SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1

The Arctis Nova 1 sounds fantastic for the price, with the same drivers as SteelSeries' more expensive models and a mic that's in the 88th percentile. But the ANC claim is misleading, it's only on the mic, not the headphones. If you want wired sound quality on a budget, this is a great buy. If you need real noise canceling or wireless, look elsewhere.

The sound is the star here. The 40mm drivers deliver a full, punchy sound with deep bass, and the Sonar software lets you tweak a 10-band EQ to your heart's content. The 360-degree spatial audio is genuinely useful for gaming, making footsteps and gunshots easier to place. The mic sits in the 88th percentile in our database, which is excellent for a headset at this price. The AI noise canceling on the mic does a solid job of keeping your voice clear while filtering out background noise. The ANC score of 81st percentile is misleading though, since that's for the mic, not the headphones. The headset itself is passive, so don't expect any active noise cancellation for your ears.

Against the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4, the Nova 1 is completely outclassed in build, comfort, and ANC, but it costs a fraction of the price. The Sony WH-CH720N offers real ANC and better comfort for not much more money, but the Nova 1's mic is significantly better. The Soundcore Life Q20 and JBL Tune 670NC both offer actual noise canceling and wireless connectivity, which the Nova 1 lacks entirely. The JLab JBuds Lux ANC is another wireless option with ANC. If you need wireless or real ANC, any of those competitors make more sense. But if you want the best sound and mic quality for under $100 in a wired headset, the Nova 1 is hard to beat.

At around $94 USD or $70 CAD, this is a solid deal if you care about sound quality and mic performance. You're getting drivers from a much more expensive headset, plus software features that usually cost extra. But the value proposition gets murky when you factor in the comfort issues and the misleading ANC marketing. If you can find it on sale, it's a steal. At full price, it's still a good buy for the sound alone, just know what you're getting into.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 is a wired headset that punches above its weight in the sound department. You get the same 40mm drivers found in the pricier Nova 7 and Nova 3, plus full access to SteelSeries' Sonar software for parametric EQ and 360-degree spatial audio. That's a lot of audio flexibility for a budget-friendly wired headset.

But there's a catch. The spec sheet mentions ANC, yet the customer reviews tell a different story. One buyer specifically called out that the headphones themselves are not noise canceling, only the microphone has noise canceling. So if you're expecting to block out the world, you'll be disappointed. This is a wired, passive headset with a noise-canceling mic, not an ANC headphone.

Skip this if you need real noise canceling in the headphones, because the Nova 1 doesn't have it despite what the spec sheet implies. Also skip it if you have a larger head or are sensitive to clamping pressure, since comfort scores in our database are rough. And if you need wireless, this isn't the headset for you, it's wired only.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 is for gamers who want great sound and a killer mic without spending a fortune. It's wired, it's lightweight, and it sounds way better than it should at this price. The Sonar software is a genuine advantage, especially for competitive gaming where spatial audio matters. Just don't buy it expecting noise canceling in the headphones, and be prepared for the comfort to be hit or miss depending on your head shape.