Games, unsurprisingly, sound excellent on the Nova Elite, and the spatial audio processing via GG Engine and Sonar in PC games is impressively precise. I played Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Marvel Rivals with the headset, using each game’s EQ preset in Sonar. I got a strong sense of directionality from gunfire and other sound effects in Fortnite and Apex Legends, which gave me a tactical edge. Marvel Rivals’ audio balance is less conducive to accurate spatial imaging, but the soundscape felt full and detailed, letting me pick out nearby threats.
The combat sounds in all three games were reproduced with loads of detail, including lows to highs. The headset didn’t reach deep into sub-bass territory, and none of the gunfire or explosions packed thunder, but that seemed like a conscious choice to keep the frequency range clear and balanced. In testing, the bass certainly wasn’t light, but it didn’t feel like a subwoofer was strapped to my head. That’s the difference between audiophile-focused gaming headphones that aim for a flat frequency response and more mainstream headphones that boost the bass but aren’t as accurate. It’s a satisfying sound, just not one intended to rattle heads.
The Nova Elite is exceptional for music, and that’s where it really justifies its high price. The nuance and presence that the Nova Elite’s carbon fiber reproduces across the full frequency range are noticeably better than those of the Nova Pro Wireless, which already sounds great. The headset’s 96kHz/24-bit hi-res audio support is a huge boon if you have access to lossless or near-lossless audio. However, even high-quality lossy music streaming at half that sampling rate is reproduced with more detail than most other gaming headsets.
In testing, the Yes’ “Roundabout” sounded excellent on the Nova Elite. The opening guitar plucks received loads of low-mid resonance and crisp string textures, and when the track fully kicked in, each element in the busy mix got plenty of attention and detail. I easily picked up the guitar strums, cymbals, bassline, and vocals as they worked together.
Likewise, the Nova Elite’s wide dynamic range proved impressive while I listened to The Crystal Method’s “Born Too Slow.” In testing, the ominous backbeat drove the track, while the screeching riffs and vocals stood against it.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
Our bass test track, The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” sounded powerful though not palpable; the kick drum hits featured a strong thump without vibrating my head, and didn’t distort even at maximum volume. Switching to the Music: Deep Bass EQ preset didn’t significantly increase the low-end, but in either setting, the headset still produced satisfyingly deep, though not sub-bass, frequencies in my listening sessions.
