SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset

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I’m always down for checking out gaming headsets, especially the newest and best ones out there. We recently made some friends at SteelSeries who were kind enough to send over the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset. It’s a bit pricey at $350, but is easily one of the best and most versatile headsets you can get right now.

After removing the Nova Pro from the box, the first thing I noticed was how durable it is. Featuring a metal headband that stands up to all kinds of bending and pressure, and solid plastic, 40mm earcups that make zero noise when moving your head around are all pluses in my book. Plus it’s pretty comfy for long periods of time thanks to nice cushions on the headband and earcups that make sure you’re focused on pressure from your game and not on your head and ears.

The sound on these are top-notch, seeing that SteelSeries has a devoted team of audio experts working to fine tune their headsets (having Danish designer Jakob Wagner helping out doesn’t hurt either). Thanks to this, the sound is great no matter what you’re using them for.

From listening to your favorite, bass-filled tunes to swapping over to hard hitting audio from games such as the Capcom Fighting Collection, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, and more, this high fidelity headset makes sure every sound big and small is heard perfectly. The all-new ClearCast Gen 2 microphone is no slouch either as it makes sure your voice is heard loud and clear while also having the ability to completely retract into the earcup when not needed.

The next thing I noticed was the awesome GameDAC, which is the wireless base the Nova Pro connects to. It’s a solid piece of equipment with a nice OLED screen and a generous-sized volume wheel. This device allows you to connect two USB audio sources and has an analog line-in port also. This means you could have a few devices to switch between such as PC, PlayStation consoles (Xbox users can purchase a separate version headset that connects directly to the system) and more as the headset itself can switch between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless.

The GameDAC also provides some awesome audio processing and more if you’re willing to download and use SteelSeries’ Sonar audio program to really fine tune your audio experience (such as 360° Spatial Audio options) and functions. But just using it right out the box is great as the volume wheel allows you to navigate the main menu where you can adjust EQ settings as well as preset ones, which device to connect to, mic volume, adjust balancing the in game and voice chat audio, and more.

With this being a wireless headset, we want to address the biggest issue all wireless users have to face, battery life. Thankfully SteelSeries has you covered and then some thanks to having not one, but two hot-swappable batteries. They claim each battery can last nearly 44 Hours using 2.4GHz, 36 Hours using both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth, with use time being slightly lower when using ANC (Active Noise Cancellation).

Yes, you read that correctly. This headset has an advanced 4-mic hybrid system that works to block out most outside noise and does a pretty good job doing so. You can easily switch between ANC mode and a Transparency mode so you can hear outside noise any time. Getting back to those batteries, you’ll also be happy to know you can do an emergency fast charge for 15 mins that gives about 3 hours of use.

The fun doesn’t stop there, as the GameDac has a built-in battery charge slot on the side to always make sure you have a battery at the ready. On top of this, if you swap out the batteries within eight seconds, you can keep using the headset without power or signal loss. How sweet is that?

If all of this isn’t enough, SteelSeries also has Booster Packs for you to customize the colors of the headband cushion and the outside of the earcups, so you can really make the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset your own. If you’re able to handle the steep price, chances are you won’t be able to handle just how awesome and amazing this headset and all its bells and whistles are.