SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review - a truly audiophile gaming headset, for a steep price

Plenty of gaming headsets have claimed to offer high-end audio over the years, but few have really lived up to that claim. However, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite really does deliver, which is as you'd hope for its incredibly high price. However, while some buyers will baulk at such a large price tag for a gaming headset, this one does at least deliver loads of other features too. From swappable batteries to active noise cancelling, it ticks just about every modern gaming headset feature you can think of, and some you probably can't.

Over several weeks of testing, I've found all this sonic prowess and versatility to easily make this one of the best gaming headset options you can buy right now. Other, far cheaper options deliver the goods for pure gaming convenience, but SteelSeries' new flagship is the one to get if you truly want a headset that can do it all.

Specs

Features

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is one of the most feature-packed gaming headsets on the market. Not only does it include many of the now common features of wireless gaming headsets, such as both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections, and active noise cancelling, but it also has loads of other extras too.

Perhaps the biggest standout of this headset is a feature it shares with the very similar Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, which is the inclusion of a wireless adapter that not only provides the connection for your headset but also includes multiple inputs, a multi-function control dial, an OLED display, and a battery charger.

Into this so-called GameHub, you can plug three USB-C inputs (one more than the Nova Pro Wireless), allowing you to connect up two game consoles and your PC, for instance. There's also an analog 3.5mm jack input and an analog output too, so you can plug in a set of (powered) speakers and then use the GameHub to switch between headphone and speaker outputs. This is also the first headset, SteelSeries claims, to allow for full mixing of four inputs, so you can mix and match between listening to music on your phone, taking a Teams meeting on your PC (or running Discord), and hearing the game audio of your PS5, for instance.

The display and dial can also be used to control volume, switch inputs, change EQ, adjust input mix, and change general settings for the headset, such as auto-power-off time and whether to activate the LED on the end of the retractable microphone.

On to the headset, and to facilitate swapping batteries, charging the headset directly, and just being able to change up the style of the headset slightly, each earcup has a removable round disc. These magnetically attached discs cover a battery compartment on the right earcup and a USB-C charging port on the left earcup.

Also on the left earcup are buttons for muting the mic and powering on the headset, with the latter also cycling the headset's active noise cancelling (ANC) between off, on, and audio passthrough, which uses the headset's mics to make outside sound come through more clearly. Speaking of microphones, the headset has a retractable boom mic that slides out of the left earcup and also has four other internal microphones that provide both listening for the ANC as well as voice comms for moments where you don't want to use the boom mic.

There are two more main physical features to note, which are the inclusion of an analog 3.5mm jack input on the left earcup - useful for when you're completely caught short without any battery (if you can find a cable that fits in the sunken socket). On the right earcup, there's a Bluetooth button that will switch the headset to Bluetooth mode and can then be used to play/pause/skip music and answer calls.

As for what's included in the box, you get three USB-A to USB-C cables for connecting all your devices, along with a 3.5mm jack cable for connecting your headset to a phone, mp3 player, or other analog output. There's also a spare battery and a foam cover for the boom mic.

Also included is a fabric travel bag that fits the headset and has a small zipped pocket with enough room for a charging cable. It's a quality item with a faux leather exterior and padded interior with a magnetically-clasping opening.

For those familiar with the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, you may be wondering what the main differences are between that headset and this one, as they are very similar. Several differences are in the design and build quality of the headset, which we'll come to in a moment. However, the main feature differences are that the Elite includes one extra USB-C input and includes uprated carbon fiber speaker drivers that are more sensitive and provide a very wide 10-40,000Hz frequency response over both wired and wireless connections.

This headset also includes Hi-Res Audio support for 96kHz/24-bit listening, again over both wired and wireless connections. Most PC audio doesn't hit these sorts of high bit rates, but it's nice to have the support there just in case.

Design, comfort, and build quality

SteelSeries offers the Arctis Nova Elite in two color options. There's black or the sage and gold I'm reviewing here. It's an interesting combination that I can see the appeal of on paper, but I must admit that it's not a combo I'd choose. Maybe a slightly darker green would have won me over a bit more, or if the combo was used on a headset with an even sleeker design, it would've worked better, but, on balance, I think I'd go for the black option. This is particularly true of the included carry bag, which feels quite impractical in light green.

Moreover, the push for a sleeker, more travel headphone-style look is commendable, but there are still enough extra buttons and other bits on this headset that mean it falls well short of the sleek lines of a Sony XM5 or Beats Studio Pro.

While it might not rival those headphones for streamlined looks, though, this headset can certainly rival the best when it comes to build. To look at, you'd hardly be able to tell there's any difference between the Nova Elite and Nova Pro Wireless, but SteelSeries has upped the quality in several key areas.

For a start, the earcup padding is greatly improved. The padding is denser yet still super supple, while the faux leather is so much softer. It really makes a difference to overall comfort. Indeed, this headset is really comfortable, with its suspended headband strap doing a great job of distributing weight evenly over your head (and the band doesn't annoyingly hang loose as it does on some headsets with this strap design).

The volume wheel and earcup arms have also been upgraded to a metal build, as opposed to using plastic. This doesn't make much difference for the earcup holders, but the new wheel design is much easier to use, with a much grippier, knurled finish.

The downside to some of these changes is an increase in weight. The Nova Pro Wireless was already around 340g, but the Nova Elite has jumped up to 380g. That makes it one of the heaviest headsets around, and although this largely doesn't affect the comfort of its earcups or headband, it makes it less practical for travel and means that it has a tendency to slide off your head if you lean forward or back - administering my been-staring-at-a-screen-too-long eye drops with this headset on is not an option. Other, lighter headsets avoid this.

Another slight black mark against the general practicality of this headset is that the magnetic earcup discs come off too easily. Any knock that slightly rotates them will cause the two magnets to no longer align, and the disc then just falls off. What's more, the battery in the right earcup is also quite loosely held in, so again it can fairly easily drop out. It takes, for example, dropping the headset from your seated position onto a carpeted floor to generate enough force for this to happen, but once it does, the discs and battery can go flying across your floor.

Sound quality

I've got to be honest, I wasn't expecting to really be won over by the claims of the audiophile sound quality in this headset. I've heard it said many times before that a gaming headset is Hi-Fi-grade or audiophile-quality, and they've seldom really hit the mark. However, this headset does sound fantastic.

What really sets it apart are three factors. Firstly, there's the sheer amount of detail it puts forth. Parts of songs that most gaming headsets make muddy and muffled come to life, providing an incredible level of sonic engagement. The old cliché of feeling like you're in the room with the musicians springs to mind, with subtleties of breath, instrument interactions, and the open airiness of room mics all reproduced with total clarity.

I was particularly struck by this prowess while listening to my current obsession, the track Dark Altar Magic by Hoaxed. The moment where the double kick drum kicks back in at 2:28 with the overdubbed guitars, harmonized vocals, and all sorts of other background keyboards and other cavernous-sounding sonic elements is spine-tingling. On the Nova Pro Wireless, in comparison, quite a lot of that spacious complexity is flattened. It still sounds good, but it doesn't inspire the same sense of wonder.

Bass is another area where this headset excels. The earcups provide a great seal, which aids bass response, and the drivers then deliver incredible power and depth, all while not sounding forced. Whether you're listening to the bombastic bass beats of Biggie or the blast of cannon in Battlefield 6, it delivers.

The final factor is how clean and unforced the sound is of this headset. Bass isn't overly cranked up, treble isn't shrill, and there's no ramped-up mid-range warmth. Instead, it manages to sound flat and accurate, all while still delivering power when called upon. You can also tweak the EQ to your liking, but I found it was to my liking right out of the box.

All this sonic prowess for music (the most obvious application for audiophile headphone claims) does also translate to great gaming audio too. All that detail is fantastic for immersion and providing precise directional audio cues while the bass adds loads of drama. You, of course, get virtual surround sound too, which works superbly, and you can choose from over 200 pro-gamer EQ presets as well as set your own fine-tuned EQ with a full parametric EQ.

As for the ANC, it works well. SteelSeries' claim that it's the best ANC on a gaming headset is a bold one, but it's not one I'd strongly refute. The headset does a great job of reducing outside din without coloring what you're listening to. The pass-through mode can sound a touch tinny, and your own voice can sound a bit strange resonating in the headset, but it certainly does the job - it's how I generally chose to use the headset while working at my desk all day.

When it comes to microphone quality, the main boom mic is very good, offering a broad, full sound, but it can be very picky about position. Just half an inch of movement towards or away from your mouth can make all the difference for the sound completely cutting in and out. Again, making the comparison to a dedicated desktop mic and headphone setup, I've generally found that desktop mics are a lot more forgiving of address positioning.

Switching to the internal mics, and understandably, these take a noticeable step down in quality, but they're perfectly usable and a great extra to have for moments where you don't want to be fiddling around with pulling out a boom mic.

Battery life

One of the most appealing aspects of the Nova Elite is the swappable battery system that it shares with the Nova Pro Wireless. With a constant rotation of one battery on charge and the other in the headset, you will never be more than a few seconds without sound. You can also pick up a set of two spare batteries for under $30.

However, while the system is great and does effectively get you infinite battery life, it's a bit of a shame that there's no internal mini battery or capacitor to power the headset for a few seconds while you swap batteries. It might only be a few seconds of downtime - and the headset will pick up from where it left off, in terms of input and volume settings, if the battery is swapped quickly enough - but there is still a gap. The battery swapping process also isn't quite as effortless as you might hope if you keep the headset on - there's a bit of a knack to it.

Otherwise, with 30 hours of use per battery, you only have to remember to load up with a fresh battery before any crucial gaming sessions, and you'll be assured it'll last longer than you can game. Just 15 minutes of charging via the USB-C port will also get you four extra hours of listening.

Deep breath… The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite price is $599.99 / £599.99. Yes, $600 for a gaming headset. Whichever way you slice it, that's a big pile of cash. However, SteelSeries is very much pitching this headset as an option for the audiophile gamer who otherwise has it all, not as an everyday aspirational upgrade for competitive gaming, for instance.

What's more, the combination of sound and build quality, along with the sheer amount of features and extras included with this headset, really does go a long way to justifying that price. All that said, unless you do see yourself using the multiple connections and travel-friendly wireless and ANC functions of a headset like this, if pure audio quality is your aim, a really good quality headphone interface, dedicated Hi-Fi headphones, and desktop mic can all be bought for the price of this one headset.

Alternatives

Verdict

There's absolutely no doubt that the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is the single most capable gaming headset you can buy. Its combination of truly class-leading sound quality and just about unmatched versatility means that if you're looking for a single headset that can truly do it all, it stands in a league of its own.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless and some rivals, such as the Astro A50 X, deliver many of the same features, including multiple connections, wireless, ANC, and more, but the Arctis Nova Elite is a very clear step up in sound quality.

With that step up in sound quality comes a big leap in price, though, which is where the Nova Elite becomes a trickier sell. For many desk-bound gaming PC setups, a headphone interface, a set of quality wired headphones, and a desktop mic have the potential to surpass even the audio of this headset, all for the same price or lower. And the headphones are likely to be lighter and will never need charging.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, for those that particularly want a travel-friendly headset, this one is a bit bulky and heavy, and its swappable battery system - and the covers for them - aren't really that practical on the road.

So, instead, the exact user for whom this will appeal will be someone who has a multi-gaming system setup that can take advantage of the multiple inputs of the headset's hub, who occasionally might want to travel with or at least move round the house with this headset, and that wants audio quality that isn't just solidly good for gaming but is truly pushing into audiophile territory. That's quite a niche audience, I suspect, but if it is you, this is definitely the headset to buy.