Closer Examination, Build Quality, and Comfort

Many aspects of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro are identical to the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, which is why I can only rehash some of the comments from my Arctis Nova Pro Wireless review. Of course, all differences between the two headsets are clearly pointed out, and all photos are those of the Arctis Nova Pro.


In terms of design, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is best described as a thorough refinement of the existing suspended headband design found on the Arctis 7, Arctis 9, and several other members of the Arctis family. This time, the emphasis is on the headset being as low-key as possible. The build quality feels exceptional, with luxurious gray metal covering the outer headband and magnetic ear plates. Sturdy matte black plastic is used for ear cups and hangers. Judging by the look and feel alone, the Arctis Nova Pro could easily pass as a high-end pair of headphones, which is just about as big of a compliment as I can give it.


The suspended headband is attached to the outer one with four plastic clips. It's stretchable, with a carefully adjusted tension, and even somewhat adjustable, in the sense that you can shorten it by pushing its upper two holes through the clips on each side. I found it perfectly comfortable in the default setting. It does a fantastic job of distributing the headset's weight across the top of the head and proves exceptionally practical. You don't have to lose any time worrying about the "height" of the headset. You simply put it on your head, pull the ear cups over your ears, and you're good to go. The suspended headband will automatically stretch and adjust as needed. The Arctis Nova Pro is some 40 grams lighter than its wireless counterpart, primarily due to the lack of a battery, but the difference is barely noticeable in everyday usage.


The factory-supplied suspended headband is black, but SteelSeries will happily sell you a more colorful one. The so-called Nova Booster Pack, consisting of a cherry red, lilac, mint, or rose quartz suspended headband and magnetic ear plates, will set you back $50/€35.


That brings us to the magnetic ear plates. They're found on the exterior of both ear cups and come with a small notch on their lower edge that you fit your fingernail into to remove the plates. The ear plates serve no other purpose besides the aesthetic one, so if you're happy with their out-of-the-box design, you won't get any use from their removable nature.


The ear cups are affixed to a pair of hangers, which allow them to be rotated by 90° inwards, making the headset easier to rest around the neck or on a table. The leatherette ear cushions are very soft and exceptionally comfortable. You can expect some heat to accumulate around the ears after prolonged usage, although the same can be said for any pair of closed-back headphones with (p)leather ear pads.


The left ear cup has a button and a handy volume wheel. The button mutes the microphone. While the capsule isn't equipped with a LED that would warn us about the microphone being muted, you can determine its status with your finger; if the button is protruding, that means that the microphone is muted (and vice versa). I found this solution adequate.


The left ear cup also has an analog 3.5-mm 5-pole audio input, which you have to use to connect the headset to the GameDAC Gen 2 external sound card. The appropriate cable is supplied. It's only 1.2 meters long, meaning you'll have to keep the GameDAC Gen 2 fairly close to the headset, which won't be ideal for some.


The retractable microphone completely tucks into the left ear cup, which basically makes it invisible while it's not being used. The rubberized arm that holds the capsule can be bent in any direction, and it stays where you want it.


You can cover the microphone capsule with the supplied pop filter, although you lose the option to retract the microphone fully.


The headset comes with a detachable 1.2-meter audio cable. On the side which connects to the GameDAC Gen 2, as well as other analog sources, the connector is L-shaped.

GameDAC Gen 2

Aside from the headset inside the box, you'll find the GameDAC Gen 2 – a new generation of the GameDAC, an external USB sound card that SteelSeries shipped with the Arctis Pro gaming headset back in 2018. According to the manufacturer, the GameDAC Gen 2 has 78% purer sound than its predecessor based on the increased resolution of the built-in digital-to-analog converter chip. No idea how they came up with that number; don't shoot the messenger. The chip in question is the ESS Sabre 9218PQ40 – a clear upgrade from the Sabre 9018 used in the first generation of the GameDAC. It's capable of reproducing 24-bit/96 kHz PCM audio files. Higher resolutions or more advanced audio formats such as DSD, aren't supported, so this is hardly audiophile-grade electronics. Still, when put in context – we're dealing with a gaming sound card and headset – it's more than sufficient for what you might want to use it for.


A 4-pole (TRRS) 3.5-mm audio output is located on the left side of the GameDAC Gen 2. You'll use this to connect the sound card to the Arctis Nova Pro. On the rear are two USB-C ports used to deliver audio and power to the sound card. Next to them, you'll find a 3.5-mm line input and output. Sadly, there are no optical (TOSLINK) ports on the GameDAC Gen 2. The USB-C ports can be used simultaneously, meaning you can connect the GameDAC Gen 2 to your PC and PlayStation 5, and simply switch between active inputs by using the system menu on the sound card itself. The volume controls are saved for each USB input individually, and the sound card automatically switches inputs in case you turn off one of the active inputs.


The GameDAC Gen 2 is a substantial visual upgrade to its predecessor, too. SteelSeries kept its rounded corners but made the volume wheel much larger, smoother, and generally nicer to use. Next to the volume wheel is an OLED display, and between the two, you'll find a touch-sensitive back button. The volume wheel can be pressed as a button. A short press toggles between two operating modes: one where the wheel adjusts the sound volume and another where it controls the so-called ChatMix feature. ChatMix lets you adjust the volume ratio between the game you're playing and the voice app you're currently using to communicate with your teammates. Turn it one way, and the game will become louder and your friends quieter. Turn it the other way and the opposite will happen. The wheel can also be used to adjust the various settings of the Arctis Nova Pro without accessing the SteelSeries GG software suite. The menus are accessed by pressing and holding the wheel.


The home screen of the built-in OLED display shows a lot of helpful information, such as the headset volume, left and right channel activity, current bitrate and sample rate, and active input (USB-1 or USB-2). Through the menus, you can switch between active inputs (USB-1 or USB-2), pick any of the factory equalizer profiles or create your 10-band frequency profile, adjust the output gain, microphone volume, and sidetone, and control some other features of the Arctis Nova Pro.


One interesting option is to change the function of the 3.5-mm line output on the back of the GameDAC Gen 2. You can set it to Speakers or Stream. The first option will have the sound play through a pair of powered speakers connected to the base station. If you set the line output to Stream, the base station will mix all of its sounds together and output them to your sound card's input so that you can use them for streaming. You can even mix the main, AUX, and microphone levels in real-time on the GameDAC Gen 2 itself. The appropriate mixer is found in the Line Out > Audio Output > Stream menu.


There are several other settings you can adjust on the GameDAC Gen 2, such as the OLED display brightness and dimming.