INTRODUCTION

   With the Christmas holidays less than 2 weeks away i find myself in front of an inbox filled with reader questions that cover everything from PC hardware and peripherals to various home appliances. Unfortunately, with so little time left (and also having to still throw the annual giveaway, it will happen on the 20th) there's simply no way for me to cover everything and so i decided to focus on the things that actually are in the lab right now (besides, nothing arrives here by chance). So, for all of you asking which wired PC headset is the best right now for hardcore gamers well the ARCTIS NOVA PRO by SteelSeries is a definite contester and that's exactly what today's review is all about.

   SteelSeries is the worldwide brand and innovation leader in gaming and esports peripherals focused on premium quality, innovation, and functionality. Founded in 2001, SteelSeries improves performance through first-to-market innovations and technologies that enable gamers to play harder, train longer, and rise to the challenge. SteelSeries is the pioneering supporter of esports and competitive gaming tournaments, connecting gamers and fostering a sense of community and purpose. SteelSeries’ family of professional and gaming enthusiasts are the driving force behind the company and help influence, design, and craft every single accessory and the brand’s software ecosystem, SteelSeries GG, which includes Moments video clip service and the Sonar Audio Software Suite. The SteelSeries family of brands includes KontrolFreek, the industry leader in high-performance controller accessories, and Nahimic, the leader in 3D sound solutions for gaming. In 2022 SteelSeries joined the GN family, a global leader in innovative and intelligent audio and video communications solutions sold in approximately 100 countries around the world.

   The ARCTIS NOVA PRO which i have here with me is obviously the successor to SteelSeries award winning and highly popular ARCTIS PRO with GameDac model released back in 2018 (review here). So once again we have a Hi-Res Audio System which consists of two parts, a headset which features 40mm high-fidelity neodymium drivers (10Hz-40kHz frequency response with 93dB sensitivity and 38Ohm impedance / on the box it says 32) together with a retractable bidirectional noise cancelling microphone (100Hz-10Khz frequency response with -38dB sensitivity and 2200Ohm impedance) and an external USB DAC (GameDAC Gen 2) which ensures high-fidelity 96kHz/24-bit (5Hz-40kHz frequency response) audio with no need for down-sampling thanks to the ESS Sabre Quad-DAC 9218PQ40 (this 2-channel D/A converter actually supports up to 384kHz/32-bit audio with 121dB digital noise reduction and -114dB total harmonic distortion plus noise). This time over for the optimal positioning audio experience and accuracy SteelSeries is using the Sonar software which delivers 360° detail with Spatial Audio and allows the end user complete control over it with the help of a 10-band parametric equalizer. Time to see just how good the latest ARCTIS NOVA PRO by SteelSeries really is.