SteelSeries makes some of the best gaming headsets on the market, but with its new flagship Arctic Nova Prothe company is undergoing a major overhaul with a brand new design, a second-generation GameDAC, and an innovative audio suite with support for 360-degree spatial audio and more.
Available in both wired and wireless versions for PC, Xbox and PlayStation, the revamped design of the Arctis Nova Pro is made to be super comfortable, even during marathon gaming sessions. SteelSeries has added four different adjustment points, including rotating and height-adjustable ear cups, pivoting hangers and a flexible tension strap. Meanwhile, for people who want to customize the look of the headset, the company is offering $35 Booster Packs, which consist of interchangeable headbands and outer plates in red, lilac, mint and pink.
When it comes to audio, the Nova Pro uses custom speaker drivers with a dual-diaphragm design, while the new Sonar Audio Suite adds support for what the company claims is the world’s first pro-grade parametric EQ for gamers. The idea is that by allowing people to mark specific frequencies, such as the sound of footsteps or breaking glass, gamers can get a jump on anyone sneaking behind them. In addition, SteelSeries has developed a new 360-degree spatial audio function generated from the 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound track of your content, which should make sounds and effects sound more realistic compared to traditional virtual surround sound techniques.
The headset also has a built-in ANC to drown out potentially distracting sounds. And to make sure your friends and teammates can hear you loud and clear, SteelSeries includes a fully retractable microphone with AI-powered noise cancellation. For the wireless model, the Nova Pro also has a two-battery system, so you also have a new power pack that you can redeem when the headset runs low. And thanks to the company’s Quantum 2.0 Wireless system, users can simultaneously connect to two different devices via Bluetooth and the Nova Pro’s dedicated 2.4GHz connection.
Finally, the new GameDAC Gen 2 features Hi-Res Audio certification and a new Quad DAC that delivers a 78 percent purer signal, according to SteelSeries. And by using the DAC’s OLED display, you can easily adjust your EQ, audio inputs, volume and more without ever having to close or pause your game.
The Arctis Nova Pro is available today, with the wireless models going for $350, while the wired models are a bit more affordable at $250.
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