Review: Steelseries Siberia v2

Taking a look at one of the most popular headsets in the eSports and professional gaming, here we find out why!

The Steelseries Siberia v2 is a mid-range headset that is used by many professional players. It is endorsed by several teams and is perfect for anyone who wants an all-around headset.

Specs

Headphones

• Frequency response: 18 – 28.000 Hz
• Impedance: 32 Ohm
• SPL@ 1kHz, 1 vrms: 112 dB
• Cable length: 1 + 2 = 3 m (9,8 ft.)
• Jacks: 3.5 mm

Microphone

• Frequency response: 50 – 16.000 Hz
• Pick up pattern: Uni-directional
• Sensitivity: -38 dB

Build

The Steelseries Siberia is a headset which offers comfort along with a robust build so it will not be easily broken. The robustness comes from its flexibility. This allows for it to be used on multiple head sizes whilst retaining its comfort. The headset can spread to a width of about 10 inches so is able to fit all head sizes with ease. The headset is also very light and therefore doesn’t become a burden if you would be using it for long hours and in fact is almost forgotten when you are using it.

Audio

The headset uses 2.1 sound; this makes it perfect for playing music through and for communication over Skype or other VOIP software. The sound is crystal clear which allows for no misheard words or sounds when playing games or speaking to people through Skype. The sound quality makes it perfect for games and while not being 7.1 virtual surround sound it still is great for all game types. Also the audio jack is a standard input you could also use on your iPod it has no need for power via USB and therefore is perfect to use on long journeys or sessions.

Ear Pads

The ear pads are big enough to fully cover your ears. The pads also use special sound dampening foam. This means any noise outside of the pads is kept outside. The fact there is no external sound going into the headset means you don’t have to hear other things such as barking dogs or annoying neighbours. The pads are also roughly 2 inches thick and really cushion your head and you can almost forget you are using the headset, which allows you to fully focus on either your game or work for example.

Microphone

The microphone is fully retractable, this allows you to be able to use the headset whilst drinking or eating. Simply push it into the headset when you don’t want to use it and forget about it. When you need to use the microphone again you simply pull it out nothing special or complicated.

The microphone has many more tricks up its sleeve. It is uni-directional so it seeks to block other noise. This means it tries to focus on your voice and make it louder than anything in the background. So when you are on Skype people don’t have to hear background noise such as other people in the room or barking dogs for example.

Wires

The separate wires that come with the headset are a set of extensions to the original wire that is attached to the headset. This means that you can either have a short or long wire for the headset depending on proximity of use from the PC. If you have to get up and walk around then the extra length will be handy where as if you are sitting close to the pc you may want to save the untidiness. I personally think this gives everyone more options and keeps everybody accommodated. The fact the wire attached to the headset is short is perfect for when you want to use it with your iPod or other MP3 device as you do not have to drag around a long wire.

Looks

An additional point about this headset is the fact that it is very fashionable so to speak. It comes in a variety of colours and themes in which it really allows you to have it match say your room or the team you wish to support. The Siberia comes in Red, White, Black, Orange, Green, Purple, Pink, Blue, Black/Gold, NaVi and a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive edition. The wide variety is simply just the cherry on top of this already wonderful headset.

Endorsements

The headset is often seen used by many pro players and has the endorsement of many teams including Navi, SK Gaming, Fnatic and many others. The headset has been a prominently seen item among the eSports community. The pro players swear by the headset. If the pro players think it is good enough for them then for the price it is clearly a good option not just by my opinion but by that of those who game for a living.

Conclusion

I must say I originally expected the build quality to be utterly shabby as it looks like simply low-end plastic. However I think this was an intentional build design to keep the lightweight headset from being a burden for long time users. The audio sound is crisp and clear the microphone is easy to hear as well as being able to be pushed out of your way when it is not needed. The headset may not be the best in the field but overall it is one of the best contenders in its price range and is adequate for anyone wanting to use it for Skype, listen to music or play games. Overall I strongly recommend this headset.

Harry 'Zerockk' Cook