SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3

I think the Steelseries Arctis Nova 3 is a fine wired gaming headset. The headset is not heavy and the microphone is top quality. Connecting the headset to a console is a bit complicated and the ear cups are also a bit on the small side. Light and sturdy headset When I took the Nova 3 out of the package and looked at it, I immediately noticed the weight. This gaming headset is incredibly light, without compromising on sturdiness. The headband of the Arctis Nova 3 is made of hard and thick plastic. The Nova 3 also feels very solid when adjusting the headset. The ear cups are made of fabric and are fine, but the ear cups are a bit on the small side. After a few hours of gaming I noticed it started to pinch around my ears. I do have fairly large ears, but the ear cups are really a lot smaller than normal. Cumbersome connection When I wanted to connect the Nova 3 I came across 2 cables. A USB-A to female USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable. I had to connect that first cable to my PlayStation 5 and then the second cable to the first cable. With previous wired gaming headsets I could connect the headset directly to my controller. Unfortunately, that is not possible with the Nova 3, but I easily connected this headset to my Nintendo Switch and phone. If you game a lot on the go, this is really a perfect headset. But linking to a console is quite cumbersome and really a disadvantage. Especially if your PlayStation or Xbox is far from your couch. Beautiful sound on every level Once I had connected the headset I could start gaming. The sound that comes from the speakers of the Nova 3 is quite nice. The headset has Virtual Surround Sound and you notice that right away in games like The Last of Us Part 1. I heard exactly when an enemy was walking above me and I could also place other enemies well in the world. The sound from the microphone is also great, I can be heard very well with this headset. It sounded like a podcast and like I was sitting right next to someone.

Just to get straight to the point: NondeJU! My previous headset was the Thrustmaster Y-300X stereo. Since my k/d ratio in PUBG is mildly embarrassing because of the stereo sound, it was time for a surround headset. For an entire Sunday, from noon to evening, I read reviews from the friends of Coolblue, Tweakers and Tom's Hardware to weigh up objective opinions of many headsets. My final choice fell on SteelSeries' Arctis 5 because of the USB connection (the A3 has a jack plug and the A7 is wireless, although the hardware is exactly the same from this Arctic series). I have to say, the Arctis 5 is damn nice over your head. The soft ski strap (or elastic, whatever) is there for a reason; this is the innovative part that ensures the advertised wearing comfort. The earcups press fairly gently on your ears, and they don't completely cut off your hearing from the outside world (which is just as cozy for your partner sitting next to you). It should be mentioned that the Arctis can also serve as the most comfortable ear muffs for the winter, because man, man, man. Soaking wet ears after a few hours of intense gaming are guaranteed. The volume can be quite loud but not painfully loud. That in itself is nice because when putting the headset on and taking it off, my index finger rests too often on the volume dial. There is no dB boost setting in SteelSeries Engine 3, so if for one reason or another you want to squeeze more volume out of those delicate speakers, you will have to consult 3rd party software. The surround is controlled via the SteelSteries Engine 3 program on the PC. That's also why you have stereo, not surround, when used with consoles. The equalizer is suitable for everyone. There are a number of presets (flat, performance, immersion, entertainment, music, voice) where there is a clear difference in sound. The equalizer is fairly versatile and mixes the presets very precisely. There are a number of topics on Reddit with EQ settings that many users are happy with. Lovers of deep, heavy bass tones should avoid this Arctis. After playing Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2 and PUBG it has become clear to me that the emphasis of this headset is on the "lifelike" (virtual) surround rather than bombastic, heavy undertones. The DTS X, as far as I'm concerned, adds no value. In my experience, the surround sound is quite mixed up so that the whole sounds very muddy. Although it seems that SS advertises this DTS as evolutionary and innovative, it should certainly not be a decisive reason to purchase an Arctis! A point of *personal* criticism is when the microphone is rolled up in the ear cup, and the mic is muted, the LED on the microphone reflects in my glasses. You could say I shouldn't pay attention to it, but hey, once you notice... As a plus, I have indicated that the Modmic can be mounted on this headset. I don't know if a Modmic will be needed, as I haven't used Arctis' mic so far, so I don't know what its quality is. Overall, I give it a 9/10. If it dies prematurely, I would buy it again.

I have had this headset for some time now, what strikes me is that the headset is very light, which makes it very comfortable to wear. The headset does not press too strongly on the ears but does provide a good seal and sound isolation. The band that rests on your head is removable so that you could possibly wash it out, which is nice when you wear a lot of gel in your hair like me. The RGB lighting is a funny addition, but it doesn't add much value to me, because the headset is on my head so I don't see the lights at all. The retractable microphone does its job well, but only feels a bit fragile, so I leave it in one position as much as possible. The last negative point The virtual surround sound is less pleasant for me, I always have this function turned off.