That’s where comfort lies…
We’ve seen a lot of headsets over the last
few issues. That’s often the case when new brands come to market and, within
the last while, we have seen two major brands arriving in South Africa, via two
different distributors. One of those brands is a focussed headset manufacturer,
while the other looks at a broader range of peripherals. It is the latter that
we are looking at here.
SteelSeries prefer simplicity. They say as
much in their mission statement. And yet, hidden in the simplicity is an idea
that – while not extremely complex is so good that it makes the Siberia V2
Full-Size Headset just about the most comfortable thing that can go on your
head. At least, in terms of headsets.
At first glance, the design of this
particular headset looks quite different, and possibly a little flimsy. That’s
because there is lots of space built into the headset. It’s a large device,
despite the fact that there are big gaps and negative spaces in the design. One
such gap appears between the two supports that, initially, appear to be
associated with the headband. But they simply hold the ear cups in place. The
headband--- well, that’s where the magic of that clever idea happens. See, the
headband uses a simple yet effective suspension idea. What this means is that
the headset more or less automatically adjusts in size. And it also is
extremely comfortable. You need to take some care when putting them on, but you
get used to that.
Even more comfort comes from the large ear
cups, which feature sound dampening foam for passive noise reduction. Housed
within these ear cups are large, 50mm drivers. These are a good distance from
the ear, too.
The result is exceptionally good sound. We
mean really good. SteelSeries know, just like the other headset manufacturer we
feature in this issue, that large drivers and well-designed ear cups are
crucial to good sound.
Another great feature here is the
retractable mic boom. It pushes back into the left ear cup, keeping it safe and
out of the way. An in-line volume control allows the mic to be muted, as well
as adjusting audio volume.
The device comes with a one meter cord
attached, and a two meter extension cord. The one meter cord is a little short
– you will almost always be using the extension cord, which is a bit of a pain.
SteelSeries has a strong focus on PC
gaming, and it shows here. This device is not directly compatible with
consoles, but anything that uses a 3.5mm jack can be used with it. It’s a small
downside, considering the excellent performance and comfort…
A
glance:
Summary
Extremely comfortable and great sound… that really is enough said.
Tech Specs:
§
50mm drives
§
In-line volume control
§
3m total cord length
§
Retractable mic
§
3.5mm jack
§
Sound dampening foam
Manufacturer: SteelSeries
RRP: $104
Pros: Very comfortable, Great
sound
Cons: Simple in-line controls, ‘PC
only’
Score: 90
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