SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Headset (Hardware) Review

A Premium Feeling Headset Haunted by Connection Gremlins

I have run into a lot of random issues over the last few years with devices using wireless dongles to the point that I’ve resorted to testing such devices across a multitude of platforms in different scenarios to ensure I’m not imagining things and to confirm it’s not my specific machine. As with my reviews of other SteelSeries devices, the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless headset appears to suffer from software gremlins and battery performance but otherwise has the premium qualities one would expect from a product at its retail price. Despite this, having a headset that can simultaneously connect to both a wireless dongle and a Bluetooth device such as a phone makes for a work-from-home advantage that is very appealing. 

The most glaring problem I have with the Arctis Nova 7 is that it will randomly fuzz out or disconnect for a moment, which is really noticeable while listening to music or trying to immerse oneself in game worlds. This occurred on my PC, laptop, and PS5 utilizing both the extension cable, wireless dongle (which is wider than I would like and can block other ports on some devices), and exclusively Bluetooth. Weirdly, I didn’t encounter this nearly as much when plugging the wireless dongle directly into the USB-C port of the Nintendo Switch, finally enabling me to enjoy the otherwise good sound of the headset. However, this connection problem makes most of the other features a moot point because I can’t rely on it actually working at any given time. Adjusting the distance between the headset and the dongle, updating to the latest firmware, or using the device without the SteelSeries Sonar software did not appear to fix the issue. There is thankfully a wired option for dire scrambles to get into a work meeting.  

That said, being able to answer my phone while working on the same headset is a novel concept that I used more than expected. The sound quality is great, though more sound blocking would be nice —I do a lot of audio recording using a Shure SM7B which picked up the sound that spills just enough out of the ear cuffs— and the equalizer settings easily snap into place for music or gaming. There is a lot of tweaking for those that like to dial in settings but I mostly used the device as is, right out of the box aside from the latest updates. The mic was clear but the retractable nature of it felt pretty flimsy to me which contrasts with the soft finish and comfortable earmuffs. While using the Arctis Nova 7 in work calls, most commented that it sounded fine and couldn’t pick up ambient noise. It looks and feels like a quality headset but some little gremlin somewhere in the software or the wireless receiver prevents it from being what the Arctis Nova 7 should be. 

Similar to the Aerox 3 mouse, I could not keep the Arctis Nova 7 charged up. It would frequently die on me, even more so than the mouse, and adjusting settings didn’t appear to help. I kept a cable on my desk to charge it every night, taking up another valuable USB slot on my already complex arrangement. 

While the interface and design of the SteelSeries GG app are much better than others I’ve used, it did not play well with the rest of my audio gear and crashed often enough to be a problem. I run most of my podcasting gear through a Zoom P8 soundboard and Sonar just refused to use it and struggled to interface with other programs. Ultimately, I just can’t trust it in its current form for most work tasks. Oddly enough, I ran into similar audio breakups while using the Arctis Nova 7 on the PS5, suggesting there’s an issue with the USB-C transceiver, which is presumably fixable in an update or a new version of the hardware itself.  

When it works though, the Arctis Nova 7 sounds great and I had an awesome time playing games with subtle audio such as the indie shooter HROT, the booming metal riffs of DOOM Eternal, and the bassy tones of Kratos’ stories in God of War: Ragnarok. Jamming to my favorite playlists on Spotify sounded exceptionally crisp but I’m not sure it compares audio quality-wise to other devices specifically tailored to the highest quality audio. I really appreciated how good the Arctis Nova 7 sounded while playing Kirby and the Forgotten Land and River City Girls 2, both of which have fantastic soundtracks. To me, this one sounds better than most of the retail headsets I’ve tried but it's not the best I’ve used or tried at trade shows.  

I’ve been keeping an eye on firmware updates over the course of about three months and trying to get the most out of this headset but all of my tests continue to come up short of what I would want, especially out of a unit at this price. Like most of the other SteelSeries products I have in my possession, I think the software might be holding back and overall the Arctis Nova 7 loses connection often enough to be a significant issue. Odd considering how premium they look and feel otherwise. 

Hopefully, an update or hardware iteration will fix these issues but I fully acknowledge that this could be a problem with this particular unit. Yet, I see similar complaints on message boards so this might just be another victim of general quality control issues I’ve run into a lot in tech overall over the last few years due to the pandemic and various shortages.

All in all, mileage may vary with the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless headset. 

SCORES

VISUAL APPEAL - 7/10

BUILD QUALITY - 8/10

FEATURES - 5/10

USABILITY- 4/10

PRICING - 5/10

OVERALL - 5.8/10

Learn more about the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless headset on the official website. A review unit was provided. Images and videos were used courtesy of official press materials. Forever Classic Games LLC does not have affiliate links for this product.

Specs

Speaker Drivers:

Neodymium Drivers, 40 mm

Headphone Frequency Response, 20–22,000 Hz

Headphone Sensitivity, 93 dBSPL

Headphone Impedance, 36 Ohm

Headphone Total Harmonic Distortion, < 1%

360° Spatial Audio, Supported

Microphone:

Microphone Type - ClearCast Gen 2, Fully Retractable Boom

Microphone Polar Pattern, Bidirectional Noise Cancelling

Microphone Frequency Response, 100-6500 Hz

Microphone Sensitivity, -38 db

Simultaneous Wireless:

Battery Life, 38 Hours - 2.4GHz Quantum 2.0 Gaming Wireless (26 Hours - 2.4GHz Quantum 2.0 Gaming Wireless + BT)

USB-C Fast Charge, 15 mins for 6 hours play

On-Ear Controls:

Volume dial, ChatMix Dial, Power, Pairing, Bluetooth, Mute

Box Content:

Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Headset, Compact USB-C Wireless Dongle, USB-C to USB-A Dongle Extension Cable (5 ft / 1.5m), USB-C to USB-A Cable (5 ft / 1.5m), 3.5mm to 3.5mm Audio Cable - 5 pole to 4 pole (4 ft / 1.2m), 2x Removable Magnetic Ear Plates, Product Information Guide