Fresh headset lining from Denmark: With the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni, the manufacturer has launched a new premium headset that is strongly oriented towards the absolute top model (and in my opinion the best headset currently available). Namely the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Elite (our test). The new Pro Omni has most of the features of the Elite, which costs around 300 euros more. Our SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni test explains where the differences lie and what the headset has to offer.
Technical data of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni
| The product | Arctis Nova Pro Omni |
| Design | over-ear |
| Driver | 40 mm neodymium |
| Frequency range (headphones) | 10 – 40,000 Hz |
| Impedance | 38 Ohm |
| Connectivity | 3x USB-C (2.4 GHz); Bluetooth 5.3; 3.5 mm jack |
| Microphone type | ClearCast Pro |
| Frequency range (microphone) | 50 – 16,000 Hz |
| Range (wireless) | Approx. 12 meters |
| Battery life | 30 hours (2 rechargeable batteries included; replaceable) |
| Charging time | 1.5 hours |
| Weight | 339 g |
| Spatial sound | Tempest 3D, Windows Sonic Spatial, SteelSeries Sonar Surround for Windows, DTS Headphone, Dolby Atmos |
| Compatibility | PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch / 2, Xbox Series, Xbox One, smartphone/tablet |
| Special functions | ANC; Infinite Power System; OmniPlay; Wireless Hi-Res sound; Base station |
| Price | € 399.99 * |
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni review: design and workmanship
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni relies on the manufacturer’s well-known design, which has accompanied us through all price ranges for years. If you hold the Elite and the Pro Omni next to each other, you will hardly be able to tell the difference at first glance. But you will at second glance. Surprisingly, when you first touch the Arctis Nova Pro Omni, you immediately notice that despite its premium claim, it relies more on plastic than on metal components. The headset mainly uses plastic, but has a metal headband and has a solid overall finish. Nevertheless, considering the price, this is somewhat disappointing, even though there is nothing to complain about in practice.
Wearing comfort is very pleasant thanks to the flexible suspension system in the manufacturer’s typical ski goggle design, as the pressure on the head can be easily adjusted. With a weight of 339 grams, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni is relatively heavy, but still significantly lighter than the Elite with its 380 grams. Advantage plastic, huh?
What I did notice, however, is that the mechanism for adjusting the ear cups is not as smooth as with the Elite or other premium headsets – if you adjust the size, you will initially be startled by the slightly scratchy noise. Even if the mechanism works perfectly in practice. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the Arctis Nova Omni doesn’t quite live up to its price tag in terms of build quality. It doesn’t really feel premium. Even if there is not much to complain about in the practical test.
One plus point is the retractable boom microphone. Anyone who wants to use the headset on the move will benefit from the fact that it can be retracted flush into the ear cup and the microphone automatically mutes. No permanently protruding boom, no unpleasant attention in public. The heart of the system is the external GameHub base station, which acts as the central control point for audio sources, mixing and system control. The OLED display on the base station shows volume, battery and EQ at a glance. Overall, the Arctis Nova Pro Omni is functional and well thought-out without appearing luxurious.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni vs Arctis Nova Elite – The differences
The obvious question is: What is the difference between the Arctis Nova Pro Omni and the more expensive Arctis Nova Elite and is it worth the extra cost?
The Nova Elite costs around 699 euros and uses materials of a much higher quality. Cold-rolled steel and die-cast aluminum give the Nova Elite a noticeably firmer feel and a more eye-catching finish.
In addition, there are carbon fiber drivers with brass surrounds, which should enable ultra-precise sound reproduction. In contrast, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni uses classic 40 mm neodymium drivers. The Nova Elite also features metal elements on the controls and a much smoother slider mechanism with a softly damped touch. These details alone justify part of the price difference for users who spend several hours a day on the headset.
Another relevant difference is the microphone: in addition to the retractable boom microphone, the Nova Elite has a second, discreet integrated microphone that is automatically activated when the boom microphone is retracted. The Nova Pro Omni does not have this.
There are also differences when it comes to ANC: According to SteelSeries, the Nova Elite promises ANC performance that is up to 42 percent stronger than its main competitors and reduces up to 89 percent of background noise. The Pro Omni is undoubtedly damn strong, but not at this high-end level.
What the Omni has over the Elite is the price: at 399.99 euros, it is around 300 euros cheaper. The core functions remain the same: ANC, virtually unlimited battery life and up to four simultaneous connections. If you don’t necessarily need the full material and sound expertise of the Elite, the Omni offers better value for money
Features and operation of the Arctis Nova Pro Omni
At the heart of the new edition of the legendary Arctis Nova Pro Wireless (test) is the OmniPlay concept, which enables the simultaneous use of up to four parallel audio sources: two USB connections, Bluetooth and line-in. In practice, this means: game sound from the console, Discord from the PC, music or calls from the smartphone. And all at the same time, without having to unplug or annoyingly switch sources. A real gain in convenience for anyone who is on the move on several platforms.
As the central management unit, the GameHub handles the real-time mixing of audio sources. It allows the volume, EQ and chat mix to be adjusted directly on the device without having to rely on a software interface. This is particularly valuable for console gamers who don’t have a PC within reach. And to be honest: when I quickly switch between PC and console with a desktop setup and operate the GameHub placed between the two systems, this concept is a gain in convenience that you quickly learn to appreciate.
The controls on the headset itself are intuitively positioned. On the left is an analog mute switch for the microphone, an on/off switch, which also functions as an ANC button, and a rasterized volume control. On the right is a Bluetooth pairing button, which also serves as a media control. Both sides have removable plates: on the left, a USB-C charging port is concealed behind them, while the replaceable battery is on the right (while the GameHub charges the second battery in the meantime).
Officially supported platforms are PC (Windows and macOS), PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Quest as well as Android and iOS. The scope of delivery includes two USB-C cables, two rechargeable batteries, a microphone pop guard and a carrying bag. A 3.5 mm jack cable is missing, which is a small minus for a headset in this price range – the Omni relies on LC3 and LC3+ for the Bluetooth codec. Anyone expecting aptX or LDAC will be disappointed. These widely used codecs are missing, although LC3+ technically operates at Hi-Res level. In practice, this hardly matters for gaming, but it could be relevant for music listeners.
Battery life
The so-called Infinite Power System is one of the most impressive features of the Arctis Nova Pro Omni, which the new gaming headset has inherited from its siblings. The right ear cup holds a replaceable battery, while a second battery is supplied with energy in the charging station. In theory, this ensures an almost infinite battery life.
The headset only needs to be switched off and on again briefly to replace the empty battery. This is in contrast to the Nova Elite, which was able to bridge short breaks between replacements. In the test, the headset achieved a battery life of 30 hours and 12 minutes via the 2.4 GHz connection. The manufacturer’s specification of up to 30 hours per battery with ANC deactivated was even exceeded. SteelSeries specifies up to 50 hours for Bluetooth operation. If you use active noise cancellation, the manufacturer claims 19 hours per battery with 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth. These are good values that are on a par with the Elite.
If you still want to play with both batteries empty: SteelSeries states that a 15-minute quick charge enables around four hours of playback. This makes the Omni one of the few headsets on the market where battery life has effectively ceased to be a problem.
App connection: Sonar remains the measure of all things
The companion app for the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni is still second to none, especially on the PC. Thanks to the SteelSeries GG suite, but especially thanks to Sonar. Although the basic framework has been used in this form for years, in my opinion there is no other manufacturer that offers such a convincing app experience. Not least thanks to the parametric equalizer, almost endless equalizer presets and detailed tuning options for headphones and microphone.
SteelSeries Sonar offers granular EQ settings with control over specific frequencies and Q depths, separate profiles for 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth connections and hundreds of game-specific EQ presets. As you play, you can adjust the sound in real time and immediately understand the effect of each change. This makes the software a powerful tuning tool that is also intuitive to use.
For console gamers without a PC, there is the Arctis Companion app for iOS and Android. It is more limited in terms of functionality, but also offers powerful handling. In everyday use, the app is suitable as a quick remote control for adjustments on the go, while the desktop software remains the better choice for more in-depth configurations.
One point of criticism: The full potential only unfolds if you are prepared to deal intensively with the settings. In plug-and-play mode, some of the potential remains unused. The headset is therefore clearly aimed at audiophile gamers, not buyers who simply want to plug in a headset and start gaming straight away
Audio quality, ANC and microphones
But how (good) does the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni sound? Well, its predecessor is still one of the best-sounding gaming headsets on the market. In my opinion, the Elite model sets new standards thanks to the carbon drivers. However, the Nova Pro Omni is not far behind, despite its classic neodymium drivers.
The basic character of the sound can best be described as clear, controlled and detail-oriented. Instead of bloated bass or an exaggerated V-curve, the Omni relies on an analytical approach in which frequency ranges remain clearly separated from each other. This is a deliberate design decision, as you will (thankfully) not find the typical headset bass mud here. Acoustically, the Omni is pleasantly neutral, detailed and balanced. I love it.
Especially in competitive titles like CS2 or Valorant, this pays off directly. Footsteps seem more clearly delineated, distant noises lose their blurriness and even in hectic situations the sound remains structured. Once you’ve heard what a cleanly resolved frequency image feels like in a ranked match, you won’t want to go back. Directional information is not only sensed, but can be clearly localized. In more complex soundscapes, such as in MMOs or story-driven games, the system makes a very clear distinction between music, effects and speech.
It is noticeable (positive) that there is hardly any audible distortion even at higher volumes, which underlines the technical tuning of the 40 mm drivers. The Hi-Res Wireless certification with 96 kHz and 24 bits is not just a marketing promise in this context, but delivers a noticeably higher level of detail than many other cheaper headsets that transmit wirelessly.
What is particularly noticeable when listening to music is that the frequency range of the mids is strongly over-represented, which emphasizes sibilant sounds and can make the sound tiring over longer periods of listening. Sibilants in vocals or hard hi-hat hits can sound unpleasantly shrill in this tuning. However, this can be counteracted using the equalizer. And you should.
In music and multimedia use, the overall sound is rather analytical. Users who prefer strong bass or warm sound profiles will have to make adjustments in the software. But, to be clear once again: I think that’s a good thing! (Relatively) neutral headsets are a rarity. And if you have any idea, you won’t be happy with the typical bass humming of some of our competitors anyway.
to achieve a more personalized sound image. This is solvable – but requires a willingness to get to grips with the EQ software. If you do, you get a headset that can be optimized for almost any application. If you want to use it out of the box without adjusting anything, you should know what you’re getting into.
ANC and microphone
The Omni’s active noise cancellation is strong. Permanent ambient noise such as air conditioning or passing cars is reliably reduced. Voices still penetrate to a certain extent, but are easily masked by active audio. Although this is not quite on a par with the Elite or even real ANC headphones, it provides very pleasant isolation in everyday use.
However, this not only applies to the active noise cancellation, but also to the suppression of ambient noise in the headset, as the following video impressively demonstrates. The transparency mode also works reliably and can be switched directly via the power button on the headset.
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I wasn’t able to test this in a helicopter, but I was able to test it with a vacuum cleaner running on the side and a building site right outside the front door: voice intelligibility always remains clear and detailed. Although you can hear the processing clearly, of course.
The microphone uses an omnidirectional recording pattern and operates with a bandwidth of 32 kHz at 16 bit. Compared to dedicated standalone microphones, this is no substitute, but as a gaming headset microphone, the performance is extremely impressive in my eyes. The audio quality is already excellent out of the box, but you can get even better with the equalizer.
Microphone test recording SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni:
Noise-cancellation test of the microphone:
What is missing and is present on the Nova Elite: a discreet second microphone that becomes active as soon as the boom microphone is retracted. If you want to use the headset for calls on the go, you lose the option of voice communication when the microphone is retracted.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni Review: Conclusion
With the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni, the manufacturer has once again succeeded in creating an outstanding gaming headset that is particularly brilliant from a sound perspective. However, the headset is not free of criticism, so let’s start with that: The asking price is undoubtedly steep and the plastic finish doesn’t do it justice in my eyes. When you consider how an ASUS ROG Kithara (review) for just under 279 euros feels, for example, there’s quite a difference. I simply have to deduct points here. In addition, the Nova Pro Omni needs some fine-tuning to really deliver the optimum. If you’re looking for a simple plug-and-play experience, you’re in the wrong place.
BUT: If you get to grips with it, you’ll get one of the most convincing gaming headsets around. A system for gamers who run multiple platforms simultaneously, who don’t want to accept loading interruptions and who are prepared to deal with a software environment that offers real depth. The console is running, Discord is in your ear, the smartphone is connected and you don’t have to plug anything in or switch anything. A dream come true.
Yes, the price is hefty. Yes, you can also get very good headsets for much less money. But the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni is without question the most flexible and versatile gaming headset on the market.
PROS
- Excellent sound quality
- Strong ANC
- Theoretically unlimited battery life
- Best app ever
- Up to 4 simultaneous connections
- High wearing comfort
CONS
- Build quality just okay for the price
- Sharp sibilance
- Requires some fine-tuning
- Very expensive
Conclusion
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni is the right headset for anyone who games across multiple platforms simultaneously and refuses to compromise on battery life or connectivity flexibility. Audio quality is particularly impressive in competitive gaming, though it requires some software tweaking for other use cases.
