In the realm of audiophile hardware, headphones from SteelSeries aren’t what you would generally think of, but that might change with the newly-launched Arctis Nova Elite headset. It’s the gaming peripheral brand’s attempt at bridging the gap between gaming audio and true audiophile sound. Its Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset has been one of our favorite gaming headsets for the past few years, and it sounds pretty darn good.

One thing that particular headset was missing was more of an audiophile-grade sound quality, which something like the Audeze Maxwell was closer to providing. For a lower price, no less. Now, SteelSeries is aiming even higher with its latest headset, adding in some improved features, updated hardware, and a refined design. Outwardly, not much has changed.

If you look closer, however, you can spot the little details. For instance, the Arctis Nova Elite now comes with an all-metal frame with the top of the headband wrapped in vegan leather. It also now has a metal control wheel. The memory foam earcups make a return. Additionally, it comes in two striking new colors. Where the headset aims to take things beyond anything SteelSeries has ever offered is with the internals and the new GameHub.

The newly-launched SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite features carbon fiber speaker drivers

While I won’t claim to be an audiophile expert, I do know that the speaker drivers can have a lot to do with how good the audio sounds. You’ll see planar magnetic drivers in a lot of the higher-quality headsets. This is partly what makes the Audeze Maxwell so good. The Arctis Nova Elite isn’t using planar magnetic drivers, but is instead using 40mm carbon fiber speaker drivers to increase the accuracy and performance of the produced sound. SteelSeries says this allows for frequency reproduction from 10Hz to 40KHz. The company also added a brass ring to the drivers for “added rigidity,” which it also says allows for a “pistonic” driver.

The result, according to SteelSeries, is “stunningly realistic soundscapes.” At the end of the day, this is what matters most for this headset. Especially given its incredibly high price tag. It retails for $599.99. Part of this price comes from the materials used, but also from the updated drivers for highly-tuned, audiophile-grade sound that SteelSeries claims is the first Hi-Res Wireless gaming audio system.

The new GameHub lets you mix audio from more sources

It’s also more expensive because of the new GameHub. This updated version of the base station from the previous model adds a third USB-C port, so you can now connect more consoles. This is in addition to the two AUX ports that are still there, as well as Bluetooth support. SteelSeries also updated the tech inside the headset and the GameHub, which allows you to connect more audio sources simultaneously than ever before. Now, you can mix audio from up to four sources. Whether or not you need that is another story.

Additionally, the GameHub still provides charging for a second battery, which can be hot-swapped when the one inside the headset has been completely drained. You can grab these directly from SteelSeries or from partners like Amazon.
The post SteelSeries taps into audiophile territory with the Arctis Nova Elite appeared first on Android Headlines.

Source: ndroidheadlines.com