SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Multi-System Gaming Headset - Premium Drivers - Hi-Res Spatial Audio - GameDAC Gen 2 - ESS Quad-DAC - ClearCast Mic - PC, PS5, PS4, Switch (Renewed)

Thanks to you.

These came in like new condition and have held up well with my teenage son using them daily. Steel Series are the only gaming headphones I will buy as they are the only ones that really last. Great sound quality and hot swappable batteries make these the perfect gaming headphones

Excellent sound quality, amp or dac has nice features great boost in output.

I needed cabled headphones with good mic for the office - I'm in an environment where Bluetooth just can't hold a connection due to RF noise. These are very comfortable, sound good, and the mic seems to work well (nobody's complained about my voice after a few months of use so I'll assume they sound good).A few negatives, though: Due to the external DAC, I'm unable to to control the volume from my keyboard's volume buttons. I wish the cord between DAC and headphones was about 2' longer. It looks like a "standard" 4-pole "TRRS" cable should work, so I'll try ordering an 8-10' cable to use instead and will update if there's issues there.Also, a PSA: There's volume knobs on both the DAC - but also on the headphones. I forgot about the headphone one, and was going to say these weren't loud enough until I re-noticed the headphone adjustment when looking at the cable.

I wanted to like these so badly. The build quality feels nice enough, the cups are comfy, the battery life is long, and the audio comes through clear and the microphone is nice and crisp, too. The problem is that these things are only relevant when the headphones actually connect to the computer and function. The transmitter that comes with these is messily designed; I don't understand the logic behind a wide USB-C dongle that is almost guaranteed to cover other ports. What would have been wrong with a regular stick design? This is a nitpick however compared to the fact that the transmitter is unbelievably finicky. 80% of the time the machine does not even detect it when you plug it in, so you have to re-plug it several times before it works, and then it may disconnect anyway. I work in IT and have access to many different machines, so I checked with several laptops and even a couple desktops and confirmed it was not just my USB port. The transmitter completely gave out after about 2 months, no longer working even when replugging, so I bought a replacement hoping the first was just a defect. Same functionality issue, sadly.I had high hopes that the proprietary transmitter would mean a more streamlined connectivity than some Bluetooth headsets I've used, but this is actually far worse. Oh well.

I'll break down my review by the various features. Firstly, the sound output. This headset sounds really good overall. Compared to previous headphones I've used, the range and consistency across the range is easily superior. That being said, note that I'm not comparing it to $1,000 studio headphones or anything. But compared to similarly priced headphones, I can hear a lot more detail in sounds while playing a game, for example. Music also sounds good through it, including deeper ends of bass, though if you want it really impactful, you might want to run it through an EQ. The SteelSeries GG software works great for that.Next, active noise cancellation. I would like it to be a little better at blocking out fans and such, but it does a decent job, especially if you have any sounds playing. I don't have a lot of experience with high-end ANC to compare it to, and I haven't tried it on an airplane or anything, but it's noticeably better than my last headphones.The most incredibly useful feature, in my opinion, is the GameDAC. Mostly for its infinity charging system. The ability to quickly and easily swap out the battery, and always have one charging, means never having to plug it in (and lose the ANC.) My biggest complaint with my last wireless headphones was having to have them plugged in if the battery ran low, and have annoying cables (one for power and one for audio) on my shoulder, which also changed the sound dynamics and disabled ANC. The battery charges faster than it drains, so if one runs out, you only have a few seconds of down time, then you've got a fully charged battery again. The GameDAC is also great if you use GG's Sonar to mix different applications to different channels, because you can control your game/chat mix with the GameDAC, removing the need to switch away from your game or whatever you're doing.Finally, the microphone. I'm not a fan of the microphone quality; the range isn't that good, so it sounds a little like a walkie-talkie effect, though not nearly as drastic. It's sufficient for getting the point across in a group chat or voice meeting, but don't think it will replace a dedicated broadcast mic if you're going to stream or publish videos. But you probably already knew that if you're doing those things. That being said, if you're not using the mic, it very seamlessly hides away within the earpiece, which is great.Overall, very pleased with this purchase.

Great sound quality.

The item is very tricky to setup and the instruction manual does not offer much help. Some necessary cables are not included one will require separate purchases for the full experience of the headset. The audio output and mic work fine, but for $120+ it's definitely not something that I can recommend. There are better Steel Series headphones on the market for the same or even lower prices.