How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wired, tournament-grade gaming headset with a detachable boom mic and a sound signature built for pinpoint audio cues, choose SteelSeries Arctis Prime; if you need wireless freedom, long battery life, and switchable active noise cancelling for commuting and calls, choose BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise. These two look like they belong in the same conversation because both put a microphone front and center, but they solve completely different problems. One is a wired competitive tool. The other is a wireless everyday companion. Picking between them comes down to how and where you actually use headphones with a mic.
• SteelSeries Arctis Prime — biggest strength: a wired, universally compatible gaming headset with a detachable bi-directional boom mic, steel-and-aluminum construction, and drivers tuned up to 40,000 Hz for detail separation in competitive play.
• SteelSeries Arctis Prime — biggest trade-off: it is wired only, so there is no Bluetooth, no battery, and no active noise cancelling — isolation comes from passive leatherette earcups, not electronics.
• BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise — biggest strength: wireless Bluetooth with a 70-hour average battery life, hybrid active noise cancelling with a transparent mode, and a built-in mic for calls and mobile use.
• BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise — biggest trade-off: its drivers cover a standard 20 Hz–20 KHz range and the mic is built in rather than a boom, so it is aimed at everyday listening and calls, not esports.
• Who each pick is for: Arctis Prime for PC and console gamers who want a wired, low-fuss competitive headset; BERIBES for commuters, students, and remote workers who want wireless ANC and all-day battery.
The Arctis Prime is built around one idea: give competitive players a wired headset that stays out of the way and holds up. The frame is steel and aluminum alloy, which is the kind of material choice you make when you expect a headset to survive being tossed in a bag, yanked off a head, and used for years. It is also light — listed at 1.8 ounces — so the metal does not translate into a heavy, clampy feel. The oval leatherette earcups sit over the ear and provide passive noise cancellation, meaning they physically block some background sound rather than processing it electronically.
Who should buy it? If you play on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch and want one wired headset that works across all of them, this is the fit. The package includes a 4-pole 3.5 mm adapter, a dual 3.5 mm extension cable, and a mic windscreen, and volume is handled by a wired remote. Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to walk around the house, take calls away from the desk, or get active noise cancelling. There is no Bluetooth here, no battery, and no ANC — it is a wired gaming tool, and it does not pretend otherwise.
BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise: Who It's For
The BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise is a different animal entirely. This is a wireless Bluetooth over-ear headphone with hybrid active noise cancelling and a transparent mode, which means it can either mute the world around you or let it back in with a button press. The controls are push-button, and the noise cancelling is electronic rather than passive — a meaningful distinction if you have ever tried to block out a bus engine or an open-plan office with earcups alone.
Battery is the headline number: 70 hours of average life on a 2.5-hour charge. That is the kind of figure that changes how you use a headphone. You stop thinking about charging it every night. You can take it on a trip and leave the cable at home. Bluetooth range is listed at 10 meters, so you can set your phone down and move around a room without dropping the connection. There is also a 3.5 mm jack, so you are not completely stranded if the battery runs out or you want a wired connection to a device that does not do Bluetooth.
The audio specs are conventional rather than exotic: 40 mm dynamic drivers, 32 ohm impedance, 113 dB sensitivity, and a 20 Hz–20 KHz frequency range — the standard audible band. High sensitivity means it gets loud easily, which is useful on phones and laptops with weaker outputs. The housing is plastic and the color is beige, so this is a lighter, more lifestyle-oriented build than the metal Arctis. The mic is built in, which is fine for calls and voice chat but not the same as a dedicated boom mic positioned near your mouth.
Who should buy it? Commuters, students, remote workers, and anyone who wants one wireless headphone for music, calls, and noise blocking. Who should skip it? Competitive gamers who need a boom mic and the widest possible frequency range for audio cues, and anyone who prefers an all-metal build. In my opinion, this is the better pick for life outside the desk.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for wireless freedom → BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise. Bluetooth with a 10-meter range and no cable tethering you to a desk.
• Best for long sessions away from a charger → BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise. 70 hours of average battery life on a 2.5-hour charge is the standout figure in this comparison.
• Best for voice clarity in-game → SteelSeries Arctis Prime. A detachable bi-directional boom mic with noise cancellation beats a built-in mic for comms.
• Best for blocking noise without electronics → SteelSeries Arctis Prime. Passive isolation from premium leatherette earcups, no battery required.
• Best for blocking noise with a switch → BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise. Hybrid active noise cancelling plus a transparent mode you can toggle with a button.
• Best for durability and travel → SteelSeries Arctis Prime. Steel and aluminum construction, and a cable that detaches at both ends for transport.
• Best for cross-platform wired use → SteelSeries Arctis Prime. It ships with a 4-pole 3.5 mm adapter and a dual 3.5 mm extension cable for consoles and PCs alike.
• Best for everyday music and calls → BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise. Over-ear comfort, button controls, and a 3.5 mm fallback jack make it the more flexible daily driver.
If I had to pick one, I would buy the SteelSeries Arctis Prime — but only because my priority is a wired gaming headset with a real boom mic and a wide frequency range for audio cues. The metal build and detachable cable make it the more rugged object, and the bi-directional mic is simply the right tool for voice comms. That said, I would recommend the BERIBES Hybrid Active Noise without hesitation to anyone whose day involves commuting, calls, and noise cancelling, because 70 hours of battery and switchable ANC solve problems the Arctis does not even attempt. Buy for the job, not the spec sheet. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that is the one variable this comparison cannot cover.
how to use headphones with mic on pc
Plug the headset into your PC — the Arctis Prime uses a 3.5 mm jack with a 4-pole adapter and a dual 3.5 mm extension cable for separate mic and headphone ports, while the BERIBES can connect over Bluetooth or via its 3.5 mm jack. Then open your sound settings, select the headset as both the output and input device, and confirm the mic is picking up your voice.
how to connect headphones with mic on pc
For the wired Arctis Prime, plug into the 3.5 mm jack (using the included adapter if your PC has separate mic and headphone sockets) and it should be recognized immediately. For the BERIBES, enable Bluetooth on the PC, put the headphones in pairing mode, and select them from the device list — range is listed at 10 meters.
how to use headphones with mic on phone
The BERIBES is the simpler option here: pair it over Bluetooth and the built-in mic handles calls without any cable. The Arctis Prime can work with a phone that has a 3.5 mm jack or a suitable adapter, but it is a wired gaming headset first, so expect a cable between you and the phone.
how to test headphones with mic
Play a track or a game and confirm both earcups produce sound, then switch the input device to the headset and speak while watching your mic level meter. On the Arctis Prime, check that the detachable boom mic is fully seated before testing; on the BERIBES, test both the normal and transparent modes to confirm the noise cancelling is responding.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: Sennheiser HD 599 vs CMF BY NOTHING Headphone Pro Active, Yolipar RDM2070D vs Zeadio Triple Flanged Earpiece, HSCLPM 4-Channel vs KVIDIO Headphones: Headphones for, Xmenha True vs SOAR NBA True