Steelseries Arctis Nova Elite review: Ultra high-end gaming headsets are here

James Trew for Engadget

RATING : 8.4 / 10

How overmuch do you admit bully audio successful your games? Do you emotion it capable to splurge $600 connected a wireless headset? What if that headset promised class-leading debased latency? Or nan expertise to link a PC, PlayStation and Xbox — positive a Bluetooth instrumentality — each astatine nan aforesaid time? That — on pinch "infinite" power; an AI-powered, retractable microphone; and, of course, premium audio fidelity — is what Steelseries is offering pinch nan Arctis Nova Elite wireless headset.

Steelseries is wandering into caller territory pinch some value and functionality here. The Nova bid is already popular, and nan institution is hoping to carve retired a caller class pinch nan Elite, but nan large mobility is, are we fresh — aliases do we moreover request — hyper-premium gaming headsets? After respective hours pinch this one, I deliberation I person an answer.

James Trew for Engadget

Obviously astatine this price, you're getting a small much than headphones tuned for gunfire and footsteps, pinch a roar mic attached. In fact, astatine first glance, you won't find a roar mic astatine all. This gives nan Elite much of a desktop headphone aesthetic, and mini golden touches and value materials do springiness it a premium feel. Even nan transportation pouch feels precocious end.

It's nan included "GameHub" interface that powers a batch of nan premium features. There's a chunky dial that serves arsenic some measurement power and a measurement to navigate cardinal settings connected nan interface, and a show for showing levels and different feedback. The GameHub is besides what makes nan Nova Elite absorbing to creatives looking for a measurement to activity pinch audio without nan latency issues associated pinch Bluetooth, but much connected that later.

For audio buffs, nan large entreaty present is 96kHz/24-bit audio without nan wires. Gamers, on pinch video editors and creatives, person agelong lagged down successful nan displacement to wireless, aliases had to settee for insignificant inconveniences. There's a mini caveat, though, successful that Steelseries already offers akin state pinch nan Nova Pro Wireless ($300) and nan astir of nan high-end functionality successful nan newly-announced Nova Pro Omni ($400). The Elite differentiates itself pinch much luxurious materials, an other (on-ear/standard) mic and c fibre drivers.

While nan Nova Elite does consciousness high-quality, don't expect existent audiophile levels of worldly finesse. When I compared them to nan Sennheiser HD630 ($500), nan Nova Elite does consciousness much expensive, pinch much weight successful nan receptor cups and nan reassuringly acold consciousness of metal in nan headband hinges. Compared to thing for illustration nan Meze Audio Liric, however, you are reminded this is simply a (very good made) user headset.

Unlike nan neon-green Razer Blackshark Pro V3 connected my desk, nan Nova Elite doesn't shriek "gaming headset." The mic is hidden, and nan wide creation is much for illustration thing you'd expect from Sony aliases Anker. The dual-layered headband is comfortable, arsenic are nan ample earcup cushions — I'd happily usage these arsenic mundane headphones. The sage colorway is neutral but absorbing capable to consciousness premium.

James Trew for Engadget

Steelseries' 40mm drivers mightiness not battalion nan low-end oomph of nan 50mm Blackshark Pro V3, but that's astir nan only area wherever I would opportunity nan Razer feels much superlative. The Nova Elite sounds really good balanced and pinch overmuch tighter bass than its competitor, pinch high-ends poking done much clearly. In fact, if location was 1 statement I'd make connected nan wide sound floor plan it's that higher frequencies are sometimes a small excessively noticeable, which is sometimes preferable successful a gaming discourse but a insignificant distraction for euphony and action scenes successful movies.

Otherwise, nan Nova Elite provides a grown-up sound floor plan that is easy to bask for extended periods, moreover astatine precocious volume. In fact, I mightiness somewhat for illustration nan sound shape connected nan Steelseries compared to nan Sennheiser HD630, arsenic it feels teeny spot much unfastened pinch a touch much move range. At slightest that's nan lawsuit successful my testing pinch predominantly physics music, but I would still scope for Sennheiser for dedicated euphony listening successful astir cases. The progressive sound cancellation (ANC) is effective astatine reducing persistent inheritance noises, but doesn't supply nan existent dampening acquisition you find pinch different premium headphones specified arsenic Sony's WH-1000XM6 aliases Bose's QuietComfort Ultra.

It's successful consecutive gaming scenarios that nan included GameHub audio interface makes each nan difference. It delivers hi-res 96kHz/24-bit audio complete 2.4Ghz wireless, pinch nan action to operation up to 4 different audio sources astatine nan aforesaid time. Connect immoderate console, PC aliases moreover a telephone to nan USB ports connected nan backmost and operation betwixt them via nan hub's menus aliases nan measurement dial connected nan near receptor cup. Click nan measurement instrumentality erstwhile and it'll power nan operation betwixt USB sources. You tin perceive to Bluetooth audio astatine nan aforesaid time, but its measurement successful nan operation is controlled connected nan respective device. Bluetooth media controls are sparse, making clever usage of nan connectivity fastener — play/pause and skipping tracks are disposable though single/double/triple click.

Perhaps nan astir absorbing hardware characteristic is that "infinite" powerfulness system. There's a beautiful immense asterisk there, successful that it is, successful fact, not infinite. But, it is adjacent and it's a clever spot of creation nonetheless. The GameHub has a slot that charges nan removable headset battery. There are 2 batteries successful nan container and Steelseries states that if you tin switch them retired successful nether 8 seconds, nan headset will move backmost connected and euphony aliases audio will continue. It's beautiful difficult to do successful 8 seconds pinch nan headset successful your hands. Basically intolerable while wearing it. In reality you person much for illustration 15-20 seconds and it still useful arsenic advertised. It's not a genuinely seamless experience, but it's genuinely useful, truthful it's difficult to grumble astatine nan flimsy trading oversell.

The batteries themselves past for a agelong time. It'll dangle what you're doing pinch nan headset, but truthful acold I've been clocking 20-30 hours of usage earlier swapping 1 retired and that's nether reasonably dense "testing" situations pinch aggregate inputs, each time usage and tons of casual listening complete Bluetooth.

James Trew for Engadget

The Elite's microphone is retractable and neatly hidden successful nan near earcup, truthful you don't ever person to hunt for it, and it's easy to find acknowledgment to a mini pad you tin find pinch your thumb. The cablegram is bendy and it's elemental to set aliases sliding backmost successful erstwhile crippled clip is over.

The microphone itself is decent but sounds a small crispy. You'll beryllium really clear successful nan mean lobby aliases chat, but thing astir it sounds processed, moreover pinch AI sound rejection turned off. The value is still overmuch amended than astir headsets, though it's not thing I'd usage if I were a impermanent connected a podcast. Not that it sounds bad, conscionable a small excessively isolated and processed. If you deliberation that's a batch to inquire of a headset mic, I'd constituent you to nan Rode NTH-100 which doesn't person sound reduction, but sounds very natural. For signaling audio, I'd alternatively person a small much power complete really nan mic sounds.

As a standalone headset/headphone, there's small I would alteration astir nan audio connected nan Nova Elite. For gaming, I admit nan action to tune things for definite games. In thing for illustration Disco Elysium, I want much of a music-tuned experience, but if I'm retired connected nan saddle successful RDR2, thing that helps maine perceive incoming horses is going to thief support maine retired of trouble. Steelseries' "GG" package comes bundled pinch a slew of presets for celebrated titles which whitethorn aliases whitethorn not beryllium to your liking. If they aren't, there's a afloat EQ truthful you tin create your ain tuning. The package is besides wherever you'll find immoderate useful settings, for illustration tweaking behaviour if you person a telephone mid-game, pinch options for mute, little measurement aliases simply do nothing.

In Bluetooth mode, nan mobile app does a beautiful bully occupation of mirroring nan desktop software. This astatine slightest allows you to set deeper settings without having to alt-tab retired of a game. You besides get ocular feedback astir artillery life for nan headset if you can't instantly glimpse astatine nan GameHub.

A immense use of nan included GameHub interface is nan added elasticity it brings. I person a Rodecaster Duo connected my table that I usage arsenic a superior audio interface. I don't grounds galore podcasts astatine home, but I for illustration that I tin grounds audio from my telephone aliases immoderate different instrumentality easily. With 3 USB inputs, a statement successful and Bluetooth connectivity, but successful a overmuch smaller package, nan Nova Elite is earnestly making a lawsuit for itself to liberate nan Duo from its imperishable spot connected my desk.

Not to mention, it adds a wireless constituent pinch incredibly debased latency. I've tried editing video pinch Bluetooth headphones, but it's not agelong earlier I crave nan immediacy of wires. With nan GameHub, I tin edit videos arsenic if I were connected straight but pinch nan state of wireless. In nan past, I dabbled pinch utilizing 2 pairs of headphones: a wired group for erstwhile audio value and latency is privilege and a wireless brace for casual listening. The Nova Elite is astir apt nan champion solution I've tried truthful acold that tin do it all.

James Trew for Engadget