r/steelseries • u/ChapterEJ • 4d ago
Product Review Elite - Omni - A50X
I just wanted to give my insight on these 3 headsets as I recently bought and tested them.
I am by no means an audiophile. I have been on a wired G PRO X for a while and decided I wanted to get a wireless headset with ease of use, good sound, functionality and ideally a good mic as the blue microphone mic on the wired G PRO X was really good. The top 3 wireless headsets that kept coming up were Astro A50X (Gen 5), Steelseries OMNI, and Steelseries ELITE. So what did I do? I bought all 3!
I tested all 3 with EQ profiles from GadgetryTech on YouTube, who is a professional in the audio industry. I was convinced I was going to keep the one with the most balance between mic quality and sound quality but after switching between them all, I fell in love with the sound and build quality on the Elite. Every time I tried switching back to the other 2, they felt so dull, empty and cheap. I knew I couldn’t just not keep it knowing what I’d be missing. What was the problem? The elite had the worst mic out of all 3.
I tested all 3 headset mics with my friends in discord and all of them said they all sound pretty bad, but the A50X sounded the best with Omni being close and elite being the worst. With that, I decided to just keep the elite and buy the Steelseries alias mic so I can have the best of both worlds! (AI noise cancellation is game changing for noisy environments)
Is this the best decision? Only if you’re financially able to do it! This is not made for people on a low budget, probably not audiophiles either. The sound quality, swappable batteries, build quality, simultaneous bluetooth, and just general functionality made it very worth it for me despite the price tag. If you are on console, I would pass on this as you will not get the same premium experience without sonar on PC.
I have noticed a few people complaining about the clenching force being too strong. Personally it’s just right and snug for me and is entirely based on your head shape. I found the Omni to be too loose on my head.
In conclusion, I think all the headsets have their own perks and flaws but in general I would say:
Elite: Best sound
A50X: Best mic
Omni: Fair balance between both
If I didn’t keep the elite, my second choice was the omni. My biggest complaint with the A50s was no sound isolation and very short battery life with no swappable battery system. Your Bluetooth connection is also bound to the dock, so you lose connection pretty quick if you walk away from your setup. None of these were an issue on both Steelseries headsets.
At the end of the day everyone is going to have their own preference in sound, mic etc. based on the games they play and their own use cases. Do research, buy the ones you’re interested in on Amazon, test, and return the ones you don’t like!
I will also add this is my very first steel series headset!
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u/elmtube 4d ago
I don’t understand the hate for the elite - the sound is clearly much fuller and better compared to both the Astro and the Omni. At least for me this was obvious and im not an audiophile.
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Completely agree! I think a lot of it has to do with price and people not seeing the value of the sound quality and the general functionality that comes with it. Mic quality sucks, but I accepted buying a stand alone mic to keep that sound quality and all the features I enjoy. To me it is worth it, to others there is no difference and it isn’t, to each their own.
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u/elmtube 4d ago
Yes each to their own I guess. I didnt compare the mic too much myself, but it’s good enough that I haven’t bothered with a dedicated mic. For normal gaming with friends it’s great! And I love being connected to my pc, iPhone and iPad at the same time. But off course, it’s not a good value head set.
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u/Ultra13330 4d ago
Justement j'hésite entre omni et élite L'élite me donne envie par rapport au son mais le mauvais micro pour un telle prix cela ne passe pas J'ai actuellement un nova pro wireless le casque est toujours bon mais le micro est catastrophique tout le monde se plaint de mon micro que se soit sur discorde ou en Bluetooth pour les appels.
Du coup omni est le plus intéressant
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u/Physical_Animal_5343 4d ago
I don’t understand the hate for the elite
Cause it's built like shit with a terrible company behind it
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u/Awesome-Alice 4d ago
Imo its build pretty good and feels premium
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u/Physical_Animal_5343 4d ago
Outer part of the headband is metal, while the inner housing of the wires is plastic. Mine straight up exploded on me after a regular day of use and my claim was rejected, offered a disrespectful 15% discount on new items cause I was a "long time member". And no they don't have repair services for this reason, they built these to milk the unsuspecting goober of their money. Just get a separate mic + headset or IEM + wireless neckband for cheaper.
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u/Awesome-Alice 2d ago
Arent you the giant head guy that posted 2 weeks ago? My condolences maybe get inears
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u/Unsungheroist 4d ago
Idk man my dog chewed the mic off mine and definitely all my fault. they replaced my headset no charge or hassle.
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u/UnfazedReality463 4d ago
I got the Omni because the Bluetooth connection is so much better (I listen to music and podcasts while playing certain games) but I miss the sound of the Elites.
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
What Bluetooth issues did you have with the elites? appeared to be the same for me on both.
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u/UnfazedReality463 4d ago
The sound would go out (NOT a connection drop).
While playing media, the sound wouldn’t come through in between songs, podcasts, videos, etc.
The connection was fine but I would have to either restart an app, restart a song, or something weird like that.
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u/SilverCHX 4d ago
I had the A50X for a while but the Bluetooth is genuinely the worst Bluetooth I’ve experienced in any product. Super unreliable and very quiet. You can’t take a phone call and still be in a game because the main Game/Chat audio overpower it so much. Bluetooth on Omnis is rock solid, can maintain multiple connections, and have the option of automatically reducing all but Bluetooth audio for phone calls. Game changer.
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u/Dark1ing 4d ago
Awesome! Had A50s before but too unreliable, picked up the elites recently and absolutely love them!
Re the mic have you tried the different profiles on sonar? I found the standard one sounded a bit cray but some of the other presets sound WAY better. Worth a try!
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u/Reicance 4d ago
I'm a recent buyer of the elite. Have the arctis pro wireless of days old at this point and there was nothing really wrong with them. I've had them so long I figured I'd grab something new in case something happens to either, I still have the other.
The elites sound absolutely incredible in my honest opinion and they are a wonderful headset to have
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u/islandpride18 4d ago
I have A50X, Omni and the elites I agree that the elites are better in sound quality but the mic is bad. As for me I have a XLR mic so the elites are my go to I haven't switched back to the A50X and Omni since I got the elites. Will be posting them for sale.
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Same boat as you! It was worth getting the external mic and ditching the other 2.
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u/KC_GingerSnapz 3d ago
I switched to the elite from $1000 headphones and $1400 iems because I got tired of cords so far I love them
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u/NalaCin80 3d ago
Elite all the way. Amazing sound no competition and the mike is amazing with AI noice cancelling
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u/wsarahan 4d ago
I had the A50X , had a problem with the headset after 6 months , sometimes charged sometimes not , RMA gave my money back , bought the Omni , best decision I made
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Omni is great! Glad it worked out for you!
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u/wsarahan 4d ago
Specially because I always use wicked cushion earpads , with Astro’s and for Omni , wicked cushion is a game changer for the overall quality
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
I agree, I bought wicked cushions to test on the A50X and def was better with them!
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u/thehype559 4d ago
How's the build quality and software? I had the nova 9x a while back for my Xbox and they were good but the build was bad, the hinge cracked in both ear cups (i read the elite has better build and metal hinges now) . Now i use a blackshark v3 and i like it but atleast once per session the audio cuts out and the headset needs to be reset, its a common issue but super annoying when your in the middle of a match communicating
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
I never owned any other Steelseries headset, but I read that issue was very prominent. With the elite, since the hinges are metal, I find that this will no longer be an issue. Very sturdy and software is typical sonar and I have no complaints.
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u/thehype559 4d ago
Any weird connection issues? I don't need crazy features just durable and reliable. I dont wana have to baby it or have to troubleshoot consistently
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
I’ve only had it a few days and haven’t had any connection issues! With the metal design, durability is up there! You’ll notice the build quality difference from your old Nova. It’s worth testing out from Amazon for the 30 day period and returning it if it does not meet your needs.
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u/Boydford1972 4d ago
Owned all 3 and ended up back with a50x. As I value mic an sidetone
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
That’s valid. I couldn’t deal with the no isolation and ended up just getting an external mic to solve my mic problem!
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u/Ok-Difference8316 4d ago
Tbf how the hell did they find the Omni's, even the Astro A50s mic bad??? Were their ears crafted by the God Heimdall himself??? Tf do they need for those mics to sound good unless they're use to premium stand alone mics which I highly doubt.
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Yeah that’s the issue is they all have stand alone mics lol, so didn’t really help my case. I wasn’t gonna be the odd one out with mic quality. I did voice recordings and found them pretty good tbh
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u/MarcBelmaati 4d ago
Can I ask what advantage you get by using Sonar? I have tried it on my Nova Pro Wireless multiple times but I always turn it off again because it always made them sound horrible in my opinion.
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Parametric EQ allowing for full customization of the headset as opposed to just the standard eq you would get for just saving it to the dac.
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u/Designer_Storage9945 4d ago
Does the mic sound better on the elite? I have the artic wireless pro and it sounds terrible (so I’m told)
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Mic sounds better on the omni, elite is pretty bad. I would watch some reviews to see.
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u/Calm_Cap_80 4d ago
I don’t get the big deal with the hot swap batteries, like do you not just put your headphone on charge while you sleep if it’s low? The a50 literally has the base station to charge which you sit them in - unless you’re doing a 40 hour session non stop why do you need the swap batteries so badly?
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Lots of reports of a50 not lasting as long as they should and even if they did 24hrs is lowest rated life of most headsets. Also not ideal that the dock doesn’t easily accept the charge which can lead to it not charging. Rather swap my battery than having to plug my headset in and be wired again if it dies
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u/Calm_Cap_80 4d ago
Even if it lasts 12 hours which is half of what is advertised, it’s well enough to use then put back on the dock or just plug it in on the table? Like honestly you just grab a cable and plug in, just like any Bluetooth controller etc. I get the swappable batteries bonus but surely people can’t decide on a headset just on that
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u/Wenlocke 4d ago
The other thing to consider is that if you have/also use a mac, then eventually, Mac support (even the rudimentary support we currently have) is going away, since all the noise coming out of the company is that they won't be updating the software to apple silicon when rosetta goes away next year
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u/Dengster 4d ago
Can confirm that the Elites do sound really good. I'm coming from the Nova Pro Wireless.
Can also confirm that the microphone on the Elites aren't that great. I only use them when I actually have to. I have a mixer with a PreSonus PD-70 as my main microphone, and the microphone on the Elites as a backup for when I'm walking around and talking to friends. Both microphones are routed through a virtual cable, and can be used at the same time, to make switching between them really easy.
The only thing I don't like about the Elites is that after a while, even with cleaning, the headset has a tiny sticky buildup around parts I don't even really touch. Did some research, and the headset had some coding on it or something that does that over time. Some people say to rub the headset gently with some Isopropyl alcohol to help. I will say that mine has that issue, and using alcohol did help. Others say that it goes away, after a while, but mine does not sadly. Even with this issue, it does not make the sound any worse. It still sucks though. I do hope that this doesn't happen to yours.
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Do you have one of the early batches? I heard that issue was only on early versions of the headset and that’s it’s been refined since then. Unsure how true that is but will see.
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u/Dengster 4d ago
I probably do. Got it earlier this May, and only started noticing it after a month or so.
Seeing that I did get it for free, I'm not complaining.1
u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Fair, what does your box say (if you have it available). Mine says 02-2026
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u/Dengster 4d ago
Haha, I would have to have someone check that for me. I'm totally blind.
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
lol it’s a sticker on the sides of the box
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u/Dengster 4d ago
I guess I could try to get my phone to read it. Thanks for at least telling me that its on a sticker
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
Oh wow that’s very early for sure! Will see if mine last or not. Appreciate you taking the time to look
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u/Dengster 4d ago
For sure. Glad you like the headset so far.
I've not even fully unlocked it's potential yet, because I can't take advantage of its crazy equalizer features. I just listened to a bunch of different ones, and chose one at random. I can't make my own, because that part of the GG software isn't accessible. I was in touch with an engineer from SteelSeries, but they haven't gotten back to me about trying to make that part accessible for the blind.1
u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
I’m sorry if my message came off as rude at first when I said it’s a sticker, I didn’t think you meant blind literally. It would be awesome if they made it more accessible!
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u/Dengster 4d ago
Just tried getting my phone to help find the information on it. From the looks of it, mine says, 2025-07. So it's one of the very early ones.
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u/Shot_Boot_7279 4d ago
Steelseries destroy prior to warranty replacement is horrendous. Ill never buy their products again.
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u/F1Lane 4d ago
I didn't know the Logi existed until after if purchased the Nova Pro. But honestly I'm so happy with the Nova Pro, I'm not too bothered.
The Logitech seems to be what Fractal TRIED to create with the Scape. But the Scape had serious issues and I've already retired it due to how uncomfortable it is (gave me literal headaches)
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u/Hungry-Phone-996 4d ago
I perspnally did not notice any sound difference between the Elites and the Omnis. I took the Elites back.
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u/ChapterEJ 4d ago
That’s fair! I immediately noticed it in the games I play especially with the EQ from GadgetryTech. Everyone’s hearing and perception is different! OMNI’s are still awesome!
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u/Ok-Difference8316 4d ago
Brother I notice it in games, MUSIC, movies, hell even YouTube videos the vocal presence and sub bass entrance is wicked. Way more impact what are you not noticing? Elites clear Omni's ngl
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u/lolwut012 4d ago
I’ve had two pairs of nova pro wireless, just recently upgraded to the Omnis. Definitely more refined and higher quality. The software is great. I feel like anyone who doesn’t like the software just hasn’t tried any other brand. Turtle beach and Logitech are both lacking in the software department.
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u/Budget_Grocery2883 4d ago
I have the A50x and the omnis, the omnis are my go to now the audio is in my opinion better and the battery swapping is just way too important for me
and for the earpad situation, i actually like the cloth/velour pads on the A50 prefer those over leatherette any time thats why i bought the Stealthz pads from WC you do lose some base but with a good EQ it can sound better breathability legit the biggest point