// PC GAMER — GAMING
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Wireless Gen 2 review
Better battery life and wider software support are the name of the game for the Arctis Nova 7X Wireless Gen 2. Lots stay the same, which is no bad thing when it was so good in the first place.
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SteelSeries' original Arctis Nova 7X Wireless was one of my favourite gaming headsets when it launched a few years ago, so I was certainly very excited to see what had changed with this flashy second-gen model to hopefully keep it towards the top of my own headset rankings.
Having tested this shiny new model for the last couple of weeks, I've been simultaneously surprised and disappointed at what's changed. On one hand, the list of changes isn't that substantial, with things such as improved battery life and added support for SteelSeries' Arctis companion app, which I'll get into more in a minute, while the fit and finish and audio drivers inside haven't changed one iota as far as I can tell.
Depending on your perspective, it's either laziness or refinement—for me, I'm going to be positive and choose the latter.
The fact is that there wasn't anything wrong with how the original Arctis Nova 7X Wireless sounded, so cocking about with it for this second-gen model would have been a bit of a shock to the system if you're already coming from the original. It means we're still getting the excellent all-round audio I liked so much from the previous model, which is characterised by more low-end grunt than typical headphones, helping its chops for listening to my movable feast of rock tracks from Marillion, Rush, Steven Wilson and others, plus adding a more immersive quality for explosions and gunfire in Counter-Strike 2.
Operating principle: Closed-backConnectivity: Wireless and wired - 2.4 GHz/Bluetooth 5.0/3.5 mm wiredDrivers: 40 mm neodymium magneticFrequency response: 20 Hz - 22,000 HzMicrophone: Cardioid retractableBattery life: Up to 54 hours (2.4 GHz)/up to 38 hours (Bluetooth)Weight: 332 grams | 0.73 lbsPrice: $200 | £180
Moreover, we're still getting some lovely detail retrieval and a crisp mid-range that helps to accentuate details such as footsteps in Counter-Strike and well-handled vocals in mellower tracks from the likes of Jimmy Buffett or James Taylor, helping to make the Arctis Nova 7X Wireless Gen 2 a versatile headset for music, games and more besides.
There is also quite a wide soundstage for a set of closed backs (open back and wired cans at this price, such as the new Sony Inzone H6 Air, will be stronger, though) with good imaging for things such as footsteps, distant chatter and gunfire or nearby grenade explosions in CS:2.
Likewise, SteelSeries has retained the same retractable ClearCast Gen 2 microphone as the original model, which I liked for offering clear and decently clean comms with surprisingly decent body and noise rejection, and it's much the same story with the Arctis Nova 7X Wireless Gen 2. Of course, a dedicated USB or XLR microphone will provide you with better definition and a fuller sound, but in a pinch, this headset mic is perfectly cromulent.