SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro – Luxury Gaming Headset and DAC

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is not just headphones or gaming headsets, but in fact an entire audio system that allows you to connect two input devices. In today’s review, we will look at these headphones, which, of course, are primarily aimed at gamers, but the Arctis brand is definitely not limited to this segment.

Path to the top of Arctis headsets

I remember it like it was yesterday when I first tried the base model number 3 of the first line of Arctis headphones, and I was extremely surprised at how far SteelSeries was able to take sound quality, especially with the Sonar Audio software add-on, to a height compared to with an average gray value with a standard connection without software. But many years have passed, and today I am wearing the Arctis Nova Pro model in the classic cable design.

Design and microphone

The design of the headset looks premium at first glance. An elastic textile band is attached under the outer structure of the head bridge, the length of which can be adjusted using studs attached to the inner part. The ear pads are very soft and comfortable. Inside are 40mm neodymium drivers with a decent 10-40,000Hz frequency range, 38 ohm impedance, and 93dBPL sensitivity.

The 2nd generation ClearCast microphone is built into the left earcup – built into the body, elegantly follows the lines of the earcup and features a classic retractable design. Its frequency range is 100 – 10,000 Hz and it has a two-way noise canceling response. On the outside of the cup, you’ll also find a volume rocker and a physical mute button.

DAC – digital-to-analog converter

This deserves a separate paragraph. GameDAC the second generation is an audio-to-analog converter that supports 96kHz/24bit high-resolution audio. On the back panel you will find 2x USB for connecting to devices, line in and line out. The main headset jack is located on the side. The module has a single color OLED display, a built-in simple and concise tutorial, and it is easy to operate with the large circle on the right and the touch button.

Alternatively, of course, you can navigate to the settings in the SteelSeries Application Environment directly on your computer. The software offers everything in one place and editing is faster. The SteelSeries control center environment is traditionally well designed, everything you need can be found intuitively on the first tab.

How do they play with us, mentor?

What are your listening experiences? At first I tried the headphones on my own without a digital converter. The highs and mids are well separated and crisp, the bands don’t clash with each other, and the center frequencies are fully pronounced (perhaps overkill at higher volumes). The first impression is definitely solid – strong above average, only a little more pronounced bass is missing.

With the use of the DAC, we get the level further, although I think that such a leap as it once was with Arctis 3 is impossible. In any case, the software EQ will help with the enrichment of bass lines with one click – just melt the first two bands a little and send the third to slightly lower levels. You can easily switch between two devices connected at the same time (for example, a PC and a console). In a word, the impression is very good. Even after several hours of use, the Arctis Nova Pro remains really comfortable. Nothing presses anywhere, ears do not sweat in any way. Everything is at its best.

As for the microphone, recording does not require any complicated procedures. The sound of the recordings is relatively decent and quite sufficient for normal communication. The sound is clear without significant noise, and overall I would definitely classify it as one of the best, although this is still a small microphone in the composition of the headphones.

Summary

All in all, SteelSeries proves to be taking a step forward once again in the headphone space. Of course, we are not yet talking about a product for true music lovers, but there is no doubt that Arctic Nova Pro can reproduce sound at a much higher level and will satisfy even the most demanding users. I’m not afraid to say that the Arctis line is not really gaming tinsel, but a real line of impressive audio products. The design is slim, comfortable, and you can also opt for a wireless version that adds even more versatility. The only catch is the price tag. In short, SteelSeries also holds its product in high regard. You can buy the headphones at the time of writing this review for 6,990 kr, while the wireless version will set you back 9,390 kr.