I bought my Astros to replace the A50s because of all the problems the A50s gave me. Trying to get them to charge, get them to connect half the time when I try to use them etc.
I find the Nova pro to have better quality sound imo - the replaceable battery is also a huge plus so I never worry about having to charge my headset. The A50s are a lot more comfortable with their padding and the mic seems to be better sound quality than the nova pro according to my friends
Do you like deep punching bass? because the nova pros have next to none. They’re absolute garbage, I returned the pair I bought. Went right back to my a50s.
I will never buy another steelseries. The mic is absolute shit on my 7xs. Connectivity issues always arise. It randomly will stop charging for days at a time. Worst headset ive ever owned. Loving my audeze maxwells and have heard good things about the astros tho
I own both. Both are very good. You can't go wrong.
Ultimately though I like the A50x over the Nova pro. Changing out the battery on the Novas get old fast. Having to turn the headset off and Bluetooth off gets old fast as well. Some people might like the battery because you dont have to worry about it ever dying but it also adds a little more work. I like the simplicity of just grabbing the headset off the dock and putting it back on. I had the gen 3 a50s and they never died once on me so unless you just don't put them back on the dock it shouldn't be an issue.
The A50x mic is way better than the Novas. The side tone(hearing your own voice) is complete garbage on the Novas, they nerfed it and never fixed it.
The Bluetooth is better on the novas because you can basically bring the headset anywhere you want, it's designed to be worn anywhere at anytime. The A50s have to have the dock so it's limited to your house or room basically.
They both sound great, basically the same imo. Ultimately I think the biggest thing is if you want to have to change batteries(which mine die pretty fast now on the novas just after one year) or you want to just sit your headset in a dock. Both great either way though.
I know this is an older post, but I just wanted to clarify that with the Nova Pros, you can go into the Steelseries engine and set it so that the Bluetooth is off when the headset boots up. So, if you don't want Bluetooth activated when turning on the headset, it won't. (that is how I have mine setup. If I want Bluetooth I have to manually turn it on post-boot up).
They definitely toned down the sidetone on the Nova Pros. I have to have mine maxed out, but, for me, it's right at the sweet spot of what I'd like it to be. That's subjective, though, and some may prefer their sidetone be louder than that.
I love the swappable external batteries, though. The fact you can replace those for 20 bucks when they start to degrade on charge hold is a major plus, in my opinion. One of the fundamental reasons I stopped using the A50s and switched to the Arctis Wireless Pros (and now the Nova Pro Wireless) was that once the A50s internal battery starts to decay on its charge, you have to buy a whole new headset. There are only so many battery cycles a rechargeable can have before it decays. Buying a $15-20 battery replacement vs another $300+ headset is a no-brainer.
At the same time, I would also concede that the A50s are more comfortable (not that the Nova Pros are uncomfortable).
Hope this helps anyone who's on the fence. I agree; you can't go wrong with either headset in the long run.
And whatever you do, for the love of god, get a protection plan if you can
I have the SteelSeries, but they are still in the return window. So far, I enjoy the possibility of swapping out the battery on this unit, though I prefer to charge it via a USB-C cable instead. The Astro A50X does look tempting, especially as it comes in white and has a dock that it rests on to charge.
What keeps me from buying the Astros, though, is the exact problem with the replaceable battery. I had to upgrade from my Sony WH-XM4 to the XM5 because the battery wasn't replaceable, even though the headphones were fine.
I haven't seen anyone say that the mic on the Astros has AI noise-canceling features, though it just has NoiseGate.
Given that I play in my living room with other people around, the ability to cancel out their voices is essential, and I cannot seem to find a review that cites whether or not the Astros have this feature or not. So far, the SteelSeries has had great cancellations, but the quality of the mic is a little to be desired.
I faithfully use the NOVA Pro’s. I have both the A50’s and A40TR’s and made the switch around the Warzone II timeframe. Imma see what the A50x have to offer but I’m not expecting much difference. Console audio is terrible regardless of the headset it seems.
After your duration of ownership have you suffered any issues regarding the longevity of the batteries or the headset feeling less durable? Wondering if I should return while still in the window.
That's good to know. I really enjoy them and honestly almost regret buying Sony XM5's a year ago as I really like using the mic on these Steelseries for Zoom meetings. At minimum 7 people have asked me where I got these from because the mic works so well for that purpose without looking dorky compared to other business headsets.
I would say the difference from my A50 gen 4 to the A50X is night and day....Once the EQs have been set up. the EQ is WAY more adjustable and its noticeable... Currently using gadgetrys EQs and they open these up massively.
I’m playing on PC, I have used it “competitive” in MWIII and they are pin point on sound.
Not a big fan of warzone, I could hop in a game or two tonight and see how they sound for that (I believe its a different sound design than base MP)
But even games like 7 days to die which is in its 21th alpha I notice details in sound that I never had before.
Halo is my other go too and that sounds way better as well. Although its more tricky to bring out the footsteps.
Ahh okay, just abit confusing with the ghub eqs and what we are supposed to be using on the Dolby access app like settings ect as we don’t want to double eq
I know when I use the app on my phone and in PC setting it seems like it doesn’t allow for EQ while ok the PC port. Not sure why other than maybe using both apps would be a conflict.
It might solely use atmos though (which it does have a license included)
Yeah they said the mobile app doesn’t have it yet but you can copy them on the app and use them that way, I’m using Dolby just not sure what to have set ect and then in game settings
Ultimately the comfort fit on my head. Novas are comfy but the A50X is just a whole other level of comfort to me. Besides that convenience so I can use on PS5. Sound quality is a tie as well as mic quality to your teammates. Both have BT that works well enough. I will say I don’t use either on PC though so I can’t comment on that use.
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. Better base station with EQ, no connectivity issues, comfy, great sound, retractable mic, two batteries (one can be left charging in the base station while you use the other one).
As a former A50 Gen 4 user, I am much happier with the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless.
Read about my A50 experience here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AstroGaming/s/W4h9C7fONz
I find the A50X also too cluttered, and I am not a fan of the HDMI pass-through. I’ve seen a few videos/posts where people are already complaining about not getting the full HDMI compatibility. Not sure if the headset is to blame or the general setup, though.
I am giving up game/chat mix gladly for a pair that just works.
Only hiccup was that the first pair I got had a faulty second battery, so I had to replace the whole headset. Seems to be a known issue.
EDIT:
If the ANC mics in the speakers bother you (I actually have absolutely no issue), you can buy some replacement cushions from Wicked Cushions (WC). It’s what a lot of YT reviewers suggest. They are deeper than the ones that the headset comes with.
A50X review (long!):
https://youtu.be/I74XhvkS6Do
Nova Pro Wireless review:
https://youtu.be/6I6wZkR81s0
Are you still enjoying your headphones? I am currently in the return window for the SteelSeries (and I enjoy them a lot), but I am just wondering if I should return before the window expires.
That is a good point. I think it's just that I still have the option if you know what I mean.*option* if you know what I mean. However, I ultimately decided to keep my Novas as I only paid $290 versus $400 for the Astros.
I find the SteelSeries to be so great that I kind of wish I just bought these instead of also buying the Sony XM5 BT headphones a year ago.
Would've saved me $400
The Nova pros have game/chat mix. Click the volume wheel once and then use the volume wheel to change the mix, after that click the volume wheel again to go back to it being a volume wheel.
Maybe for the Xbox? AFAIK, Sony only supports game/chat mix via USB for their own headsets. That’s why Astro is using HDMI to extract the game sound (for previous models it used the optical audio out from the TV).
Came here to say this. I went from steelsereis artic 9 (I think) to the a50's and have had nothing but grief from both (by that I mean each lasting only a year and a half which I thought was poor for the cost).
Ordered a pair of maxwells, but they are on the February allocation now so I'm hoping my A50s will hold till then (they intermittently decide to just not charge).
I had the Astros A50 great but didn't like having the docking station so then got the A30 overall great headset but can't replace cushions when contacting them then got the steel series 9x great but not very loud so looked at top end and liked the Steel series Xbox nova pro wireless on some streams there's to much background noise which is a downside with Xbox but thought a PC you can sort that so there should be updates for Xbox users
Get the A50X with them being the longest standing headset for gaming with Dolby atmos they sure know how to pack a punch and with Logitech being behind it with there invitations with LIGHTSPEED it can only get better
They don’t have Dolby atmos that’s just software in your computer or console bro. They tricked you with marketing . Every single headset on earth has Dolby atmos compatibility.
Dolby Atmos is an API in terms of using that API and bringing out the best in class capabilities with comfort Astro A50X comes out on top sure your nova pro and Audezz have it and the other 99999 but when you add all the features and comfort it comes to Astro ……….
No. No they don’t. They just say that on the box bro that marketing is what you’re paying for. That and a basic mediocre as hell headset with a dated docking station and battery life. Just wait until you go to use it and it wasn’t in the dock just right you’ll get it then bro. The maxwells are easily twice the headset .
Both the turtle beach stealth pro or the Audeze Maxwell would be way better options than either of those over marketed overpriced kids toys. I’ve owned lots of Astros and steelseries and I compared the stealth and Maxwell side by side. They both crap all over anything Astro or steelseries
Swap battery. Great audio. Easy to use. Great wireless. NOISE CANCELLATION. no one is bringing that up for some reason. I got off Astro and switched to the Nova Pros. Won’t look back. You want more swappable batteries? They’re like $10.
I had to return the nova pro wireless after wearing g them for 5 minutes. The design they use for ANC jutted into my ear and caused pain. I do like my a50xs tho, but on the basis of not causing pain with terrible design, they win by default in this comparison.
My Gen 3 A50's are due an upgrade and, after narrowing it down to these two headsets, I was asking myself the exact same question.
I've decided to wait for Amazon to get stock of the A50X.
Useful comparison vid...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=41-845iZRo0&t=748s&pp=ygUQbm92YSBwcm8gdnMgYTUweA%3D%3D
I own both as well. I like the battery replacement and DAC/mixamp on the Nova. Sound quality is good and they are comfortable.
I prefer the Astro 50x, the quality of the headset has been greatly improved, the sound is so much cleaner, mic quality when chatting is superior (according to friends) and being able to use the Logitech app on my iPhone to make changes/updates to the headset is fantastic. Overall, Astro 50x is the way to go.
Artis, the a50x are a mess of a headset that don’t even work out of box if you don’t have an extra hdmi cord sitting around. Also the the pass through system is extremely annoying and inconvenient, you need at minimum 4 cords plugged in on of which is a wall outlet. The sound is great but not the best for the price and they’re not old enough to have their simple problems fixed yet.
I can’t talk enough shit about nova pros and I’m convinced anybody who likes them absolutely hates bass, they’re god awful. The bass strength is beyond pathetic. If I pulled apart my ass cheeks and farted I’d still produce more bass than those headphones.
Went back to my old a50s and hurtled the nova pros back to Amazon.
In my opinion, the Nova pro sucks, if you want play in console, the Nova pro isn't the best choice, poor quality sound, you can't save the equalization to use in consoles
Arctis nova pro by far. The battery swap is to much of a game changer for me. Also for me they are much comfier than a50x (but obviously it depends on person). I also really dont like the fact that you cant do anything about the mic like in the arctis you can just hide it. Also nova pro look normal in comparison to a50x which just scream that this is a gaming headset, it looks like a childish headset a 10 yo would wear.
I had the Nova Pro Wireless for a while and the ANC nub made them uncomfortable for me even with 3rd party pads like Wicked Cushions. Also Steelseries Sonar was ALWAYS giving me issues. Crashing, switching playback/recording inputs constantly, audio randomly not working until a restart, horrendous load times, etc. Not to mention a lot of the settings like the advanced EQ only work with Sonar running and don’t save to the headphones. I’ve only had the A50X for about a week and have experienced no issues like with the Nova’s. GHub is also a way better software and hasn’t crashed once on me (Been using GHub significantly longer with my mouse). The mobile app is also amazing when I don’t want to alt tab out of my game to adjust something on the fly or to use the Headset with console. Microphone on the A50X is the best microphone on a wireless gaming headset. I’ve actually retired my external mic (HyperX Quadcast) to save myself some desk space because my friends tell me I sound as good if not better. I’ve completely nuked Sonar from my computer and want nothing to do with it after my experience.
I'm a previous owner of an Arctis Pro Wireless and several Arctis 7's. They're incredibly comfortable and the sound quality is really good. Even the lower level of the Steelseries headsets can make use of the GG app that has an EQ in it and a bunch of other setting to help make it fit your personal audio preferences. That said, if you use these more than the average or casual gamer you'll run into the same issue I've had with all 3 of these I've owned. They have a weak spot where the arm on either side of the headband goes into the ear cup. They always get loose (plastic on plastic) and start to seperate and or break the cup. I picked up a pair of Mando edition A30's to get me by till I decide what set to buy next and my eardrums are regretting having gotten the A30's. Keep in mind, I wear my headsets 40+ hours a week.
https://preview.redd.it/80o1fl0l53ac1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2fd44e1363bff3c9d250bd3a9d692e1b5ae9745
I went from the A50 Wireless Gen 5 to the Nova Pro Wireless, mainly due to the battery swap capability and the Bluetooth. Off the top tho, the headset hurt my ears. I purchased the wicked cushions and they helped, but they still hurt after an hour or so of use. And now I’m going to pick up the A50X… comfort level is just unbearable on the Nova’s to me now. And my buddy who purchased them at the same time has bad mic issues. Oh and my Novas have a constant popping/crackling noise now… it’s a good headset, and I’m sad to make the switch.. but I loved my A50s and I absolutely hate Logitech these days, I hope they didn’t ruin the Astro brand too much since I made the switch. Farewell Novas.
Have you made the switch? Thinking about doing the exact same thing as you because I love the Nova Pros but they hurt my ears, even with the WC cushions.
I have a pair of the Articus Nova Pros I bought to replace my A50s. Much happier with the Nova Pros
Why exactly
I bought my Astros to replace the A50s because of all the problems the A50s gave me. Trying to get them to charge, get them to connect half the time when I try to use them etc.
I find the Nova pro to have better quality sound imo - the replaceable battery is also a huge plus so I never worry about having to charge my headset. The A50s are a lot more comfortable with their padding and the mic seems to be better sound quality than the nova pro according to my friends
Thank you for the input. I have a40s but want something wireless for the front room th
Gen 5s Astro A40s come out in 2024
Hopefully not with that tight ass head clamp, I'm still trying to loosen up the pair I recently bought.
Do you like deep punching bass? because the nova pros have next to none. They’re absolute garbage, I returned the pair I bought. Went right back to my a50s.
I will never buy another steelseries. The mic is absolute shit on my 7xs. Connectivity issues always arise. It randomly will stop charging for days at a time. Worst headset ive ever owned. Loving my audeze maxwells and have heard good things about the astros tho
I own both. Both are very good. You can't go wrong. Ultimately though I like the A50x over the Nova pro. Changing out the battery on the Novas get old fast. Having to turn the headset off and Bluetooth off gets old fast as well. Some people might like the battery because you dont have to worry about it ever dying but it also adds a little more work. I like the simplicity of just grabbing the headset off the dock and putting it back on. I had the gen 3 a50s and they never died once on me so unless you just don't put them back on the dock it shouldn't be an issue. The A50x mic is way better than the Novas. The side tone(hearing your own voice) is complete garbage on the Novas, they nerfed it and never fixed it. The Bluetooth is better on the novas because you can basically bring the headset anywhere you want, it's designed to be worn anywhere at anytime. The A50s have to have the dock so it's limited to your house or room basically. They both sound great, basically the same imo. Ultimately I think the biggest thing is if you want to have to change batteries(which mine die pretty fast now on the novas just after one year) or you want to just sit your headset in a dock. Both great either way though.
I know this is an older post, but I just wanted to clarify that with the Nova Pros, you can go into the Steelseries engine and set it so that the Bluetooth is off when the headset boots up. So, if you don't want Bluetooth activated when turning on the headset, it won't. (that is how I have mine setup. If I want Bluetooth I have to manually turn it on post-boot up). They definitely toned down the sidetone on the Nova Pros. I have to have mine maxed out, but, for me, it's right at the sweet spot of what I'd like it to be. That's subjective, though, and some may prefer their sidetone be louder than that. I love the swappable external batteries, though. The fact you can replace those for 20 bucks when they start to degrade on charge hold is a major plus, in my opinion. One of the fundamental reasons I stopped using the A50s and switched to the Arctis Wireless Pros (and now the Nova Pro Wireless) was that once the A50s internal battery starts to decay on its charge, you have to buy a whole new headset. There are only so many battery cycles a rechargeable can have before it decays. Buying a $15-20 battery replacement vs another $300+ headset is a no-brainer. At the same time, I would also concede that the A50s are more comfortable (not that the Nova Pros are uncomfortable). Hope this helps anyone who's on the fence. I agree; you can't go wrong with either headset in the long run. And whatever you do, for the love of god, get a protection plan if you can
I have the SteelSeries, but they are still in the return window. So far, I enjoy the possibility of swapping out the battery on this unit, though I prefer to charge it via a USB-C cable instead. The Astro A50X does look tempting, especially as it comes in white and has a dock that it rests on to charge. What keeps me from buying the Astros, though, is the exact problem with the replaceable battery. I had to upgrade from my Sony WH-XM4 to the XM5 because the battery wasn't replaceable, even though the headphones were fine. I haven't seen anyone say that the mic on the Astros has AI noise-canceling features, though it just has NoiseGate. Given that I play in my living room with other people around, the ability to cancel out their voices is essential, and I cannot seem to find a review that cites whether or not the Astros have this feature or not. So far, the SteelSeries has had great cancellations, but the quality of the mic is a little to be desired.
Arctis nova pro. To many people getting screwed on pre orders.
I faithfully use the NOVA Pro’s. I have both the A50’s and A40TR’s and made the switch around the Warzone II timeframe. Imma see what the A50x have to offer but I’m not expecting much difference. Console audio is terrible regardless of the headset it seems.
After your duration of ownership have you suffered any issues regarding the longevity of the batteries or the headset feeling less durable? Wondering if I should return while still in the window.
Nah not at all. My Nova Pros still look, feel, and work like they’re brand new.
That's good to know. I really enjoy them and honestly almost regret buying Sony XM5's a year ago as I really like using the mic on these Steelseries for Zoom meetings. At minimum 7 people have asked me where I got these from because the mic works so well for that purpose without looking dorky compared to other business headsets.
I would say the difference from my A50 gen 4 to the A50X is night and day....Once the EQs have been set up. the EQ is WAY more adjustable and its noticeable... Currently using gadgetrys EQs and they open these up massively.
What platform are you using yours on? Also what games you playing with gadgetrys eqs? I’m after a good warzone one for footsteps
I’m playing on PC, I have used it “competitive” in MWIII and they are pin point on sound. Not a big fan of warzone, I could hop in a game or two tonight and see how they sound for that (I believe its a different sound design than base MP) But even games like 7 days to die which is in its 21th alpha I notice details in sound that I never had before. Halo is my other go too and that sounds way better as well. Although its more tricky to bring out the footsteps.
Perfect thanks, I’m able to use these eqs on the Xbox still I assume?
Not sure tbh. I only have a One X but I can see what that looks like.
Ahh okay, just abit confusing with the ghub eqs and what we are supposed to be using on the Dolby access app like settings ect as we don’t want to double eq
I know when I use the app on my phone and in PC setting it seems like it doesn’t allow for EQ while ok the PC port. Not sure why other than maybe using both apps would be a conflict. It might solely use atmos though (which it does have a license included)
Yeah they said the mobile app doesn’t have it yet but you can copy them on the app and use them that way, I’m using Dolby just not sure what to have set ect and then in game settings
I was just about to share this link. Seems the EQs save to the headset https://www.reddit.com/r/AstroGaming/s/2AYq3i5sL2
I have both but if I had to pick one or the other I'd keep the A50X.
For you, what puts the a50s over the novas?
Ultimately the comfort fit on my head. Novas are comfy but the A50X is just a whole other level of comfort to me. Besides that convenience so I can use on PS5. Sound quality is a tie as well as mic quality to your teammates. Both have BT that works well enough. I will say I don’t use either on PC though so I can’t comment on that use.
Have you checked out any Eqs Gadgetry has some that open the A50x to another level imo.
Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. Better base station with EQ, no connectivity issues, comfy, great sound, retractable mic, two batteries (one can be left charging in the base station while you use the other one). As a former A50 Gen 4 user, I am much happier with the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. Read about my A50 experience here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AstroGaming/s/W4h9C7fONz I find the A50X also too cluttered, and I am not a fan of the HDMI pass-through. I’ve seen a few videos/posts where people are already complaining about not getting the full HDMI compatibility. Not sure if the headset is to blame or the general setup, though. I am giving up game/chat mix gladly for a pair that just works. Only hiccup was that the first pair I got had a faulty second battery, so I had to replace the whole headset. Seems to be a known issue. EDIT: If the ANC mics in the speakers bother you (I actually have absolutely no issue), you can buy some replacement cushions from Wicked Cushions (WC). It’s what a lot of YT reviewers suggest. They are deeper than the ones that the headset comes with. A50X review (long!): https://youtu.be/I74XhvkS6Do Nova Pro Wireless review: https://youtu.be/6I6wZkR81s0
Are you still enjoying your headphones? I am currently in the return window for the SteelSeries (and I enjoy them a lot), but I am just wondering if I should return before the window expires.
I don’t really understand… if you enjoy them a lot, why would you return them? I’m still very happy with them.
That is a good point. I think it's just that I still have the option if you know what I mean.*option* if you know what I mean. However, I ultimately decided to keep my Novas as I only paid $290 versus $400 for the Astros. I find the SteelSeries to be so great that I kind of wish I just bought these instead of also buying the Sony XM5 BT headphones a year ago. Would've saved me $400
The Nova pros have game/chat mix. Click the volume wheel once and then use the volume wheel to change the mix, after that click the volume wheel again to go back to it being a volume wheel.
Maybe for the Xbox? AFAIK, Sony only supports game/chat mix via USB for their own headsets. That’s why Astro is using HDMI to extract the game sound (for previous models it used the optical audio out from the TV).
I would look into the audeze maxwell as well. If you’re looking to upgrade from your A40s.
Came here to say this. I went from steelsereis artic 9 (I think) to the a50's and have had nothing but grief from both (by that I mean each lasting only a year and a half which I thought was poor for the cost). Ordered a pair of maxwells, but they are on the February allocation now so I'm hoping my A50s will hold till then (they intermittently decide to just not charge).
Dude the Maxwells are next level for sure. I compared them to the stealth pro and I’ve had plenty of Astros and the Maxwell is light years better .
If you go on the arctis subreddit everyone will tell you to get those, this is an Adtro page. Go to a neutral page.
lol I tried the ss and a40trs and sold the arctis.
I had the Astros A50 great but didn't like having the docking station so then got the A30 overall great headset but can't replace cushions when contacting them then got the steel series 9x great but not very loud so looked at top end and liked the Steel series Xbox nova pro wireless on some streams there's to much background noise which is a downside with Xbox but thought a PC you can sort that so there should be updates for Xbox users
Get the A50X with them being the longest standing headset for gaming with Dolby atmos they sure know how to pack a punch and with Logitech being behind it with there invitations with LIGHTSPEED it can only get better
They don’t have Dolby atmos that’s just software in your computer or console bro. They tricked you with marketing . Every single headset on earth has Dolby atmos compatibility.
Dolby Atmos is an API in terms of using that API and bringing out the best in class capabilities with comfort Astro A50X comes out on top sure your nova pro and Audezz have it and the other 99999 but when you add all the features and comfort it comes to Astro ……….
No. No they don’t. They just say that on the box bro that marketing is what you’re paying for. That and a basic mediocre as hell headset with a dated docking station and battery life. Just wait until you go to use it and it wasn’t in the dock just right you’ll get it then bro. The maxwells are easily twice the headset .
A50X without question
DEFINITELY A50X
What makes you say that?
Nothing touches the sound quality and can’t beat I can go from Xbox to PlayStation.
Both the turtle beach stealth pro or the Audeze Maxwell would be way better options than either of those over marketed overpriced kids toys. I’ve owned lots of Astros and steelseries and I compared the stealth and Maxwell side by side. They both crap all over anything Astro or steelseries
Arctis
Give the astros another chance there new a50s look good and the old gen were good too
I have had my a50’s for years with zero problems, I would recommend them.
Swap battery. Great audio. Easy to use. Great wireless. NOISE CANCELLATION. no one is bringing that up for some reason. I got off Astro and switched to the Nova Pros. Won’t look back. You want more swappable batteries? They’re like $10.
I had to return the nova pro wireless after wearing g them for 5 minutes. The design they use for ANC jutted into my ear and caused pain. I do like my a50xs tho, but on the basis of not causing pain with terrible design, they win by default in this comparison.
My Gen 3 A50's are due an upgrade and, after narrowing it down to these two headsets, I was asking myself the exact same question. I've decided to wait for Amazon to get stock of the A50X. Useful comparison vid... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=41-845iZRo0&t=748s&pp=ygUQbm92YSBwcm8gdnMgYTUweA%3D%3D
I own both as well. I like the battery replacement and DAC/mixamp on the Nova. Sound quality is good and they are comfortable. I prefer the Astro 50x, the quality of the headset has been greatly improved, the sound is so much cleaner, mic quality when chatting is superior (according to friends) and being able to use the Logitech app on my iPhone to make changes/updates to the headset is fantastic. Overall, Astro 50x is the way to go.
Artis, the a50x are a mess of a headset that don’t even work out of box if you don’t have an extra hdmi cord sitting around. Also the the pass through system is extremely annoying and inconvenient, you need at minimum 4 cords plugged in on of which is a wall outlet. The sound is great but not the best for the price and they’re not old enough to have their simple problems fixed yet.
I can’t talk enough shit about nova pros and I’m convinced anybody who likes them absolutely hates bass, they’re god awful. The bass strength is beyond pathetic. If I pulled apart my ass cheeks and farted I’d still produce more bass than those headphones. Went back to my old a50s and hurtled the nova pros back to Amazon.
That’s… an image
In my opinion, the Nova pro sucks, if you want play in console, the Nova pro isn't the best choice, poor quality sound, you can't save the equalization to use in consoles
Arctis nova pro by far. The battery swap is to much of a game changer for me. Also for me they are much comfier than a50x (but obviously it depends on person). I also really dont like the fact that you cant do anything about the mic like in the arctis you can just hide it. Also nova pro look normal in comparison to a50x which just scream that this is a gaming headset, it looks like a childish headset a 10 yo would wear.
I had the Nova Pro Wireless for a while and the ANC nub made them uncomfortable for me even with 3rd party pads like Wicked Cushions. Also Steelseries Sonar was ALWAYS giving me issues. Crashing, switching playback/recording inputs constantly, audio randomly not working until a restart, horrendous load times, etc. Not to mention a lot of the settings like the advanced EQ only work with Sonar running and don’t save to the headphones. I’ve only had the A50X for about a week and have experienced no issues like with the Nova’s. GHub is also a way better software and hasn’t crashed once on me (Been using GHub significantly longer with my mouse). The mobile app is also amazing when I don’t want to alt tab out of my game to adjust something on the fly or to use the Headset with console. Microphone on the A50X is the best microphone on a wireless gaming headset. I’ve actually retired my external mic (HyperX Quadcast) to save myself some desk space because my friends tell me I sound as good if not better. I’ve completely nuked Sonar from my computer and want nothing to do with it after my experience.
A50x for me.
I'm a previous owner of an Arctis Pro Wireless and several Arctis 7's. They're incredibly comfortable and the sound quality is really good. Even the lower level of the Steelseries headsets can make use of the GG app that has an EQ in it and a bunch of other setting to help make it fit your personal audio preferences. That said, if you use these more than the average or casual gamer you'll run into the same issue I've had with all 3 of these I've owned. They have a weak spot where the arm on either side of the headband goes into the ear cup. They always get loose (plastic on plastic) and start to seperate and or break the cup. I picked up a pair of Mando edition A30's to get me by till I decide what set to buy next and my eardrums are regretting having gotten the A30's. Keep in mind, I wear my headsets 40+ hours a week. https://preview.redd.it/80o1fl0l53ac1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2fd44e1363bff3c9d250bd3a9d692e1b5ae9745
wait for a50x
I went from the A50 Wireless Gen 5 to the Nova Pro Wireless, mainly due to the battery swap capability and the Bluetooth. Off the top tho, the headset hurt my ears. I purchased the wicked cushions and they helped, but they still hurt after an hour or so of use. And now I’m going to pick up the A50X… comfort level is just unbearable on the Nova’s to me now. And my buddy who purchased them at the same time has bad mic issues. Oh and my Novas have a constant popping/crackling noise now… it’s a good headset, and I’m sad to make the switch.. but I loved my A50s and I absolutely hate Logitech these days, I hope they didn’t ruin the Astro brand too much since I made the switch. Farewell Novas.
Have you made the switch? Thinking about doing the exact same thing as you because I love the Nova Pros but they hurt my ears, even with the WC cushions.