Introduction

The successful Arctis Nova gaming headset lineup offers two wireless models: the powerful Nova Pro Wireless (reviewed here), possibly the best gaming headset money can currently buy, and the significantly more affordable Nova 7 Wireless. Coming in at $180/€200, the Nova 7 Wireless isn’t exactly cheap, but even with such a price, it still costs half as much as the luxurious Nova Pro Wireless. Another interesting fact about the Nova 7 Wireless is that it’s a spiritual successor to the long-term fan-favorite Arctis 7 Wireless. Granted, you can still buy the Arctis 7 Wireless from the official web shop, and it costs exactly as much as the Arctis Nova 7, but that would be a mistake. The new headset is better in every conceivable way.

Compared to the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless omits the hot-swappable dual-battery concept, where you have a wireless base station that doubles as a battery charging station. It also doesn’t have Active Noise Cancellation technology, and it swaps out the leatherette ear pads for cloth ones. Everything else is present, including simultaneous Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a suspended headband design, an integrated ChatMix Dial, and wide platform support. The Arctis Nova 7 Wireless comes in three flavors. Aside from the “regular” Nova 7 Wireless, which we’ll review here, there’s also the PlayStation-oriented Nova 7P Wireless variant, with a blue inner headband, and the Nova 7X Wireless, with a green inner headband, and native Xbox support. They all cost the same: $180/€200.

Specifications

• Drivers: 40-mm dynamic (neodymium magnet)
• Impedance: 36 Ω
• Sensitivity: 93 dB
• Frequency Response (specified by the manufacturer): 20–22,000 Hz
• Design: Closed-back, over-ear
• Microphone: ClearCast Gen 2 (bidirectional, retractable)
• Battery Life: 38 hours (2.4 GHz only) / 26 hours (2.4 GHz + Bluetooth)
• Connectivity: Quantum 2.0 Gaming Wireless (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 (SBC), 3.5-mm analog
• Charging: USB-C (fast charging supported)
• Supplied cables: USB-C to USB Type-A (1.5 m), USB-C to USB Type-A dongle extension (1.5 m), 5-pole to 4-pole 3.5-mm audio cable (1.2 m)
• Extras: USB-C wireless dongle, simultaneous 2.4 GHz + Bluetooth connectivity, ChatMix Dial, removable magnetic ear plates
• Platform support: PC/Mac, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, mobile
• Weight: 325 g