SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 Multi-System Gaming Headset — Hi-Fi Drivers — 360° Spatial Audio — Comfort Design — Durable — Ultra Lightweight — Noise-Cancelling Mic — PC, PS5/PS4, Switch, Xbox – Black

Just… Wow. Great value headset
(note: I wear glasses. I feel like this is important to mention with headsets >.>)Honestly, I never expected headphones to make such a big difference in experience. My first headset was a 25$-ish headset that broke, so I decided well, lets try something a bit better from a reputable brand, and ended up buying this one for 40$, and it is worth every. single. cent. spent.Audio is amazing, and it comes with an application you can download that allows you to tweak the sound depending on your use. It did seem a bit overwhelming at first, but its actually fairly simple to use once you get to understand it a bit.The headset does feel a little tight on the head, but so far its not uncomfortable to use for long periods of time, as long as you put it on right. Even while using glasses, this feels ok on the head. If you put it on wrong however, like I did when I first got it, it would be very uncomfortable and even painful.My only complaints would be that, because its all plastic and feels a bit hard, I get worried about breaking it and try to use it as gently as I can. However, I have seen a Youtuber do a review of this headset and he stretches it beyond what my heart can handle without breaking, so there’s that little bit of relief found there xD. The 2nd complaint is the short wire length. Would have loved having it be a bit longer, but its not bad.Overall, my experience with it has been pretty well. So well that, despite the 2 complaints I listed above, I’d still be willing to give this a 5/5. (edit: 4.5 now, due to below issue)Edit: after using it for a couple months, this headset is amazing and is no longer as tight on the head. However, now I’m facing a new issue, and that is the mic wont fully retract into the headset and would get stuck like there is something blocking it from being pushed into its slot. This comes and goes and I have to use some level of force here and there to get it fully in, but out of fear of breaking it, I stopped doing that. Still, because I only use it for the pc, its not really much of an issue except when I’m eating. For that inconvenience, id drop the review to 4.5. Would still buy a steelseries though because its a fantastic audio experience.

Continued Quality from SteelSeries
I have been a fan of SteelSeries headsets ever since I bought my Siberia V2’s 7 years ago. The Siberia V2’s still work flawlessly but the thin rubber coating on the foam ear pads started peeling away and leaving black specks stuck to my head and hair, so it was time to upgrade. I saw no reason to switch away from SteelSeries, and I’m glad I didn’t as they continue to impress with quality headsets. I’m so far loving this headset, it’s an improvement over the Siberia V2’s in every way. And the few Cons I’ve been able to find are minor and not deal breakers.PRO’sThe first thing I noticed about the Arctis 3’s was the ear pads have a fabric coating, as apposed to the thin rubber coating of the Siberia V2’s. This, to me a huge upgrade, as that coating peeling away was what prompted me to make this switch in the first place. It’s good to know I will not be running into that problem this time around.Another positive change over the V2’s is that the Arctis 3’s use a headphone jack as apposed to USB. I travel a lot and therefor game on a laptop, and that means limited USB ports. Not having to dedicate a USB port to my headset is a big positive improvement.Sound quality is the same amazing standard that I’ve come to expect from Steelseries.Retractable mic means you can use the headset as actual headphones for your phone or music device when not gaming and not look like a tool.CONsThis is personal preference most likely, but I don’t like the rubber coated cord. It makes it feel cheap and fragile to me. Would have preferred they went with a threaded cord.The cord is kind of short. This isn’t a problem for me, as I game on a laptop, but I could see this easily becoming a problem on a desktop depending on where your headphone jack is located.Mic is quiet. Had to turn my settings all the way up in order for people to hear me talking, and even then most people on Discord had to turn my volume up on their end. And the Mic won’t even pick up my voice unless it’s fully extended and placed directly in front of my mouth.The location of the volume control and mute button are on the back of the headset. This isn’t so much of a problem but you just need to be conscious of the controls if you ever rest your head back.

This headset was reviewed on yt, tiktok, and amazon as completely mid. Nothing bad overall but not the best either. But to me its 5 stars and the best within its price range and features.Audio Quality – no need for a splitter/hub just a 3 ring jack that plugs straight in to my pc, i play valo and i hear perfectly fine, volume wheel on the set is a massive plusMic Quality – wasnt expecting much but my friends actually pointed out how clear and crisp my voice is on discord. They commented on its clarity in diff occasions. Just dl steelseries gg (which i alrdy have) and all u have to do is turn on noise suppression.Comfort/Build – the headband was the real reason i got this, so comfy, the pull out mic goes back easily ive had no issues with it, the mute button is a godsend, the muffs are super soft, and its adjustableGot this for $50 so if u consider all the features for that price it literally is a steal for ppl who dont want to drop $300 for quality headphones.Pros:-great mic-good audio-volume wheel/mute button-soft headband/muffs-retractable/adjustable mic-single cord (also comes with splitter if needed)Cons:-the white colour is not as white, more light grey imo

They are great headphones, they are comfortable to wear and have fabulous sound quality