Turtle Seaside made SteelSeries headset clone that’s $50 much less

I actually I really like SteelSeries Arctis Nova Professional Wi-fiso the corporate did not should say a lot to get me enthusiastic about its successor. The $399 Nova Professional Omni that launched on Could 5 has an identical design to the 2022 mannequin, however with some new and improved options — assist for high-resolution wi-fi audio (24-bit/96kHz audio over 2.4GHz), higher microphone high quality, and compatibility with all controllers in every mannequin, to call just a few. all $599 Nova Elite The Omni has higher construct supplies and bigger drivers.

However issues received attention-grabbing, just some weeks earlier than saying the Omni, Turtle Seaside confirmed off the Stealth Professional 2. To say it was impressed by earlier SteelSeries headsets is an understatement. It has swappable batteries, a wi-fi base station for charging the battery, a companion app to shortly change audio settings, and the flexibility to hearken to 2.4GHz and Bluetooth audio concurrently. Furthermore, it gives high-resolution wi-fi audio assist as effectively, and A barely cheaper price ticket is $349.

So, I did what was obligatory: ​​I known as up each to check them concurrently to see which I assumed was the higher worth. What I’ve realized is that SteelSeries’ $399 Arctis Nova Professional Omni and Turtle Seaside’s $349 Stealth Professional 2 are each nice for a lot of causes, however they are not value shopping for based mostly on their high-resolution audio capabilities alone — a serious promoting level for each. I could not discover the distinction in excessive decision in comparison with the default bitrate (24-bit, 48kHz) on my Home windows 11 PC.

I sampled most of the lossless tunes on the albums within the Qubouz, and performed lots of them Marathonfilled with little location-dependent sounds that might trace at my impending doom. I can not contemplate myself an audiophile as a result of I undergo from tinnitus, which prevents me from listening to some high-frequency sounds. Regardless, I am in good firm with many different individuals who cannot reliably detect the distinction in excessive decision. It appeared the identical to me. Good, however not ok to encourage you to purchase a brand new headphone.

Functionally, the AirPods Max-inspired Stealth Professional 2 is the best choice if you do not have all of your gaming {hardware} in a central location. Mine are sprinkled round my residence, so I like that the Stealth Professional 2 has a button to modify between transmitters (all whereas sustaining a synchronized Bluetooth connection to my cellphone).

Each the Omni and Stealth Professional 2 allow you to make fast changes to equalizer and microphone settings by means of a cellular companion app by way of Bluetooth, so you do not have to race to your laptop to tweak settings. Nevertheless, the Turtle Seaside headset provides you extra management choices on the machine. You’ll be able to change between equalizers utilizing a button on the Stealth Professional 2, and there are three dials to independently modify the USB supply and Bluetooth quantity and modify sport/chat combine ranges. It’s also possible to customise what a few of its extra inputs do in its app. SteelSeries delegates a lot of the controls to the GameHub.

The Arctis Nova Professional Omni is barely totally different in implementation, however comparable in operate and design to the Nova Professional Wi-fi. Its dock serves because the audio mind for all of your gaming gear, assuming they’re all positioned inside 5 toes of entry to the 2 included USB-C-to-USB-A cables. It may possibly obtain 4 wired audio sources (three USB-C, one 3.5mm audio), and blend three sources concurrently, together with Bluetooth. The microphone works cross-platform too. The Omni is your best option in case your USB audio supply switching base station is at all times shut at hand.

These headphones are capable of ship wealthy and balanced sound which made me really feel immersed in gaming. Even with out their good energetic noise cancellation results turned on, their earpads block out a big quantity of outdoor sound. Each headphones’ software program gives in-depth EQ customization by means of their PC apps, however I most well-liked how the Omni sounded even with similar EQ waveforms throughout the headphones. It has stronger mids and highs with heat when the content material requires it, higher bass management, and higher definition between frequencies. Nevertheless, the Stealth Professional 2 comes shut.

One space the place SteelSeries is shifting ahead is microphone high quality. The retractable microphone is superior to what Turtle Seaside’s removable mute microphone gives. My voice sounds hotter and has extra element (and would not sound like I am speaking on the cellphone). Nevertheless, neither sounds higher than a devoted desktop microphone.

Most individuals have most likely already found out the most effective varieties of headphones by means of their setup. The Stealth Professional 2 has a extra enticing price ticket that is $50 lower than the Omni, in addition to most of the nice options you are used to seeing supplied in SteelSeries headsets. Then once more, it might not be appropriate for everybody’s settings or audio preferences.

The Omni is a superb headphone too, but when your finances is locked in below $300, the SteelSeries Nova Professional Wi-fi remains to be an important headphone that usually sells for round $270. Its lack of high-resolution wi-fi audio is not a draw back for me, and there is nonetheless lots to love in regards to the look, really feel and efficiency of the last-gen mannequin.

Images by Cameron Faulkner/The Verge