The gaming headset market is really full of all kinds of models. On the one hand, we find those that are designed so that players can enjoy the competitive advantage that this type of peripheral can provide in multiplayer games, without having to make a large outlay. However, this type of product ends up sinning by being somewhat concise in the rest of the scenarios, by having excessive bass and treble that does not reach a good level.
For this reason, the most enthusiastic users choose to make a larger investment for more premium products, surpassing the barrier of even 200 euros, thus seeking to obtain headphones that, in addition to offering a good gaming experience, also defend themselves in the rest of the world. scenarios in which they can be used. An example is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro range, which starts from this price range that we mentioned earlier, with the aim of offering a good finish in all areas. Will they be able to fulfill this task? We tell you about it below in our analysis of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro.
Analysis of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
design and construction
SteelSeries has given these Arctis Nova Pro of practically unbeatable build quality and finish. At the top we can find a headband built on a really light metal plate, which offers a really premium appearance without compromising the weight of the headphones. In addition, continuing with this same section, the inside of this headband has a rubber coating, which together with the flexible fabric band will guarantee us fantastic comfort.
If we go to the rest of the body of the headphones, it is made of plastic, with the exception of the metal plates that we can find on the outside of the headphones, which are removable and interchangeable, designed for those users who want to provide from a greater personality to the peripheral.
Regarding the interior part, we find a leatherette material with fantastic padding, about which we can already tell you that It has given us incredible comfort during sessions of more than 4 hours of use without rest.. In fact, I daresay these are the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.
One aspect that helps to take care of the image of the Arctis Nova Pro is the inclusion of a retractable microphone. Normally, manufacturers of gaming headsets choose to include microphones that are removable or that are completely attached to the body of the device. However, SteelSeries has opted for the best decision this time, since we will not have to worry about where we have left the microphone or if we forget to remove it if we use them outside the home. It will be as simple as pushing them in a little and leaving it completely camouflaged with a smooth movement.
As for the device controls, all of them are located on the left earphone, where we can control the volume of the headphones, mute ourselves if we wish, and connect the headphones to our devices. However, if we play on PC these controls will be little used by us, since the company has chosen to accompany this device with a GameDAC.
This GameDAC has an elegant design, where we can see a led screen in which we will have the ability to control different aspects of the headphones, such as the sound, the equalizer that we will use (especially designed for use on consoles) and many other elements. We will do all of this through the dial that we find on the right of the device, which will also act as a button. Although it may seem somewhat complex, the moment we connect our headphones, a small tutorial will skip us where it will explain the operation of the device, so there will be no more problems with this. It is possible to use the headphones without the GameDAC, but our recommendation is that whenever we use them, it is through it.
Sound quality
If we can clearly say that we have loved the design of the headphones, the sound quality of these Arctis Nova Pro is the same or even better. As we have mentioned before, gaming headphones usually bet on offering an experience where bass is the main protagonist, neglecting the rest of the sounds or simply offering an experience that is too artificial to give them a certain wow effect.
However, SteelSeries has managed to offer a product that is capable of performing in all the scenarios in which we use it in an outstanding way. In our tests we have used it in countless games, where the result has been magnificent regardless of the genre in question.
For example, we use it in several games of Battlefield 2042, where the sound effects of the game were a real joyWhether it was the gunshots, the explosions, or even the character dialogue. I also tried to escape from the underworld together with Zagreus, with whom I was able to enjoy the fantastic soundtrack of the title, as well as the sound effects when we kill enemies and bosses. And the sound of Forza Horizon 5’s engines sounds even better than it did with the TV’s speakers.
If we decide to give gaming a break and opt for use the Arctis Nova Pro for music, the result will be just as satisfying. Contrary to what happens with other gaming peripherals, this time we have an incredibly clear sound to enjoy any musical genre. Although we can configure the equalizer of the headphones from our computer or from the GameDAC (which we will talk about later), the basic configuration of these is fantastic. I have had many headphones throughout my life, but I can say without fear of being wrong that the SteelSeries Artcis Nova Pro are the ones that have offered me the best soundwith a wide difference with respect to the second.
GameDAC and software
We have already been advancing you some aspects about the GameDAC that SteelSeries accompanies with these headphones, but now we will talk more about it in depth. Although the Arctis Nova Pro have a good sound without the use of this device, the truth is that for us it has been essential when using them. In addition to the convenience of controlling the volume of the headphones through its dial, almost every time we have wanted to adjust something we have done it through the GameDAC.
In addition to being able to directly control the volume visually, and seeing how the left and right headphones behave, With this device we will have almost complete control of the Arctis Nova Pro. In its menu, we can choose to change between one of the 5 equalizer modes that we have (one of them being completely customizable to the user’s taste), control the gain, the sidetone, the volume of the microphone and even the possibility of muting it.
Nevertheless, one of the best aspects of the GameDAC is the versatility it offers us, since on its back we have the possibility of connecting them to two different devices, through which we can access with a mere touch on the dial and adjusting the input that we want to use. This implies that, even if we have the GameDAC connected to our computer, we can use them on our console without having to unplug them and plug them back in.
Regarding the software that we can use on our PC, we have the SteelSeries GG program, where we can control the behavior of the Arctis Nova Pro in aspects such as normal use, their performance when we are playing or the level at which we want listen to the voice chat. A nice addition that, in our case, we have hardly used due to the GameDAC.
Microphone
Taking a look at all of the above, we might think that the people at SteelSeries had decided to sacrifice the microphone section to have a complete product in the rest of the sections. However, the reality could not be more different. In the tests that I have been able to carry out, the sound offered by the microphone of the Arctis Nova Pro has been really goodtaking into account the type of product before which we find ourselves.
How many times have we heard our friends complain that our keyboard sounds too loud? With these headphones it will be something that will be forgotten, since its microphone has a bidirectional sound input, which reduces background noise on any of the platforms where we use them.
In addition, we also have the possibility to configure the sidetone (or side tone), which basically consists of listening to our voice when we speak, a recommended option if we play late at night and don’t want to end up yelling. As expected, we will do this through the GameDAC, where we have up to 4 different modes to configure the experience to our liking.
Conclusions
The only way to conclude this analysis of the SteelSeries Arctis Not going Pro is noting that these are the best headphones I have ever used. Its great sound in any of the scenarios, the versatility offered by the GameDAC, its design and ergonomics, as well as its fantastic microphone make it a product to be taken into account for all those who have no problem making a considerable outlay, since that we are before a product that costs 279.99 euros.
They are headphones that will offer us a fantastic experience both in our games and in our daily use, so if we want to have headphones for any type of use, these Arctis Nova Pro are positioned as one of the best options that we can find in the market. market.