The musical side of SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
The musical side of SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
The Arctis Nova 7 Wireless performs very well in music, especially considering it is a gaming (+ wireless) headset. With a balanced EQ setting in SteelSeries software, the headset provided a dynamic bass, relatively clear vocals, and pleasant sound reproduction. It’s best to:
- Select flat sound optimization
- or add a new profile and manually configure the equalizer, and then
- Save it as the default profile
As for the testing suite, we used the following songs:
- Eric Clapton - Tears In Heaven
- Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
- Limp Bizkit – Boiler
- Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On
The Arctis Nova 7 Wireless makes the bass adequate. The instruments sound natural, and the vocals are represented very well. Low-end instruments like the bass guitar and drums were reproduced profoundly and fully. The (noticeable) bass doesn’t overwhelm vocals and lead instruments. Bass drum reproduction is precise and very accurate. The mid-range is good, neutral, and correct by default. The soundstage and resolution are on a great level. Vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, and pianos came through enough (and it was also hearable during the gaming sessions; it was possible to pick up the subtle details). Resonance felt natural. Midrange vocals had enough warmth. The upper end had no major issues with the treble. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless has a V-shaped characteristic (typical for gaming headsets), with more than sufficient bass, adequate treble, and a slightly smaller midrange. Audiophiles will definitely prefer a more neutral sound, but you are not the target for this headset if you are one. The frequency response is relatively standard, so there are no extra points. The Arctis Nova 7 Wireless provided excellent sound quality for an Average Joe. There’s no more significant reason to complain, especially considering this is a gaming (and wireless) headset, not an audiophile product. The sound stage and the headset’s capabilities were above average, with superb depth and direction. The Arctis Nova 7 Wireless is tuned to a balance, focusing on the bass and relatively clear voices – it’s possible to hear subtle details you may have missed.
