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SteelSeries Siberia V2 Review – “Bad Boy Red”


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SteelSeries Siberia V2 - Review

Here at XG 24/7 we don’t just review hardware. Whatever the product is we will put it through a gauntlet to guarantee that we’re giving you the best review we can. It's also a perfect opportunity to look really cool with some amazing new product in and around the office.

Key specs:

  • 50mm over ear padded headphones.
  • Retractable unidirectional microphone.
  • Auto-adjusting suspension band makes the set fit most sizes.
  • 1m cable with a further 2m extension lead.
  • Integrated volume control/ microphone toggle located on cable.
  • RRP £70.99 (2 3.5mm jacks) £79.99 (USB).

Sound quality

Test 1: Music Medley Mash 8/10

Everyone loves a spot of gaming with the volume down and the music cranked up, once in a while. What better way to test the quality of bass, treble and mid than playing a wide spectrum of genres?

The Siberia V2 performed well here, treble and mid both being heard clearly across a whole range of volumes; the bass, admittedly, could have been louder and stronger, but was definitely audible.

Test 2:  Counter-Strike Awareness Test 10/10

One of the main roles of headsets in gaming is to let you hear where your enemies are. The best test to see how well the 3D surround sound works is by booting up ‘Counter-Strike: Source’ and seeing if I can find my opponent just by listening.

The 3D surround sound is flawless; in a 1 on 1 game, I knew exactly where the footsteps were coming from in 5 out of 5 trials. In a full server, the 3D sound told me where bullets were coming from, as well as how far away enemies were.

Mic Quality

Test 1: Clarity 10/10

There’s nothing worse than shouting down a mic “On your left!” and watching your mate’s head explode as he stopped to ask “What the Hell did you just say?”. This test is to make sure that when you speak into the mic you can be heard perfectly.

It’s hard to put into words how clear this mic is: there is just no flaw at all, if you use the right software (Skype being my voice communication software of choice), and with other software the flaws are practically negligible.

Test 2: Noise 9/10

In-game, you want to be heard over the chaotic battlefield, or the screeching of tyres or whatever else is getting between you and talking to your mates. The last thing you want is something in your room interfering with your voice even more. Here, I’m looking at how much background noise can be heard when you talk into the mic.

This microphone is amazing. While playing online my voice is totally unhindered - zero background noise can be heard and even the hiss is minimal. Brilliant.

Build Quality

Test 1: Keeping Sound In 9/10

Sometimes you aren’t wearing headphones to keep noise out, sometimes you want them to keep sound in – for example everyone in the house is in bed but you fancy a spot of gaming. In this situation, you want to have a decent level of audio so you can enjoy the game, but not have it leaking and forcing everyone else to listen too.

At the loudest volume you can hear the sound in a 5-8 metre radius but if you actually had them on it would do some serious damage – do not try this. At the level you actually will be listening, it’s almost silent until about half a metre.

Test 2: Keeping Sound Out 8/10

Whenever you’ve got headphones on, the last thing you want is whatever you’re listening to being ruined by exterior sounds.

Sound doesn’t really get in, you feel totally immersed. The evidence speaks for itself: I was in-game and it was a good 10 minutes before I realised the phone (that sits on the desk directly next to me) had been ringing nonstop.

Comfort

Test: Epic Session 7/10

It’s pretty clear; a headset needs to be comfortable. We test this by having an epic game session (it’s a tough job but someone’s gotta do it).

I was very surprised here, once I opened the box and saw the bizarre suspension construction band across the top I immediately labelled it as a gimmick, but it really isn’t. This band makes it so you don’t have to adjust anything, you just pop it on your head and you’re ready to go – the suspension band really feels comfy around your neck, too. It also holds the headset very comfortably on your head; even after several hours of gameplay, it doesn’t feel heavy, yet you feel secure in the knowledge that it’s solid.

With long periods of time headsets can make your ears feel very hot and uncomfortable. After several hours with the Siberia V2 on I did start to feel hot under the headphones, but this is to be expected with leather padding. However this is the only issue, apart from that, they really do feel secure but light and comfy.

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Ear Blasting

  • The retractable mic is hugely helpful.
  • The sound incoming and outgoing is fantastic.
  • The suspension band is mega comfy and supports the set nicely.

Deafening Blows

  • After long periods of time your ears feel really hot – but that’ll happen with any ear covering set.
  • The USB version is £9 more than the 2 3.5mm jacks version.
  • I genuinely can’t think of a third flaw.

Overall then...

The Siberia V2 feels very solid but is rather light; the suspension band means you can feel it sitting securely on your head. The sound this bad boy pumps out is fantastic, crystal clear; the slightest noise in-game can be heard and you truly feel immersed in the game world. The retractable microphone is brilliant too, out of the way when you don’t want it, and when you are using it there is minimal noise and it’s fantastically clear.

The integrated volume control/ microphone toggle is hugely helpful, often with games or music one part will be louder than another, so being able to change volume directly from the headset is a massive plus; as is being able to toggle the mic on and off.

Written and Reviewed by Alex Johnson

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