SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 assessment: A snug headset for PC and console

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At a look Knowledgeable's Ranking Execs

Very comfy to put on

Good, detailed stereo sound with robust localization

Simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connection

Vast compatibility (PC, PS5, Xbox, Swap, cell)

Lengthy battery life with quick-charging perform

Intuitive operation

In depth software program

Cons

Microphone sounds tinny and never very pure

Vast USB dongle blocks neighboring connections

Slight high-frequency sharpness in the usual sound (will be corrected by way of EQ)

Our Verdict The Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 delivers a headset that’s comfy, sounds exact, runs endlessly, and switches effortlessly between PC, Console, and cell phone. The twin wi-fi perform is just not solely sensible, however a really distinctive promoting level on this worth vary.

Value When Reviewed

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Greatest Pricing At this time

Value When Reviewed $199.99

Greatest Costs At this time: Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2

Retailer Value

$179.99 View Deal $179.99 View Deal Steeleseries $199.99 View Deal $214.99 View Deal Value comparability from over 24,000 shops worldwide

Product Value Value comparability from Backmarket

The Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 presents itself as a flexible mid-range gaming headset that desires to shine on the PC in addition to on consoles and cell gadgets. That is the second era of the favored Arctis Nova 7, with Steelseries constructing on confirmed strengths and making focused enhancements.

Even on paper, the technical specs are spectacular: 40-millimetre neodymium drivers, twin wi-fi (2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth 5.3) with simultaneous perform, over 50 hours of battery life, broad platform assist, and a comfort-oriented design.

This assessment clarifies whether or not the Nova 7 Gen 2 can earn these praises within the sensible take a look at, and the place its weaknesses lie.

Design and sporting consolation

On the surface, Steelseries stays true to its line: The Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 depends on the traditional Steelseries design with matte-black plastic and a modern look. The metallic body within the headband gives stability, whereas an elasticated spring band (within the type of ski goggles) distributes the contact stress.

This mixture — Steelseries calls it the “ComfortMax” system — ensures a first-class match with out stress factors. Within the take a look at, the sporting consolation really proves to be excellent: A number of hours of steady use are not any drawback, the headset stays comfy and safe on the top.

Weighing round 11.4 ounces (325 grams), it isn't ultra-light, however due to the great weight distribution it doesn't really feel too heavy.

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The ear pads are made out of a hybrid of breathable material and synthetic leather-based. This offers them a smooth match and permits some air to achieve the ears, whereas the unreal leather-based on the within minimizes sound leaks.

In apply, exterior noise is passively dampened, though not fully shielded, because the partially open design is noticeable right here. After very lengthy periods, nonetheless, the ear areas can get a bit of heat. However total, the optimistic impression of a effectively thought-out, comfy headset prevails.

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The construct high quality can be of a excessive customary: Nothing wobbles or creaks, the adjustment mechanism (extendable ear cup holders and three adjustment factors for the spring band) seems sturdy and designed for a variety of head sizes. General, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 feels sturdy and high-quality — ideally suited for each day gaming use.

Nonetheless, there may be one small design criticism: The USB-C dongle provided is unusually huge at 2.11 inches (approx. 53.8 millimeters) and may block neighboring USB ports. Though Steelseries provides a brief USB extension cable, a slimmer, longer dongle would have been extra sensible. Other than this element, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 impresses throughout the board with its simplicity, wonderful ergonomics, and effectively thought-out design.

Options and connectivity

By way of capabilities and connectivity choices, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 packs a punch. The headset will be paired wirelessly by way of a 2.4GHz wi-fi dongle and in parallel by way of Bluetooth, even concurrently to combine two audio sources.

The USB-C dongle ensures a latency-free connection to PC, Mac, Ps 5, and Nintendo Swap (each within the dock and cell by way of USB-C). A slide swap on the dongle permits the particular Xbox mode for the Xbox Sequence X/S, as Microsoft’s consoles require a proprietary wi-fi protocol.

Necessary: Steelseries presents the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 in numerous variations: Nova 7P (PlayStation/PC) and Nova 7X (Xbox all others). The {hardware} is an identical, however solely the X model is totally appropriate with the Xbox. So should you select the Arctis Nova 7X model, you possibly can in reality cowl all platforms.

In assessments, the wi-fi connection proved to be very secure and lengthy sufficient vary to take a break within the subsequent room with out dropping contact. Along with Bluetooth, cell gadgets even have the choice of utilizing the USB-C dongle on smartphones or tablets, for instance by way of an adapter.

Right here, nonetheless, we now have noticed {that a} dongle connection plugged immediately into the cell phone can typically have a short lack of connection when shifting. In such instances, Bluetooth pairing is the extra handy selection when travelling.

Talking of Bluetooth: This wi-fi technique solely makes use of the SBC codec, which is okay for listening to music, however can result in noticeable delays when gaming or watching movies. The two.4GHz mode is subsequently clearly beneficial for gaming, because it has nearly no latency.

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Along with wi-fi, wired operation can be attainable: the headset has a 3.5 millimeter jack socket to attach it to a PC, controller, or handheld within the traditional analog manner. This even extends compatibility to older gadgets (e.g. for the Nintendo Swap Lite or some gaming handhelds) and serves as an emergency answer within the occasion of battery failure.

The controls on the headset are organized in a user-friendly manner: The ability button, a devoted Bluetooth button and a wheel for the chat-game audio stability (chat combine) are situated on the proper ear cup: A blessing in multiplayer to have the ability to finely stability voice chat and sport sound always.

On the left is the amount management knob and a clearly perceptible microphone mute button. The buttons and wheels present clear haptic suggestions in order that they are often operated intuitively even in the course of a sport.

The Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 doesn't have energetic noise cancellation (ANC), however this isn't uncommon on this worth vary of lower than $200 — most gaming headsets at this worth don't supply ANC anyway.

The passive isolation supplied by the padding is common: On a regular basis noises akin to keyboard clacking or quiet background chatter are noticeably muffled, however nonetheless penetrate considerably at larger volumes. General, nonetheless, the options of the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 are impressively complete:

Multi-platform assist, simultaneous connections, and analog fallback possibility make the gaming headset a particularly versatile companion. In actual fact, the Arctis mannequin works with virtually all the things, from PCs to consoles and smartphones, making it a real all-rounder.

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The twin wi-fi perform is especially noteworthy: Within the take a look at, simultaneous playback from PC/console and cell phone labored easily and with out dropouts. For instance, you will be in a Discord chat in your cell phone by way of Bluetooth whereas gaming on the PlayStation, or take a name whereas gaming on the PC.

Incoming calls are dealt with cleverly: If a name is available in by way of the cell phone, the headset microphone is routinely muted for the sport chat to be able to make the decision undisturbed. If you hold up, it switches again to the sport chat. This seamless integration of each audio channels is extraordinarily sensible in on a regular basis life.

Sound high quality

The sound high quality of the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is geared in direction of the wants of demanding players with out compromising on all-round qualities. The 40-millimeter speaker drivers ship exact, detailed sound throughout the whole frequency spectrum.

Steelseries clearly emphasizes readability within the mids and highs, which permits positive particulars akin to footsteps or directional noises to face out clearly. In actual fact, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 shines within the take a look at in the case of spatial localization:

In shooters and motion video games, it was attainable to make out precisely from which path opponents have been approaching — a tactical benefit that not each headset on this class presents. That is supported by the digital encompass perform (Steelseries Sonar Spatial Audio on the PC and Tempest 3D Audio on the PS5), which makes the sound picture even wider and extra immersive if desired.

In single-player video games, the encompass mode considerably enhances the ambiance. In aggressive video games, then again, we largely used the stereo mode, because the localization is exact and with out synthetic results — the Arctis Nova 7 already delivers wonderful positioning data in stereo.

As delivered, the sound tuning is barely fun-orientated: The bass has loads of physique and stress, whereas the higher treble sounds barely over-sharpened. This results in a strong rumble throughout explosions, for instance, however can typically be perceived as a bit of too sharp with very excessive tones. Voices and vital sport sounds within the mid-range come by means of clearly and dominate the motion, giving the headset its “tactical” sound.

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Our music assessments confirmed that the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 can be appropriate for on a regular basis multimedia: Songs sound dynamic and balanced, albeit not at hi-fi degree, because the deepest bass and positive element within the highest registers attain the bounds of gaming tuning.

Sound lovers might be aware that the fine-tuning ex works is just not fully impartial: For instance, sure treble ranges are barely overemphasized and might be a bit of tiring for delicate ears in the long run. Nonetheless, that is the place the good power of the Steelseries software program comes into its personal:

The parametric equalizer within the Sonar app permits the sound picture to be corrected and optimized as desired. We have been in a position to tame the marginally sharp treble and fine-tune the bass with just some actions of the EQ controls. The Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 then sounded very balanced.

Steelseries additionally gives over 200 predefined EQ profiles, personalized for numerous video games, from Name of Responsibility to Counter-Strike 2, which will be loaded with a click on. Within the take a look at, a few of these presets really introduced audible enhancements for particular situations, akin to clearer footsteps in shooters or extra highly effective results in motion adventures.

In brief, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 delivers a robust audio efficiency out of the field, particularly for gaming. If you wish to additional refine the sound, you've gotten all of the choices with the software program instruments. On this worth vary, the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is true on the high.

Costlier fashions such because the Steelseries Arctis Nova Professional or the Elite supply even finer hi-res sound, but in addition price many instances extra. For a $200 headset, the sound high quality of the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is completely convincing and left hardly something to be desired in on a regular basis gaming.

Microphone and voice chat

Steelseries equips the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 with the tried-and-tested “ClearCast Gen2” growth arm microphone. This may be retracted into the left ear cup and matches seamlessly into the design when retracted — ideally suited if you wish to use the headset as regular headphones when travelling.

The microphone will be flexibly bent into place and is solely pulled out to be used. Nonetheless, it isn't removable; it at all times stays hooked up to the headset. The LED indicators are sensible: A small crimson LED on the tip of the microphone alerts that the microphone is muted, and a standing LED additionally signifies the connection mode.

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In voice chat apply, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 delivers strong intelligibility. Voices are transmitted clearly and background noise is successfully suppressed. In accordance with Steelseries, this must be as much as 25 decibels due to AI noise cancelling.

In our Discord rounds, our fellow gamers confirmed that our voice got here by means of clearly and with out loud background noise. However, we now have to say: By way of sound, the microphone is barely mid-range. Our criticism is that the voice transmission is considerably unnatural and nasal, as if the voice is filtered barely mechanically or tinny.

This can be a typical phenomenon with many gaming headsets that lower frequencies in favor of readability. In consequence, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 by no means sounds as full or pure as an exterior microphone. Nonetheless, the result's completely positive for regular voice chat. Nonetheless, anybody who values very hot or genuine voice transmission (e.g. for streaming) will see the typical microphone as a weak level.

In a direct comparability with some competitor headsets on this class, the ClearCast microphone performs barely worse — the microphone on the HyperX Cloud III S Wi-fi or the Razer Blackshark V3 Professional, for instance, sound a bit of fuller.

On a optimistic be aware, nonetheless, the microphone of the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is just not overly delicate: Loud ambient noises or keyboard clatter are hardly ever transmitted. The headset additionally has microphone monitoring — you possibly can hear your self barely in your ear — which protects you from unconsciously talking loudly.

Tip: The microphone ought to really be used prolonged for optimum outcomes. Though it's technically attainable to talk when the headset is inserted (it's then not routinely muted), the standard suffers considerably: The voice is barely captured and sounds muffled. You subsequently have to tug out the scarf to stay intelligible.

This isn't an issue in on a regular basis use, because the versatile arm will be positioned simply. In significantly quiet conditions, we additionally discover a slight background noise or white noise from the microphone and hope for firmware optimizations right here. On our take a look at system, a slight background noise was solely audible when no different sounds have been enjoying; in gaming mode, it was drowned out by the sound.

General, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 delivers a practical microphone that's completely adequate for sport chat, VoIP telephony and most purposes, however is just not a spotlight. For those who’re searching for absolute high microphone high quality, you’ll both need to resort to considerably costlier headsets or take into account a separate microphone. For everybody else, the extent provided is appropriate.

Battery life and charging capabilities

A giant plus of the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is the considerably longer battery life. Steelseries has elevated the capability by round 40 p.c in comparison with its predecessor and now guarantees a powerful utilization time of as much as 54 hours in 2.4GHz mode.

In Bluetooth-only mode, the battery is anticipated to final round 42 hours, and even when utilizing wi-fi and Bluetooth on the similar time, the battery nonetheless lasts round 38 hours. In apply, over 50 hours of battery life implies that the headset solely must be charged a few times a month with reasonable each day use, making it an actual lengthy runner.

Our take a look at interval prolonged over a number of days of intensive gaming (six to eight hours per day) and we didn’t really need to cost the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 in between inside per week. The battery standing is displayed by way of the software program and an LED show on the system, and the headset emits warning tones when the battery is low.

Nonetheless, we discovered the sequence of warning tones a bit of intrusive when the battery is low: three loud warning tones sound each two minutes or so, which will be annoying in the long term. However, an empty battery is unlikely to come back as a whole shock, because the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is de facto long-lasting.

And even should you neglect about it, assistance is at hand: Due to the quick-charging perform, quarter-hour on the cable is sufficient to provide you with round six hours of enjoying time. The battery prices totally in round one and a half hours.

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One other sensible characteristic is you can proceed to make use of the headset whereas it's charging. Merely join the USB-C cable and it'll cost within the background with out interrupting the sport. Which means that spontaneous gaming periods are by no means jeopardized.

General, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 ranks on the high of the wi-fi headset vary when it comes to battery life. Only some fashions (such because the HyperX Cloud III S Wi-fi with over 100 hours) run even longer, however over 50 hours is already greater than sufficient for lengthy gaming nights.

Software program and extras

The GG software program, together with Sonar, is an actual asset for Steelseries. This software program suite integrates {hardware} and software program in an exemplary method and presents a variety of customization choices. On the PC, you should utilize Steelseries GG to put in firmware updates for the headset, however above all you possibly can configure the sound extensively:

A parametric 10-band equalizer, numerous predefined sound profiles for various sport genres, sliders for sport/chat combine, quantity, microphone degree, and sidetone (monitoring) — all of that is clearly obtainable.

The consumer interface is designed to be beginner-friendly; should you don’t need to familiarize your self in depth, merely choose one of many many presets and get an acceptable sound with none effort. Superior customers will likely be delighted with the power to fine-tune each sound element from treble filter to bass enhance.

Due to the built-in sonar know-how, we have been really in a position to tease so much out of the headset in the course of the take a look at. Steelseries Sonar is regarded by connoisseurs as top-of-the-line headset apps in the marketplace, and our expertise confirms this:

The EQ perform and the constantly up to date gaming presets (over 260 profiles in accordance with the producer) are distinctive and really helpful. Exceptional: For the reason that second era, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 now additionally helps the Arctis smartphone app.

This permits console players or cell players to make some settings conveniently on their cellphones. For instance, the app can be utilized to pick EQ presets, alter the sound combine, or management lighting (if obtainable).

The parametric fine-tuning is reserved for the PC software program, however primary profiles can be modified on the transfer. Within the take a look at, the app pairing labored immediately; additionally it is pleasing that no obligatory registration is required to make use of the app or PC software program.

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General, Steelseries emphasises its premium declare with the software program: The probabilities go far past what customary drivers supply. Solely those that completely don’t like extra software program on the PC could also be overwhelmed:

The Sonar app can appear advanced at first, but it surely’s price spending 15 to half-hour familiarizing your self with it. For many players, the software program integration is a good added worth that units the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 aside from extra merely geared up competitor fashions.