I’ve been tempted to buy speakers for my desk many times, but there’s always some quibble. They’re either too complex to connect with a laptop, or they’re too ugly, or don’t have good software, or are too difficult to tune, or just not worth the money compared to headphones, which I use most of the time anyway.

The package I was looking for was something that was easy to set up, gave me something I couldn’t find in headphones, looked good, and didn’t cost too much; and in my mind, the Arena line from SteelSeries is it. 

The Arena line comes in three different configurations. Starting at $129, the Arena 3 are the two desktop speakers, delivering clear, crisp, pleasant stereo audio through four inch drivers, either connected straight to your computer, or through Bluetooth. They’re compact, built of premium plastics, and though marketed for gamers, don’t have that over-the-top look.

Stepping up to the 2.1 Arena 7 brings the price to $300, and adds RGB lights to the desk speakers, and adds a 6.5” subwoofer, which sits on the floor. If you don’t game, listen to rock music, or have space under your desk, you can happily save the money and stick to the Arena 3; but in my testing, the RGB lights add a nice soft glow to your desk, and the subwoofer is a massive benefit. Along with the wider soundstage of speakers, that subwoofer adds a great rumbly bass that can be overwhelming on initial configuration — at top setting, it drowns out vocals and high-notes — but when tweaked, brings music and explosions to life. 

I loved “OKAY!” by KayCee when I listened on headphones, but the menacing rumble of the subwoofer takes it to a new level; as it did for Taylor Swift’s incredible live rock performance of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”.  And when I stopped work for the night, and got up a first-person shooter — usually the British indie super-soldier simulator, “Trepang2” — the explosions and shotgun blasts sounded better than I’ve ever heard.

Together, the audio is so clear and powerful that you can use them for more than listening to music at your desk. Connected to a PS5 and played from the couch, they did a better job than many soundbars I’ve tried, even though they weren’t set up for this purpose. Also, if you pair them to your phone, and play music off Spotify, they will mix in desktop audio; meaning you can enjoy music from Spotify, but still hear the ping of an incoming email. Finally, you can tweak the sound and RGB lights through the free SteelSeries GG software, which allows for complex tweaking but is pleasantly accessible for basic tasks, like changing the lights from rainbow waves to a classic static white, light blue, or amber glow.

Finally, there is the top-of-the-line $550 Arena 9, which adds a central channel speaker, wireless rear speakers, and a designated volume knob for full 5.1 surround sound. If you game regularly on speakers, in a space that can accommodate a surround sound set-up, this will be an incredible option; but assuming that isn’t so, I would save the $250 and stick with the already incredible, enveloping Arena 7. Using my review unit, I never once felt that I was missing something. They look great, are easy to set up, have convenient software, and sound fantastic. And if you have other SteelSeries gear, they conveniently pair up with their headphones and microphones. No wonder I’ve been using headphones less since they arrived.