My one of my old JBLs broke and I needed a new headset for work. After a careful research, I ordered Arctis Nova 7x. The 7x is the XBOX version of the headset and differs from the other 7 by one additional button, which is irrelevant to me. I liked the green/black color.

So I got them yesterday and I decided to make some recordings and see if I can actually use them. The main issues I have during calls are two:

• Can people hear and understand me loud and clear
• Can I hear them. I’ve had headphones that were too quiet

As it turns out, Arctis Nova 7 produces a different result depending on what kind of connectivity I use. I tried the recommended 2.4GHz Dongle and a 3.5mm TRRS. They also support Bluetooth but I’m not enthusiastic about it. It’s supposed to come with more latency and connection woes.

Noisy environment

I went to the local Starbucks, where people chat, and the music is loud. The sound was sharp and clear. It can be so loud that it can be harmful, which is something I’ve not recently experienced with other headphones. It’s good and I don’t think I’ll have issues hearing people.

However, the mic captures too much background noise. I would need to rely on additional software removing that noise. I didn’t have that problem with the previous headphones. People speaking nearby would be mostly filtered out.

Quiet environment

The sound is great, particularly when connected with a cable.

Using the 2.4GHz dongle produces much louder recording. Unfortunately, all I can hear from it is SSssssSSS. Do I really talk like that? It’s not great.

When connected with the cable, the sound is a bit more muted and I find it tolerable, although chair movements and breathing can still be heard.

Overall, I think I can rely on them when doing calls from home but not when working from the outside. I’ll use them for a week or two and gather feedback. I feel like the microphone can be a source of discomfort during calls, mainly for the people who need to understand what I say. The cable would be the way to go for me.

Comfort and controls

• The button placement is well picked and I can’t roll the volume or mute by accident.
• The microphone pulls out and is great when hidden. However, I have my doubts about how long this pulling in and out can last before something breaks
• The headphones feel very soft and comfortable when used with glasses.
• The 2.4GHz dongle is very wide. When I plug it in, thy cover the next USB-C port and I can’t charge my computer. I think the dongle is not something I’ll be interested using. I may give Bluetooth a chance but not that thing.

Am I happy

Not quite. I can have a better experience listening to music compared to my 3 pairs of mildly broken JBLs but the microphone is a source of anxiety. I’ll give them a try and will post an update in a month or two.

UPDATE:

• The headphones have a green light that blinks and is visible at night, feels like I’m on an airplane at night
• They’re very good for music and movies, and I actually use the dongle for that
• They seem to turn off when they consider are in idle, even if you’re actually using them
• When the dongle is plugged, the audio is directed to it so switching between headphones and computer audio means clicking a navigation somewhere
• Mic also needs to be manually changed (did I mention I love wired headphones? Everything is so simple with them)

UPDATE 2:

• I got used to everything and kind of like them far more than the JBLs. The sound is better, the buttons and rolls just never click themselves, except the maybe mute button, which can be pressed in the backpack.