SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite Review: Hush Money

Table of Contents

Quick Verdict

At $599.99, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite stands alone in its price bracket among gaming headsets. While it’s still built for gaming, I think it actually targets a different crowd. It’s not just for audiophile gamers, but for anyone who needs a headset that can do it all by day and properly game at night. That means one device for music, podcasts, or a YouTube video in the background, plus calls or meetings. When it’s time to play, it handles that too. And it doesn’t have to plug in, thanks to the swappable battery system.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite has one major claim: it’s the first gaming headset to deliver certified hi-res wireless audio. On PC, that means 96kHz/24-bit processing, though you likely won’t notice it in games or streaming. However, the sound quality is where the Arctis Nova Elite shines. The listening experience is noticeably better than most gaming headsets, with the possible exception of the Audeze Maxwell. It also offers features like GameHub with OmniPlay and mixing audio from up to four sources at once, but those alone don’t justify the price. Whether it’s worth $599.99 comes down to how much you value better audio and seamless multi-source convenience. I don’t regret the purchase, and I’ll explain why below.

Steel the Show

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite Wireless Headset Review | Image: Jason Siu / FullCleared

As someone who spends, at minimum, 10 to 12 hours a day at my computer, a good headset has always been important to me. Before SteelSeries sent me its H Wireless gaming headset to review in 2014, I mainly used Logitech wireless headsets. At the time, the question being asked was whether the H Wireless headset was worth $299.99, which was really a premium in the space over a decade ago. Audio and mic quality aside, SteelSeries won me over with its swappable battery system, a feature I feel I can no longer live without. It’s hyperbole, but never having to plug in a headset for over ten years has been a blessing, and when I run out of juice on a single battery, a swap takes less than five seconds. I have even done it mid-game without hassle.

After the H Wireless came the Arctis Pro Wireless, which I purchased in 2018. I then made the jump to the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless in 2023, and it was not the best experience. The first headset I received had issues with its 2.4GHz connection, producing distortion no matter what I tried. After some back-and-forth with SteelSeries customer service, I eventually got a replacement that worked much better, but I still had occasional sound issues. Mildly frustrated by the experience, I’ve spent some time this year exploring other options, including the popular Audeze Maxwell. Borrowing one from a friend, I could not get over how heavy it was. For me, it was not comfortable for long sessions, and I could never get used to plugging it in to charge.

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While the Arctis Nova Pro’s audio quality is pretty good for a gaming headset, I’ve spent the last few years building a hobbyist collection of in-ear monitors (IEMs). I would never consider myself an audiophile, but I spent several years in my younger days in the car audio world, so I have an appreciation and understanding of speakers, equalizers, amplifiers, and sound quality. If you’re also from that world, I’ve always recommended Focal to friends and customers. I prefer a clean, lively, highly detailed sound that leans toward crisp, high-end performance, and even today, if I upgrade speakers, it’s Focal. For the last few months, I’ve had my Maestraudio MA910SR IEMs plugged into the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro DAC, and whenever I don’t need a mic, I use them to better enjoy my music. The problem is that IEMs aren’t the most comfortable for eight hours a day, since mine aren’t custom. If I could afford custom-fit IEMs that fit my ear perfectly, we likely wouldn’t be debating whether $599.99 is too pricey for the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite.

As I started appreciating the audio quality from my IEMs during the day, I began keeping a closer eye on rumors about next-gen gaming headsets. The successor to the Audeze Maxwell was what I was hoping to see, but then SteelSeries announced the Arctis Nova Elite. I figured the chances of the Audeze Maxwell getting a swappable battery system were slim, but $599.99 is still steep for a SteelSeries headset. That’s double what I paid for any of my other Arctis headsets, and it’s really hard to put a price tag on audio quality. Ultimately, the idea of a headset that’s basically the Arctis Nova Pro, but better, really appealed to me. I decided to stop by a local Micro Center to pick up the new Arctis Nova Elite in its Sage and Gold finish.

Plush Premium

It’s easy to compare the Arctis Nova Pro and Arctis Nova Elite, but that doesn’t help if you don’t own the Nova Pro. Instead, let’s mostly talk about the Arctis Nova Elite on its own. The headset is powered by new 40mm carbon fiber drivers with a two-piece design featuring a brass surround. Frequency response is rated at 10-40,000Hz, while sensitivity is 101dB SPL at 1kHz/1mW. Impedance is 38ohms, and it supports 360-degree spatial audio technologies, including Tempest 3D and Windows Sonic. For most people, though, those specs mean little, much like the 96kHz/24-bit claim that’s mainly PC-only.

If you couldn’t care less about specs, what you probably want to know is that the Arctis Nova Elite remains one of the most comfortable headsets on the market. Tipping the scales at 380g, the Nova Elite is heavier than the Nova Pro’s 339g, mainly due to its steel and aluminum construction, while the Pro uses more plastic. The weight is noticeably lower than the Audeze Maxwell, which comes in around 490g and can vary with attachments like the boom mic. Nonetheless, comfort isn’t a concern with Arctis Nova headsets, though I still recommend swapping the stock cushions for a set from Wicked Cushions. I did the same with the Nova Elite, since I’m not a fan of how hot the stock cushions can get.

Audio Equity

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is powered by the GameHub with OmniPlay, featuring three USB-C ports and line-in and line-out ports. Combined with Bluetooth, the Nova Elite can mix up to four sources at once, with claims of no audio degradation. It’s the first system of its kind to do this, and for some people it comes in handy. To give a real-world, personal example, I can hear notifications from Slack, Discord, or Teams on my PC while playing on the PlayStation 5 Pro. If someone calls my phone, I can pick it up on the headset as well. I don’t have to pause anything, drop anything, or take the headset off. If you can imagine yourself in that scenario, the Nova Elite has real value. If you don’t need four inputs at once, the Arctis Nova Pro also does multi-source mixing and is a much cheaper option.

Unlike other Arctis Nova offerings, the Nova Elite’s only option is choosing from one of two colors: Sage and Gold, or Obsidian (black). That means you don’t have to figure out which version works with Xbox, PlayStation, PC, or Switch. The Nova Elite supports every major console, plus Bluetooth, and with an onboard 3.5mm aux port, it basically works with anything that can output audio. I have to say, even as someone who abhors gold accents on nearly anything, the Sage and Gold colorway is really attractive and easy on the eyes.

Suite Nothings

There are multiple ways to configure and set up the headset. The Nova Elite allows PC customization through SteelSeries GG and Sonar, which include EQ customization, spatial audio, volume boost, Smart Volume, and more. Some of that customization can be done on the DAC as well, including a custom EQ, but it is best through SteelSeries GG. If you really don’t want to install software on your PC, you can use the mobile app to connect to your headset and customize everything there. Don’t know anything about EQ settings? There are over 200 presets to choose from, many of which are designed for specific games. Personally, I’ve been using the Nova Elite on Flat and have been really impressed by the soundstage. I’ll probably give it a few more weeks before I start messing with the EQ, but it’s not like the Nova Pro, which sounded very flat to me on a Flat EQ.

As for the boom mic, it’s still a SteelSeries mic. It’s above average, but it still doesn’t deliver the clarity you can get from a standalone mic. For the most part, it’s good enough, but it’s still the weakest part of the package. The Nova Elite also has a discreet onboard mic, which it seamlessly switches to if you stow the boom mic in the headset. The onboard mic is nice when you’re on the go and using the headset outdoors, allowing you to take calls without pulling out a boom mic and letting the world know you’re talking to someone. Features like this lead me to believe the Nova Elite is designed to be an all-day headset, not just a gaming one. Also, sidetone is there and adjustable, but I leave it off and can’t really judge it. Other controls on the headset include a metal volume wheel, a physical mute button, a power button that also controls ANC, and a Bluetooth button.

Mute Point

SteelSeries rates each battery at up to 30 hours, so the two included cells can net you roughly 60 hours between swaps. But, since one battery charges while the other is in use, you effectively have an infinite power system. Swapping the battery involves removing the cover on the right earcup, replacing the battery, and putting the magnetic cover back on. It takes about five seconds, and once you get used to it, the motion is second nature: battery out, new one in, old one back into the dock to charge. It is, by far, the standout feature of SteelSeries’ high-end headsets, and I am surprised no other company has replicated it. Maybe I’m just lazy, but the swappable battery is a feature I can’t live without, and a competing gaming headset would need significantly better audio for me to choose it over one that can swap batteries.

Essentially, battery life only matters if you use the headset away from the DAC. In my experience with SteelSeries wireless headsets, actual battery life tends to exceed the rating, but the batteries do degrade over time. Eventually, they won’t hit the advertised 30 hours, but that’s expected. This is mainly a non-issue, assuming you have at least two batteries to cycle. If you often take the headset on the road without the DAC, plan on buying new batteries every three to four years if you need the full 30 hours per charge. I know swappable batteries don’t appeal to everyone, though. If you have no issue plugging your headset in every night, the swappable battery system won’t add much value. If you’re not like me, spending 10 to 12 hours at my computer each day, you may not need effectively infinite battery life. In that case, this isn’t a feature you need to weigh heavily when considering the Nova Elite’s price.

Frosted Fidelity

When it comes to audio quality, the Nova Elite is noticeably better than the Nova Pro, and likely on par with the Audeze Maxwell. On certain tracks from the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 soundtrack, which I know very well by now, the audio is comparable to my IEMs, with clear mids and highs, unlike the muddier Nova Pro. I can’t speak to other headsets on the market, since I don’t have extensive listening time with them, but I can say the Nova Elite sounds excellent. I won’t go so far as to say they’re the best-sounding setup on the market for the price, especially since you could piece together a better combo for $600 with Sennheiser headphones or IEMs and an external mic. As an all-in-one solution that connects to multiple devices at once, with a swappable battery system and plenty of customization, it might be the best gaming headset with that feature set.

Speaking of connectivity, the Nova Elite has the best wireless range of all the SteelSeries headsets I’ve owned. I found the Nova Pro took a step backward in that department, but the Nova Elite fixes whatever issues the Nova Pro’s wireless DAC had. I haven’t experienced a single moment of distortion or any wireless disconnects while roaming my home, which was not the case with any previous SteelSeries headsets I’ve owned. The range is seriously impressive. As for active noise cancellation (ANC), I’m not an expert, so I won’t pretend to be. As far as I’m concerned, the headset does a great job isolating me from the rest of the world, and as long as I can’t hear my computer preparing to launch when my Intel i9-14900K decides to hit 80 degrees for no reason, I’m happy. If you currently own the Nova Pro, know that the Nova Elite now verbally confirms when ANC is on or off, rather than using beeps and bloops you have to interpret like a robot.

Sound Investment

In many ways, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is very much like the Corsair Platform:6 desk I reviewed last year, or the Anthros chair review from earlier this year. You’re paying a premium for convenience, and in the Nova Elite’s case, it’s the convenience of having one headset that covers all your use cases without sacrificing performance. Previously, my Nova Pro gave way to my IEMs when I wanted to listen to music while working away at my PC. With the Nova Elite, that’s no longer the case, and being able to hop into a Slack Huddle or Discord chat without taking out my IEMs and powering on my headset—well, there’s real value there when it happens more than a couple of times a week. If you enjoy holding something that feels premium, or love when the headband adjustment glides smoothly rather than clicking through notches, the Nova Elite has value there, too. After reaching for my Nova Pro for years, the first time I grabbed the Elite off my hook it immediately reminded me it’s a different headset.

As I mentioned earlier, I’m also paying the premium to use one headset with all my consoles while still listening to audio from my PC, or easily hopping onto a phone call. Some people are willing to pay to avoid the mild bother of pausing the game, taking off the headset, and answering the phone. Think of it like an OLED monitor or a DualSense Edge controller. You decide what those extras are worth to you, then decide if the Nova Elite justifies $599.99. If you’re wondering whether the price is worth it for sound alone, that depends on how much music matters to you. If you (rightfully) think Sirène – Poème d’Amour is the best track on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s soundtrack, then yes, you might actually appreciate the difference in audio quality. But if you’re still in that filthy casual Alicia camp, the Arctis Nova Pro may be all you need.