Sunday 15 March 2015

SteelSeries Siberia V3

SteelSeries Siberia V3

If you've been into PC gaming for any length of time, you may well be familiar with SteelSeries Siberia headset. It's been a mid-range staple in the market for more years than we care to remember, and the V3 version here is an update to the V2 version.

Given the Siberia's popularity, it's understandable that SteelSeries hasn't radically tinkered with the formula. The V3 sports the same all-plastic construction of its predecessor, and opts for a similar floating headband arrangement too. This headband has been tweaked and slimmed down slightly, though, helping the headset to tip the scales at only 255g.


Elsewhere, other parts have also been refined in the same gentle fashion. The ear cups have retained their distinctive circular shape (which will be a gripe if you have large ears), but the inlaid detailing has been changed and recoloured, giving the headset more contrast and making it look more attractive. The ear pads have also seen a subtle upgrade from normal foam to memory foam, which should help them hug the contours of a head better.

The microphone, which handily retracts into the left ear cup when not in use, has been slimmed down too, but we're happy to see it's on the same style stiff wire boom as previous models, as this makes it almost infinitely adjustable. Furthermore, SteelSeries has fitted a dedicated microphone mute switch on the back of the left ear cup - a handy addition, as retracting the microphone doesn't automatically mute it. Internally, SteelSeries claims to have completely redesigned the acoustic chamber and added new driver units. It's also reduced the number of components within each speaker, again trimming down the weight.

Otherwise, though, there's very little to the Siberia V3 - it doesn't have an in-line remote, USB sound card, carry case or replaceable ear pads, and while it's pleasant to not be bombarded by extras and questionable fripperies, it's unusual to see a £70 headset without at least a couple of nick-nacks in the box.

In use, the Siberia V3 is extremely competent. It's fantastically comfortable to wear, thanks to its lightweight floating headband setup. Folks with exceptionally large heads may want to note that there isn't loads of give in the headband - even our normal-sized heads had the elastic on the headband extended almost to its maximum extent.

Audio is rounded and balanced, with no one area of the mix dominating overly. There was a smidgen of bias towards the bass tones, but there's also no denying that such an arrangement lends action games a satisfyingly meaty tone. Mid and high tones were also good, although they noticeably lacked the distinct accuracy and sparkle exhibited by the HyperX Cloud headset in back-to-back testing. That's less of a concern in games, but it's worth bearing in mind if you listen to a lot of classical music through your cans. As there's no accompanying software, you can't tweak the mix either (as was possible on the Corsair Gaming H1500), unless you delve into the Windows audio settings.

The Siberia offers good looks, sound and build quality, and it's light and comfortable to wear too. If you bought it, you wouldn't be disappointed. We would, however, be remiss if we didn't mention that the Elite-listed HyperX Cloud has undergone a price crash (thanks to the impending release of the Cloud II), meaning it can be had for as little as £55. That's £15 less than the Siberia V3 and, with its superior audio quality and bundled extras, it offers better value right now. PAUL COODHEAD