We hold the Siberia headset in high regard here at Vortez. Today we take a look at two special editions, USB Frost blue and Pink analogue headsets.

Product on Review: Siberia V2 Frost Blue/Siberia V2 Pink
Manufacturer and Sponsor: SteelSeries
Street Price: £95 and £65 respectively (at time of review)

SteelSeries recently released two additions to their Siberia V2 line-up, the Front Blue and Pink. Both headsets carry near identical drivers and aside from colour choice and illumination are very similar so for the purposes of simplicity we will be reviewing them both together and comparing the two today. If Pink is not your preference then underneath the girly exterior, the same Siberia v2 exists that is identical to any other Siberia V2.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is that the Frost blue headset is USB powered while the Pink relies on analogue inputs. The Frost blue carries a £30 premium as it possesses an internal USB soundcard whereas with the Pink version, a 10% donation from every headset sold will go to support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. With $6000 dollars raised thus far, the headset is proving popular indeed!

All too often we find headsets carry a black theme. SteelSeries aim to break the mould with these two stunning looking headsets. The pink set may not be to everyone’s tastes, indeed it is likely aimed toward the female gaming market and with the generous charitable contributions SteelSeries are making, women worldwide can visually show their support by buying one of these headsets.

The Frost blue edition, as you will see will appeal to both sexes. It has a frosty blue illumination which contrasts against the ice white cups. Both headsets add to an already expansive range of headsets from Steelseries and are sure to be a big hit so without further delay lets take kick off this review and see if they have the performance to match the outstanding visuals…

About SteelSeries

SteelSeries is a leading manufacturer of top quality gaming peripherals from headsets, keyboards, and mice to controllers, surfaces, and software. For more than a decade, SteelSeries has been on the forefront of designing and creating gear for competitive gamers. The company’s continued innovation also comes in collaboration with the world’s leading professional gaming teams and partners. SteelSeries is a global brand that continues to support the growth of competitive gaming tournaments and electronic sports leagues through professional team sponsorships, partnerships, and community support.

Specification & Features

Pink Special Edition

Quality Driver Units
It’s one thing to have a beautiful exterior, but it’s what’s inside that makes these one of the best quality headsets on the market. A 50mm driver unit with crystal clear sound in high, low, and mid-range ensures quality output for multiple uses.

Noise Reduction
The earcups feature a noise reducing foam, which helps you to focus on the important audio or voice communication, and not being disturbed or interrupted by outside noise.

Retractable Microphone
The Siberia v2 features a retractable microphone that can be hidden in the left earcup, which means you can use it when you need it, but don’t have to flash it in public if you don’t want to.

Volume Control
The integrated volume controller on the cord offers an option to handle sound volume manually. This feature is especially useful when you are using your Siberia v2 with other devices and don’t have swift access to setting volume levels in your software.

Frost Blue Edition

Software
Let’s face it, the way you hear the game is unique to the tones your hearing can pick up, and probably completely different than the next gamer, which is why SteelSeries provides Frost Blue Headset users the ability to adjust, personalize and save all of their audio and equalizer settings. Save up to 8 settings for specific game profiles.

Illumination
16 Super Bright LEDs create a beautiful, even illumination around each ear cup capable of functioning in 6 different modes. Through the SteelSeries Engine, users can customize illumination in pulse (fast and slow), intensity (low and high) and even a sound activated mode. Of course, in true SteelSeries fashion, you can turn off the lights and still enjoy the amazing quality and audio features of this advanced headset.

Retractable Microphone
The Frost Blue Headset features a retractable microphone system. Pull it out when you need it. Hide it in the left earcup when you don’t.

Smart Noise Cancelling mic
When you’re playing multiplayer, it’s more than just rugged skill that will win you achievements, it’s communication that will help you dominate. To support that, the Frost Blue Headset features an active noise-cancelling, “smart” microphone that allows your team to hear you above whatever is happening in the area around you – appliances, dogs barking, whining spouses, and more.

Volume Control
The integrated volume controller on the cord offers an option to handle sound volume manually. This feature is especially useful when you are using your Siberia v2 with other devices and don’t have swift access to setting volume levels in your software.

Packaging & Accessories

The front of the two packages are in typical SteelSeries garb. High quality cardboards are used throughout the packaing. The Pink headset features a small wide window allowing you to view the headset itself whereas the Front Blue set has a flip top which allows access to an inner window (below)

Upon opening the window we see the Frost Blue version in all its glory. The windows is framed by the additional features the Frost blue version holds over its pink stable mate.

Flipping the boxes over we find that they are near identical save for the specification which we will cover on the next page. Both boxes feature an introduction along with a short feature list.

Let’s break open the boxes and take a look at the two headsets…

Closer Look

The front of the headsets do not look too dissimilar from other Siberia headsets. The pink set is finished in a bright, matt pink colour whereas the Frost Blue is a gloss white. Save for the (L) and (R) depicted on each ear cup you would be hard pushed to tell the difference from the front and the rear. The only give away is the microphone which is neatly folded away into the left cup.

The rear of the headsets are pretty much a carbon copy of the front.

Each cup is angled towards the front of the ear which serves to create a bigger sound stage at the rear enhancing bass levels. The cups do not swivel on the horizontal axis save for the pliable materials used. The hinges only work on the vertical plane; top to bottom with no left to right. This isn’t an issue though as in use, they are extremely comfortable to use and fit like a glove as you will read in the testing section of the review.

Both headsets have an identical dual head band. One section (the bit that touches your head) is made from a combination of padded velour and faux leather while the main frame extends above this, sitting proud of the skull.

The cushioned head band is adjustable through a set of sensitive elasticated metal wires. This may sound odd but works very well in practice. Rather than adjusting the headsets girth you simply put the cups over your ears and the elsticated headset does the rest for you.

Each cup is made up of a fine mesh material which covers the drivers. The mufflers are leather covered foam which assist in noise reduction to the surrounding environment. They are also very comfortable. Neither headset has replaceable/alternative mufflers though I would not expect them to easily damage.

The microphone on the Pink version is identical to the one on the Frost blue version. However, as the Frost blue is supported through SteelSeries Engine software, noise cancellation is added to its list of features which is a Godsend for those who game in noisy environments.

As mentioned previously, the major difference between the two headsets is the connection. The Pink version features a standard 2x 3.5mm audio/mic jack affair. The headset has a 1m fixed cable attached but this is extendible by utilising the 2m extension cable making the cable length 3m in total.

The Frost Blue version has an integrated soundcard which allows full compatibility and detection with SteelSeries Engine software (covered on the next page). I was never a fan of USB audio as purists would argue the sound stage can be ruined by USB connectivity. I must say that in recent months the quality of USB headsets has risen dramatically, so much so that the audio produced from the Siberia Blue is indistinguishable from my older analogue Sennheiser HD595’s. Audiophiles are sure to baulk at the thought of using a USB headset but gamers and for that matter, everyone else will just love the high trebles and deep bass produced by the Frost Blue.

Yet another difference between the Pink and Frost Blue versions is the illumination of the Frost Blue headset, where it gets it’s name. The illumination of the headset works extremely well and brings the headset alive.

The light shines through the meshed outer rim of each ear cup creating a ring of pale ‘Frost Blue’ which can be set to a variety of intensity levels along with varying pulsation settings. Aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the Frsot blue headset is sure to gain approval from the Apple crowd as it would match perfectly an iMac or similar gloss white device.

Sadly, neither headset feature a braided cable which was a shame, especially for the higher priced Frost blue set but in SteelSeries defence, this may not be such a bad thing as white braid will inevitably get dirty quite quick, ruining the aesthetic appeal of the headset.

Let’s take a look at the Steelseries Engine Software…

SteelSeries Engine

Anyone familiar with the SteelSeries Engine software will tell you that it is a cinch to use. Unlike many other manufacturers, you only need one piece of software to configure a multitude of Steelseries products.

The ‘Engine’, as SteelSeries call it, works very well and is easily navigated through a series of tabs. The Siberia V2 Frost Blue has two of these tabs available, whereas say the Sensei mouse, which is a more complex beast has more. Each compatible device you connect can be configured through this one window rather than closing down one utility and opening another.

The settings tab of our Siberia Frost Blue is where it all happens. You will have at your disposal a basic 5 channel equaliser allowing you to increase/decrease bass, midrange and treble levels to your tastes. You can also adjust the blue LED to 4 different levels of intensity (off, low, mid, high) and 5 different actions (off, slow, medium fast or trigger (sound reactive) which controls the pulsation of the LED. These individual settings can then be saved to one of your backed up profiles or indeed a new one.

With your profiles created you can then link each profile with an application. So say for example you wanted a bass heavy setup for music then you can create a profile which will load up upon starting your chosen music player. Want good midrange for voice comms? No problem, just attach the profile to Teamspeak/ventrillo executable. The possibilities are endless!

Overall, while basic functionality is afforded, I would like to have seen more EQ presets. There was no microphone adjustment in the software which was a shame but this can be done via voice communication software if required. As a novelty value it would also have been good to include voice changing utility but few manufacturers do this so SteelSeries alone cannot be criticised.

Performance Testing

Music Test
I tried to get in touch with my female side when wearing the pink headset so excuse the musical choice here. Playing some Alicia keys the headset performed great. While it isn’t the most ‘bassy’ of headsets I have ever heard (and it did distort slightly at high levels), the pink headset performed well. Classical music was very good with crisp clear wind, brass and string easily defined. Again, the clarity was not perfect but they still sounded very good.

The Frost blue headset sounded much better with noticeable deeper bass throughout the testing. The USB headset also sounded clearer, crisper and more involved despite the USB connection. There was no hissing or humming that plagues some USB headsets, suffice to say the Frost Blue is the better headset for music reproduction. That isn’t to say the Pink headset performed poorly because as a standalone product is better than many of the headsets we have tested.

Gaming
Both headsets were great to use for gaming. The in-line volume and mic controls were excellent. The on/off thumb button for the mic was a little difficult to operate, especially with moist thumbs through hours of gaming. Explosions rumbled (so much so I thought it was actually thundering outside when blasting away on Battlefield 3)! The crisp ricochets of bullets and midrange voices were all clearly identifiable with all three levels of audio being reproduced perfectly. The pink headset again suffered a little distortion when the volume was set uncomfortably high but that won’t be an issue to anyone other than the hard of hearing.

All in all, both headset performed admirably in the gaming tests.

Durability
the high quality plastics used in both headsets should ensure these units stand up well against the test of time. They may look a little on the fragile side but unless you are the clumsiest of oafs, they are unlikely to break any time soon. I was especially pleased with the mic design which folds away neatly inside one ear cup when not in use but equally easy to retract when needed. I do have a minor concern with the cables not being braided though as chaffing can and does occur so a little bit of protection wouldn’t go amiss here.

Overall
The SteelSeries Siberia v2, whether you are a Pink kind of person or Ice white, will serve you very well whatever your requirement. they are extremely comfortable to use, very light despite holding 50mm drivers and stunning to look at. Should you buy them? Well let’s move to the conclusion…

Conclusion

First off lets start with the Pink version.

It is admirable that SteelSeries have opted to release a version specifically to heighten Breast Cancer Awareness and also to give some of their profits to such a good cause. You shouldn’t be mistaken for thinking that this version is anything other than quality though because like all the Siberia v2 headsets, the Limited Edition Pink headset is a great performer. If Pink is not your preference of colour then there are a multitude of colour schemes and themed Siberia headsets available from SteelSeries so no matter which colour scheme you opt for, under the skin they are the same, quality, high performing headset we have become accustomed to here at Vortez. For this reason the Pink set of Siberia V2 gain our Silver award.

The Frost Blue headset is a cut above your standard set of Siberia Headset. First off, it has USB connectivity. Don’t let this put you off though because they out perform the analogue versions and do not have the downfalls of most other USB audio devices. The headset can be used as plug and play with no other drivers required but if you want to tweak the audio quality (and in fairness it doesn’t need this as they sound great as is) then because of the USB connection, the SteelSeries engine will detect them and allow you to tweak not only the audio but also the lighting effect.

I was surprised how light both headsets were but being USB, the Frost Blue I was expecting to be heavier. While we confess to not weighing either headset, they both felt the same with no one headset tipping the scales as it were. IF you already own a Siberia headset then you will be hard pushed to justify spending close to £100 for the Frost blue unless aesthetic appeal means everything as quality wise, there was little to choose between this and a regular set of Siberia headsets. There is a slightly higher impedance of the Siberia Frost blue compared to the Pink (40 Ohm vs 32) but for general PC use this is not such a big issue. Sound quality wise, I would have to give it to the Frost blue. Both headsets carry a 50mm Driver, which is slightly larger than average for a PC headset however when you factor in the tweaks available to the Frost blue, in view of and despite of the USB connection, it sounds so much better than the Pink version.

Aside from the lack of braided cables, my one concern with the Siberia v2 Frost blue is that at £95 it has to compete not only with the very best PC headsets out there (I would class this as one of them), it also has the audiophile hurdle to clear. For out and out audio reproduction though a mid-range dedicated audio headset say from Sennheiser or Beyerdynamics would be the better choice. If PC work is all you are using them for (and let’s face it why else would it have a USB connection) then the Frost Blue headset is a deserved Gold award winner. A fine example of how modern PC peripherals should be made. Great looking coupled with fantastic performance.

Pros
+ Great aesthetics
+ Good Bass reproduction
+ 50mm Drivers
+ Illuminated (Frost Blue)
+ Adjustable audio (Frost Blue)
+ Excellent materials used
+ Noise reducing mic

Cons
– No braided cabling
– No 6.3mm adaptor included (Pink Version)

Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.

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SteelSeries