Impressive... 🤔 Steelseries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review
As a 40 year old gamer, I’m pretty picky when it comes to what headset to game with. Having tested the Steelseries Arctis Nova 5, I’ve found 3 BIG reasons to like them, whether you’re gaming on PC or VR, and three ways it can be better.
3 BIG Reasons to Like Them
Quick Swapping
First reason I like them is their quick swapping between Bluetooth and 2.4ghz source. It’s like multipoint pairing, because I could be gaming on my PC and with one button away, switch to my phone if I want to take a call or someone shares a reel with me on Instagram, while retaining the full use of the boom mic. You don’t even have to swap audio with the button if you’re not gaming, just start playing on either device and the audio takes over. Staying connected to your phone means you can fine tune the sound quality and settings on the Steelseries GG app on the fly, while in the middle of a game.
Sound Presets
The second reason I dig them is the insane range of sound presets in the Steelseries GG app. They are designed for specific games, far more settings here than what Razer offers. There are the usual music presets too, but when playing Elden Ring, I noticed the Elden Ring preset did bring out some extra kick and sizzle without losing detail. Comparing it to the flat setting, and I definitely prefer the one they designed for that game.
You can also create a custom setting for yourself using the parametric EQ, but unless you have very specific tastes, you will most likely be happy with one of the presets.
It is also possible to set separate EQ for 2.4ghz and Bluetooth, which is important because they do sound different by default which I’ll discuss more about later.
It also has Spatial Audio. That is something you’ll have to turn on in the app, and it’s very customisable. You can reposition and focus the channels to be closer or more distant. Volume level by default isn’t very loud, you can boosted it in the app too.
On top of that, you can also customise the EQ of the microphone for chat or for general use like live streaming, and so on. The volume of sidetone passthrough so you could hear yourself. You could also adjust the balance between chat and game audio. But how does its microphone perform for gaming and chat on flat settings?
Battery
The third reason is important, the battery. I could use this for almost a week without charging, even with constant use for working, listening, watching, and gaming, so it’s got a lot of stamina. On paper, it should last up to 60 hours. I’ve seen no reason to doubt that figure so far.
Sound Quality
Of course when it comes to any headset, sound quality is very important. The sound on its default settings is okay. The mids are crisp, bass is tight and it has a rather v-shaped tuning which plays to my preference. It also avoids sounding too boomy. It’s generally very enjoyable listening to them, but it can sound a bit too dark in the upper mids. Frequency sweeps show a big dip in the 4khz region which could be the culprit. So I just leave them on the Elden Ring custom preset which enhances the vibrance and sizzle of the audio, while pumping up the bass, making them more fun and enjoyable to listen.
Do note that there is a difference in sound quality between USB 2.4ghz and Bluetooth. You’ll get a flatter sound signature over bluetooth with fuller mids, without that dip at 4khz.
👉 Have listen to the sound quality.
3 Areas of improvement
Comfort Level
Despite all the customisation and solid sound quality, there are some things that can be better. For example, comfort level. The ear cushions are quite plush, and the hammock headband is okay, but the earcups are quite shallow and small, and its clamping pressure is quite tight, which causes my ears to press against the edges. It gets warm pretty quickly, so I do feel the need for constant breaks from the headphones.
Dongle
Another thing I don’t like about them is the dongle. Even though it’s small and flat, and when you plug it into your phone it doesn’t interfere too much with the grip, it’s simply too wide. So if I plug them into my laptop, it blocks the adjacent USB ports! It’s not a smart design for PC users, unless you use the included extension cable, or you connect via Bluetooth which affects the microphone quality.
Wired Connections
One more thing that might be a dealbreaker is that these don’t support wired connections. It’s doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone input, nor does it have wired USB-C support. ( Case in point, my PC’s soundcard cannot recognise the headphones over USB-C. ) It would have been much better if these had the option for wired connectivity.
Final Thoughts…
Overall, those are my only real issues, and I have to say I’m having a lot of fun with the Nova 5. Indeed, they’re pretty decent.
If you want to check its latest price on Amazon, I have included the link below.
Check latest price:
Steelseries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless - https://amzn.to/3UAmMRd
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