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Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Light. Good sound. Versatile. Easy.
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
To start, I like the build. They are light, which I personally like. There is a lot of plastic, but the headband is metal and it all seems like it will hold up over time. The cushions also have some nice padding. I also like that the mic is retractable. That is a first for me. I typically like a removable option, but I found this works for me as well. I also found all of this comfortable, which really is a make-or-break thing for me. As for the styling, they are plain and black. This is really what I prefer, but nothing really stands out.
Getting them connected was very simple. More or less just plug and play. I also found the connections to be solid in every way and on every device I tested. It is definitely worth it to grab the apps as you gain a good level of control over presets, EQ, and kind of everything. I also think it is worth it to spend some time dialing things in here, as you can really make things sound the way you want.
As for the sound itself, I found it quite good. The low end is there, maybe a tick less than I would like, but the highs and mids were there and clean. It was all very clear. As was the performance of the mic. All in all, again, I think it was very good. I didn’t walk away thinking the sound was best I have ever heard, but it made everything quite immersive, and I really have zero real complaints.
In the end, I think these are fantastic well-rounded headphones. They work with everything, are easy to use, should hold up to some heavy use, and perhaps most importantly are both comfortable and sound good.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have always kind of sought the perfect gaming headset for me, mainly because spending a lot of time gaming is like spending a lot of time listening to music, you want comfort, clarity, a rich and immersive experience, and something that will stay out of the way. Brand wise, I have tried many, but I believe this is my first set from SteelSeries that I have actually used for a time. In the past I wasn't super excited with the microphone sound of my voice and the sound was good, but didn't really impress me. The Arctis Nova 7X (7X for short) has surprised me. First, I would say the most important factor for comfort when wearing something on my head is weight, followed closely by clamping force. I have a larger sized head circumference, and clamping force tends to be an immediate thing for me. But weight is a long term issue sometimes. On both accounts, the 7X excels for me. I immediately noticed the very cushiony ear pads were enough to wrap around my ears, giving me great passive isolation, but also sunk enough that the clamp on the headset itself was not pushing on my temples. The band attached to the overland gives me enough of a shock cushion that I don't feel it pressing into the top of my head. The 7X is also incredibly light, so much so that I was worried about how good the sound would actually be (more on that later). This made the 7X a headset I was happy to put on, and have spent hours enjoying while playing games on my handheld PC and my laptop.
You have three ways to connect the 7X, Bluetooth, a 2.4GHz radio connection, and wired. I found all three lag free for my uses and so I maintained the Bluetooth for convenience.
The microphone is retractable style, neatly going away into the left ear cup when not being used, and the voice pickup is still a little too "machine" for my taste, but clear and people have no issues understanding me.
The button controls on the sides are ok, I have had to remove them from my head a couple of times to see what I'm pressing, but the volume and mic volume are dials which is nice. Overall, not a dealbreaker, and muscle memory will win the day.
The sound. The sound is where these shine the brightest. Again, I have tried many gaming focused headsets and many of them have been good. These surprised me. Again, they are light, fun to wear, so I was figuring a decent sound, but kind of mid. First thing I noticed out of the box was how immersive they are naturally. The app gives you many customizations for this, to help with whatever content you need, footstep locating, environmental sounds, etc. I tinkered a little with this, but overall I didn't need to do much.
So, I have found a lightweight, great sounding, flexible headset that I can carry with my mobile gaming setup and have immersive gaming anywhere. I love this headset!
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I love the Arctis Nova 7X headphones, and as someone who has owned the Gen 1 set for the last couple years, I have the extra perspective if you're considering upgrading.
TL;DR: If you are coming from a lesser headset, highly, highly recommend. If you are a 7X Gen 1 owner, save your money.
The Good:
+Great sound. From booming bass, to crisp highs, these sound great. and if they don't, that brings me to the next point:
+EQ: you can make these sound however you want. I will say I noticed turning up the bass too high causes some clipping, but it could be just the game I'm playing as well.
+Comfort: feel the same as my gen 1 set, which is very comfortable. Can wear them for hours with zero fatigue. Love how breathable the cloth pads are vs the plastic/pleather of other sets.
+Battery life: stated at 50 hours with fast charging. Enough to get hours after 15 min of charging. It's almost double the battery of Gen 1
+Design: minimal and clean. button icons are bolder on the new set so it's easier to see what each dial does.
+Simultaneous bluetooth: take calls or listen to music while you game. Also can use them as bluetooth headphones for other devices. Helps the design is more minimal so wearing these in public won't have anyone looking at you funny.
+Mic: mic sound good, curls up into earcup when not in use.
+Customizable: you can swap the earcup covers for different colors, and use the ones from Gen 1.
What's just ok:
+/- App-based EQ: I thought I was going to love this because I hated that any EQ'ing on Gen 1 had to go through my PC. This says now you can use it on your app and on the fly. This is technically true, but there's a massive catch. You can only toggle through different pre-made EQs on the app. Meaning they have to be created and saved to the headset to be in the app. How do they get there? Through the PC app, of course. I guess once you have several done and saved, it's easy, so it's more of a high barrier and then easy, I guess, but I was hoping to be able to actually perform the EQ on my phone.
+/- Value prop for Gen 1 owners: really you're getting the same headphones with a better battery and app connectivity. For all intents and purposes, they're largely the same. I think some materials and drivers have changed a touch, but it's really hard to tell.
What's bad:
-Nothing!: I really like these headphones and am a Steelseries convert. There's nothing I don't like about them. I just wouldn't tell someone with the Gen 1 version to go get these as they're very similar. I might even say to get Gen 1 if they're considerably cheaper. But overall I'd recommend these.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I prefer headphones over IEM but because of a car accident years ago, headphones can cause a huge headache because of the extra weight. Corded headphones were usually fine, but with the switch to cordless, the batteries can add just enough weight to cause discomfort after just 30 minutes of use.
Now, these Arctis Nova 7x's are only 20g less than my other main headphones, but man those 20g make a huge difference to my neck. I gamed for 2 hours without any discomfort and the battery was only down to 95% from a full charge. Going to a neodymium driver helps with the weight savings and give my neck the break it needs to keep on gaming.
The sound is decent at default levels and they have tons of presets you can use, but I like to customize my sound so I tweaked and tweaked until I got it just right. And then I took the headphones to another computer and cursed myself for not taking a photo of the EQ before leaving. Good ol' SteelSeries had my back and baked those settings into the headphones! I never signed in with an account so the settings weren't synced, they were saved onboard and I didn't have to tweak again when I got home.
When gaming, accurate sound isn't as important to me as immersive sound. These Nova 7x's deliver. Booming base, clear mids and highs without any muddy muffled sounds (after tweaking). They really put you in the game!
While not as solid as the headphones they're replacing the build quality is excellent and you can customize the fit a bit. The head band has extra holes so you can lift or lower the main band for support.
I'm still mainly playing Diablo 4 s10 and man the sound is crazy good! While location isn't important in this game you can tell where they're coming from. I prefer using windows built in positional audio over DTS-X. DTS adds a boxy sound.
As for connections, this will fit any device you have. In at time where a thousand dollar phone won't include a cheap charger or cable this baby has everything you need. USB-C to C, USB C to A, 3.5mm jack, and a USB-C dongle for 2.4Ghz connectivity (what you should be using for wireless gaming). I'm a PC gamer so I'm popping the dongle in.
So far these are my favorite headphones and the SteelSeries Buds are my favorite IEMS. SteelSeries is now my go-to company for anything related to gaming audio.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The Arctis Nova 7x are a really good sounding set of headphones, better than I expected on a gaming focused headset. Out of the box they are pretty low and mid range oriented which worked well for me for the majority of my gaming, but the beauty is that SteelSeries give you a full parametric EQ in the app so you can manipulate these to sound drastically different to whatever your liking is. Comfort is good with the ear pads are extremely soft, they feel slightly cool to the touch, and a suspension strap on the headband. I wear glasses and get fairly good isolation with these on, the headphones do not offer any sort of noise cancellation otherwise. Battery life has been really solid, getting in the range of 35-40 hours depending on exactly how I'm using them. They have dual connectivity feature, these can be connected to your console via the wireless dongle, and they can also have a simultaneous Bluetooth connection to your phone. The dongle is huge, but the connection is good without any instances of desync or disconnecting. The mic is retractable into the headset for when not in use making these more comfortable for other activities besides gaming. The mic overall is pretty mediocre. Your friends will hear you but it just sounds a little muffled, maybe too much noise suppression trying to happen, but its mid overall when compared to some of the headsets I've had in the past. SteelSeries made a banger with this one, if you are looking for a wireless headset the Arctis Nova 7x should be on your shortlist.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2 is one of those headsets that surprised me in all the right ways. I have tried plenty of gaming headsets that looked great on paper but fell flat once you actually used them. It does not try too hard to look futuristic or overbuilt. It just feels good, sounds good, and gets out of the way so you can actually enjoy what you are doing.
PROs:
1) Comfort - The comfort is the first thing that stands out. The suspension band does more work than it looks like it should, and the ear cushions stay cool longer than most fabric pads I have tried. I have had headsets that felt like wearing a heated blanket on my ears. This is the one you forget you are wearing until your wife yells at you for not hearing her the first 10 times.
2) Controls - The controls make sense with a bit of learning curve (as with most new headsets), which tends to happen when you cross brands. One side has your power and Bluetooth, the other deals with volume and the mic, and nothing is hidden or overly tiny. It switches between Xbox, PC, Switch, PlayStation, and Bluetooth like it has something to prove. I have used headsets that needed a full troubleshooting ritual every time I changed devices, so this was refreshing.
3) Audio - The dual audio feature is the one I did not think I needed but now refuse to live without. Game audio plus phone audio at the same time means you can listen to music or take a call without pausing anything. It makes the headset feel like part of your actual setup, not just an accessory you put on for certain games. Sound quality is genuinely solid. Bass has weight without turning everything to mush, voices are clear, and the directional audio is good enough that you can spot where sounds are coming from without guessing. The mic is not going to compete with a streaming setup, but it is absolutely fine for chatting and does a good job cutting out background noise. The fact that it slides back into the ear cup so cleanly is a nice bonus.
4) Battery - Battery life is better than expected. More than fifty hours on a full charge means I basically forgot what the charging animation looked like. And the quick charge is exactly what it should be: fast and useful.
CONs:
1) Feedback - For the life of me, I can’t figure out how to stop hearing myself talk when I’m playing online. I have to keep looking into this issue and hope it’s simply a missed setting.
If I had to sum it up: the Nova 7X Gen 2 is a headset for people who want something reliable that does not make them think too hard. It feels premium without being fragile, it sounds mostly great without needing endless tweaking, and it works with everything without drama. I like gear that just does its job and does it well, and this one fits that perfectly.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I personally think that SteelSeries creates some of the best headsets in the game right now. This new Nova 7x Gen 2 is no different. It’s very simplistic yet stylish. It’s USB-C now too so that’s good.
The ear cups are very comfortable and I find that prolonged use does not give me head fatigue, but ear fatigue I have experienced before but it also might be just how my ears are because it can’t all fit inside the earpiece.
The sound itself is fantastic and the different EQ and presets that you can change and edit within the app that’s accessible through your phone or PC. The app is easily navigable too and very user friendly. You will need the PC to do some stuff though like updates.
The biggest downside of this headset is the mic. It’s just bad. It’s like a mic from the 2015 or something.
One of the best features of this headset is the fact that you can use both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connection at the same time. It’s great for taking phone calls or listening to music on your phone while you game. The game vs chat audio setting makes it very convenient too when you’re using in game chat so you can hear your game or chat better.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
First, I’ve had the Arctis Nova 7 since 2022 and have been loving it as I use it to play my PS5 while listening to music/podcasts (via Bluetooth) from my phone. The 7X Gen 2 version is an updated version which is now a single model for Xbox/PS5/PC, whereas my first version is PS5 specific. In addition to having 1 model cover all devices, it also now has a companion app for iPhone/Android that allows you to not only see the battery % on the headset (noticeably absent from the pervious version), but you can also set/create custom EQ profiles! And you can set per connection – so for my PS5, I’m using the preset for the game I usually play, and for the Bluetooth – I use “Movie: Immersion” which takes the sound from flat to seemingly surround sound, including making the dialogue clearer. That’s a HUGE upgrade! They also have profiles for music, separated by genres.
Once you connect to the SteelSeries Arctis Companion app, it tells you to upgrade the firmware. Here is the tricky part – to do that, you need a computer and must connect the headset to the computer in 2 ways! You must cable it via USB-C AND have the dongle in the PC in USB mode, via the included USB-C to USB-A cable, AND through the SteelSeries GG PC app. If you’re using a laptop like me that *ONLY* has 2 USB-C ports, that gets a little tricky. Should be fine on a regular PC though.
*Important note! The new dongle is much wider than the Gen 1 version, and there is a small toggle switch that goes from Xbox to USB mode. If you have a PS4/5, you need to switch it to USB mode! To upgrade the firmware, you ALSO need to set it to USB mode. By default, it is set to Xbox.
Reminder: when you’re using the headset to connect to a Bluetooth device, by default the EQ setting is flat. Use the companion app to set your genre – it greatly improves the dialogue and sounds.
If you have the Gen1 version like me, this version is well worth the upgrade
If you never had a headset that connects to your PS/Xbox AND phone to hear sounds from 2 sources simultaneously – YOU ARE MISSING OUT!!
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I am very pleased with this headset! It encapsulates much of what I love about my SteelSeries peripherals, which includes versatility and excellent build quality. There are, however, a few features lacking in this headset that I would expect to find in this price range. The first thing is the lack of active noise canceling or a transparency audio setting. This is up there high enough in price range where these features would have been appreciated by me. The next thing that I find to be a bit of an annoyance is how close the power button and the Bluetooth pairing button are together. It is something that I am sure I will get used to as my muscle memory improves, but I find myself smashing both together with annoying and mixed results when all I am trying to do is power down my headset after a gaming session. I do not find the Standard audio mix to be anything to write home about. There is not enough bass present to make my shooters, such as Doom: The Dark Ages, feel punchy the way I prefer. Finally, the side tone for the microphone honestly could be a lot better. I really like to be able to monitor my vocal tones accurately when I am gaming and streaming and this leaves something to be desired. However, at its core when you ignore those small annoyances, it is still an EXCELLENT headset and I want to leave no doubts about that!
Altogether, I would give this headset 4 out of 5 stars. I think we are just moving into an era where top-tier headsets should not be missing features like ANC and accurate side tone. Thanks for reading and I hope this review helps give some perspective on it!
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
If you already are familiar with the top gaming headsets you are familiar with SteelSeries - the brand. But did you know that the parent company is based out of Denmark, the same company owns the Jambra brand as well as many others? That the headphones are manufactured in Vietnam, not in China? The headphones are excellent, and the history of the company is top notch!
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2 is the Swiss Army knife of gaming headsets (versatile, reliable), and packed with features that actually matter. Whether you're gaming on Xbox, PlayStation, PC, or Switch, this headset delivers premium comfort, killer sound, and unmatched multi-platform support.
The moment I put on the Nova 7X Gen 2, I understood why comfort is its superpower. The ComfortMAX system uses a stretchy suspension band that distributes weight evenly across your head—no more pressure points or "headset headache" after hours of gaming. The memory foam earcups wrapped in breathable AirWeave fabric keep your ears cool and comfortable, even during intense gaming sessions. I wear glasses and have a larger head, and I hate that clamping feeling most headsets give you. The Nova 7X Gen 2 feels like it's floating on my head. In a particular demo video from the manufacturer, the headband is hit with an anglegrinder to show its strength and resilience. I don't often have an anglegrinder on my head, and I definitely don't recommend it. But it does go to show its durability, and presumably these will stand the test of time. The only gripe I have about the headband is that the material is a bit slippery. I have to reposition it often to keep it in place. The earpad material feels great, and so comfortable! But I worry about how durable it'll be, and how soon they'll need to be replaced.
Powered by custom 40mm neodymium drivers, the Nova 7X Gen 2 delivers balanced, immersive audio that hits the sweet spot for gaming. The bass has enough thump to make explosions feel impactful without muddying crucial audio cues like enemy footsteps. The real game-changer is the 360° spatial audio support, which works seamlessly with Tempest 3D Audio on PS5. You'll hear exactly where enemies are coming from, giving you a competitive edge that feels almost like cheating. Plus, with over 200 game-specific EQ presets accessible through the mobile app, you can optimize the sound for whatever you're playing. The dual wireless connectivity lets you connect to your console via ultra-low latency 2.4GHz while simultaneously pairing with your phone via Bluetooth. Take calls, listen to music, or chat with friends on Discord without ever pausing your game.
The included USB-C dongle is a masterpiece of engineering—with a simple flip of a switch, you can instantly switch between Xbox mode and standard USB for compatibility across PlayStation, PC, Switch, and even mobile devices. It's the ultimate "one headset to rule them all" solution. SteelSeries cranked the battery life up to an insane 54 hours on a single charge—that's more than two full days of continuous gaming. Even with both wireless connections active, you're still looking at 38+ hours of playtime. The fast charging feature gives you 6 hours of gameplay from just a 15-minute charge. That's enough time to grab a snack and get right back into the action. Battery anxiety is officially a thing of the past.
Pros
* Exceptional comfort for marathon gaming sessions
* Outstanding multi-platform compatibility
* Dual wireless connectivity is a game-changer
* Impressive 54-hour battery life with fast charging
* Mobile app control with 200+ EQ presets
* Premium build quality that feels durable
Cons
* USB dongle is bulky and can block adjacent ports
* No active noise cancellation
* Microphone quality is good but a bit nasally
* Flashing Bluetooth light can be distracting in the dark
* Confusing Power-on Button and Bluetooth LED after power-off
Verdict
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2 perfectly balances premium features, exceptional comfort, and unmatched versatility in a way that makes it the obvious choice for serious gamers who play across multiple platforms.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Awesome headset, premium build, comfort, and sound. Incredibly comfortable earpads, lightweight, and phenomenal battery life. Perfect for long gaming sessions on any platform. The sound quality is amazing for both output audio and the mic’s input. Design and build quality are impressive with their steel frame, soft cushy fabric earpads, and light weight. The steel frame offers a strong, durable feel without being too bulky or heavy. Come in black or white to suit your preference and match the rest of your setup – the white pair goes great with my white-out PC build that I’m primarily using them with.
Design and Comfort
This headset has a great aesthetic look with smooth, clean lines. I appreciate the white-out frame with slightly grey/off-white fabric pieces that don’t show dirt or usage as much as white fabric would. These are incredibly comfortable with their soft memory foam earpads, even during extra-long periods of gaming or music throughout the day. The fit conforms to my head and remains secure but comfortable for my entire sessions. Weighing in at less than ¾ of a pound, I can wear these all day without even noticing they’re there.
Sound Quality
Sound quality is impeccable with the custom designed neodymium drivers. Simply incredible spatial audio surround sound. Large drivers offer extraordinary bass response paired with incredibly crisp and clear highs for a phenomenal, balanced audio experience. The immersive 360-degree spatial audio technology makes it feel like I’m in the action. These have active noise cancelling but also have plenty of volume when needed to drown out any environmental sounds. The available app highlights all the available features and allows full customization of an equalizer and many other settings if you want to do it on your own, but a really sweet feature of the app is that it comes pre-loaded and can instantly apply custom presets for over 200 games. This gives me the most robust listening experience tailored to deliver the best audio experience for each particular game – the way it was designed to be heard.
Battery Life and Connectivity
Battery life is incredible and able to go 50 hours on a full charge. These can power through and keep me going all weekend without needing to stop and recharge. Even if I forget to charge, they can be connected via USB-C and continue to power through. These easily connect to any platform via the 2.4 GHz USB plus Bluetooth. I absolutely love the simultaneous 2.4 GHz wireless plus Bluetooth connectivity. This allows for simultaneous connections, great for phone calls and music while gaming, eliminating the need to have a different set of headphones for all the different aspects of my day. These are an all-in-one solution, and I can do any type of connection I want seamlessly with this one headset. The mic noise rejection does a great job of reducing background noise to the mic, therefore conveying crystal clear voice only without any muffling, keyboard clicks, or other ambient noises annoying whoever I’m talking to.
Value
The cost is in line with similar higher-end gaming headsets, but these are packed with so many great features. Overall long session usability and simultaneous 2.4 GHz wireless plus Bluetooth connections really set these apart for me. Overall, I have really enjoyed playing with this headset.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2 represents a significant step forward for SteelSeries. Right out of the box, you can tell that this headset was crafted with comfort and longevity in mind. The metals used for structural support give the frame a sturdy and solid feel. SteelSeries's inclusion of plush earcups and the adjustable headband allows for extremely long gaming sessions without discomfort or fatigue, and the design is overall very appealing and ergonomically sound. A change from the current Arctis Nova 5s is the adjustable height of the earcups, which grants a larger audience the ability to wear this headset without it feeling too small or misaligned.
Starting with the immediate positive features, the battery life described on the box is true to form, and one can easily expect this headset to reach upwards of 50 hours of use while heavy gaming, listening to music, watching television and movies, or even chatting with friends. The audio latency of the 2.4GHz mode is nearly instantaneous, and I rarely see myself noticing any offset while consuming media or playing games where an immediate response is a necessity.
Bluetooth connection has always been solid from SteelSeries, and the Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2 is no exception. Being connected to a mobile device and PC simultaneously allows me to use two audio sources simultaneously, perfect for software control and seamless transitioning between devices. The range for both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz is far, and I can walk across my living space without losing connection or quality from either source.
Onboard volume control is present and allows for quick adjustments. Peak volume levels are high, and the speakers provide a crisp and clear audio experience. At no point did I feel underwhelmed at the audio experience, and I often find myself reaching for the headset whenever I am in the mood for entertainment and music.
Cross-connectivity is a key selling point of the 7X model, and with testing, I found the feature to be very straightforward, working well alongside my Xbox One X in both 3.5mm mode and 2.4GHz mode, respectively. The game and chat adjustment wheel works perfectly, granting the ability to choose what you prioritize most during Xbox sessions. Other devices, such as PS5 and PS4 systems, Steam Decks, and Nintendo Switches, also share the benefits of this headset. Regardless of the system you choose, you will not have any issues gaining the complete experience of the Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2.
A glaring issue preventing this headset from receiving a perfect 5 is the onboard microphone, an area in which many gaming headsets fail to satisfy. There is a lack of tone clarity, peaks and valleys are far too sharp, and the range is lackluster. However, SteelSeries was required to lower its microphone capabilities due to cross-connectivity restrictions. Ensuring the headset works with every available gaming system forced the company to introduce restrictive drawbacks, and the tradeoff is quite apparent for those who do not use consoles.
Significant score reductions were also seen in the pricing, as the retail cost for the 7X Gen 2 is $199.99, a steep number for the average consumer to meet. Gaming peripherals have severe markups; this is no exception. Due to microphone restrictions, I would like to see the price for future models lowered to compensate.
Rounding off, the Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2 is a phenomenal gaming headset from SteelSeries. The device is built to last, feature-rich, and versatile across many systems. Although I would like to see improvements in the microphone quality and price range through future revisions, this headset boasts many benefits that outweigh the negatives. I am anticipating great experiences with this headset over the next few years!
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The Nova 7X Gen 2 hits that sweet spot between comfort, versatility, and performance.
From the moment I picked it up, the build felt premium with sturdy plastic, a reinforced metal band, and a soft elastic strap that keeps the headset snug without creating pressure points. The earcups use a mix of fabric and leatherette that stays breathable even during long sessions, with the right amount of force (I sometimes use glasses, and they have a good give to avoid temple pressure). Every control, from the volume wheels to the mic mute toggle, feels well placed and tactile. It is the kind of headset that disappears on your head after a while, which is exactly what I want when gaming.
Sound quality is clean and immersive rather than overly bass-heavy, but also a little distorted from a music standpoint. The spatial audio provides real directionality in games, and the EQ tuning options let me adjust the sound for whatever I am playing, whether I want tighter mids for shooters or warmer lows for cinematic games and music. The app is a nice touch and much easier to use than other brands’ apps as it’s simple with a lot of game presets to choose from.
I really like the microphone design as it’s retractable, but I found that this is the Nova 7X’s biggest weakness. It’s perfectly fine for chatting, but out of the box performance is very lacking on any low-end, while I also found there to be noticeable white noise and hiss coming from the audio signal. You can adjust the EQ, which can help in the overall sound profile, but it’s still not great.
The connection flexibility is good, though most brands have something similar and is par for the course. I can run a low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless connection through the USB-C dongle while staying paired to my phone over Bluetooth, making it easy to answer a call mid-game without interruption. The battery is improved over the previous 7X, and that’s good. There’s also a fast charging feature, which came in useful for me. This enables you to get around 4-6 hours of use on 15ish minutes of charging, so should your headset be dead, you won’t need to wait around 30+ minutes just to get into your gaming session again.
SteelSeries’ app support rounds things out nicely, as previously mentioned. On desktop, Sonar software lets me fine-tune EQ settings, adjust mic noise gating, and create custom profiles for specific games. The mobile app mirrors that setup with quick access to EQ presets and easy profile switching. It is not as deep as the PC version, but it is practical and straightforward.
At around $199, the Nova 7X Gen 2 is a good value proposition if you don’t need/want ANC and can live with a subpar mic, but it feels like money well spent. The combination of strong build quality, balanced sound, seamless connectivity, and long battery life makes it one of the most complete wireless headsets around for a reasonable price.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Luckly these have turned into my go to gaming headset. My original favorite part was a different brand, but the microphone stopped working I’m assuming from being flipped up or banged around too much when not being worn by my son.
Quality of product – These were packaged well and protected in the box. After taking out of box and getting ready to setup, I noticed they feel very sturdy and that the ear cups had good cushioning.
Set up – Very easy to connect. Follow the instructions…once you do that you should have no problems. Not reading the instructions might cause you a few minutes of delay. Once it’s figured out, it paired right away to my PS5.
Comfort – So make sure you remove the cardboard protector from the head band…I was in a dimly lit room and thought it was part of the cushion band. It is not…after that…these are very comfortable. The band fits snug and doesn’t move but doesn’t squeeze your head either. The ear cups are well cushioned but not overly big to make the headset bulky. I have played multiple times for a few hours each with no ear pain or pinching.
Function – To start with, I love that the mic slides inside and is not a fold up. Great way to avoid breaking. These deliver good vocal quality per my friend group. Will have to adjust to your liking but no issues with the mic. The mute button is early to find and the controls on other side are easy to find and use as well. The audio quality is very good, and I’ve had no issues. I don’t know how they compare to pro headsets, but I have no issues hearing footsteps in the game. It charges with a USB-C cable.
My only complaint is that the usb-c dongle is huge and covers the other usb-c port. Not a huge issue but annoying when you need to charge phone or switch headsets.