Products
Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Nov 18, 2025 02:14 PM
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Amazon.com
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Nov 27, 2025 08:16 PM
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BestBuy.com
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (2 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Treble Amount
Emphasized (2 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
V-Shaped
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (2 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Treble Amount
Slightly Underemphasized (-3 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
Warm
Our Verdict
Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite and the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro are both gaming headphones. Both entries feature ANC systems, but the SteelSeries outperform across most of the range, faltering slightly in mid-range attenuation, where background voices may be slightly more audible. Both have solid microphones that reproduce your voice naturally, but the Razer don't have an integrated mic to fall back on when the boom mic is detached. The SteelSeries are also more flexible in connectivity options, allowing simultaneous audio mixing from multiple devices and parametric EQ adjustments compared to the Razer's graphic EQ. That said, the SteelSeries are around double the price of the Razer, making them less attractive from a value-for-money perspective.
Variants
- BlackShark V3 Pro (2XKO Edition for Xbox)
- BlackShark V3 Pro (Black for PC)
- BlackShark V3 Pro (Black for PS)
- BlackShark V3 Pro (Black for Xbox)
- BlackShark V3 Pro (Counter-Strike 2 Edition for PC)
- BlackShark V3 Pro (White for PC)
- BlackShark V3 Pro (White for PS)
- Arctis Nova Elite (Obsidian)
- Arctis Nova Elite (Sage & Gold)
Check Price
2XKO Edition for Xbox
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Obsidian
Arctis Nova Elite
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black for PC
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sage & Gold
Arctis Nova Elite
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black for PS
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black for Xbox
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Counter-Strike 2 Edition for PC
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White for PC
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White for PS
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Main Differences for
Sports And Fitness
Sports And Fitness
Threshold
Sports And Fitness
7.2
7.0
Stability
7.0
6.5
Full Comparison
Sound
Sound Profile
Sound Profile
Normalization Frequency
800 Hz
500 Hz
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (2 dB)
Slightly Emphasized (2 dB)
Treble Amount
Emphasized (2 dB)
Slightly Underemphasized (-3 dB)
Sound Signature
V-Shaped
Warm
Frequency Response Consistency
5.5
6.9
Consistency L
Consistency R
Std. Deviation
1.52 dB
1.12 dB
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
8.9
9.6
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
3.0 dB
1.7 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
20 Hz
20 Hz
Low Bass
3.98 dB
1.26 dB
Mid Bass
2.21 dB
1.88 dB
High Bass
0.16 dB
1.85 dB
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
8.6
8.8
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
1.88 dB
1.59 dB
Low Mid
-0.63 dB
-0.17 dB
Mid-Mid
0.07 dB
0.79 dB
High Mid
-0.42 dB
-2.38 dB
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
7.6
6.1
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
3.65 dB
5.06 dB
Low Treble
1.25 dB
-2.79 dB
Mid Treble
3.86 dB
-3.69 dB
High Treble
-6.95 dB
-7.92 dB
Peaks/Dips
7.3
7.3
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
1.57 dB
1.53 dB
Dips
1.96 dB
2.11 dB
Stereo Mismatch
7.4
8.4
Frequency Response Mismatch
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.63 dB
0.09 dB
Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch
0.97 dB
1.19 dB
Weighted Phase Mismatch
1.3°
2.0°
Cumulative Spectral Decay
CSD
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
PRTF
7.9
0.7
PRTF
PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)
2.86 dB
4.75 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
4.71 dB
0.43 dB
PRTF Distance
14.35 dB
-1.41 dB
Harmonic Distortion
9.1
9.6
Harmonics Levels
THD Ratio
WHD @ 94 dB SPL
0.09%
0.04%
WHD @ 104 dB SPL
0.17%
0.05%
Electrical Aspects
Impedance
Sensitivity @1kHz-1V
117.2 dB SPL
113.7 dB SPL
Bluetooth Max SPL
104.5 dB
107.4 dB
Virtual Soundstage
2.0
2.0
Virtual Soundstage
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Head Modeling
No
No
Speaker Modeling
On/Off
On/Off
Room Ambience
No
No
Head Tracking
No
No
Virtual Surround
THX Spatial Audio
Spatial Audio
Test Settings
Firmware
1.1.2.0
1.25.0
Power
On
On
Connection
Wireless (Proprietary)
Wireless (Proprietary)
Codec
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
Test Instrument
Audio Precision APx517B
Audio Precision APx517B
EQ
Default (Flat)
Default
ANC
4
High
Tip/Pad
Default
Default
Microphone
Boom
Boom
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Type
Over-ear
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
Yes
Yes
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
7.5
7.5
Comfort Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Weight
0.8 lbs
0.84 lbs
Clamping Force
1.1 lbs
1.3 lbs
Controls
8.4
8.6
Controls Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Great
Good
Feedback
Great
Good
Call/Music Control
Yes
Yes
Volume Control
Yes
Yes
Microphone Control
Mute/Unmute
Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
Yes
Yes
Noise Cancelling Control
On/Off
On/Off
Talk-Through
No
On/Off
Additional Controls
Noise-Canceling, ANC Modes, Talk Through
Bluetooth + Multi function
Portability
5.4
5.8
Portability Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
L
7.9" (20.1 cm)
8.3" (21.1 cm)
W
6.5" (16.5 cm)
7.4" (18.9 cm)
H
3.7" (9.5 cm)
2.0" (5.1 cm)
Volume
192.10 in³ (3,147.93 cm³)
124.98 in³ (2,048.03 cm³)
Transmitter Required
No
No
Case
0.0
7.0
Case Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Type
No case
Pouch
L
N/A
N/A
W
N/A
N/A
H
N/A
N/A
Volume
N/A
N/A
Build Quality
7.5
8.5
Build Quality Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Stability
7.0
6.5
Stability Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Side Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Rear Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Top
Top Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Isolation
Noise Isolation - Full Range
7.3
8.8
Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph
Noise Cancelling
Yes
Yes
Overall Attenuation
-18.73 dB
-23.43 dB
Bass
-10.15 dB
-19.50 dB
Mid
-19.41 dB
-18.56 dB
Treble
-28.40 dB
-33.59 dB
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
6.9
8.9
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph
Airplane Noise Attenuation
-16.42 dB
-19.94 dB
Airplane Noise Isolation Audio
Office Noise Attenuation
-16.45 dB
-20.18 dB
Office Noise Isolation Audio
Street Noise Attenuation
-18.13 dB
-22.46 dB
Street Noise Isolation Audio
Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
Female Voice 1
Male Voice 1
Female Voice 2
Male Voice 2
Leakage
7.2
8.8
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
38.34 dB
28.2 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
Yes
In-Line
No
No
Boom
Yes
Yes
Detachable Boom
Yes
No
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
8.1
8.3
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
82.34 Hz
70.25 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
1.78 dB
3.15 dB
HFE
6,001.45 Hz
7,896.12 Hz
Weighted THD
0.809
0.241
Gain
18.7 dB
7.83 dB
Noise Handling
7.5
8.2
SpNR
SpNR
32.69 dB
38.13 dB
Noise Gate
On/Off Toggle
On/Off Toggle
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
8.0
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
7.5
8.5
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
9.4
9.0
Battery Type
Rechargable
Hot-Swap
Continuous Battery Life
69.7 hrs
18.5 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
1.0
Total Battery Life
69.7 hrs
37 hrs
Charge Time
3.9 hrs
1.9 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Auto-Off Timer
Auto-Off Timer
Audio While Charging
Yes
Yes
Passive Playback
Yes
Yes
Charging Port
USB-C
USB-C
App Support
8.5
8.5
App Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
App Name
Razer Synapse 4
Steelseries GG
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
Yes
Yes
macOS
No
Yes
Windows
Yes
Yes
Equalizer
Graphic + Presets
Parametric + Graphic
ANC Control
Adjustable
Adjustable
Mic Control
Adjustable Level
Adjustable Level
Room Effects
No
No
Playback Control
No
No
Button Mapping
No
Yes
Surround Support
Yes
Yes
Connectivity
Wired Connection
9.6
9.9
Cable Picture
Compare High-Res
Compare High-Res
Analog Audio
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
USB-C
No
Detachable
Yes
Yes
Length
4.95 ft (1.51 m)
4.17 ft (1.27 m)
Connector
USB-C
1/8" TRRRS
Latency - Analog
0.2 ms
0.2 ms
Latency - USB
11.5 ms
N/A
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Connection
Analog
Analog
Bluetooth Connection
8.7
8.1
Bluetooth Version
5.3
5.3
Multi-Device Pairing
Bluetooth + Console/Non-BT Wireless
Bluetooth + Console/Non-BT Wireless
Quick Pair (Android)
No
No
Quick Pair (iOS)
No
No
Line Of Sight Range
334.65 ft (102.00 m)
334.65 ft (102.00 m)
Latency - SBC
132 ms
287 ms
Latency - aptX
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
N/A
N/A
Latency - LDAC
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Codec
SBC
SBC
AAC Support
Yes
Yes
Wireless Connection (Dongle)
9.1
7.8
Line Of Sight Range
297.24 ft (90.60 m)
234.58 ft (71.50 m)
Latency - Dongle
13 ms
34 ms
Recorded Latency
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
No
Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Audio + Microphone
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
Audio + Microphone
Base/Dock
3.4
8.8
Type
Wireless USB Dongle
Wireless Dock
USB Input
Yes
Yes
Line In
No
Yes
Line Out
No
Yes
Optical Input
No
No
RCA Input
No
No
Dock Charging
No
Yes
Power Supply
USB-C
USB-C
Check Price
2XKO Edition for Xbox
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Obsidian
Arctis Nova Elite
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black for PC
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sage & Gold
Arctis Nova Elite
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
Black for PS
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black for Xbox
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Counter-Strike 2 Edition for PC
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White for PC
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White for PS
BlackShark V3 Pro
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
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Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite
Comments
Razer BlackShark V3 Pro vs SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite: Main Discussion
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