SteelSeriesArctis Nova 7 Wireless Multi-Platform Gaming Headset — Neodymium Magnetic Drivers — 2.4GHz + Mixable Bluetooth — 38Hr USB-C Battery — ClearCast Gen2 AI Mic — PC, PS5, Switch, VR, Mobile

Pros: Super comfortable, not too heavy, long battery life. Relatively plug and play on PC. Very good sound out of the box.Cons: Overall a bit pricey given the build quality/microphone quality. Needs Sonar software to sound their absolute best, or to get the most out of the headphone/microphone. Yes, its free, but still -Out of the box, sound quality overall is very good. On PC using Sonar EQ features, the headphones can be made to sound excellent overall, if still a bit etched/bright/harsh at time IMO. The microphone is overall pretty good with AI and other "enhancements", but I find adjusting the boom a bit annoying as I have to fight it a bit every time I pull it out to get it to rest properly near my mouth. I can always see in in my periphery as well, which can be a little distracting. Its possible that there is better value to be found just investing in a separate dedicated microphone. But having the "all in one" solution is convenient.I am very picky about audio quality, and I find these satisfying, especially after a careful tune. The 40mm drivers can really deliver on the bass, and deliver lots of detail and volume with low distortion.Comfort is excellent, though the clamp is almost too light for my taste. That said, I can wear these for hours with no major comfort problems with or without glasses. But they are too loose, even after I adjust them, for any sort of active wear. These are for sitting/walking around a little. Volume knobs are easy to find, though I'd like a little more resistance in them, and the ergonomics overall beat some of my other headphones for sure. The wifi range (not bluetooth), is quite good - I can play something on my computer and wander pretty far from it and maintain a signal.In terms of cons, I find these headphones a bit awkward to attach/detach from different devices with bluetooth. Its various beeps and boops and breathing LEDs do nothing for me in terms of figuring out how to disconnect from one device while staying connected to another. I'd like it to just tell me what it is trying to attach/detach to like my 7 year old Bose bluetooth speaker. The 2.4 ghz connection does not seem to have a benefit over bluetooth in terms of sound quality, which is a shame, and I don't know what happens when I break/lose that dongle. The on-board amp gets very loud, though there is some hiss, and one apparently has to enter the Sonar software to shut off the volume limit to get the full volume anyway, a bit of a quirk.Which gets me to another point: the "free" Sonar software is powerful, but it is also really needed to get the most out of these headphones. It is full of quirks - you need the "engine" menu to adjust or shut off the side mic feature, shut off the volume limiter, or to reduce game volume during calls. In the "Sonar" section, you can customize EQs for different inputs, but I found it impossible to copy an EQ I created for the "game" mode and set it to "media" or "aux" as well. Hence I have to repeat the process of doing my 10 point parabolic EQ over and over - tedious. Sliding with a mouse is fine for the uninitiated, but I needed to enter my exact values, and the software makes you click in the tiny boxes, and could not do Q values below 0.5. When listening to Music on my computer, it is also showing up under the "game" mode in the mixer, meaning I have to remember to turn on/off features like "spatial audio" since, while it is fun for games, it is terrible for music. You can drag and drop the "app" to its appropriate section, but this is more setup work.Also, Windows update has broken the Sonar software multiple times (no audio no matter WHAT I did - even audio driver reinstalls!). So far the solution has been to just re-install the Sonar software, easy enough. Still, this is super frustrating, especially the first time it happened because I had ZERO indication of what went wrong.IMO there should be a way to set a "global" EQ (parabolic, not just the sliders which IS available in the "engine" menu, confusingly), if you want. There should also be hotkeys I can set up to turn on/off things like spatial audio, the EQ, or adjust the side mic or other mic features. Heck, why not let me set an EQ and save it to the headphone itself, so I can have it when using these with my other non-PC devices? That would make these even more awesome and let me have consistent sound across devices. As an inferior solution, we could have an engine/sonar app for our phones/tablets, I guess.I still recommend these overall, for those wanting a good headset with a good mic that is fun for games but capable of being great for casual music/movie stuff too.When gaming I am still getting the hang of balancing chat/game sounds since everyone seems to have different microphone quality. I was hoping that one of the many features of this software would be to tame some of the hotter microphones out there. A pair of cheap, non-gaming bluetooth headphones I own seemed to do this a lot better.For the full asking price, I think some of the compromises in terms of material choices, microphone quality, and features are a bit of a stretch. But for the sale price I paid, I think it is about right, especially since the Sonar software really does up the ante if you are going to do a lot of gaming. Lets hope it stays free, otherwise I might have held out for better overall "out of the box" performance.

I purchased these to use with my newly built pc so I didn't have to keep disconnecting and reconnecting my SS Arctis 9X between that and my Xbox Series X. And also because my 9X cannot use wireless and Bluetooth simultaneously on PC. I will start by saying that these sound excellent. And my friends have told me the mic sounds great. I was already a fan of Steel Series because of my 9X's, and these have lived up to my expectations easily.Pros:1. Wireless and BT! I love being able to hear my game/chat and also listen to something on my phone at the same time. Or answer a call while playing.2. Lightweight/Comfort. I can wear them all day and it doesn't bother me at all. And the headband is super comfortable.3. USB C charging. I have a lot of USB C cables for all my other devices and my 9X is the only thing that uses Micro USB so I'm glad they updated these4. Build quality feels solid. Some people complain about them breaking or feeling cheap, but mine feel great. Though I do take very good care of them.5. Battery life/charging. The battery lasts pretty long and they charge pretty quick.Cons:1. They aren't quit as comfortable as my 9X are. Though they are still pretty comfortable so I don't even like counting this as a con.2. The buttons (power, BT, mute) and volume control/chat mix wheels aren't as easy to find or control while I'm wearing them as my 9X.3. The mic isn't as flexible as I'd like. It always pulls out into the same position and doesn't adjust as easily as the 9X.Conclusion: Overall I am extremely happy with these. I couldn't afford the go with the Nova Pro Wireless or even the Arctis 9 which would have been my first two choices. And I got these for $130 which is $50 cheaper than you can get them most other places. So far, they have been worth every penny and all of the cons I listed are just me nitpicking and none of them are even close to a big enough deal for me to rate them any less than 5 stars. I have only had them a week so far, but I am currently going through a pretty aggressive treatment for cancer and can't work so I am home all the time and use these almost all day everyday. But if I do run into any issues, I will update this review.I would highly recommend these if you are in the market for a mid-high range wireless headset for PC. My only other non-SS headset in the last few years is the RIG 800 PRO HX, which was also an excellent headset, but I would take the Nova 7 anyday over those.