The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite looks like a lifestyle headset, but feels like a studio staple
The ultra premium headset space has always felt like a daydream. Everyone wants to bridge pro audio credibility with gaming flash, but most brands end up with something that is either a shiny lifestyle accessory pretending to be serious or a loud gaming headset pretending to have studio chops.
The real magic happens when a company actually understands both worlds and builds something that can live comfortably in a studio, a lounge room and a sweaty ranked match without feeling compromised.
Has someone nailed the holy grail? Maybe. At Happy Mag we love gaming, but we also spend most of our days in recording studios, so we know just how crucial accurate monitoring and genuine sound quality really are.
It means we can spot the difference between a headset that only looks the part and one that truly delivers.
SteelSeries is the one company that has genuinely pushed the category over the years and the new Arctis Nova Elite is their most ambitious move yet.
This is their top tier flagship and it brings Hi Res wireless audio, redesigned carbon fibre drivers, a four source DAC, better noise cancelling and a build that nudges right up against lifestyle headphone territory.
After weeks of combined testing across gaming, music and day to day use, the simple take is this.
These certainly aren’t for everyone, but if you’re the type of person who needs the best of the best, these should be top of your list.
Before we dive deep, here’s a spec level run down:
- Hi Res wireless audio at 96 kHz 24 bit over 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth
- Custom two piece 40 mm carbon fibre drivers with brass surround
- Frequency response rated from roughly 10 Hz to 40 kHz
- Hybrid active noise cancellation with transparency mode
- Dual microphone system with retractable boom and onboard beamforming mic
- Multi source audio via GameHub DAC with up to four inputs at once
- Dual swappable thirty hour batteries with quick charge support
- Bluetooth 5.3 with LC3 and LC3 Plus codec support
- Stainless steel and aluminium frame with memory foam cushions
- Cross platform compatibility including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and mobile
Okay so on the surface, the Nova Elite looks familiar to anyone who has tried the Nova Pro Wireless, but the closer you look the more you notice it has been rebuilt with premium materials.
Stainless steel, aluminium, brass surrounds in the drivers, a metal volume wheel and the now signature fabric suspension strap that feels soft and effortless on the head.
The ear cushions use memory foam and sit somewhere between lifestyle comfort and passive noise isolation.
Two colour options are available: Sage & Gold (for something a bit luxe) and Obsidian (if you want a cleaner, stealthier look).
The metal ear plates pop off to reveal the swappable battery on one side and the USB C port on the other.
It’s one of the nicest looking and feeling headsets SteelSeries has ever made and it avoids the usual gamer aesthetic entirely.
Comfort is a highlight in real world use. The stock pleather pads are deeper than the Nova Pro and offer a wider opening, although heat build up can creep in during long sessions.
With Wicked Cushions, comfort jumps significantly and becomes the kind of wear and forget experience you get from proper lifestyle headphones.
The suspension strap continues to be one of SteelSeries’ best design ideas – and honestly I can’t understand how more companies aren’t using it at this point.
It spreads weight effortlessly and makes the Elite feel lighter than the numbers suggest.
After hours of gaming, walking around the house or listening to music, you never get that clamp fatigue or top-of-head pressure.
Everything about the fit feels premium and intentionally designed for long sessions.
Sound is where the Nova Elite tries to blend gaming punch with audiophile clarity.
The new two piece carbon fibre drivers with brass surrounds deliver fast transients, intimacy and a slightly elevated treble that gives sounds a wraparound effect.
Out of the box the bass is controlled and fortunately not overbearing. Treble can get a little peaky depending on the source but SteelSeries’ EQ tools make it easy to refine.
There is a slight V shape overall, similar to some high end lifestyle sets, but the detail and imaging land well above what you expect from typical gaming headphones.
These legitimately compete with audiophile sets and can hang with much more expensive wired options, once the EQ is properly dialled in.
My preference was to tone down the highs, boost the bass slightly and to add in some of those mid frequencies, especially for games with dialogue.
In gaming, directional cues are pinpoint. In music, they are surprisingly engaging with real separation and texture.
Noise cancelling is strong for a gaming headset – not quite at the level of an AirPods Max or a Sony XM series, but it certainly does a good enough job.
It blocks low frequency rumble and day to day noise well enough to be useful on the go and absolutely shines when playing story driven games or using spatial audio.
The ClearCast Gen2 microphone is perfectly serviceable but sits in the B tier. It’s fine for voice chat and Discord, but streamers will still reach for a dedicated mic.
The Elite also includes a backup beamforming mic that automatically takes over when the boom is retracted, which is a smart touch for mobile or work calls.
Everything in this package is powered by the GameHub DAC. This is one of the most complete base stations we have used.
It processes audio up to 96 kHz 24-bit, but it’s worth noting current gen consoles themselves only currently output at 48kHz 16-bit so you’ll need a PC to take full advantage of the hi res audio.
The headset communicates with the DAC using LC3 Plus for low latency, which also allows for four simultaneous audio sources.
PC, console, Switch, phone, whatever you want. The DAC features line in, line out, multiple USB C ports, Bluetooth, and a charger for the second swappable battery.
The four source streaming feature makes it possible to listen to game audio, Discord, music and alerts all at once.
For content creators and heavy multitaskers this is a huge win. This is a simple idea executed extremely well.
Sonar gives you deep control with a parametric EQ, game specific presets, mic tuning and routing tools that rival streaming software.
You can hardcode your EQ curves directly onto the headset so you can use them when not connected to GG.
There is also the Arctis mobile app which is designed for the multi device lifestyle angle of the Nova Elite.
You cannot build custom curves on mobile, but the preset library is huge and quick to switch on the go.
It’s one of the more complete software systems in gaming and adds a lot of long term value.
Happy Mag resides in Australia so we always think about battery life when it comes to our wireless paraphernalia.
SteelSeries’ Infinity Power system returns with two thirty hour batteries that swap in seconds.
One charges inside the DAC while the other is in use. A five second window gets the headset back online automatically after a swap and the system becomes second nature within a day.
USB C charging is also here and gives around four hours of playback after a quick fifteen minute top up.
In practice, you rarely think about battery life at all. The combination of the DAC charger and the hot swap system makes this one of the best endurance setups on the market.
This is where the Nova Elite justifies its price for the right buyer. Multi source audio. Hi Res wireless. A powerful DAC. Cross platform compatibility including PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch and mobile. Dolby Atmos, Windows Sonic and PS5 Tempest support. Strong ANC.
A retractable boom mic and a backup beamforming mic. Low latency wireless. Bluetooth for daily use. Quick charging. Swappable batteries. It’s a world class list for anyone who needs one headset that does everything.
This is the part that sparks debate. At AU $1349 it sits way above the Nova Pro Wireless, above the Audeze Maxwell and well into audiophile territory. But none of those options combine multi source audio, Hi Res wireless, carbon fibre drivers, ANC, a full DAC and a swappable battery system.
Value comes down to the user. If all you want is sound quality, there are better audiophile options. If you just want a headset for gaming, there are cheaper ones with great performance.
But if you need an all in one headset that bridges gaming, daily listening and will work across multiple devices, the Arctis Nova Elite is in a league of its own.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is a bold, uncompromising swing at the top end of gaming audio.
It looks premium, feels premium and delivers performance that moves between gaming and music with surprising ease.
It’s not designed for everyone, and the price will scare off a lot of buyers, and that’s fine.
But for those wanting the absolute best of the best, it delivers in every category and sets a new benchmark for what a flagship gaming headset can be.
If you want the absolute best all rounder and are willing to invest, this is the one.
