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  1. Home
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SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless vs Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox]

Which Headphones Are Better?

    Top
    Main Differences
    Sound
      Sound ProfileFrequency Response ConsistencyRaw Frequency ResponseBass Profile: Target ComplianceMid-Range Profile: Target ComplianceTreble Profile: Target CompliancePeaks/DipsStereo MismatchGroup DelayCumulative Spectral DecayPRTFHarmonic DistortionElectrical AspectsVirtual SoundstageTest SettingsImagingWeighted Harmonic Distortion
    Design
      StyleComfortControlsBreathabilityPortabilityCaseBuild QualityStabilityHeadshots 1Headshots 2TopIn The Box
    Isolation
      Noise Isolation - Full RangeNoise Isolation - Common ScenariosNoise Isolation - Voice HandlingANC Wind HandlingLeakage
    Microphone
      Microphone StyleRecording QualityNoise Handling
    Active Features
      BatteryApp Support
    Connectivity
      Wired ConnectionBluetooth ConnectionWireless Connection (Dongle)PC CompatibilityPlayStation CompatibilityXbox CompatibilityBase/Dock
    Comments

Products

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox]

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Jan 06, 2025 01:22 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v2.0

Updated Nov 27, 2025 08:24 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Picture
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingNo
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Treble Amount
Slightly Underemphasized (-2 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
Warm
  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. SteelSeries

Our Verdict

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox]

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless have an edge over the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless. The Arctis Nova Pro deliver audio more consistently and have ANC to help block out an alright amount of background noise. Their total battery life is longer, and you can even get these headphones in an Xbox or PlayStation variant, which offers different compatibility with either console. However, the original Arctis Pro's mic offers better overall performance in both noise handling and recording quality.

1 

Variants

  • Arctis Pro Wireless (Black)
  • Arctis Pro Wireless (White)
  • Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for PS (Black)
  • Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for Xbox (Black)
  • Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for PS (White)
  • Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for Xbox (White)

Review

See SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Review
See SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Review
18 
14 

Check Price

Black
Arctis Pro Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for Xbox
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
Arctis Pro Wireless
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Black
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for PS
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
 
White
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for PS
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
 
White
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for Xbox
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Read more

Main Differences for
Neutral Sound

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

7.3
No major differences between these headphones for neutral sound. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

500 Hz
650 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

4.0 dB

Bass Amount 
 

Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)

Treble Amount 
 

0.5 dB

Treble Amount 
 

Slightly Underemphasized (-2 dB)

Sound Signature 
 

Warm
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

5.5
6.3

Consistency L  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Consistency R  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Std. Deviation 
 

1.18 dB
1.22 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Raw FR R  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.7
9.6

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

5.0 dB
2.1 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

20 Hz
20 Hz

Low Bass 
 

0.82 dB
-0.09 dB

Mid Bass 
 

6.48 dB
2.09 dB

High Bass 
 

6.31 dB
2.21 dB
Show Text 

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.5
8.7

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details
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 Compare in Graph Tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.52 dB
1.77 dB

Low Mid 
 

1.4 dB
-2.33 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

1.55 dB
-0.3 dB

High Mid 
 

0.48 dB
1.14 dB
Show Text 

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

6.4
6.4

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

3.79 dB
4.84 dB

Low Treble 
 

-0.71 dB
-3.77 dB

Mid Treble 
 

2.14 dB
-0.76 dB

High Treble 
 

-3.02 dB
-4.84 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

6.7
7.1

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

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Peaks 
 

1.88 dB
1.55 dB

Dips 
 

2.56 dB
2.47 dB
Show Text 

Stereo Mismatch 
 

5.9

Frequency Response Mismatch  

See details

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details
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 Compare in Graph Tool

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.42
1.37 dB

Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch 
 

1.52
1.42 dB

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

2.15
2.1°
Show Text 

Group Delay 
 

7.3

Group Delay  

See details

Weighted Group Delay 
 

1.0 ms
Show Text 

Cumulative Spectral Decay 
 

CSD  

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] CSD

PRTF 
 

6.3
3.0

PRTF  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation) 
 

3.43 dB
3.88 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

7.72 dB
7.18 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

22.05 dB
1.39 dB

Openness 
 

5.6

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

3.4
Show Text 

Harmonic Distortion 
 

8.8

Harmonics Levels  

See details

THD Ratio  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

WHD @ 94 dB SPL 
 

0.316
0.10%

WHD @ 104 dB SPL 
 

0.106
0.30%
Show Text 

Electrical Aspects 
 

Impedance  

See details

Sensitivity @1kHz-1V 
 

115.1 dB SPL

Bluetooth Max SPL 
 

N/A
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

2.0
2.0

Virtual Soundstage  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Virtual Soundstage
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

Yes
Windows Sonic Spatial Audio
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

MCU 1.7.0.0
0.3.82

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Wireless (Proprietary)
Wireless (Proprietary)

Codec 
 

PCM, 16-bit, 48kHz
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz

Test Instrument  

Audio Precision APx517B
Audio Precision APx517B

EQ 
 

Off
Default

ANC 
 

No ANC
On

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Boom
Boom
Show Text 

Imaging 
 

8.8

Group Delay  

See details

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.37

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

2.15
2.1°

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.42
1.37 dB

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.52
1.42 dB
Show Text 

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.8

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.316
0.10%

WHD @ 100 
 

0.106
0.30%
Show Text 
Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Design Picture 2
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

7.5
7.0

Comfort Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Comfort Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.8 lbs
0.75 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

1.2 lbs
1.1 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

7.8
8.5

Controls Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Controls Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Good
Decent

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  

No
On/Off

Talk-Through 
 

No
On/Off

Additional Controls  

Bluetooth Sync
Multi function
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

5.3

Breathability After Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

8.5 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

5.5
6.0

Portability Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Portability Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Portability Picture

L  

7.5" (19.1 cm)
7.5" (19.0 cm)

W  

6.9" (17.5 cm)
6.7" (17.0 cm)

H  

3.5" (8.9 cm)
2.0" (5.1 cm)

Volume  

181.00 in³ (2,966.05 cm³)
100.51 in³ (1,647.00 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

0.0
5.0

Case Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Case Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Case Picture

Type  

No case
Pouch

L  

N/A
N/A

W  

N/A
N/A

H  

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

6.0
8.0

Build Quality Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Build Quality Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

7.5
6.5

Stability Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Stability Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Angled Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Angled Picture

Side Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Side Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Front Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Front Picture

Rear Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Rear Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Top Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless In The Box Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

4.3
7.5

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Noise Cancelling  

No
Yes

Overall Attenuation 
 

-10.15 dB
-19.30 dB

Bass 
 

6.94 dB
-13.09 dB

Mid 
 

-11.44 dB
-15.85 dB

Treble 
 

-29.42 dB
-30.67 dB
Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

3.5
6.3

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-7.06 dB
-14.87 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-6.85 dB
-15.98 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-8.32 dB
-16.55 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless ANC Wind Handling Graph
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

ANC Wind Noise 
 

N/A
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

7.0
8.3

Leakage  

See details
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 Compare in Graph Tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

39.37 dB
31.9 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

No
No

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

Yes
Yes

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Recording Quality 
 

8.4
7.7

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

20 Hz
20 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

2.56 dB
3.91 dB

HFE 
 

6,639.82 Hz
7,136.96 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

0.305
1.625

Gain 
 

30.11 dB
23.15 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

8.3
7.7

SpNR  

See details
See details
 Compare in Graph Tool

SpNR 
 

48.8 dB
37.47 dB

Noise Gate 
 

Always On
On/Off Toggle

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

8.5
7.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

8.0
8.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.8
8.7

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

15.3 hrs
25 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

1.0
1.0

Total Battery Life 
 

30.6 hrs
50 hrs

Charge Time 
 

1.3 hrs
1.8 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Auto-Off Timer
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
No

Passive Playback 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port  

micro-USB
USB-C
Show Text 

App Support 
 

7.5
8.5

App Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless App Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] App Picture

App Name  

SteelSeries Engine
Steelseries GG

iOS  

No
No

Android  

No
No

macOS  

Yes
Yes

Windows  

Yes
Yes

Equalizer 
 

Graphic + Presets
Parametric + Presets

ANC Control 
 

No
No

Mic Control  

Mute/Unmute
Adjustable Level

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

7.0
9.9

Cable Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless Cable Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

Yes
Yes

Length 
 

4.10 ft (1.25 m)
4.13 ft (1.26 m)

Connector 
 

Mini B 8-Pin
1/8" TRRRS

Latency - Analog 
 

26.5 ms
0.2 ms

Latency - USB 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog
Analog
Show Text 

Bluetooth Connection 
 

6.8
6.9

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.1
5.010

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 
 

187.00 ft (57.00 m)
155.84 ft (47.50 m)

Latency - SBC 
 

256 ms
236 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 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

8.9
7.3

Line Of Sight Range 
 

175.00 ft (53.34 m)
120.73 ft (36.80 m)

Latency - Dongle 
 

22 ms
38 ms

Recorded Latency 
 

Show Text 

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Show Text 

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PS5 Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Show Text 

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio Only
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
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

9.6
8.8

Type 
 

Wireless Dock
Wireless Dock

USB Input 
 

Yes
Yes

Line In 
 

Yes
Yes

Line Out 
 

Yes
Yes

Optical Input 
 

Yes
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Power Supply 
 

USB
USB-C
Show Text 

Check Price

Black
Arctis Pro Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for Xbox
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
White
Arctis Pro Wireless
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Black
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for PS
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
 
White
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for PS
SEE PRICE
BestBuy.com
 
White
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for Xbox
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Back to Top

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox]

Comments

  1. Comparison
Active 20 days ago
 ·  • Posted 1 year ago

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless vs SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox]: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


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    aL4es7G8gotP
     23
     • Posted 20 days ago

    Nova Pro seems like a slant upgrade over the older Pro.

    I have a dedicated gaming room, and it’s either completely quiet or I have sports on the TV that I want to sorta hear. ANC is completely worthless to me, nor do I care about leakage.

    The additional battery life is welcomed, but the 2-battery swappable system is already fantastic. All I need is for 1 battery to last the 2-5 hours I might be playing at a time.

    Only having 3 headband adjustment settings could be a massive downgrade.

    Build quality on the old Pro was already good. Only issues were the adjustable band wearing out. Steelseries didn’t have the replacement in stock for at least 2 years and I ended up buying a replacement on Amazon. Thanks China :/ Also, I HATE the Pro’s earcups. I replaced them almost immediately with compatible aftermarket cups. When those wore out years later (primarily because of newer glasses rubbing the pleather off), I replaced them with newer third party cups.

    Not seeing anything here that’s a real upgrade, which probably speaks to how well they knocked it out of the park on the first Pro.

    Reply
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