The SteelSeries Siberia V2 headsets have been on the market since 2011. We met up with the company at PAX Prime 2013, and finally were able to talk to someone about reviewing their produce. So alas, we got some intimate time the Siberia V2 Cross Platform Headset (phew, that’s quite the name). Well this is the first time we have used this headset, let alone any product from SteelSeries, and we can let you know if they stand the test of time.
I had the chance to game a lot on my PS3 with this version of the Siberia V2. Gone are my days with a crusty old Bluetooth headset. I’ve moved on to bigger, better models and I don’t plan on going back. I recently tried out Plantronic’s RIG set and have now also had a chance to experience more eargasms with the Siberia V2. The Siberias are Steelseries’ most popular model and although they’ve been on the market for two years they’ve still managed to deliver excellent quality and comfort that still stands up against competition from newer models.
For me, headsets are all about comfort. No matter how good the audio is if they don’t fit well I’m off to search for greener pastures (or softer earcups). When I first took the Siberias out of the box I noticed that they didn’t appear to have an adjustable headband, which concerned me. I turned them over a couple times to try and see what sorcery they were hiding and I soon figured out that instead of retractable plastic, the headset is designed to mold to your head by using a suspended soft band that sits atop your noggin while the plastic skeleton that holds everything up stays in place. At first I was doubtful that this set up could be comfortable, but 15 minutes into my test drive I forgot they were even on. They’re extremely lightweight and will definitely let you put in some serious hours without becoming uncomfortable. The earcups are leather covered and while they do a good job at blocking out light background sound they don’t do a great job cancelling out heavier noises. Not complaining though, as really good noise cancelling sets are usually at least double the price.
The Siberias come with everything needed to set up for use on multiple platforms so they can be used on PS3, Xbox 360, PC and mobile devices like an iPad or iPod. They have a 3ft cord chat cord that plugs into a small mixer connected to a 9ft regular cable so there shouldn’t be a problem with length or tangled cables. They can be quickly unplugged from the mixer to be used on the go, which is great because I’m always a fan of easy access. I generally prefer using universal headsets because even though I don’t game on PC too much I like having the option to use it for music or Netflix every now and then too. I’m constantly on the hunt for getting the best bang for my buck.
The Siberias ring up with a $100 price tag, which is a solid price given the quality of the sound. They have 50mm drivers that give the bass some added oomph that handles explosions really well but doesn’t distort the game chat too much. This is in part because of the LiveMix, which enables you to control the volume of game and chat audio. The only thing that surprised me was the feel of the mixer; it was smaller than I expected and felt a bit cheap, but it delivers what it needs to do so my complaints are on a purely aesthetic level. There are three different level settings to suit your preferences, and although there wasn’t as much control as there is on other headsets it’s a great feature to include given the cheaper price tag and overall quality of the set as a whole.
Another great little design choice is the retractable boom mic. The child in me had fun playing with it and pushing it in and out, but aside from that it was nice to be able to get it out of the way when I didn’t need it. The mic delivers clean audio and I had no complaints about sound levels or my voice cutting out, although it might have picked up a wee bit more background noise than other sets.
Overall, the Siberia is a great basic headset with solid features and a cheaper price tag than what it delivers on. It doesn’t go above and beyond in comparison to other models out there but it’s a great package that gives you everything you need to get in the game.
