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  1. Home
  2. Headphones
  3. Compare
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Profile: Target Compliance
    5. Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    6. Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation - Full Range
    2. Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    3. Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    4. ANC Wind Handling
    5. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Wired Connection
    2. Bluetooth Connection
    3. Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless vs SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X]

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X]

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Feb 01, 2024 08:11 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Apr 08, 2025 03:24 AM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Picture
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingNo
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingNo
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
  1. Recommended in 8 articles:
  2. Gaming
  3. Wireless Gaming
  4. PC Gaming
  5. Xbox One
  6. PS5/PS5 Pro
  7. Xbox Series X/S
  8. SteelSeries
  9. PS4

Variants

  • Arctis 9 (Black)
  • Arctis Nova 7X (Black)
  • Arctis Nova 7P (Black)
  • Arctis Nova 7 (Black)
  • Arctis Nova 7 (Diablo IV Edition)
  • Arctis Nova 7 (FaZe Clan Edition)
  • Arctis Nova 7P (White)
  • Arctis Nova 7X (White)
  • Arctis Nova 7 (World of Warcraft Edition)

Review

See SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Review
See SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Review
0 
0 

Our Verdict

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X]

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless and their variants are better gaming headphones than the SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable, the Nova 7 and its variants have a longer continuous battery life. They also come with an analog cable if you want to use them wired, and they have full compatibility with PCs and consoles via this connection. The Arctis 9 are better built.

0 

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Black
Arctis 9
SEE PRICE
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Black
Arctis Nova 7X
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Black
Arctis 9
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Black
Arctis Nova 7P
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Black
Arctis 9
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Black
Arctis Nova 7
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Black
Arctis 9
SEE PRICE
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Diablo IV Edition
Arctis Nova 7
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FaZe Clan Edition
Arctis Nova 7
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White
Arctis Nova 7P
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White
Arctis Nova 7X
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World of Warcraft Edition
Arctis Nova 7
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Read more

Main Differences for
Neutral Sound

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

6.8
7.1

Imaging 
 

6.0
7.6

Mid Accuracy 
 

8.1
8.5

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Design Picture 2
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show text

Comfort 
 

7.5
7.5

Comfort Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Comfort Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.83 lbs
0.72 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

1.1 lbs
1 lbs
Show text

Controls 
 

7.8
7.6

Controls Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Controls Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Good
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  

No
No

Talk-Through 
 

No
No

Additional Controls  

Bluetooth Sync
Bluetooth + Multi function
Show text

Breathability 
 

5.8

Breathability After Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

7.4 °C
Show text

Portability 
 

5.5
5.9

Portability Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Portability Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Portability Picture

L  

7.7" (19.6 cm)
8.1" (20.6 cm)

W  

6.9" (17.5 cm)
7.4" (18.9 cm)

H  

3.3" (8.4 cm)
1.9" (4.9 cm)

Volume  

176.90 in³ (2,898.86 cm³)
116.42 in³ (1,907.80 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show text

Case 
 

0.0
0.0

Case Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Case Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Case Picture

Type  

No case
No case

L  

N/A
N/A

W  

N/A
N/A

H  

N/A
N/A

Volume  

N/A
N/A

Build Quality 
 

8.0
7.5

Build Quality Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Build Quality Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Build Quality Picture
Show text

Stability 
 

7.5
6.5

Stability Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Stability Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Stability Picture
Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Angled Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Angled Picture

Side Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Side Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Front Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Front Picture

Rear Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Rear Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Top Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless In The Box Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] In The Box Picture
Show text
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

500 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

-1.84 dB
5.5 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-2.99 dB
-0.3 dB
Show text

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

5.4
5.3

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

1.27 dB
1.42 dB
Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

7.2
7.3

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

4.02 dB
5.7 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

57.39 Hz
20 Hz

Low Bass 
 

-6.1 dB
5.07 dB

Mid Bass 
 

1.65 dB
6.72 dB

High Bass 
 

4.3 dB
5.01 dB
Show text

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.1
8.5

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

2.59 dB
1.47 dB

Low Mid 
 

1.44 dB
-1.65 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

0.07 dB
1.35 dB

High Mid 
 

-0.8 dB
0.56 dB
Show text

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

5.7
5.9

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

6.11 dB
4.21 dB

Low Treble 
 

-4.76 dB
-1.91 dB

Mid Treble 
 

-1.58 dB
1.81 dB

High Treble 
 

-4.59 dB
-5.71 dB
Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

7.4
7.1

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.64 dB
1.52 dB

Dips 
 

1.34 dB
2.8 dB
Show text

Imaging 
 

6.0
7.6

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.28
0.24

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

12.19
19.28

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

2.01
0.72

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

7.13
2.3
Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

6.1
5.8

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

3.12 dB
2.94 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

7.6 dB
6.6 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

17.9 dB
11.49 dB

Openness 
 

5.6
5.1

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

3.0
3.4
Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

2.0
2.0

Virtual Soundstage  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Virtual Soundstage
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

DTS 7.1
Windows Sonic Spatial Audio
Show text

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.1
7.6

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.303
0.350

WHD @ 100 
 

0.416
0.128
Show text

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

2.4.00
1.10

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Wireless (Proprietary)
Wireless (Proprietary)

Codec 
 

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

Test Instrument  

Audio Precision APx517B

EQ 
 

No EQ
Default

ANC 
 

No ANC
No ANC

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Boom
Boom
Show text
Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

3.7
4.8

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Noise Cancelling  

No
No

Overall Attenuation 
 

-10.8 dB
-11.64 dB

Isolation Audio 
 

Bass 
 

0.73 dB
2.78 dB

Mid 
 

-5.64 dB
-11.06 dB

Treble 
 

-27.86 dB
-29.75 dB
Show text

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

4.1

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details on graph tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-8.35 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-9.60 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-10.20 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 Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] ANC Wind Handling Graph

ANC Wind Noise 
 

N/A

Leakage 
 

7.4
7.0

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

37.13 dB
39.59 dB
Show text
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

No
No

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

Yes
Yes

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Recording Quality 
 

8.1
7.8

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

88.51 Hz
20 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

3.44 dB
2.89 dB

HFE 
 

6,544.63 Hz
6,933.79 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

0.112
2.446

Gain 
 

19.93 dB
27.76 dB
Show text

Noise Handling 
 

7.5
7.7

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

32.44 dB
35.78 dB

Noise Gate 
 

Always On
On/Off Toggle

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

7.5
7.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

7.5
8.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show text
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.0
9.3

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

20.3 hrs
33.3 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

20.3 hrs
33.3 hrs

Charge Time 
 

5.6 hrs
1.9 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Auto-Off Timer
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

Passive Playback 
 

No
Yes

Charging Port  

micro-USB
USB-C
Show text

App Support 
 

8.0
8.5

App Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless App Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] 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  

Adjustable Level
Adjustable Level

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

Yes
Yes
Show text
Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

9.0
9.9

Cable Picture  

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless Cable Picture
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

No
Yes

Length 
 

N/A
4.10 ft (1.25 m)

Connector 
 

No Wired Option
1/8" TRRRS

Latency - Analog 
 

0.3 ms

Latency - USB 
 

0 ms
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog
Show text

Bluetooth Connection 
 

8.5
7.9

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.1
5.010

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

Bluetooth + Console/Non-BT Wireless
Bluetooth + Console/Non-BT Wireless

NFC Pairing 
 

No

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

No

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

303.00 ft (92.35 m)
328.08 ft (100.00 m)

Latency - SBC 
 

194 ms
235 ms

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Codec  

SBC

AAC Support 
 

No

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A

iOS Latency 
 

55 ms

Android Latency 
 

130 ms
Show text

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

8.8
8.4

Line Of Sight Range 
 

153.00 ft (46.63 m)
110.89 ft (33.80 m)

Latency - Dongle 
 

28 ms
29 ms

Recorded Latency 
 

Show text

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Audio Only (Not included)
Audio + Microphone

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Show text

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only (Not included)
Audio + Microphone

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone

PS5 Analog 
 

Audio Only (Not Included)
Audio + Microphone

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Audio + Microphone
Audio + Microphone
Show text

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only (Not included)
Audio + Microphone

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
Audio + Microphone

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

Audio Only (Not included)
Audio + Microphone

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
Audio + Microphone
Show text

Base/Dock 
 

7.0
3.4

Type 
 

Wireless USB Dongle
Wireless USB Dongle

USB Input 
 

Yes
Yes

Line In 
 

Yes
No

Line Out 
 

Yes
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

USB
USB-C
Show text

Check Price

Black
Arctis 9
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Arctis Nova 7X
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Black
Arctis 9
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Arctis Nova 7P
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Black
Arctis 9
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
Arctis Nova 7
Searching
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Black
Arctis 9
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Diablo IV Edition
Arctis Nova 7
Searching
Finding store
 
FaZe Clan Edition
Arctis Nova 7
Searching
Finding store
 
White
Arctis Nova 7P
Searching
Finding store
 
White
Arctis Nova 7X
Searching
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World of Warcraft Edition
Arctis Nova 7
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SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X]

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 1 year ago

SteelSeries Arctis 9 Wireless vs SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X]: Main Discussion

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