INTRODUCTION
When it comes to audio quality audiophiles are miles apart compared to gamers since the first are always looking for accuracy, clarity and depth while the second are always after the best possible positioning audio (virtual or real surround) and bass levels so they can enjoy playing their favorite games and why not even get the edge against their multiplayer competition. Gamers also usually value comfort a little bit more compared to audiophiles since they are required to use a headset for many hours at a time so that too is a small difference between these two target groups. SteelSeries has been catering to the needs of gamers since the very first day in the market but lately they've taken things a step further with their latest product lines both in terms of quality and features. The Siberia 650 is currently their top of the line gaming headset and after almost 2 full weeks of testing we are ready to post our thorough review.
SteelSeries is a gaming brand that leads the market in building peripherals with quality, innovation and purpose. The company’s passion has been the driving force behind many first-to-market innovations and technologies that continue to become the industry standard and have-to-have requirements of gamers. The global brand continues to support the growth of competitive gaming tournaments and electronic sports leagues through professional team sponsorships, partnerships and community support. The company surrounds itself with the passion and the commitment to being the best. It is with this mentality that SteelSeries chooses to partner with some of world’s most respected and recognized brands that work together to push the growth and evolution of the gaming industry into an even greater proposition.
The Siberia 650 gaming headset is yet another update of the excellent Siberia Elite (which made its debut roughly 3 years ago) so once again SteelSeries has used two large 50mm neodymium drivers and a USB soundcard (luckily not build-in so you can use it if you want) to produce virtual Dolby 7.1 surround sound. These drivers feature a very wide frequency range/response of 16Hz-28KHz (just like the original Elite) with 120dB sensitivity (same as the Elite Prism) and 32Ohm impedance. We also find a retractable unidirectional microphone that features noise cancelling technology and a frequency response of 100Hz-10KHz with 2.2kOhm impedance and -44dB sensitivity (again different compared to the Elite but same as the Prism). After checking out the entire specs sheet it really seems like SteelSeries renamed the Prism to Siberia 650 and although that's not really a bad thing (after all the Prism is still considered to be among the top gaming headsets in the market) let's check it out.
SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
PACKAGING AND CONTENTS
A large product picture is placed at the front of the box in which the Siberia 650 comes packed along with the OS compatibility and the Dolby technologies used.
The memory foam pillows (earpads) and the retractable microphone are showcased on the two sides of the box.
All the product features are showcased at the rear with the help of a product picture placed right next to the bundle contents.
Once you remove the cover you will see the main box with the SteelSeries logo on it.
Packaging is excellent since the headset is placed inside a formed piece of plastic.
Contained inside the box are the Siberia 650 gaming headset, USB sound card, 2 meter extension cable, 3.5" mini jack adapter, mobile dual 3.5" adapter, user manual and a sticker.
THE SIBERIA 650
Both in terms of design and weight the Siberia 650 is identical to the Elite Prism (i do prefer black more than white).
Because of the very large earpads the Siberia 650 (just like its predecessors) is considered to be among the large gaming headsets in the market today.
The company logo is placed on the exterior of both earcups as seen above.
Once again we find the same discs on the exterior of both earcups (left disc is used to mute/unmute the headset while the right one can be used to adjust the volume).
Just like with both previous versions of the Elite headset the retractable unidirectional microphone is very flexible and has a red LED at the front which turns on when muted.
One of the coolest features the original Elite headset brought to the table was a 3.5mm port on the base of the right earcup which allowed another person to hear whatever you are by using a 2nd headset and the Siberia 650 has it too.
The very thick "pillows" feature memory foam on their interior and they also have the company name.
Just like with the Prism the headpad is made out of 6 small foam filled cushions and is extremely comfortable.
Both the company name and logo are engraved on the exterior of the headband.
The same USB sound card is present here just like with the Prism so just like that this can also be used either via the 3.5mm jacks or the mini USB port.
All 3.5" plugs are gold plated as you can see from the above picture.
STEELSERIES ENGINE 3
After you download and install the latest driver/software version the program will automatically check for any new firmware updates. The firmware update takes around one minute to complete after which you will need to unplug the headset and then plug it back in.
SteelSeries released the Engine 3 software at the same time as the Elite Prism headset so it's still pretty much the same as back then so again from here you can create/modify/delete configurations/profiles, setup the illumination color and effects, enable/disable the Dolby virtual surround and microphone noise reduction features, adjust the equalizer (or you can just use one of the 11 available presets) and you can also configure the microphone volume levels, sensitivity, clarity and accuracy.
The colorshift illumination for the exterior of the earcups was also something the original Elite brought in the market for a gaming headset and here you can all see some of the available colors of the Siberia 650.
CONCLUSION
Over the years we've noticed that SteelSeries does a great job in equipping their top-end headset models with the highest quality components and all the latest technologies so because of that we didn't expect anything less from the Siberia 650. As a matter of fact after testing the Siberia 650 with several games, blue-ray movies and games I’m quite positive that it’s identical to the excellent Prism (so SteelSeries effectively renamed the Siberia Elite Prism to Siberia 650 to match their new lineup). As mentioned earlier this is not a bad thing since just like the Prism the Siberia 650 it features excellent mids and highs with very rich and warm bass levels. Positioning audio may not be the best in the market today (we don’t expect perfection from two stereo drivers with any headset) but it too performs extremely well. The very thick and large pillows are just as comfortable as the ones used with the Prism model, the suspension system remains the same as with the Prism and the retractable unidirectional microphone, although we’ve used better ones in the past, also did a very good job while playing online games. Also the ability to use both 3.5” plugs and a USB sound card is something many people look for in the market and unfortunately after looking back to all the gaming headsets I’ve reviewed in the past the Elite series is among the very few models to have such a feature.
Much like the original Siberia Elite and the Siberia Elite Prism after that the Siberia 650 is among the highest-priced gaming headsets in the market and currently retails for USD199.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 188Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). This hefty price tag was the sole drawback for the previous Siberia Elite headsets and the same applies for the Siberia 650 so unless you really want the best or care not about cost there are other gaming headsets in the market with a much better price/performance ratio attached to them. Still the Siberia 650 just like the Siberia Elite Prism is perhaps the best 7.1 virtual surround headset in the market today and that’s why it also gets our Platinum Award.
PROS
- Excellent Build Quality
- Design
- Excellent Audio Quality (Excellent Mids/Highs)
- Powerful Bass Levels
- 7.1 Virtual Dolby Surround USB Sound Card (For Some)
- Extremely Comfortable
- Noise-Cancelling Uni-Directional Retractable Microphone
- Volume & Microphone Controls
- Colorshift Illumination
- Tangle-Free Cable
- Extra 3.5mm Output
- Engine 3 Control Software
- Single 3.5mm & Dual 3.5mm Cables
- Extension Cable
CONS
- Price (For Some)