NOTE: SteelSeries GG Engine version 25.0 changed Sonar's sample rate to 24 bit 96 kHz. Please note frequency response does not change with sample rate. So the EQ tuning would still apply in this case with the latest software updates. Sample rates and bit depths affect other aspects of sound with regards to clarity and dynamic range. Hopefully that clears up any hesitation!
Could you possibly help me? I just switched from console to PC for gaming, and I am on my 3rd pair of headsets in past 5 weeks. I can not seem to get any of my headsets to work or sound properly on PC like it was on console. I have Astro A4 mixamp, turtle beach elite pro 2 superamp, and now the wired Nova Pro and none of the 3 chat/game mixer works normal on them. If I turn them to just game it eliminates the game sound but still have chat, and if I turn all way to just chat, that works correctly and gives just chat with no game. I’ve spent days attempting to fix this problem but can’t find solution. All my drivers and firmware are up to date so I don’t know what it could be. I have a GeForce rtx 3070, Ryzen 7700x CPU, and Asus Rog Strix x670-e DDR5 mother board. Windows 10. I thought audio was suppose to sound better on PC but so far I can not get anything setup and sounding as good as the PS5 audio was.
Man, I've went through so many headphones reviews and thousands of comments for my ps5 and I've seen all the reviews for arctis nova pros wired&less and this review is one of the best, all the details, no water, info is relevant, clear and on point. I'm still thinking of wireless version tho, but keep up the good work!
This is an invaluable video. My 3.5 year old wired Arctis Pro_Gamedac gave up the ghost; more correctly, the right ear cup broke off the head band. It's used everyday multiple times a day so I can't complain. After looking at the options in various price ranges I purchased the wired Arctis Nova Pro+Gamedac. Your video got me up and running with a great tune in very short order. Thank you for all your efforts and for freely sharing your knowledge and expertise! Subbed.
Wow thanks so much for the kind words and I’m so grateful it helped you out. I hope you enjoy your new headset! Thanks for the super comment and generosity
► NOTICE ◄ Though his preset in the GG client has 10 notches, the on-screen graphic @26:00 is missing one notch (the 9th by numerical order). He hovers over the setting with his mouse @27:14, but then forgets to read it out loud before moving onto the final notch. ► Missing 9th Slot: +4db *|* 5300kHz *|* 5.0Q *GT:* Thank you for all of your hard work in producing and sharing these comprehensive reviews, as well as sharing the EQ settings. I legitimately feel like you've made the money I spent on this headset go that much further, and there's nothing more a man could ask for in a tech reviewer. Much appreciated!
Hi , I just bought these headphones but honestly I find the song really not good at all even by putting the eq of the youtubeur I have the impression of being attacked on the treble and sometimes the voices au so when i watch a movie for example with the swords they really hurt my head
out of the thousands of reviews i’ve watched on many channels and many headphones and anything. this is the best review ever. New subscriber for you sir.
dude the eq settings are amazing, I'm using them on the artics pro and they sound very good, thank you so much... I'm waiting for my novas, I cant wait to try them with this setup.
You know the video will be awesome when you see that Daft Punk in the background ˆˆ Great video, ordered the headset that will replace my Arctis 5, which had plenty of issues with the mic being extremely silent and sound having static in it
Came here because I just ordered these for the PS5 (woulda liked more feedback using it on console and whether the limitations of not being able to use Sonar would influence your opinion) but stayed as this was an incredible review, I am floored it only has 606 likes after I hit the like button. Definitely subscribing to this channel.
@@ShowtimeLaw just got mine few days ago, by far best headset I’ve tested. Sonars great on pc and the DAC is great for customising sound on ps5, overall worth it in my opinion
Just a quick heads up. +4 / 5300Hz / 5.0Q is missing from graph during the Tuning section though you do mouse over them all so anyone trying to mirror this is still able to do so. Thought Id mention it. Not sure if you mentioned in the video - watching this for the 3rd time but no audio at the moment setting it up as the headset just arrived. Thanks for the time you put into measuring these and adjusting the tune.
The sound difference in overwatch2 was huge when i use your settings! Much better than the one from the game list in SGG.Thank you so much for the time you have used to help others with this! 👍
I love your reviews, I used your EQ settings on my Astro A50. Yesterday I decided to get these. Wow, now some might say night and day. However, I like these alot, I also liked the Astros a lot. Not as big a difference as when I went from Playstation elite 2nd gen to the Astro. I cannot wait to put these setting to the test.
holyyyy ur settings transfromed this headset so much!! i wasnt impressed at first even using dolby atmost, but using your sound curve has made this headset come to life, i still use my senheisser for pure music but the novas are amazing for games and even for music, THANKS!!
Finally someone who knows what he is talking about and knows how headphones work. Instead, just saying, “yes bass sounds powerful and headphone sound good” - every gaming headphone reviewer.
Great review. I had the wireless version and then changed to the wired version but in the end I returned the wired and went back to the wireless. Personally on console after testing both I can't really hear any difference in sound quality and I really missed the Bluetooth,ANC and transparency mode on the wireless version. However with the wired version one thing I loved and wish/hope they can implement on the wireless version in the future is allowing the back button on the base station to become a mic mute button. This was super convenient and I used it way more than I thought I would. Also if they implemented Bluetooth connectivity into the DAC that would be a stellar upgrade. For those who have the wired version and would like Bluetooth I had a workaround that was great but would make the cost the same as the wireless so unless you have one already I wouldn't recommend buying one just to do this but..... I used a fiio BTR 5 DAC and hooked it up to the aux in port and then enabled car mode on the BTR5 and plugged the other end into my PS5's spare USB port. Now I have Bluetooth with the wired version and with the BTR5 being in car mode every time I turn on/off the PS5 it will turn on/off the fiio BTR5 DAC and can use my phone wirelessly. Hope that makes sense 👍
Great video, thanks, and hope you continue making videos like these. I have the SteelSeries nova pro wireless with the wicked cushion ear pads and configure those settings as a baseline and started tweaking it.
Thanks Gareth! A new A50 with BT and improved sound and build quality will be amazing. I hope they also make a universal base station that works with PS5 and Xbox without needing any tricks. Same in a new A40 model, but with a flip to mute mic instead, along with even further improved sound quality. There's potential in their lineup to be some of the best.
I simultaneous audio mixer via USB would be amazing. Listening to both a console and PC at the same time wirelessly can’t be done right now unless you relegate one to BT and deal with the lag. But yeah, USB-C is a must. I don’t think we’ll be seeing optical any more unfortunately
I bought the Astro A50 wireless about a year ago. It has been nothing but a problem. Don't get me wrong. The A50's sound amazing when they work! Here are just some of the issues. I've never been able to get them to fully charge after about three months of use. I had to put black electrical tape on the headset's top to stop the pad from splitting away from the headset housing frame. When you have to put tape on a $300 headset to prevent it from falling apart, that's a serious product quality problem. I never dropped them or anything. I've had charging and sync issues with the Astros from the beginning. My son uses and swears by the A40s, but on the A50s, I've had to hard reset them too many times to count. I decided to return to wired since my new console setup and monitor are next to me. I considered Astro Wired, but after watching your complete review, I am taking a chance on Nova Pro Wired. I suspect I'll be happy. Thanks for posting this review.
Excellent review as usual man!! The Nova wired are on my list 😅. The main reason is that finally I can get a dac that works usb with PS5 and Series X and allow me to eq the sound. You tried to use another headsets with the Nova dac? I've the old Arctis Pros, wired and wireless, and I use the dac with a 3.5 adapter with other headsets, for example the Virtuoso XT by 3.5 on that dac used on PS5, and the sound changes... for good
Great video. Just got my PS5 and wanted a new headset as well. Have had my A40s since around 2012 or 13. They are finally starting to age so this will be a nice upgrade
@@nathananders7657 yes got them for PS5. I thought the sound was flat at first but after some EQing I am satisfied. Bass is a little lackluster at times but the highs and mids are crisp. Comfy for long sessions and easily cleanable
This review kept me from selling the headset. I purchased the nova pro and was concerned that I may be able to spend less for a better headset. This makes me realize that the headset is better than I though and will keep it.
Hi Joe, good video.slight change in conversation. I am still waiting for the vzr model one to be available in the UK.i just bought the ifi zen dac v2 dac amp,to go with my new phillips fidelio x2hr.So far very happy.They are a massive upgrade for sound quality over the shp9500,which again are a great sounding open back,for ps5.Hope other people find this of interest.many thanks.
Thanks for the great review I learned a lot. Also I just saw your review on the VZR model one and you seem to like that and the nova pro wired for gaming. Between those two which one do you think is better for competitive gaming and hearing/ visualizing footsteps?
I had the same question, I pulled the trigger on nova pro wired. I'm really liking them. They are amazing, I switched from Astro A50. With his sonar tune it's a game changer.
Finally someone knows what he's talking about. Not like all the rest of flashy reviewers, all they do is bring all headsets out there and start telling, ohh this is good, and this is also really good, this the best, and this is also the best. We do not want to hear what is best! We need information to make a god damn decision.
Anyone on the fence just jump right down off it. These are so good. Had arctis 9x which had terrible connection issues with series X in my experience, the wireless pros are rock solid. Was doubtful they could justify the cost but I'm sold.
Finally, a real review to give accurate inforamtion that I needed to know when deciding which one to buy i.e. wireless or wired. Can you connect the wireless with wired and get the slightly better sound when wired?
Thanks! There isn't a proper way to use the wireless version as a wired headset without sacrificing too much. So if you're considering that, and maximum sounds quality, I would just purchase the wired version.
Just a quick correction, the mic mute option on the wired novas actually changes the the back button on the dac to be a mute button for your headset when not in a menu.
@brrr What he/she is saying is you can mute on the DAC itself in addition to having the physical switch on the ear cup itself. Both mute buttons would work.
I’ve been engineering for over 15 years and yes you can hear the difference between bit rates. The average human may not but these games aren’t even geared to give you audio details that you will hear in one bit rate and not the other so in that sense it makes no different but I will say the audio is much much cleaner. Sort of a non distorted sound which I really prefer even over having the spatial audio feature enabled that in turn caps you at 48k 16bit. With that said, go high res for great clean/clear sound or gamedac feature spatial feature for the surround emulation. I honestly feel like it’s an emulation and not actual surround. I wish there was a such thing as a headset with actual directional speakers built in. If there are please point me in that direction.
Better then astro a 40s and 50s i used a50s for 6 months and base station was not charging. But steel series nova pro are louder better 3D audio lighter nd more comfortable
Well after about 3 years of use the hinge finally gave out on my Arctis 7 Pros. I was just gonna buy another Arctis 7 Series but turns out they don't make them anymore and they directed me to this headset. Looks like I'm grabbing a pair of these. I'm not excited about the "leatherette" material for the pads but I'm sure I can replace them easily.
Just got this and watching to see if there are any other details I don't know about. You wouldn't believe how many people have a smart phone or other device and don't use key features they didn't know about. Maybe I'm dumb but my complaint is the cable connecting the headset to the mixer REQUIRES you connect the angled side of the cable into the mixer and the straight part into the headset. Yes it shows in the picture, yes they have a tag that says "connect to headset" but you could make it simpler for a doofus like me by saying "this end in headset" since the prior made me think the cable in general cause I've seen people connect the aux to their PC. Again, help idiots like me.
You took me by surprise when you opted out of the spatial audio settings on sonar. Why?? All I care about is imaging/soundstage. I don't care about mic, music, price or anything else. Are these the best headphones for that use case? Amazing video. Very clear you have deep knowledge in this arena. Subscribed with noti's. Great stuff man.
Thanks so much! Sonar typically adds reverbs to simulate spatial audio. What this means is some objects can be more difficult to isolate. I often disable it because I want clean presentation of the source audio. There is already spatial audio being done on the game engine, Atmos, Tempest 3D, etc, so I often prefer that over a secondary layer.
@@GadgetryTech I agree. I just tested thoroughly the dimensional audio, dolby atmos, spatial sonar etc and Sonar Spatial is by far the best in telling you where the sounds is coming from..by far. But, Spatial does add some kind of metalic reverb, even when I tune the immersion to zero. And that is an issue. I like when the output is more clean, more original
Great REVIEW man, very well put. I have had these for a couple of days now. These are great for pc, becausde of the eq settings you can do. Now on PS5 thats where these are not worth it for me, just can not get them to sound right, I followed you Eq settings and and a few touchs, but no matter what, these our not good for PS5, imo. I wish they were, they are nice, but that sound of the A40 tr pro's with mix amp, just cant beat it. I know they are old, but the sound is better for console, imo. Again great review and thank you.
Thank you! Did you try disabling Sony's Tempest 3D audio engine in the PS5 audio settings? To some people it ruins the sound. It may not fix your issue but who knows, hopefully it helps!
@@GadgetryTech Yes, I did that. Still just sounds so weak on the ps5, but on pc they are pretty good. Might try those new Astros A30?? Thanks for the reply. You got a new sub.
First of all, you're a great reviewer, thanks for the great videos. So I've been scoping the Nova Pro for purchase lately and I'm trying to decide between wireless and wired. I am leaning towards the benefits of wireless BUT there's one glaring issue for me: The mic quality is VASTLY better on the wired one. Some people might not care, but I talk a lot to people and I if I can help it I wanna sound as good as possible. In this wired video you talk like the mic quality is mediocre while sounding really good, and on the review of the wireless one you sound much worse and say its excellent?? I don't get it. I am really curious if the Sonar software can salvage the wireless mic quality to some degree, because you don't explore that at all in the wireless video.
the mic on both are not great. They are understandable but the quality is lower than most headphone mics. If you really want this headset I recommend you buy it and then if you think the quality isn't great than you can buy a very cheap mic. The blue snowball mic is cheap and quite good. Razer seiren mini is even cheaper
your wired settings definitly upgrades sound quality i prefer bass +4 DB and TREBLE +3 DB and for now its much cleaner sound overall and bit punchier in terms of bass (headphones got nice bas but unfortunatly starts to kick in at 60+ volume and this is to much for me)
Hi, actually bought it and im really happy with it! Would you recommend using your Equalizer settings for games like Apex and CoD, or use the specific presettings in the Sonar App for those games? I feel like using your EQ sounds the best to me, not sure about footsteps and so on though, since the presets look very different in the lows (around 50 hz)...
Astro is a40 is a whole 5 or 6 years older even the last generation but besides the screen & multiple out ports the a40s have on ehuge advantage the cables..... these pro heqdsets today have such a short low quality cables yet astro gives really high end thick cables i have used gen 1 & gen 4 mine never broke i can even hide them inder the side of the carpet & evryone walks over it..... 5 meters total yet this steelseries only 3m or even less 2.80 if im right
Hi! Thanks for your video about the Arctis Nova Pro Wired! The other day I saw a video on Exique's channel where he tunes EQ settings for SteelSeries headsets to better hear footsteps in Warzone. Exquise recommends disabling sonar and using Dolby Atmos. However, this means that you lose the function of using the ChatMix on the GameDac, which I would very much like to continue using! I would be interested in your thoughts on whether you find the Dolby Atmos solution better, or whether the EQ setting in Sonar for Warzone can be set to the same level. Thanks for your answer! Greetings from Vienna!
Fantastic review thanks so much! I’ve owned my since they launched and really think they’re great. One thing I noted PS5 outputs 48/24 bit where XsX 48/16 bit. Is it possible to go optical out from a TV to line in on the DAC?
I'm loving your reviews, I recently picked up the wired nova pros after watching this. I'm curious to know what you think of the wireless version for sound compared to these? I'm tempted to get the wireless as I love these so much thanks.
Hmm, so, it's these or the VZR Model One to choose between in the sub $350 category. Did I understand correctly that you feel the Nova has a better sound stage than the VZR? What about immersiveness? Would really like to see more on the Nova versus VZR and if there's a pure headphone that out does these gaming headsets for $350 or less.
I am torn between buying this headset or the nova 7. I know i'm comparing a wireless headset to a wired one, but if we take that out of the picture (and the whole, wireless being convenient thing) which one of these headsets are better in terms of audio and mic quality? The Nova 7 would be my first wireless headset. I've heard great things about it having bluetooth and stuff, and while that's a nice bonus, i'm mostly interested in the sound and mic quality. I know that wired headphones usually sound better than wireless headphones, but is there a significant, noticeable difference between the 2? Thanks a lot for the work you do, the reviews are immensely helpful!!!!
Thank you for this excellent review, purchased this based on your recommendation and used your presets in sonar. I can't seem to figure out how to enter the 10th point in sonar that would show +4 dB, 9.25 Hz, 5Q. Tried to double click on line, but can't add new points.
Nice video! Glad I found your channel. I was just thinking I should make a channel for gaming and audio that included consoles. I’m eager to compare a Topping DX3pro+ to the Steelseries gameDAC gen2. I’m curious what you think is the best DAC/amp for the Xbox SX? (Especially in light of experiencing the nova pro wired & gameDAC gen2)
After watching a few reviews including this one. I decided to pull the trigger and get a set of these also with the recomened wicked cushions. Am I imagining it or is the volume much higher when on Bluetooth compared to 2.4g? Thanks for the EQ's aswel I have used both your one for standard cushions and the wc freeze. Excellent work!
I notice this EQ tune is difficult then the wireless version. Also this tune only has 9 adjustments but the wireless had 10. Is there really that much of a difference between the wired and wireless in terms of EQ tuning? Oh so I noticed the sonar tune does in fact have 10 dots of adjustment but only 9 on the side written down. Must have missed one when writing it down. The missing adjustment on the left hand side for anyone who sees this is +4 on the 5.30khz range with +5 peaking EQ.
I just ordered this headset. Waiting for it to arrive - question. What frequency are footsteps in warzone ? Will increasing those frequencies and lowering the gunshots and explosions make it better for footsteps cues
Great vid! Not wrong a bout the chair arms pretty sure they conspire against me and my cables haha. So I can almost finally do away with my mixamp and its crazy static from the AUX port? And spdif/hdmi extractor? USB XBOX mixamp audio is awful IMO (yes I have a filter on it, still a lot of static) Mannn I wonder if they can software it so the chat/game dial doesn't effect the output so OBS ect can pull full VOL but not my ears. Be cool if they offered the DAC separately to. Wonder why they didn't go with a 50mm
Hey Joe, you said you'd be measuring more frequency response for future reviews, do you plan to go back to previous headsets? I'm personally very interested in the H6pro, they sound great and I bought them based on your reviews. I'm just curious if I could squeeze even more eargasms out of it and I don't quite know how to start
Dude, I returned the wireless version. For me, the ear cups were very uncomfortable and my ears were on 🔥 not even after an hour. Currently, you can't swap ear pads because of how the frame are produced. 👎
Wicked Cushions is working on custom replacements and they’re supposed to be out apparently within a few weeks. Personally dont have an issue with mine but I 100% feel you. They shouldve had better pads that dont have the mic bump sticking through so much and hitting your ears, or came up with a better design so they werent like that
how much better than the wireless do they sound? like, let's say this one is 10/10 how much would you give in comparison to the wireless? and how do these compare to the audeze penrose?
Hi, thank you for your video the detail is awesome. I have adjusted my equaliser to your recommended and it sounds great! Do you activate spatial audio in Sonar, if so where would you set the slider for performance/immersion and distance/100? Thanks again.
I just got this headset and when it seems to pick up all of my pc audio through the mic, on discord my friends can hear the audio from youtube videos through my mic , any idea what it could be?
NOTE: SteelSeries GG Engine version 25.0 changed Sonar's sample rate to 24 bit 96 kHz. Please note frequency response does not change with sample rate. So the EQ tuning would still apply in this case with the latest software updates. Sample rates and bit depths affect other aspects of sound with regards to clarity and dynamic range. Hopefully that clears up any hesitation!
its kinda hilarious that you use exile as a test song too, i used it too for a while haha
Could you possibly help me? I just switched from console to PC for gaming, and I am on my 3rd pair of headsets in past 5 weeks. I can not seem to get any of my headsets to work or sound properly on PC like it was on console. I have Astro A4 mixamp, turtle beach elite pro 2 superamp, and now the wired Nova Pro and none of the 3 chat/game mixer works normal on them. If I turn them to just game it eliminates the game sound but still have chat, and if I turn all way to just chat, that works correctly and gives just chat with no game. I’ve spent days attempting to fix this problem but can’t find solution. All my drivers and firmware are up to date so I don’t know what it could be. I have a GeForce rtx 3070, Ryzen 7700x CPU, and Asus Rog Strix x670-e DDR5 mother board. Windows 10. I thought audio was suppose to sound better on PC but so far I can not get anything setup and sounding as good as the PS5 audio was.
@@rob4610 yo lo resolvi volviendo a reinstalar windows
The clarity from hi res is worth the extra wires 🤍
Hi, i’m just wondering if i can use this in cp? thanks!
Man, I've went through so many headphones reviews and thousands of comments for my ps5 and I've seen all the reviews for arctis nova pros wired&less and this review is one of the best, all the details, no water, info is relevant, clear and on point. I'm still thinking of wireless version tho, but keep up the good work!
so, me too in wired X Wireless for PS5, what you think i should take?
@@JGabix01wireless for features, wired for quality
This is an invaluable video. My 3.5 year old wired Arctis Pro_Gamedac gave up the ghost; more correctly, the right ear cup broke off the head band. It's used everyday multiple times a day so I can't complain. After looking at the options in various price ranges I purchased the wired Arctis Nova Pro+Gamedac. Your video got me up and running with a great tune in very short order. Thank you for all your efforts and for freely sharing your knowledge and expertise! Subbed.
Wow thanks so much for the kind words and I’m so grateful it helped you out. I hope you enjoy your new headset! Thanks for the super comment and generosity
those equalizer settings just made the headsets so much better, i mirored the settings into Dolby Atmos Access
MY GUY, YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY THE BEST. CLEAR TONED, SUPER KNOWLEDGEABLE, EXTREMELY DETAILED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEOS. 🙏🏽💪🏽
Easily the best headphone reviews on RUclips!
Thanks Chris!
► NOTICE ◄
Though his preset in the GG client has 10 notches, the on-screen graphic @26:00 is missing one notch (the 9th by numerical order). He hovers over the setting with his mouse @27:14, but then forgets to read it out loud before moving onto the final notch.
► Missing 9th Slot: +4db *|* 5300kHz *|* 5.0Q
*GT:* Thank you for all of your hard work in producing and sharing these comprehensive reviews, as well as sharing the EQ settings. I legitimately feel like you've made the money I spent on this headset go that much further, and there's nothing more a man could ask for in a tech reviewer. Much appreciated!
i wish i can save this comment to test it out when i get back home
Hi , I just bought these headphones but honestly I find the song really not good at all even by putting the eq of the youtubeur I have the impression of being attacked on the treble and sometimes the voices au so when i watch a movie for example with the swords they really hurt my head
Holy shit; ive never seen a headphone review like this. I just bought the Nova Pro Wired, and will be trying out your EQ settings. Thank you so much
how are they???
out of the thousands of reviews i’ve watched on many channels and many headphones and anything. this is the best review ever. New subscriber for you sir.
Thanks so much!
dude the eq settings are amazing, I'm using them on the artics pro and they sound very good, thank you so much... I'm waiting for my novas, I cant wait to try them with this setup.
You know the video will be awesome when you see that Daft Punk in the background ˆˆ
Great video, ordered the headset that will replace my Arctis 5, which had plenty of issues with the mic being extremely silent and sound having static in it
Came here because I just ordered these for the PS5 (woulda liked more feedback using it on console and whether the limitations of not being able to use Sonar would influence your opinion) but stayed as this was an incredible review, I am floored it only has 606 likes after I hit the like button. Definitely subscribing to this channel.
How are they if they arrived for you?
@@ShowtimeLaw just got mine few days ago, by far best headset I’ve tested. Sonars great on pc and the DAC is great for customising sound on ps5, overall worth it in my opinion
@@myles5388bros I bought the wired for ps5 but I cannot hear footstep in mw2 better than my regular headset. Ant tips for me?
can u pls aswer me a question pls? in transparency at lvl 10 with the nova do u also hear like white noise ¿?
Just a quick heads up. +4 / 5300Hz / 5.0Q is missing from graph during the Tuning section though you do mouse over them all so anyone trying to mirror this is still able to do so. Thought Id mention it. Not sure if you mentioned in the video - watching this for the 3rd time but no audio at the moment setting it up as the headset just arrived. Thanks for the time you put into measuring these and adjusting the tune.
OMG been waiting for this...can’t wait to listen!!!!!!!
The sound difference in overwatch2 was huge when i use your settings! Much better than the one from the game list in SGG.Thank you so much for the time you have used to help others with this! 👍
I tried your settings and omg it made a world of difference! Earned a subscriber thanks!
Glad I could help
I love your reviews, I used your EQ settings on my Astro A50. Yesterday I decided to get these. Wow, now some might say night and day. However, I like these alot, I also liked the Astros a lot. Not as big a difference as when I went from Playstation elite 2nd gen to the Astro. I cannot wait to put these setting to the test.
Such a great video. Thank you for such an in-depth breakdown. Waiting on my pair to come in the mail, this video got me even more excited.
holyyyy ur settings transfromed this headset so much!! i wasnt impressed at first even using dolby atmost, but using your sound curve has made this headset come to life, i still use my senheisser for pure music but the novas are amazing for games and even for music, THANKS!!
thank you for that custom EQ so much better !!
This review has helped out a lot, thank you.
Great video, you seem to always answer the questions I have and then some.
This is my favourite headphone channel!
I have to say your tune is the best i found so far.. glad to find your review
Finally someone who knows what he is talking about and knows how headphones work. Instead, just saying, “yes bass sounds powerful and headphone sound good” - every gaming headphone reviewer.
Thanks for the review - really easy to listen to you going through the pros/cons. Just ordered one in the Christmas Sales :)
Thank you for this deep dive audio review and setup. My Cloud 2’s just died and I picked these up and I am so impressed.
Excellent. Answered a lot of questions. Love the headset
Great review. I had the wireless version and then changed to the wired version but in the end I returned the wired and went back to the wireless. Personally on console after testing both I can't really hear any difference in sound quality and I really missed the Bluetooth,ANC and transparency mode on the wireless version.
However with the wired version one thing I loved and wish/hope they can implement on the wireless version in the future is allowing the back button on the base station to become a mic mute button. This was super convenient and I used it way more than I thought I would.
Also if they implemented Bluetooth connectivity into the DAC that would be a stellar upgrade.
For those who have the wired version and would like Bluetooth I had a workaround that was great but would make the cost the same as the wireless so unless you have one already I wouldn't recommend buying one just to do this but.....
I used a fiio BTR 5 DAC and hooked it up to the aux in port and then enabled car mode on the BTR5 and plugged the other end into my PS5's spare USB port.
Now I have Bluetooth with the wired version and with the BTR5 being in car mode every time I turn on/off the PS5 it will turn on/off the fiio BTR5 DAC and can use my phone wirelessly.
Hope that makes sense 👍
Q
if talking about PC usage only, will the wired version be better in sound quality vs the wireless?
significant difference?
Console only supports 16 bit so there's no difference because you aren't using it at its fullest potential
Excellent video and thank you for the EQ settings and explanation. Very few of these with gaming headsets.
$200 now! Thanks for the great review and eq settings!
Just purchased this headset and first thing I did was use your sonar setup hope it works good! Thanks 🙏
Great video, thanks, and hope you continue making videos like these. I have the SteelSeries nova pro wireless with the wicked cushion ear pads and configure those settings as a baseline and started tweaking it.
The BEST REVIEW ecer i have watshed yet. Thanks for you job and i hope you will get more SUB's!!!!
thx for charing the eq settings.. they are so good!
Perfect stuff! Great review.
New Astro's have to be in the pipeline at this stage. Will be interesting to see what they bring out. Great vid also Joe...as usual.
Thanks Gareth! A new A50 with BT and improved sound and build quality will be amazing. I hope they also make a universal base station that works with PS5 and Xbox without needing any tricks. Same in a new A40 model, but with a flip to mute mic instead, along with even further improved sound quality. There's potential in their lineup to be some of the best.
Yes I'm holding out to see what they release.
@@cosmicheretic8129 New Astro on 10/4! I’ll release my review as soon as possible
@@GadgetryTech It honestly shouldn't be hard. Just a USB-C connection. One optical audio pass through.
I simultaneous audio mixer via USB would be amazing. Listening to both a console and PC at the same time wirelessly can’t be done right now unless you relegate one to BT and deal with the lag. But yeah, USB-C is a must. I don’t think we’ll be seeing optical any more unfortunately
Awesome video as always! You’re so underrated but not for long! Did you say new pads coming in a couple of weeks for the pro wireless???? 😁
I bought the Astro A50 wireless about a year ago. It has been nothing but a problem. Don't get me wrong. The A50's sound amazing when they work! Here are just some of the issues. I've never been able to get them to fully charge after about three months of use. I had to put black electrical tape on the headset's top to stop the pad from splitting away from the headset housing frame. When you have to put tape on a $300 headset to prevent it from falling apart, that's a serious product quality problem. I never dropped them or anything. I've had charging and sync issues with the Astros from the beginning. My son uses and swears by the A40s, but on the A50s, I've had to hard reset them too many times to count. I decided to return to wired since my new console setup and monitor are next to me. I considered Astro Wired, but after watching your complete review, I am taking a chance on Nova Pro Wired. I suspect I'll be happy. Thanks for posting this review.
Excellent review as usual man!! The Nova wired are on my list 😅. The main reason is that finally I can get a dac that works usb with PS5 and Series X and allow me to eq the sound. You tried to use another headsets with the Nova dac? I've the old Arctis Pros, wired and wireless, and I use the dac with a 3.5 adapter with other headsets, for example the Virtuoso XT by 3.5 on that dac used on PS5, and the sound changes... for good
I make it short --> thx for your settings and your time you put into it. Like it, use it and subscribed. :)
Great video. Just got my PS5 and wanted a new headset as well. Have had my A40s since around 2012 or 13. They are finally starting to age so this will be a nice upgrade
Did you get them for the PS5? Thoughts?
@@nathananders7657 yes got them for PS5. I thought the sound was flat at first but after some EQing I am satisfied. Bass is a little lackluster at times but the highs and mids are crisp. Comfy for long sessions and easily cleanable
@@DiegotheDon00 what settings do u run on your ps5? :)
This review kept me from selling the headset. I purchased the nova pro and was concerned that I may be able to spend less for a better headset. This makes me realize that the headset is better than I though and will keep it.
brilliant, i love this review
Awesome video, thanks man!
Thanks man amazing video, thanks a million.
Thanks, I've brought some!
One of the best albums to test headphones is "Sonngbook" by Chris Cornell, one of the best recorded albums out there.
As always, great review 👍
I would be interested in seeing a direct video comparison between these and the vzr 1.
Hi Joe, good video.slight change in conversation. I am still waiting for the vzr model one to be available in the UK.i just bought the ifi zen dac v2 dac amp,to go with my new phillips fidelio x2hr.So far very happy.They are a massive upgrade for sound quality over the shp9500,which again are a great sounding open back,for ps5.Hope other people find this of interest.many thanks.
Great video I love my nova pro wireless wish it had sonar heard it is coming to xbox
Finaly someone explains xbox version working on ps5
Amazing review
Thanks for the great review I learned a lot. Also I just saw your review on the VZR model one and you seem to like that and the nova pro wired for gaming. Between those two which one do you think is better for competitive gaming and hearing/ visualizing footsteps?
I had the same question, I pulled the trigger on nova pro wired. I'm really liking them. They are amazing, I switched from Astro A50. With his sonar tune it's a game changer.
Finally someone knows what he's talking about. Not like all the rest of flashy reviewers, all they do is bring all headsets out there and start telling, ohh this is good, and this is also really good, this the best, and this is also the best. We do not want to hear what is best! We need information to make a god damn decision.
Anyone on the fence just jump right down off it. These are so good. Had arctis 9x which had terrible connection issues with series X in my experience, the wireless pros are rock solid. Was doubtful they could justify the cost but I'm sold.
Finally, a real review to give accurate inforamtion that I needed to know when deciding which one to buy i.e. wireless or wired. Can you connect the wireless with wired and get the slightly better sound when wired?
Thanks! There isn't a proper way to use the wireless version as a wired headset without sacrificing too much. So if you're considering that, and maximum sounds quality, I would just purchase the wired version.
Just a quick correction, the mic mute option on the wired novas actually changes the the back button on the dac to be a mute button for your headset when not in a menu.
So you have to enable it so the mute button of the headset works (on/off) by pressing it?
@brrr What he/she is saying is you can mute on the DAC itself in addition to having the physical switch on the ear cup itself. Both mute buttons would work.
Great review
I’ve been engineering for over 15 years and yes you can hear the difference between bit rates. The average human may not but these games aren’t even geared to give you audio details that you will hear in one bit rate and not the other so in that sense it makes no different but I will say the audio is much much cleaner. Sort of a non distorted sound which I really prefer even over having the spatial audio feature enabled that in turn caps you at 48k 16bit. With that said, go high res for great clean/clear sound or gamedac feature spatial feature for the surround emulation. I honestly feel like it’s an emulation and not actual surround. I wish there was a such thing as a headset with actual directional speakers built in. If there are please point me in that direction.
Better then astro a 40s and 50s i used a50s for 6 months and base station was not charging. But steel series nova pro are louder better 3D audio lighter nd more comfortable
Well after about 3 years of use the hinge finally gave out on my Arctis 7 Pros. I was just gonna buy another Arctis 7 Series but turns out they don't make them anymore and they directed me to this headset. Looks like I'm grabbing a pair of these. I'm not excited about the "leatherette" material for the pads but I'm sure I can replace them easily.
So glad I picked these bad boys up I don’t feel no anc nob so it sucks for the guys who do, had a40s a50s but these are > for me
Just got this and watching to see if there are any other details I don't know about. You wouldn't believe how many people have a smart phone or other device and don't use key features they didn't know about.
Maybe I'm dumb but my complaint is the cable connecting the headset to the mixer REQUIRES you connect the angled side of the cable into the mixer and the straight part into the headset. Yes it shows in the picture, yes they have a tag that says "connect to headset" but you could make it simpler for a doofus like me by saying "this end in headset" since the prior made me think the cable in general cause I've seen people connect the aux to their PC.
Again, help idiots like me.
You took me by surprise when you opted out of the spatial audio settings on sonar. Why??
All I care about is imaging/soundstage. I don't care about mic, music, price or anything else. Are these the best headphones for that use case?
Amazing video. Very clear you have deep knowledge in this arena. Subscribed with noti's. Great stuff man.
Thanks so much! Sonar typically adds reverbs to simulate spatial audio. What this means is some objects can be more difficult to isolate. I often disable it because I want clean presentation of the source audio. There is already spatial audio being done on the game engine, Atmos, Tempest 3D, etc, so I often prefer that over a secondary layer.
@@GadgetryTech I agree. I just tested thoroughly the dimensional audio, dolby atmos, spatial sonar etc and Sonar Spatial is by far the best in telling you where the sounds is coming from..by far. But, Spatial does add some kind of metalic reverb, even when I tune the immersion to zero. And that is an issue. I like when the output is more clean, more original
You review is the Best i buy one
Great REVIEW man, very well put. I have had these for a couple of days now. These are great for pc, becausde of the eq settings you can do. Now on PS5 thats where these are not worth it for me, just can not get them to sound right, I followed you Eq settings and and a few touchs, but no matter what, these our not good for PS5, imo.
I wish they were, they are nice, but that sound of the A40 tr pro's with mix amp, just cant beat it. I know they are old, but the sound is better for console, imo.
Again great review and thank you.
Thank you! Did you try disabling Sony's Tempest 3D audio engine in the PS5 audio settings? To some people it ruins the sound. It may not fix your issue but who knows, hopefully it helps!
@@GadgetryTech Yes, I did that. Still just sounds so weak on the ps5, but on pc they are pretty good.
Might try those new Astros A30??
Thanks for the reply. You got a new sub.
@@Pinkfloyd1173did u try the astro a30 was is good because i am torn between astro a30 and inzone h9 since they cost the same rn in my region
First of all, you're a great reviewer, thanks for the great videos.
So I've been scoping the Nova Pro for purchase lately and I'm trying to decide between wireless and wired. I am leaning towards the benefits of wireless BUT there's one glaring issue for me: The mic quality is VASTLY better on the wired one. Some people might not care, but I talk a lot to people and I if I can help it I wanna sound as good as possible.
In this wired video you talk like the mic quality is mediocre while sounding really good, and on the review of the wireless one you sound much worse and say its excellent?? I don't get it.
I am really curious if the Sonar software can salvage the wireless mic quality to some degree, because you don't explore that at all in the wireless video.
the mic on both are not great. They are understandable but the quality is lower than most headphone mics. If you really want this headset I recommend you buy it and then if you think the quality isn't great than you can buy a very cheap mic. The blue snowball mic is cheap and quite good. Razer seiren mini is even cheaper
Thanks bro ❤❤
The noise cancellation seems to get rid of your salvia noise
You didn't mention the EPOS HS6 PRO & GSX 300
I'm just interested in the nova 1 wireless. It'll probably be the best deal out of them like the arctis 1 wireless was.
i own it and 100% recommend it
can u pls aswer me a question pls? in transparency at lvl 10 with the nova do u also hear like white noise ¿?
@@caesaraugustus4563 yes that happened to me after few months of use
Its a shame Sonar isn't on console Or it would be a solid headset which I'd buy.
The previous Steelseries GameDAC is what I use on ps4 pro and ps5. It's nice.
That eq works great with the game dac and hyperx cloud alpha s loving it for for warzone
your wired settings definitly upgrades sound quality
i prefer bass +4 DB and TREBLE +3 DB and for now its much cleaner sound overall and bit punchier in terms of bass (headphones got nice bas but unfortunatly starts to kick in at 60+ volume and this is to much for me)
Just purchased mine, thank you for the info
can u pls aswer me a question pls? in transparency at lvl 10 with the nova do u also hear like white noise ¿?
Hi, actually bought it and im really happy with it! Would you recommend using your Equalizer settings for games like Apex and CoD, or use the specific presettings in the Sonar App for those games? I feel like using your EQ sounds the best to me, not sure about footsteps and so on though, since the presets look very different in the lows (around 50 hz)...
Had the exact same question. I play lots of Rainbow Six Siege. And whilst Sonar actually had two presets for Siege, I’m unsure which to use
@@mustaphachedid6013 maybe @GadgetryTech can help us out on this :)
I neeeeed an apex eq tune pleaseeeee!
can u pls aswer me a question pls? in transparency at lvl 10 with the nova do u also hear like white noise ¿?
Astro is a40 is a whole 5 or 6 years older even the last generation but besides the screen & multiple out ports the a40s have on ehuge advantage the cables..... these pro heqdsets today have such a short low quality cables yet astro gives really high end thick cables i have used gen 1 & gen 4 mine never broke i can even hide them inder the side of the carpet & evryone walks over it..... 5 meters total yet this steelseries only 3m or even less 2.80 if im right
People used to also say that the human eye can’t see beyond 60 fps, yet . . .
Hi! Thanks for your video about the Arctis Nova Pro Wired! The other day I saw a video on Exique's channel where he tunes EQ settings for SteelSeries headsets to better hear footsteps in Warzone. Exquise recommends disabling sonar and using Dolby Atmos. However, this means that you lose the function of using the ChatMix on the GameDac, which I would very much like to continue using! I would be interested in your thoughts on whether you find the Dolby Atmos solution better, or whether the EQ setting in Sonar for Warzone can be set to the same level. Thanks for your answer! Greetings from Vienna!
Fantastic review thanks so much!
I’ve owned my since they launched and really think they’re great. One thing I noted PS5 outputs 48/24 bit where XsX 48/16 bit.
Is it possible to go optical out from a TV to line in on the DAC?
I'm loving your reviews, I recently picked up the wired nova pros after watching this. I'm curious to know what you think of the wireless version for sound compared to these? I'm tempted to get the wireless as I love these so much thanks.
How are they?
Nice vid! When do these birds play in exile, curious?
Hmm, so, it's these or the VZR Model One to choose between in the sub $350 category. Did I understand correctly that you feel the Nova has a better sound stage than the VZR? What about immersiveness? Would really like to see more on the Nova versus VZR and if there's a pure headphone that out does these gaming headsets for $350 or less.
I am torn between buying this headset or the nova 7. I know i'm comparing a wireless headset to a wired one, but if we take that out of the picture (and the whole, wireless being convenient thing) which one of these headsets are better in terms of audio and mic quality?
The Nova 7 would be my first wireless headset. I've heard great things about it having bluetooth and stuff, and while that's a nice bonus, i'm mostly interested in the sound and mic quality. I know that wired headphones usually sound better than wireless headphones, but is there a significant, noticeable difference between the 2?
Thanks a lot for the work you do, the reviews are immensely helpful!!!!
Same. Which one did you buy?
@@paulallenlegarte6389 Ended up buying the Nova Pro Wired, happy about my decision
Thank you for this excellent review, purchased this based on your recommendation and used your presets in sonar. I can't seem to figure out how to enter the 10th point in sonar that would show +4 dB, 9.25 Hz, 5Q. Tried to double click on line, but can't add new points.
Nice video! Glad I found your channel. I was just thinking I should make a channel for gaming and audio that included consoles. I’m eager to compare a Topping DX3pro+ to the Steelseries gameDAC gen2.
I’m curious what you think is the best DAC/amp for the Xbox SX? (Especially in light of experiencing the nova pro wired & gameDAC gen2)
What chair do u have ? Any link for it ?:D
Looks damn cosy
Thx for answer!
Gr8 content btw, keep it u-!
After watching a few reviews including this one. I decided to pull the trigger and get a set of these also with the recomened wicked cushions. Am I imagining it or is the volume much higher when on Bluetooth compared to 2.4g? Thanks for the EQ's aswel I have used both your one for standard cushions and the wc freeze. Excellent work!
I notice this EQ tune is difficult then the wireless version. Also this tune only has 9 adjustments but the wireless had 10. Is there really that much of a difference between the wired and wireless in terms of EQ tuning?
Oh so I noticed the sonar tune does in fact have 10 dots of adjustment but only 9 on the side written down. Must have missed one when writing it down.
The missing adjustment on the left hand side for anyone who sees this is +4 on the 5.30khz range with +5 peaking EQ.
I just ordered this headset. Waiting for it to arrive - question.
What frequency are footsteps in warzone ? Will increasing those frequencies and lowering the gunshots and explosions make it better for footsteps cues
Great vid!
Not wrong a bout the chair arms pretty sure they conspire against me and my cables haha.
So I can almost finally do away with my mixamp and its crazy static from the AUX port? And spdif/hdmi extractor? USB XBOX mixamp audio is awful IMO
(yes I have a filter on it, still a lot of static)
Mannn I wonder if they can software it so the chat/game dial doesn't effect the output so OBS ect can pull full VOL but not my ears. Be cool if they offered the DAC separately to.
Wonder why they didn't go with a 50mm
Awesome review, in your opinion did the nova pro wired have the same amount of power as the nova 7 wireless? As in loudness?
Hey Joe, you said you'd be measuring more frequency response for future reviews, do you plan to go back to previous headsets? I'm personally very interested in the H6pro, they sound great and I bought them based on your reviews. I'm just curious if I could squeeze even more eargasms out of it and I don't quite know how to start
Dude, I returned the wireless version. For me, the ear cups were very uncomfortable and my ears were on 🔥 not even after an hour. Currently, you can't swap ear pads because of how the frame are produced. 👎
I also returned them, the ANC touched my ear and after a little over 1h it got so uncomfortable that I had to take them off
Good news is the wired version has a standard earpad mounting system so you can throw whatever pads you want on them
Wicked Cushions is working on custom replacements and they’re supposed to be out apparently within a few weeks. Personally dont have an issue with mine but I 100% feel you. They shouldve had better pads that dont have the mic bump sticking through so much and hitting your ears, or came up with a better design so they werent like that
@@KiLLaCaM607 nice info, need to buy these new ear pads as soon as possible. I really like the nova wireless,if they weren't hurting my right ear :D
@@bonanzabrandon6877 why did Steelseries make the wireless ones have a different mounting system 😂 im also getting the weird ones
I'm almost pulling the trigger on an Epos H6Pro open back. Ignoring everything else, going only by sound quality. The Epos or this Nova Pro?
how much better than the wireless do they sound? like, let's say this one is 10/10 how much would you give in comparison to the wireless?
and how do these compare to the audeze penrose?
Hi, thank you for your video the detail is awesome. I have adjusted my equaliser to your recommended and it sounds great! Do you activate spatial audio in Sonar, if so where would you set the slider for performance/immersion and distance/100? Thanks again.
I just got this headset and when it seems to pick up all of my pc audio through the mic, on discord my friends can hear the audio from youtube videos through my mic , any idea what it could be?