SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X evaluation
I’ve delay selecting up an sincere to goodness gaming headset for an embarrassing motive. In my audio adventures, after I’ve discovered a headset that sounds superb and does every little thing I need, likelihood is I am going to nonetheless set it apart for one quite simple motive: It is simply not cute sufficient.
And when a gaming headset does meet my excessive requirements for cuteness, it is going to doubtless have needed to lower corners some other place. Nicely, I could lastly have fallen head over heels for a headset that’s each cute and nonetheless enjoys lots of the options I would need in-game.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X wi-fi headset ticks off ‘cuteness’ with flying colors. Although accessible in quite a few interesting colors, together with black, white, and aqua, I’m in love with the lilac colourway. Correctly purple throughout with nary an unpleasant emblem to distract, even the froth pop filter on the removable mic arm is lilac; it is a fairly pleasing method to a pastel colourway.
So, full marks for presentation—however does that imply that that is yet one more gaming headset that is all fashion and little else? Fortunately, no.
Arctic Nova 3X specs
To start with, construct high quality is completely pitched for this worth level. The predominantly plastic outer shell is by no means creaky and will probably stand up to a tumble or two onto carpet. Adjusting the peak and place of the earcups is a beautiful clean movement, providing simply sufficient resistance to carry it in place however in any other case not requiring an excessive amount of effort to maneuver.
This headset additionally encompasses a floating headband design, with the headset’s 260 g weight balanced throughout an elastic strip relatively than instantly upon your bonce. This elastic strap is held in place by two plastic posts on both facet of the headset, plus three holes on the ends of the strap itself, which lets you alter the place of this band to get it to take a seat properly throughout your noggin. All of this sensible design, coupled with the large foam earcups, makes the Arctis Nova 3X an extremely comfy headset to put on all day.
When it comes to high quality, it simply stands head and shoulders above my different beloved, although significantly cheaper purple headset. The JBL Tune 720BT remains to be attractive, however each press of its on-ear buttons betrays its comparatively missing construct high quality with a metallic twang. It is also far much less comfy by prolonged put on.
That stated, the $110/£100 Arctis Nova 3X may nonetheless be taught a factor or two from even this funds, $90/£40 set of headphones. For example, as somebody who wears make-up, I am lacking the choice of swappable earcups for the Arctis Nova 3X, or not less than ones constructed from a wipe-clean materials like my JBLs. Moreover, the SteelSeries is surprisingly gentle in terms of on-board buttons; on the left earcup, there’s solely a rounded mute button, a positively nonetheless welcome quantity dial, after which lastly a single button that handles each turning the system on or off, pairing, plus switching between 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth connection modes.
The headset’s comparatively light-weight and removable mic arm makes it simple to take the Arctis Nova 3X out on the go, although the shortage of a song-skip or pause button is a particular downside. The truth that the SteelSeries headset does not have an IPX Waterproof ranking both must also make you suppose twice earlier than taking this on a tour away out of your desk—my aforementioned JBLs, however, are rated for a light-weight splash of water resistance.
The SteelSeries’ devoted mute button silences your microphone impartial of your video name software program settings, although I do preserve forgetting I’ve muted myself this manner. Talking of voice chats, the mic right here is completely serviceable. The audio high quality is ok for voice calls of every kind, and the removable arm itself could be very versatile whereas additionally holding its place properly too. Nonetheless, as you may anticipate, the mic audio does get fairly bubbly and crunchy when you pull it proper up near your mouth. So, it is positively not an amazing little bit of equipment for any semi-pro voiceover work, but it surely nonetheless gives a humorous strategy to underline the punchline of an in-joke over Discord.
Take heed to the microphone take a look at right here:
Each the SteelSeries and the JBLs I preserve banging on about additionally supply quick charging, with the Arctis Nova 3X headset particularly providing 9 hours from solely quarter-hour of cost time. However maintain your applause—the JBL Tune 720BT is comparable on this entrance too, although its as much as 76-hour whole battery life comfortably leaves the Arctis Nova 3X’s as much as 40 hours within the mud. For many, that simply means you are going to be charging the SteelSeries barely extra typically, however I used to be stunned by this stark distinction of hours given the large hole in worth between the 2 units of cans.
Alright, sufficient scene setting—how do SteelSeries’ lush lilac listeners truly sound? Contemporary out of the field, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X gives a reasonably well-balanced although flat sound profile. This default is ok for informal listening, although you are not out of luck when you’re searching for one thing just a little richer.
On Apple and Android gadgets, you possibly can obtain the SteelSeries Arctis Companion app. Whenever you join your SteelSeries headset, this lets you select from a wealth of game-specific EQ profiles, plus a smattering particularly for music-listening or movie-watching. In addition to the music EQ profiles designated ‘brilliant’, ‘clear vocals’, and ‘punchy’, ‘deep bass’ was maybe my favorite of the bunch. To be sincere, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X aren’t the bassiest cans, however their 40 mm neodymium magnetic drivers do supply a stunning quantity of oomph with out muddying up the main points.
I used to be much less enamoured with the so-called ‘clear vocals’ EQ profile, which appeared to shift the vocals off to the facet whereas crushing down every little thing else round them. The clear dialogs and immersion profiles for film watching supply a lot crisper vocal sound with out smudging out any audio element so far as I may hear. In any other case, I preferred the music listening expertise a lot that after hitting repeat on the soundtrack once more, I did begin to want I had performed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for the primary time whereas carrying this headset—Une vie à t’aimer simply hits completely different with the deep bass EQ profile.
You can even create your personal customized EQ profiles too, although this requires but one other little bit of software program, particularly the SteelSeries GG desktop app. In addition to EQ noodling, this software program additionally permits you to fiddle with how a lot mic monitoring sidetone you want to listen to to reassure you that the mic is truly selecting up your voice and you have not by chance muted your self through the on-ear button once more. Useful!
After tweaking an EQ profile to your coronary heart’s content material through the intuitive parametric UI, you possibly can then import the profile into the telephone app through your SteelSeries account. In the event you’ve already acquired lots of SteelSeries equipment, this should not be a trouble, however I personally want a lighter-weight software program expertise that does not require an account simply so I can tinker with my peripherals.
Anyway, Clair Obscur is one in all a wholesome number of video games that enjoys its personal devoted EQ profile right here—DOOM: The Darkish Ages is one other. Given how, in my final evaluation for the Razer Clio gaming chair headrest speaker, I dove into Doom Everlasting for the primary time to check out its particular THX spatial audio sound profile, it appeared solely proper that I do a spot of shield-bashing right here too.
Taking to a soggy battlefield in DOOM: The Darkish Ages, I discovered the game-specific EQ profile sounded oddly crunchy over a Bluetooth connection. Taking a better have a look at Steelseries’ really useful parametrics on this game-specific EQ profile, I may see that lots of the treble-y, top-end frequencies have been dialled proper down—this went some strategy to explaining the heftier low-end that emphasises footsteps and gun photographs, although it did not essentially account for the type of hole sound total that I used to be listening to.
One may argue {that a} deep-fried sound profile is sensible for fight in opposition to the hordes of hell, however I used to be unimpressed with the game-specific profile for Hello-Fi Rush for equally finger-lickin’ causes. One thing positively wasn’t including up—for one factor, I used to be having a way more pleasant listening expertise through Bluetooth on my telephone, to not point out how Spotify on my PC was seemingly unaffected by no matter deep buddy nonsense was happening in-game. To slender issues down, I examined the Bluetooth connection on one other machine. The bizarre compression persevered even after a reboot, and likewise after swapping to my JBL headphones.
I reached out to SteelSeries instantly and, alongside a mild reminder to make sure the Arctis Nova 3X’s firmware was updated through the Engine tab in GG, I used to be advised that the sound distortion I used to be experiencing might be because of two EQ profiles being by chance utilized directly through the GG software program. That is potential as a result of Sonar gives digital processing at a software program degree in your PC, whereas the Engine portion of this system instantly interacts with the settings of the bodily headset itself—in order that’s two completely different ‘layers’ the place an EQ profile might be utilized.
I used to be suggested to double-check that the Engine tab was set to the Flat EQ profile earlier than I dove again in-game. It seems that Dolby Atmos can have an identical impact, stacking an EQ in your sound output earlier than it even passes by your SteelSeries GG settings. In that case, making use of the Flat EQ profile in each the Sonar and Engine tabs ought to assist.
I used to be additionally advised that the distinction might be all the way down to which Bluetooth codec your system makes use of—for instance, the unique Nintendo Change solely helps the usual SBC Bluetooth codec. SteelSeries additionally helps higher high quality, low-latency Bluetooth codecs comparable to LC3, however not all of my gadgets are going to have the ability to take advantage of out of that.
EQ stacking is an annoying quirk of the GG software program, however simply addressed. As soon as I crossed these peaks and dotted these valleys, I discovered that the in-game audio over a Bluetooth connection was considerably improved, if not just a bit sibilant and compressed across the top-end frequencies. And, to reiterate, this is not an issue I am encountering whereas listening to my tunes over Bluetooth both on PC or my telephone—it is simply in-game.
Anyway, in spite of everything of that, then I took the two.4 GHz mode out for a spin, and I found what the Arctis Nova 3X is basically all about. The dongle included within the field comes with a USB-C connection for consoles, however will be slotted into one other dongle like a Megazord for a USB-A connection. Fortunately, SteelSeries GG’s EQ profiles play significantly better over the Arctis Nova 3X’s low-latency 2.4 GHz connection, finally providing audio high quality that basically is banging.
Take heed to the poetry studying microphone take a look at right here:
Over a 2.4 GHz connection, in-game audio is obvious, detailed, and splendidly immersive. For example, Hello-Fi Rush enjoys a refined bass enhance that brings the rhythm operating by its coronary heart to much more vibrant life with out upstaging the main points of its brash soundscape. DOOM: The Darkish Ages is bolstered by its personal game-specific EQ profile, too. Gibbing demons is all of the extra immersive for one factor, as you actually hear the viscera splatter throughout environments that might’ve completed with a deep clear lengthy earlier than all hell broke unfastened. The slayer’s footfalls get pleasure from an actual sense of heft right here, too, making it an absolute pleasure to crash by Khalim and past; with my beautiful lavender listeners, I actually do really feel just like the chunky inexperienced man himself.
And as for my beloved Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, properly, let’s simply say I am critically contemplating a brand new recreation plus run—gotta scoop up these baguette weapons someday, proper? Lengthy, winding story brief, 2.4 GHz mode is the best way to play when you’re in any respect occupied with SteelSeries GG’s game-specific immersive EQ profiles. Whereas my expertise with these over Bluetooth left me fairly grumpy, all was forgiven as quickly as I plugged in that 2.4 GHz dongle. It could really feel like a faff to recollect to pack a dongle for wi-fi headphones, however this actually is the connection the place the Arctis Nova 3X is at its greatest.
BUY IF…
✅ You need versatile headphones comfy for all-day put on at your desk and on the go: Whether or not you are out and about or chained to your desk, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X covers all of the bases with fashion.
✅ You are all about pastel blue or lilac: These single-tone colourways are exceptionally fairly.
DON’T BUY IF…
❌ You wish to connect with a number of Bluetooth gadgets directly: Alas, the Steelseries Arctis Nova 3X lacks multi-point connection. You may swap between Bluetooth and a couple of.4 GHz mode with a faucet of the ability button, however these aren’t supposed to work in tandem.
In any other case, there’s nonetheless so much to like about this comfy, to not point out trendy, headset—however is it the greatest gaming headset on the market? For a begin, it is positively not boasting the beefiest wi-fi headset battery—that honour goes to HyperX Cloud Alpha Wi-fi—although quick cost does go some methods to creating the as much as 40-hour battery really feel much less prefer it’s holding you again.
That stated, the equally priced Turtle Seaside Stealth 600 (Gen 3) gives twice as a lot play time alongside quick cost. However in terms of comfy all-day put on, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X has our high choose for the perfect mid-range wi-fi gaming headset beat, due to its total lighter weight and floating headband design.
If consolation and flexibility actually are your chief considerations, plus you do not thoughts spending just a bit extra, the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds stay our favorite earbuds for gaming, providing nice sound from completely tiny 6 mm drivers. However do they arrive in purple, although? Apparently not, as an alternative restricted to black and white colourways alongside the double-take-worthy ‘Glorange‘. So, for my cash—and my rigorously curated color scheme—the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X are nonetheless those to beat.
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