Gaming Headsets
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni
8.4/10SoundGuys scoreRead our review ›
$399.99at Amazon
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SteelSeries
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite
Sound & noise cancelling
2.9/ 5
SoundMDAQS Overall2.9
1.05.0
A 2.9 puts its audio quality in the bottom quarter of gaming headsets we've measured.
Measured on 18 of the 150 we've cataloged.
8.4/ 10
ANCNoise cancelling8.4
0.010.0
At 8.4, its noise cancelling beats 92% of gaming headsets we've measured.
Measured on 12 of the 150 we've cataloged.
See the lab data ↓Frequency response · Isolation · Noise cancelling · Audio quality
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Key specs
Battery Life Wireless
30 hBelow average30 h
8 h90 h
below average for gaming headsets — based on 85 of 150 we've cataloged.
Bluetooth Codec
SBC, LC3, LC3+Most commonSbc45%Aac25%LC38%Aptx6%
LC3 is the most common — on 8% of the 71 gaming headsets we've cataloged (of 150).
Bluetooth Version
5.3Most common5.342%5.227%5.022%5.15%
5.3 is the most common — on 42% of the 60 gaming headsets we've cataloged (of 150).
Battery
- Battery Life Wireless
- 30 h
- Charging Method
- USB-C
- Full Charge Minutes
- 180 min
- Battery
- Yes
- Fast Charging
- Yes
Connectivity
- Bluetooth Codec
- SBC, LC3, LC3+
- Bluetooth Version
- 5.3
- Headphone Jack
- Yes
- Platform Compatibility
- PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mobile
- Wireless Protocol
- 2.4GHz + Bluetooth
- USB Charging
- Yes
- Multipoint Devices
- 4 devices
Build
- Material Ear Cups
- Memory foam, PU leather
- Material Chassis Primary
- Metal with faux leather wrap
- Material Headband
- Metal with cloth padding
Design
- Headband Type
- Adjustable over-head
- Color Options
- Black, gold, sage
- Foldable
- No
- Weight
- 380 g
Features
- Companion App
- IOS + Android
- Control Type
- Physical buttons, touch controls, physical + touch hybrid
- Eq Customization
- Full parametric EQ
- Chat Mix
- Yes
- Rgb Lighting
- No
Microphone
- Boom Style
- Retractable boom
- Noise Reduction Type
- AI-powered noise reduction
- Count
- 2
- Microphone
- Yes
- Sidetone
- Yes
- Is Retractable
- Yes
Sound
- Acoustic Design
- Closed-back
- Driver Size
- 40 mm
- Ambient Mode
- Standard
- Anc Modes
- Off,anc,transparency
- Driver Count
- 1
- Driver Type
- Dynamic driver
- Frequency Response
- 10-40000 Hz
- Frequency Response High Hz
- 40000 Hz
- Frequency Response Low Hz
- 10 Hz
- Noise Cancellation Type
- Active
- Sensitivity
- 105 dB/mW
Lab data
How we test ›Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite Frequency Response (measured on a B&K 5128)
Click a line or a legend entry to highlight it. Click again to clear.Tap a legend entry to highlight its line. Tap again to clear.
Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 5.2 |
| 25 | 5.0 |
| 32 | 4.0 |
| 40 | 3.5 |
| 50 | 3.5 |
| 63 | 2.8 |
| 80 | 2.0 |
| 100 | 1.8 |
| 125 | 1.3 |
| 160 | -0.5 |
| 200 | -2.1 |
| 250 | -3.4 |
| 315 | -3.3 |
| 400 | -2.3 |
| 500 | -0.7 |
| 630 | 1.5 |
| 800 | 3.6 |
| 1000 | 4.5 |
| 1250 | 2.9 |
| 1600 | 1.1 |
| 2000 | 3.1 |
| 2500 | 6.8 |
| 3150 | 8.6 |
| 4000 | 3.3 |
| 5000 | -1.6 |
| 6300 | 2.1 |
| 8000 | 11.3 |
| 10000 | 9.2 |
| 12500 | -2.8 |
| 16000 | -7.7 |
| 20000 | -20.3 |
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite Attenuation (measured on a B&K 5128)
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Solid lines: passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Dashed lines: total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 1.3 |
| 26 | -2.1 |
| 33 | -1.0 |
| 41 | -0.5 |
| 52 | -1.5 |
| 65 | -3.3 |
| 82 | -3.5 |
| 103 | -2.1 |
| 130 | -3.0 |
| 163 | 1.4 |
| 205 | 5.6 |
| 259 | 7.1 |
| 325 | 10.4 |
| 410 | 7.3 |
| 516 | 7.7 |
| 613 | 10.0 |
| 772 | 12.9 |
| 972 | 17.8 |
| 1220 | 19.0 |
| 1540 | 23.3 |
| 1940 | 26.9 |
| 2440 | 29.0 |
| 3070 | 26.4 |
| 3870 | 32.5 |
| 4870 | 41.5 |
| 6130 | 46.3 |
| 7720 | 40.2 |
| 9720 | 40.0 |
| 12200 | 33.3 |
| 15400 | 39.8 |
| 19400 | 39.5 |
| Frequency (Hz) | Total attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 11.7 |
| 26 | 9.1 |
| 33 | 19.6 |
| 41 | 28.0 |
| 52 | 18.1 |
| 65 | 20.0 |
| 82 | 26.8 |
| 103 | 24.0 |
| 130 | 23.1 |
| 163 | 22.8 |
| 205 | 21.3 |
| 259 | 21.2 |
| 325 | 27.8 |
| 410 | 18.0 |
| 516 | 17.5 |
| 613 | 18.2 |
| 772 | 17.3 |
| 972 | 18.3 |
| 1220 | 15.4 |
| 1540 | 20.3 |
| 1940 | 26.7 |
| 2440 | 27.7 |
| 3070 | 25.2 |
| 3870 | 32.9 |
| 4870 | 43.1 |
| 6130 | 48.5 |
| 7720 | 39.7 |
| 9720 | 38.6 |
| 12200 | 34.1 |
| 15400 | 47.9 |
| 19400 | 44.5 |
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite MDAQS
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores, Scale 1 - 5
Mean opinion score
2.3
3.6
3.2
2.9
TimbreDistortionImmersivenessOverall
Virtual mean opinion scores (MOS) on a 1–5 scale, modeled from the measured response by HEAD acoustics’ MDAQS (Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score) model. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
SoundGuys review
Noise cancelling8.4
Isolation6.7
Battery life9.9
Comfort & fit9.0
Connectivity9.5
Design8.0
The verdict
The Arctis Nova Elite is packed with features, like seamless multi-device connectivity and extensive game presets. Still, the $600 price tag is steep and only really worth it if you game on multiple platforms and want a high-end headset that doubles as everyday headphones.
✓Liked: Multi-device connectivity, Premium materials, Hot-swappable battery, Sound quality
✕Could be better: Very expensive
Owners
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Questions from readers
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Features & Opinions
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Tom TriggsContributor
Christian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.Tom TriggsContributorMore Gaming Headsets
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