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Steelseries Arctis Nova 7X Review

Nikshep Myle Avatar
Updated Jan 8, 2024 12:45 PM

True Score

79
77
8

Experts

84
14k

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Customer Favorite

Expert Rankings

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X offers gamers and streamers impressive sound, versatile Bluetooth connectivity, clear microphone quality, and comfortable fit, only failing with its noise isolation performance.

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Table of Contents

Product Snapshot

Overview

Launched in August of 2022, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headphones are an entry-level pick for gaming. The headphones don’t support noise canceling but are capable of 360-degree spatial audio. Like most top-rated gaming headsets, the Nova 7X headphones work with PCs, PlayStation, or Xbox consoles, with up to 33 hours of battery life.

Their ear cups are well-padded for comfort, and they only take 1.9 hours to get to a full charge. They also have 40mm drivers for high-fidelity sound, and even though they don’t support NFC pairing, connections are made through Bluetooth or the wireless dongle. Controls consist of a volume wheel, a mute button, a channel switcher, and a Bluetooth pairing button.

Best For

  • Gaming

  • Wireless Microphones

  • Xbox

Consensus

our Verdict

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X gaming headset impresses with its neutral sound quality, which can be further customized through the Steelseries GG app. It also offers versatile Bluetooth connectivity and a comfortable fit. It excels in microphone performance and offers an impressive 33-hour battery life after a 1.9-hour charge time. If you’d prefer wired options, check out our Steelseries Arctis Nova 3 review or our Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro review.

The headset’s haptic feedback and software customization enhance the overall experience, making it a strong contender for gamers and streamers. The headset’s appearance can be personalized, although comfort may vary for those with larger heads. While it doesn’t offer strong noise isolation, the Arctis Nova 7X delivers a well-rounded headset for its price point.

ReasonS to Buy

  • Great audio quality
    • The Arctis Nova 7X gaming headset has a generally neutral sound profile, with a bass-heavy output out of the box, but the treble will require some fine-tuning. However, this can be easily done through its user-intuitive companion app.

  • Very comfortable fit
    • The soft cloth padding and light clamping force on the 7X headphones make them comfortable enough for marathon gaming sessions.

  • High-quality microphone
    • The Nova 7X’s microphone picks up audio clearly and can produce clear sound. It is backed by AI noise cancellation. It is well above average compared to other alternatives on our sheet, securing it a top 3rd spot.

Reason to Avoid

  • Poor noise isolation
    • The headset doesn’t effectively block out background noise.

Steelseries Arctis Nova 7X Specs

Adjustable HeadbandAdjustable HeadbandYes
Auto-Adjusting HeadbandAuto-Adjusting HeadbandNo
Battery Charge TimeBattery Charge Time3 hrs
Battery LifeBattery Life26 hrs
Built In MicrophoneBuilt In MicrophoneYes
Compatible PlatformsCompatible PlatformsAndroid, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, VR Box, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
Connector SizeConnector Size3.5mm, USB Type-C
Detachable MicDetachable MicNo
Driver SizeDriver Size40mm
Earcup Foam MaterialEarcup Foam MaterialAirWeave Fabric
Headphone FitHeadphone FitOver-ear
Max Frequency ResponseMax Frequency Response22,000Hz
Min Frequency ResponseMin Frequency Response20Hz
Noise CancelingNoise CancelingNo
Product WeightProduct Weight0.72 lbs
Programmable ButtonsProgrammable ButtonsNo
Transparency Moden/a
True WirelessNo
Voice AssistantVoice Assistantna
Water ResistantWater ResistantNo
WirelessWirelessYes
Wireless ConnectivityWireless Connectivity2.4GHz Wireless, Bluetooth

All Specs

Test Results

Max Volume (dB)0
Microphone Sound Quality Rating (out of 10.0)7.2
Speech To Noise Ratio (dB)35.99
BT Latency (ms)0
Non-BT Latency (ms)0
Low End Roll Off (Hz)20
High End Roll Off (Hz)14,692.186

All Tests

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Product Comparison

Steelseries Arctis Nova 7X Review

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Review

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Review

Astro A50

Astro A50 with Xbox Adapter Review : Best Wireless Headset for Xbox One

True Score

79
NR
81
NR

Ranking

#

36

/

57

#

/

8

#

26

/

57

#

/

57

Market Context

Launched in August of 2022, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headphones are an entry-level pick for gaming. The headphones don’t support noise canceling but are…

Launched in August of 2022, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headphones are an entry-level pick for gaming. The headphones don’t support noise canceling but are capable of 360-degree spatial audio. Like most top-rated gaming headsets, the Nova 7X headphones work with PCs, PlayStation, or Xbox consoles, with up to 33 hours of battery life.

Their ear cups are well-padded for comfort, and they only take 1.9 hours to get to a full charge. They also have 40mm drivers for high-fidelity sound, and even though they don’t support NFC pairing, connections are made through Bluetooth or the wireless dongle. Controls consist of a volume wheel, a mute button, a channel switcher, and a Bluetooth pairing button.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headphones are significantly more compact than the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless headphones, and they also boast a much longer battery…

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headphones are significantly more compact than the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless headphones, and they also boast a much longer battery life. The Nova 7X headphones have a playtime of up to 33.3 hours, which is almost twice as much as the Arctis Pro Wireless headphones at 15.3 hours. The Arctis Pro Wireless headphones take less time to charge, averaging 1.3 hours, compared to the Nova 7X headphones’ 1.9 hours. You can learn more about the former in our SteelSeries Arctis pro review.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headphones are much smaller than the SteelSeries Arctis 9X headphones, but their sound leakage performance could be better. The Nova…

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headphones are much smaller than the SteelSeries Arctis 9X headphones, but their sound leakage performance could be better. The Nova 7X headphones have a longer-lasting 33.3-hour battery compared to the 9X, which has a 28-hour battery life, and they also take about 1.9 hours to charge, which is faster than the 2.4-hour charge time of the Arctis 9X headphones. We’ve covered the 9x headphones in our SteelSeries Arctis 9X review if you’re interested.

Again, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headphones are significantly smaller than the Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless headphones, and their 33-hour battery still supersedes the…

Again, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X headphones are significantly smaller than the Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless headphones, and their 33-hour battery still supersedes the 17.5-hour playtime offered by the Astro A50 Gen 4 headphones. The Nova 7X headphones also take a shorter 1.9 hours to charge than the Astro A50 headphones, which take up to 4.4 hours. Also worth noting is that the Nova 7X headphones support Bluetooth connectivity while the Astro A50 headphones do not.

Adjustable Headband

Yes

Yes

Auto-Adjusting Headband

No

No

Battery Charge Time

3 hrs

Battery Life

26 hrs

20 hrs

20 hrs

Built In Microphone

Yes

Compatible Platforms

Android, iOS, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, VR Box, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X

Android, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X

Connector Size

3.5mm, USB Type-C

3.5mm, USB

Detachable Mic

No

No

Dig Deeper

Steelseries Arctis 9X Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

77

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

84

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

79

Any product with a True Score above 70 is a Mixed Reviews

Expert Scores

  • Rtings
    99.8

    Category Trust Rating

    70
    The SteelSeries Arctis 7X are satisfactory for neutral sound. Right out-of-the-box, they have a boomy… Read More

    By:

    Dagobiet Morales Alfaro
  • Sound Guys
    82.1

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 gives one of the company’s most popular headsets a refresh,… Read More

    By:

    Sam Moore
  • Tom’s Hardware
    65.25

    Category Trust Rating

    70
    The Arctis Nova 7 Wireless looks like the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless…but it doesn’t sound… Read More

    By:

    Sarah Jacobsson Purewal
  • Tom’s Guide
    56.25

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 is another satisfying entry in a celebrated line of gaming… Read More

    By:

    Marshall Honorof
  • CNET
    72.25

    Category Trust Rating

    NR
    Big bump in battery life over previous generation, Dongle works with almost all USB devices,… Read More

    By:

    Lori Grunin
  • Techradar
    43

    Category Trust Rating

    80
    The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless does most things right. It sounds very good, if… Read More

    By:

    Michelle Rae Uy

Customer Scores