Steelseries Siberia Neckband Headset

Posted September 1, 2011 by Abishek in EntertainME

Steelseries Siberia neckband headset review

Steelseries is well known for their wide range of gaming peripherals and accessories, and they have an impressive lineup of gaming headsets, surfaces and mice. The Siberia range of headsets have been a staple of gamers over the ages, and have proven themselves to be reliable gaming headsets. The Siberia neckband headsets, as the name suggests, has a neckband design. Instead of fitting over your head like other standard cans, these clasp around your head, and rest on the back of your neck. They’re fully adjustable, and can fit around most heads. But does the latest entry in the Siberia range live up to the name?

[facebook]

Design:

Steelseries has always maintained that they are a stylish brand, and the new Siberia headsets certainly stand out. The striking black and white design is simple, yet attractive. As with most Steelseries headsets, the Siberia comes with a hidden, retractable microphone. It sits in the left ear cup, and can be pulled out whenever needed, for VoIP or video calls. Its malleable, and can be adjusted for a good fit. The headset is made almost entirely out of plastic, and the ear cups are made out of fabric. This is a step down from the usual leather materials that they use, and it compromises a bit on comfort. As for the neckband, it is encased entirely in fabric as well, and features the Steelseries logo on the back.

Features:

The Siberia headset is optimised for the iPhone, iPad and iPod. The volume controls work perfectly, and the middle button has a few neat options that can be used for a variety of functions. The cable length is short however, you will need an extension if you intend to use it in tandem with a console or PC.

Sound:

The Siberia headsets were obviously made with the mobile gamer/music lover in mind, and for the price you pay (which is around $100 for a brand new pair on eBay) you get a very good sound experience. It wouldn’t be reasonable to expect audiophile quality from a midrange pair of cans. They don’t block out too much ambient noise as they’re made of foam and fabric, and you’d be better off buying a pair of in-ear headphones anyway. The bass is deep and when I put the Siberias up against my trusty Sennheiser HD408s, it had a crisper, clearer sound. The midrange was nice, and pronounced, and the treble was crisp. If you’re a fan of a full, crisp and rounded tone, these headphones are for you. After using both the Siberias and the Sennheisers, i ended up going back to the Siberias. The also perform well for gaming, the sound is clear, and picks up on all the ambient noises you find in-game. The mic is also good, and voice calls are clear.

Comfort:

And now we come to the comfort aspect. And unfortunately, these headphones are lacking in the comfort department, for a variety of reasons. First, the neckband design will not suit all users. The neckband consists of a mechanism that you pull, so it expandable. Then, you fit the earcups over your ears and the mechanism contracts, and fits over the back of your neck. The problem with this is, it tends to slip down during movement, and you end up having to put it back in place. It definitely takes some getting used to, and after a period of time it becomes second nature, but it’s something you have to look into if you’re going to splurge on the Siberia. Second, it can be extremely uncomfortable for certain users with a larger cranium. Thirdly, after a period of extended use, the weight of the head can wear down on the ears, causing slight discomfort. On the plus side, this can lead to some health benefits as it might restrict the amount of time you spend with the headphones.

Image Source

Conclusion:

Overall, the Siberia neckband headset looks good, sounds good, and does a good job. If you can try on a pair, and test it for comfort, go ahead and do it, as if the Siberias are not built for you, it will end up being an expensive paperweight. If you own an apple device, are constantly on the move, and are confident that these headsets will sit on your head properly, go right ahead and pick up the Siberias, it will not disappoint you. Just make sure that you tick all the boxes before you pick them up.