SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2 Review - Creature Comforts
I’m forever looking for new headphones and earpieces. I burn through a lot of them, and between day-to-day working hours, where I might use them to shut the world away and lock in to my work, and between throwing a set on when I’m mowing the lawn, to the numerous hours of podcasts that I listen to per day, content creation, and then gaming time, I’m forever having some kind of audio pumped into my ears (early shoutout to the future ENT doctor I’ll need to work with on this). Because of this, getting a comfortable pair of headphones is a must for me, and easy connectivity to my multiple devices is of equal importance. Enter the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2, a set of headphones with incredible versatility that are gentle on the head, and are a blast to use.
I’ve been putting the pair through their paces for a couple of weeks now, using them in a wide range of different contexts. I’ve utilised the Bluetooth functionality when connecting the headphones to my iPhone, and I’ve utilised the 2.4 GHz connection via a USB-C dongle on my PS5, Switch, and PC, while I’ve also hitched them to a variety of devices via a direct wired connection. In all circumstances, the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless has performed incredibly well. No matter your preference, and with some support from the accompanying mobile app, the headphones are customisable, loaded with presets suited to hundreds of different, popular games, while manual adjustments to the EQ are possible as well. Beyond game use, I found no significant adjustments were required to balance the audio for podcast or music listening experiences as well. The audio output of the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless is fantastic by default, no matter your reason for using it, and is incredibly customisable for your various use cases. It should be noted that you can have dual input with bluetooth audio, and sound through the USB-C dongle entering your headphones simultaneously, so if you’re looking for game audio and a podcast/music pairing, you’ll find it supported here.
On the comfort side, there’s a softness to the cushions that I’ve not experienced in other headsets, and when paired with a spring band to protect your head from the harder plastic frame, it almost feels as though there’s nothing on your head and ears at all. While the headset design is fantastic, the one major flaw of the system is with the USB-C dongle. Functionality is no concern, but the form factor absolutely is. For some, unbenouncest reason, the narrow tip widens to look like a thick, block-letter T that you probably drew dozens of times at primary school. This form factor obscures other USB ports on certain devices, and when plugged into the top of my docked Switch 2, interfered with the wireless connection to my Pro controller, leading to disconnection and flaky input registration. A single, stick-like form-factor would have been an easy solution, but the current shape can be problematic for a multitude of reasons. The direct wired options support the 3.5mm jack, direct USB-C connection, but also USB-A via a provided adaptor. All work incredibly well.
The Arctis Nova 7 Wireless strikes a balance between that comfortable form-factor, and then the dulling of background noise. There’s no Active Noise Canceling feature, but background noise is still dulled quite a bit. That doesn’t mean you won’t hear yourself clacking away on the keyboard, but it won’t be an obnoxious level of external sound that will pierce your ears either. The affixed microphone, which is retractable, is solid, but not amazing. I’ve certainly experienced clearer audio input before with what is produced sometimes sounding a bit tinny, but the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless does a great job of reducing background noise, to guarantee free and easy game chat.
While there are imperfections, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2 is a fantastic value for the asking price. This isn’t the premium-priced headset, but it comes awfully close to providing value similar to headsets of that price bracket. The USB-C dongle is a crazy oversight, and the microphone is not of the highest quality, but for the majority of users, who are looking for a reasonably priced, comfortable, and versatile headset, you’ve got a winner in the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2.
