they are pricey, but there are cheaper options that are just as good. Might be another way to go.
7.1 snake oil conversation aside…
I can’t talk for the steel series headset.
The charge ports on the corsair headphones failed consistently in my friend group. I think the issue is the micro b connector.
I see, to be honest i didn’t know it was a gimmick. I had a few 7.1 headsets and they sounded great but that could just be what your saying… Which is the driver was next to my ears. i had a logiteh G633 and the stereo vs surround profile was night and day for me. What headsets would you suggest?
I don’t have any recommendations, after getting tired of batteries eventually dying on wireless ones, plus all their microphones sucked (all headsets, not just wireless), I went back to nicer wired headphones and a separate 20€$ mic.
Like DankPods says, good headphones stay good, they last decades unless intentionally broken.
Best advice I can give is go to a store, try some out and pay attention to how they sound and how they feel. People have differing opinions on what sounds good, some prefer tons of bass, some prefer higher mids, some people are sensitive to highs and get easily fatigued if the sound is too tinny.
Closed backs isolate noise, open backs sound wider and don’t make your ears sweat nearly as much but you need a quiet environment.
I’ll let the other people leave their recommendations.
We need a price point? People have different recommedation across different price points.
Also try not to get 7.1 for headphones because it does not have enough space inside your ear to make a perceptible difference. Aim for a wide sound stage as a feature instead, but that is subjective.
I’ve got AirPods Max, they work great. Also have superb sound blocking, my computer can have its 3krpm fans going at full speed and it’ll barely be audible through the headphones.
I have a Corsair Virtuoso RGB I use on my Linux work laptop. It connects via dongle and just shows up as a USB audio device in PulseAudio.
If you turn off the headset, the audio device disappears. The dongle only shows the USB audio as connected when the headphones are on (I think it does the same in Windows). My cheaper headset with a dongle did the same thing in Linux, so I think that’s pretty standard.
The audio quality is good and the ear pieces are comfortable. I’ve never had an issue with them on a work call and I have several a day. It will beep in the headphones for low battery and I’ve never had them die on a call while hearing the warning. So it gives you plenty of buffer (at least 40 minutes I think).
Oh and the microphone will detach, and there’s a mute button and LED on the mic that turns red when muted. Really helpful.
I have had the steel series nova pro for over a year. Theyve been plug and play. No issues what so ever. The headphones themselves are real nice as well. I run arch, I’m on the 6.11 kernel.
What version? The pro 5 or 7? I was considering the Nova 7… But they have a 5, 7 and a 7+ that seem a bit different. Also, thanks. That’s helpful since I’m also running arch. I am also currently running kernel 6.11
