SteelSeries - Arctis Nova 5

I have several pairs of high end headphones and amps, but I game with an Arctis Nova 5 headset because it sounds fantastic for the price and I like to be able to walk around my house without leaving the conversation in my group. It's also the most comfortable headset I've owned and the pads stay pretty cool, I can easily use it for several hours at a time. If 150 pound is actually your budget I wouldn't get a different wireless set, they all sound pretty mediocre in that range and the Arctis is probably one of the higher quality ones - I'd get a wired Fiio FT1 it will be miles above anything else in that range

I bought it a month ago and here are the pros: - Great sound quality which is heavily customizable with the SteelSeries GG app - Can connect to one device with the USB dongle and another with Bluetooth at the same time - Good quality build. Seems sturdy. - I like the retractable mic. It also has this feature where it plays your voice back to you. This removes that whole complete sound isolation issue where you don't know how loud you're talking because you can't hear your own voice. Cons - Although GG app allows customization, it creates multiple sound profiles on Windows which is a pain to organize for all the different programs you may use. - I struggle to get it connected wirelessly after it disconnects. - it's less comfortable than my older hyper x cloud 2. Starts hurting my ears after an extended period of time.

I think it might have to do with it creating multiple sound profiles. I click the button and the green light turns on, I can see sounds playing on screen (like a youtube video) but no sound comes out of the headphones. I then need to close the headphone, long press the power button until it turns green again, then it connects. Its not a pairing issue as I've paired it but just cumbersome I have to do this every time. And the online guide/user guide isn't helpful either. Maybe I have a defective unit as I don't see other people have this problem.

i just got it, i think the microphone absolutely sucks. i’ve seen this complaint many times but not in these comments, it’s so quiet, it stutters, i don’t know if this is only a pc issue but i wil be returning it.

Sounds great, a lot of details (good for footsteps), good battery. The negative for me: stock earpads are not deep, my ear is touching the inner part of the earcup. So I had to swap to an aftermarket earpads.

For me it was/is the other way around! I used to have a G733 and my mic was constantly just "turning off" and I even bought another g733 and had the same issue. Even did fresh windows install etc. My mates on discord have been complaining about how soft my microphone of my Arctis nova 5 is, even tho I love the software as i use it for clipping some highlights etc. Now I'm looking at the A50 but gotta admit I'm a bit scared of the software making me regret the purchase

The new nova 5 is better in my opinion.

You can get the 5 for about half the price when it’s on sale compared to the 7, and it actually has a better microphone than the 7. I tried both, and the sound quality is identical. The only real difference is that the headband on the 7 has metal. So it’s more durable. That being said I returned both 😂

Personally, I really like this headset. Sound isn't fantastic, but good. Battery is awesome. Other features like rotating earcups, bluetooth, mute indicator, retractable microphone. The only two problems I had: 1. Small earpads. I always felt how my lower part of ear touches the earcup. Just a little bit, but I was annoyed so much about it. I got used after several days. 2. Quiet microphone. My friends told me that I am too quiet all the time. I found the solution by setting compression in the steelseries software to the max.

Its'a shame, Poor quality Builds , Poor Audio , nothing ( immersive here with this ones , so avoid if youre planning buy for audio. Mic cheap build , but good sound when talking( im not sure with the fiability , 6month im pretty sure mic will start to be problem.. thats my guess cuz so cheap.) im from Razer BlackShark v2 pro and nothing comparable here , better mic/better audio in all aspects , Bluetooth doesnt worthg it with nova 5 cheap too .. so Nova5 its a budget headphone thats it. if you want spent 200$ on headphone avoid this ones dont worth the prices. im really disapointed . 2/10 for nova 5. im sending them back to get back my blackshark back or kraken v3 who know. Ps: so headache for nothing. Go Razer plug and enjoys. Keyboard/mousse SteelSeries is still my way to go tho ! also\* Hyercloud x2 get better Audio for quality too so dont buy nova 5 you will still be disapointed.

Steelseries. My partner and I both love our Steelseries headsets and other Steelseries peripherals. They're Danish I believe. The mic is retractable, not removable. My partner uses his headset for work as well as gaming, and they both come in black and white. They're both wireless. Both of our headsets have removable, replaceable, changeable ear pads and elastic headbands. The elastic headband prevents excessive pressure on any singular part of your scalp, and I'm pretty sure you can wash them. I just sewed little sleeves for mine, so fresh vibrant hair dye won't stain it. Bonus: if you're a tiny person with a small head and neck problems, the Arctis Nova 5 is pretty lightweight for a wireless headset, while maintaining good audio quality.

Can verify that Arctis headsets are awesome. Partner has had the 9 for ages and it works like new. I have the Nova 5 for two years and I love it.

Pretty good, the app is good, you definitely need EQ to make them sound good. Comfort is good, better than most. Only downside is the cheap look and feel, only plastics, no aluminium like nova 7 or pro

Didn’t had any comfort issues with the 7 tho. The plastic of the 5 will make creaky sound

I absolutely love my steel series. I think there the Arctis Nova 5 wireless🤘 i was astonished by how good the sound quality is. I can hear foot steps in games where that matters

Just got these and kinda waved off the small ear cups comments I saw around but they are really small. They are a bit uncomfortable until you get used to them. Audio leaves something to be desired even with eq balance I found online. But it's a very good budget wireless option if you don't plan to use it for hardcore games(hearing footsteps and foliage) then its good.

If you got any deeper questions feel free to ask. Ive had mine for About 10 days now and they have been pretty good so far.

I'd recommend Steelseries Arctis headsets. You should be able to find a discount for them, specifically the Arctis Steelseries Nova 5. 

yeah out of the razer, logitech and hyperx headsets i used. the arctis nova 5 is just better . 💯

i didnt try any other modells i’ll keep using this one cus i don’t need anything more from what i get it’s good.

Ive been really enjoying my Arctis Nova 5

Don't forget with the SteelSeries of software you can create and add custom EQ and custom presets as well

Hey! I just bought a pair of steelseries arctis nova 5 and i paired them to my pc via the 2.4ghz dongle. However, the left ear audio is a tiny bit muffled compared to the right and it's horrible. I used to keep my volume wheel on the headset to around 20-25% and leave windows on 100% since that's what i got used to on my old arctis 5. I found out that on the whole span of the volume wheel rotation there is ONE TINY SPOT that if i put it correctly de-muffles the left and the headset sounds fine. That spot is at around 95% volume on the wheel so i did that and turned windows down to like 40%. If i move the wheel microscopically up or down it gets muffled again.

Eh, as someone that's been using headphones with a standalone mic for years: just grab a mediocre gaming headset if you don't want hassle. A desktop microphone can be annoying to setup (mine is Scarlet Solo + AT-2035) and typically hang out in your peripheral vision. Bluetooth headphones have noticeable latency that disorient me. So I've been using wired headphones with an Antlion ModMic (wireless) attached. Works, but honestly I hate cables. Been waiting for years for a decent 2.4GHz set of non-gaming headphones but no one wants to make them. Finally caved a couple days ago on a SteelSeries Nova 5. Yeah it's worse than my old setup but completely useable and I still have my old setup if I ever want to go audiophile for something. It's not a big deal.

i recently got the steelseries arctis nova 5, and i personally recommend them. they're great! the sound quality is good (you can use the steelseries app to adjust an EQ to mess with the sound), it doesn't feel cheap quality, the mic is good too, and it's retractible which is sick, and the battery life is also great. on a full charge it lasts probably 12+ hours.

Bought a pair of Astro A10s 8 yrs ago, finally kicked the bucket 2 weeks ago, best $100 ive ever spent. My partner bought the Gen 2s last year and they are so awful compared to the 1st Gen. I ended up getting Steel Series Arctis Nova 5

I was using my Sony MDR-7506 with my Shure SM7B for a while and the sound and mic quality was obviously top notch. But I eventually just switched back to a good ole Steel Series Nova 5 wireless gaming headset because I love being able to get up and move and leave my desk without taking off my headset. I also like being able to talk to my buddies without having my mouth right next to a stationary mic. I like that the headset mic just is next to my mouth at all times even if my head is moving or I’m across the room turning off a lamp or whatever. So am I getting as good of audio or mic quality? No but it’s worth it for the convenience and comfort. I don’t like how I have to be sitting straight up and down in front of my mic to chat with buddies. Sometimes I like to sit back in my chair if it’s a more casual game, then I have to move the mic or would have had to buy a mic arm that hooks to the desk. I was using one of those mini mic stands that you place on a desk top instead of an adjustable mic arm like what podcasters use.

Ear cups are very small. GG software is hot garbage (full of unnecessary junk and adds) I'd use it to update firmware and EQ then delete forever. They are super light and comfortable. USB-C charging and battery life are good. Didn't work on PC for me because of bad firmware had to return and go back to my Arctis 7 (similar design).

Been **very** happy with my nova 5's - coming from someone who enjoys a good pair of headphones

I’ve had my steelseries nova 5 for about 7 months. The usb doesn’t work anymore. It just makes a nonstop sound screeching sounds whenever a sound it played through them. That happened within the first month of having them. I’ve been using the Bluetooth bc it still sounds amazing. For the last two months, the quality drops sooo much randomly. It also likes to randomly make all the sounds seem very far away. I’ve tried to figure out how to fix it and haven’t been able to. I do not recommend this one in particular. I’ve heard a lot of people have the same problems as I do. My bf has the pro and it seems to be amazing. If you’re going with steelseries, just save for the pro

Nova 5 - are switchable BT and 2.4ghz - you can't have both at the same time - so won't be what you need? I got the Nova Pro Wireless due to this \[you can stream 2.4ghz and BT same time\] and had zero issues with them - they work great and sound great too!

Thanks so much! I was just commenting on a post here where I saw someone else had them and they do look very cute. I think I’ll end up getting the steel series bc I do care more about quality than anything, but I’m not sure if it matters if it’s like the nova 5 or 7. There is a white nova of theirs I like a lot but it might be the 5. I appreciate this very much!

This sub really likes complaining about their steelseries headsets. I have been using my Nova 5 both outside and when I’m playing. I just threw it in my backpack all the time and had no issues at all. Just enjoy your new headset!! I’m sure you will like it.

Youre spending too much considering you arent even picky about the tiny details. Ngl all of these are pretty good options but their specs go way beyond your requirements. Like the nova pro has got audiophile drivers and anc, both of which you wont even utilize. I think their nova 5 might actually be better for you cuz they cover all the basics for gaming n stuff without any extra af features. So its a bit cheaper too. Also the battery life is good but make sure you dont over use it or it will start draining super fast.

I have the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 and love them. I use them on PS5 and PC, even for work meetings sometimes lol.

I actually just went from some old Hyperx cloud stingers to the Arctis Nova 5 a couple months ago. Two main negatives so far: * Charging is super finicky. With my hyper x I would take them off and plug them in and never once had an issue. With the Nova 5 for whatever reason it sometimes just doesn’t charge. I’m not sure if I just have a faulty headset, but it is extremely annoying to get home from work ready to game and have my headset be dead. * the Steelseries device management app is pretty bad The positives: * extremely comfortable, even for long periods of use * excellent battery life when fully charged Overall pretty satisfied with my purchase. The battery issue is annoying, but hasn’t caused too many issues.

The Nova 7 is SteelSeries best headset. It's really a set it and forget it workhorse. But now that the Nova 5 is out and the app has made it useful for consoles, I truly think the Nova 5 is the way to go.

The Nova 5 would have "worse" sound then the 7. Different quality and price point. But the 5 is more versatile and has a better mic. Goodluck!

the 7 is metal and the 5x is plastic which is lighter so the 5x is gonna feel better lol

my 5 hasn't done that, and 7 made my head hurt after a few hours bc of it weighing more, at the end of the day just personal preference

They are great but when I use the microphone and audio, the sound becomes muffled and I don't know if I'm the only one who has this problem

The Arctis ones do it with a cool little dedicated box where you can also control other things. I had some years ago and it was a very handy feature...though yes, windows now does much better, channel-based volume control. Still not as cool as a dial on a box though :)

I live and breathe by the steel series arctis series. They have lasted me a LONG time and has withstood a lot over the years with zero damage.

steelseries arctis are as good as it gets for me. I've tested every major headset over the last year and they've been the best sounding and by far most comfortable. they suffer from some software issues when using in pc but outside of that i will be sticking with steelseries offeringsbfor the foreseeable future

I’d look into a hyperx headset. Those usually are good quality and last quite a while. I haven’t found one I’m not a fan of but I’m also not an enthusiast although I currently bounce between the alpha and a Steelseries arctis headset.

Steelseries and something in your budget in the arctis series. I am on my 3rd model. I love the headband part that doesn’t press on my head, and the material on the earpads are so comfortable.

Just got these. I can recommend them. Not tested mic yet. As for comfort: I have a large head, and am finding the clamping a bit tight however, and the earcups just fit around my ears - it's a bit snug. Nothing bad, per se, but not quite in the super comfort zone of some other headphones. They'd be fine for gaming sessions, but not something I'd want to wear all day. I'd have preferred a bit more of a relaxed fit. On the other hand, a relaxed fit means very big headphone that can turn some people off.

Having owned the arctis, and now just picked up the Scape, I can tell you that it's in a different league to the Arctis. It's very good. Not quite as good as my high end audiophile headphones, but very, very good compared to most gaming headsets. I'd rate them in the same class as the Audeze maxwell. Happy to listen to music on them. Excellent controls too. And very nice looking in person. I have a large head, and am finding the clamping a bit tight however, and the earcups just fit around my ears - it's a bit snug. Nothing bad, per se, but not quite in the super comfort zone of some other headphones.

I love my Steelseries Arctis. It's a touch out of your price range but the features are top notch.

My steelseries Arctis headset is still going strong after 7 years. I had a hyper x one that didn’t even last a month.

I use the Steelseries Arctic for 3 years. Still solid

What headset you recommend? Currently have a hypercloud 2 and it´s breaking down as I´ve got it for 8 years now lol, bought the hypercloud 3 and it´s whack, literally feeling pressure on my ears and the microphone is bad. Tried arctic steelseries and even that one felt like pressure on my ears.