Upgrading from the Rig 800HD Pro to the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless headset transformed my gaming and work setup. Here’s my experience on PS5 and PC.
Why I Chose This Headset
When you’ve been married as long as Bellistik and I have, anniversary gifts naturally take an interesting turn. As time passes, we ditched traditional presents that gather dust on shelves. Instead, we evolved into the “buy what you actually want” phase of marriage – which is precisely how I ended up shopping for a gaming headset as my anniversary gift.
Consequently, there I stood in EB Games, eyeing the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 like a luxury sports car. While the $399 price tag made my wallet sweat, the clerk – bless their gaming soul – suggested I check out the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless instead.
Headset Research And Decision
Being the responsible adult I pretend to be, I did my homework. Not only did this headset beat the Stealth 700 in comparisons, but it also outshined my faithful old Rig 800HD Pro. Plus, it won IGN’s Best Wireless Gaming Headset award. But the real cherry on top? The simultaneous audio feature. As someone who needs to constantly switch between work and personal computers throughout the day, having one headset that connects to both simultaneously felt like discovering a superpower. Furthermore, thanks to a sale, the price dropped from $399 to $278 – which felt like the universe giving me a high five.
Bellistik, showing her wisdom, got herself the Nova 7P Wireless version. They match like twins, so consider this a two-for-one review.
First Impressions
First off, let me tell you about our first date (me and the headset, not me and Bellistik). Initially, it felt… complicated. You know that feeling when you try a fancy coffee for the first time and think, “Did I just waste my money on bean water?” Similarly, that described my PS5 testing experience. At first, the sound seemed tinny, the microphone felt lacking, and serious buyer’s remorse hit me.
However, then something magical happened. After an hour of uncertainty, I decided to switch back to my old Rig headset for comparison. Surprisingly, my old faithful suddenly sounded flatter than a pancake that met a steamroller. In fact, what I’d dismissed as “tinny” revealed crystal clear detail. My ears lived in the audio equivalent of the stone age.
Yet there remained one small hiccup in paradise: Balancing Bellistik’s audio became an adventure. One minute she talks normally, then suddenly she shouts ‘I JUST HEADSHOTTED THAT GUY!’ and consequently, my ears remind me they have feelings too. Therefore, finding the sweet spot between hearing her gaming victories and preserving my eardrums turned into its own mini-game.
Software And Solutions
The PC software promised solutions, and while it didn’t completely fix the PS5 voice spikes, switching to the Black Ops 6 profile worked some kind of technical voodoo that made everything better. I just accept the magic.
Working From Home
The real MVP moment? Working from home with this headset feels like having a personal audio butler. Having my work laptop and personal PC connected simultaneously revolutionized my workspace. I switch seamlessly between both machines without the constant headset shuffle dance.
Final Thoughts
So here’s to unconventional anniversary gifts that improve your life, helpful EB Games clerks, and the Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless that makes you question everything you know about audio. Sometimes the best presents make us realize our old tech lived in the past.
And yes, Bellistik and I now rock matching headsets. If that doesn’t define modern romance, I don’t know what does.
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