SteelSeries Siberia V2 Headset Review

Written By Tom "Hucky" Fairbairn
07 November, 2009 06:41 PM

Playtesting

Playtesting setup:

Intel Core2Duo E6600 @ 3.0GHz
4MB Corsair RAM in dual channel
Gigabyte 8800GTX @ 625 / 2000
Cambridge Audio Azur 340A
Creative Audigy 2 ZX

Counter Strike: Source

Coming off several weeks using the Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headset ingame, the Siberia V2 was a breath of fresh air. Obviously they won't match the DT770 for general use and music, but the Siberia V2 really impressed me in CS. The headset produced footsteps, gunfire, grenades and weapon noises more crisply and cleanly than any other headset I've used.

I'll be completely honest - when I read about the supposed frequency boosts present in the new Sibs I was sceptical. After using them I'm thoroughly impressed with what SteelSeries have achieved. Whether or not they actually went through and identified the individual frequencies used by gun noises and player movements in CS is irrelevant. I was able to use the V2 at a comfortable volume ingame while feeling confident that I could hear all the necessary ingame sounds. I'm thankful for whatever they've done to achieve this; it was a refreshing change from having to crank my amp with the DT770s.

Music

I tested the V2 for several hours with a wide variety of music. Some of the testing was done while I was writing the first part of this review, and in fact I'm still listening with them now.

Let me set something straight - the Siberia V2 is not an "audiophile headset" and should not be judged as such. It's a multipurpose headset designed for gaming and versatility. Anyone who has been using high end headphones by Audio Technica, Beyerdynamic, AKG or a similarly prestigious manufacturer will undoubtedly be disappointed with the V2's music performance.

That being said, the Sibs sound fantastic for a ~$160 headphone. The high end is particularly well defined, and although the mid and low frequencies could do with a little more clarity they're very strong and provide a balanced sound when listening to a variety of different genres. Don't be disappointed, though, as low end clarity is something that generally comes with a much heftier price tag (and probably without the seamless design and versatility of the V2).

General use

I cracked open a few other games that I hadn't touched for a while (SimCity 2k anyone?), watched a bit of YouTube, some porn and a couple of episodes of Family Guy. The V2 excelled in all fields. Tay Zonday has never sounded worse, but strangely better at the same time. Watchmen was just as good as the first time I saw it, and I could almost feel the blood spurting out of that kid's cheek when Rorshach bit into it.

What I'm trying to get at is that the Siberia V2 is a fantastic all round headset for media obsessive gamers.