Arctis Nova Pro Omni Review – Next Level Headset

Arctis Nova Pro Omni Review

In the market for a premium headset to take your gaming to a whole other level? The Arctis Nova Pro Omni from SteelSeries just might be what you’re looking for. This hi-res wireless gaming headset comes with a multitude of features, audio-control options and more. This is a headset designed to give gamers the edge in competitive gaming. Plus, they’re incredibly slick, with three different colour options to choose from. Let’s dive deeper into this incredible headset.

Built with Comfort in Mind

The Arctis Nova Pro Omni were designed with comfort in mind. I often find that many headset ear cups don’t fully encapsulate my ears. Instead, they’ll just rest on top of my ears. This is both uncomfortable and not ideal for providing the best audio experience. The Arctis Nova Pro Omni have ear cups clearly designed for adult heads with adult ears. These ear cups cover my ears completely. The cushion is also quite comfortable. My only grievance is with the leatherette material that covers the ear cup cushions. The material is not breathable, so they will build up sweat as you play. I imagine the thinking behind this is two fold; they’re easier to clean and the material helps ensure the best sound. While I would have preferred a soft fabric, I can understand why they chose this material. Connecting the ear cups is an elastic headband that can be adjusted to hug the crown of my head without feeling too tight or too loose.

Clear Sound, Big Bass

The Arctis Nova Pro Omni comes with Hi-Res Neodymium Drivers. What does that mean? No idea. But I know what it translates into: incredible sound. This headset provides a level of clarity that I’m not sure I’ve experienced before in a headset. For this headset, my testing was two-fold; on Xbox Series X and on my iPhone. On the my Xbox Series X, I played a variety of games, whereas on my iPhone, it was mostly listening to music in different environments.

For gaming, I really put this headset through it’s paces with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Rainbow 6 Siege. Sound is critical in these games. In both cases, I was just shocked at the accuracy of the sound direction. For Black Ops 7, the pace is a bit more frenetic. So, hearing where enemy footsteps were stomping from was critical in ensuring you weren’t going to be hit from behind. But it was Rainbow 6 Siege that just took this to a new level. Despite the multi-story buildings, walls, and other environmental factors, I could tell exactly which direction movement was coming from. Whether the enemy was above me or below, or walking along a wall next to me, I knew exactly where they were and could plan accordingly. And when the gunplay hit, the audio went from beautiful clarity to the deeper booms and bangs you’d expect with gunfire.

Active Noise Cancellation

One of the headset’s features is the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). While not uncommon among headsets, especially premium headsets, the level which SteelSeries delivered ANC here is nothing short of magic. With it turned off, I could hear ambient noises in my house, but once ANC was turned on, all ambient noise shut out. All of it. It was almost eerie how quiet the “outside” world was. My kids would be standing feet away talking and I wouldn’t hear a sound.

Of course, this takes me to another of my tests; music with my iPhone. I really don’t know how to convey these tests into words. I could hear aspects of music that I simply never heard before with other headphones. The clarity was just incredible. And music with deep bass sounded awesome.

I really put the whole package together when I was mowing my lawn, and while I could still hear my lawn mower, even with ANC activated, it was nothing more than a dull rumble in the background. The music was still unbelievably clear. I honestly don’t think I will ever mow my lawn again without using these headphones.

How Do I Sound?

The microphone is yet another win for the Arctis Nova Pro Omni. During my Rainbow Six Siege gameplay, I played with my oldest son, and he confirmed that I sounded clear with no background noise or echoes. I should note that he came through quite clearly as well, and adjusting the Game/Chat mixer was as easy as pushing the volume knob once, then scrolling it left or right. Pushing the volume knob again returned to standard volume control. When not using the microphone, it’s easily retracted into the headset. Such a sleek design choice.

Feature Rich Headset

The Arctis Nova Pro Omni comes with a PC and Mobile app that offers further customization options, including equalizers and other audio volume adjustments. In the equalizers options, there’s a list of over 200 games with pre-set equalizers designed to give you the best sound options for that specific game. Unfortunately, I’m not sure these were actually designed by the game developers, but rather fellow audio enthusiasts. Honestly, I would rather hear a game how it’s intended, than how other gamers feel a game should sound. Maybe if SteelSeries worked alongside devs to make official equalizer settings, this feature would be more appealing.

Another feature worth mentioning, just because it’s so damn cool, is the fact that you can have both the 2.4GHz audio and Bluetooth audio streaming into the headset at the same time! I discovered this by sheer accident. I was mowing my lawn, listening to music, but kept hearing Roblox sounds. It turns out, my son was playing Roblox and I had the 2.4GHz turned on as well as the Bluetooth, so I heard both. This feature would be particularly nice if you’re wanting to listen to some music while grinding away in a game.

Omniplay

One of the most unique features with the Arctis Nova Pro Omni is the Omniplay devices it comes with. This device allows users to connect up to three devices via USB, making it very easy to swap between consoles or other devices. On the front of the Omniplay is also volume controls and an LCD display that provides some useful information. It also serves as a charging station for the headsets batteries, of which two are provided. Once your headset runs out of juice, just pop the cover off the ear cup and swap the battery for a fresh one. Unfortunately, the battery charge slot on the Omniplay leaves much to be desired. It’s difficult to judge which way we’re supposed to insert the battery – especially if the room is dark. Even worse is the sheer amount of force you need to get it locked in. I’m not kidding here. You need to jam the battery in ridiculously hard, and then push it down for it to sit in properly. It’s clearly an oversight for an otherwise well thought-out product.

Next Level Headset

The Arctis Nova Pro Omni is a premium wireless headset in every sense of the word. It’s capable of hi-res sounds, which produces such an incredible level of clarity and bass. You will be hard pressed to find a better sounding device. SteelSeries put a ton of thought into this product, including the handy PC and mobile app, two included batteries, and the Omniplay device. The Active Noise Cancelling is among the best I’ve experienced. The headset is incredibly comfortable and fits well on an adult-sized head, though the leatherette material will get a bit sweaty during use. At $399.99 USD, the Arctis Nova Pro Omni is definitely geared towards the core gamer looking for incredible audio that should last a long time. I love that the headset comes in three different colours – I personally opted for the Midnight Blue colour and it looks so slick. Despite a couple hiccups, the Arctis Nova Pro Omni is easy to recommend if you’re looking for high-end audio and have the budget to afford it.

***Arctis Nova Pro Omni headset provided by the manufacturer for review.***