By Matthew Armitage
A good quality headset can make a huge difference to your gaming experience, especially when it comes to online gaming. A microphone is needed to communicate to your team mates (or trash talk, depending on how you play) and the last thing your team mates need is annoying feedback coming from your blaring speakers each time you speak, so a good set of head phones helps with that problem. On top of that you get an ear full of clear game audio at your desired volume without disturbing others around you. So today we take a look at a couple of headsets from the SteelSeries stable that easily take care of the aforementioned tasks. The headsets in question are the 7H Pro Gaming and the Siberia V2 Pro Gaming Full Size Headsets, both of which easily fall under the 200 dollar mark.
Testing
The majority of the testing was done on an i7 X58 PC with a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium FATAL1TY Pro PCIe sound card, both headsets were plugged directly into the soundcard because they’re the analogue versions (USB versions are available). Soundcard drivers and supporting programs were all up to date. Some additional testing was also done on an ASUS N61JV laptop. Voice chat was tested on numerous applications such as Skype, MSN, in-game chat and a dedicated voice chat server called Mumble.
Specifications
When it comes to core numbers both the Siberia V2 and the 7H share identical specs.
Headphones
- Frequency response: 18 – 28.000 Hz
- Impedance: 32 Ohm
- SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms: 112 dB
- Cable length: 1 + 2 = 3 m (9,8 ft.)
- Jacks: 3,5 mm
Microphone
- Frequency response: 50 – 16.000 Hz
- Pick up pattern: Uni-directional
- Sensitivity: -38 dB
Sound Quality:
For what you pay for these headsets, the sound quality is quite impressive. When in game you feel as if you have that little advantage over other players -- that sound of a Spy uncloaking in TF2, the footsteps of an enemy soldier in Bad Company 2, that nasty gurgling sound a Boomer in Left4Dead makes -- and all are accurately represented through the 50mm drivers. For headsets that are not 5.1 surround they do a great job of giving you a sense of positioning. Each headset provides a good balance of various high, low and mid tones, although a crisper bass level wouldn’t have gone astray at higher volumes. However, you can massage out a little more performance if you fiddle around with your PC’s audio settings, although at this point you are starting to venture into the ear damaging territory.
Not only do these headsets perform well in-game but they also hold their own when used for media playback. I enjoyed many hours of movie playback without the urge to unplug the headsets and switch over to high powered speakers. The same goes for music. Naturally they do not provide the same experience as you’d get from set of high end Sennheiser’s but for a headset primarily focused on gaming they do a great job as an all-rounder at an affordable price. Both headsets come fitted with an in-line volume control that also has a microphone on/off switch integrated into it, and the control unit sits at a comfortable reaching distance from the headset.
From experience I’ve never really liked the microphones provided with gaming headsets. Either they have dismal performance or they are located in a position where they become cumbersome when not in use. SteelSeries has come up with a simple yet very clever design for their integrated microphones. The retractable microphone resides in the left hand ear piece and extends out to the side of your mouth, and from there you can bend the microphone to a position that suits you. When you don’t require it anymore you simply push it back into the ear piece and it’s completely out of your way.
Unlike other headsets where the microphone either unplugs completely or just “flips up” out of the way, the SteelSeries headset ends up looking like a nice set of headphones when the microphone is retracted, with the only giveaway being the tip of the mic, which protrudes out of the ear piece just enough for you grab onto it. As for voice quality the uni-directional microphone in both the 7H and Siberia V2 do their job well enough but they are not overly impressive. While I could be heard and understood well enough in game and over Skype, a little more clarity would have been better, as people who I was communicating with noticed the difference between the USB microphone I normally use to the ones provided in these SteelSeries headsets. (Clarity may differ in the USB versions of these headsets)
It’s just too hard for manufacturers to guess what cable length we all require, with some of us having our computers in close proximity of where we sit and some have theirs stashed away under a desk. So in an attempt to cater for all, SteelSeries has added a two sectioned cable with the first section measuring in at one meter, which would suit those who have their PC or laptop within reaching distance. A further 2 meters of cable is provided, giving you a total of 3 meters to play with. In most situations that’s more than enough cable length to plug these headsets directly into the back of your PC. The 7H headset gets the added deluxe treatment with a braided cord as opposed to the plastic version you get with the Siberia V2.
This is where the similarities come to an end, as the Siberia V2 and the 7H are different animals when it comes to comfort and style with both units offering interesting and functional features. The one you pick can be determined by your intended application.
SteelSeries 7H Pro Gaming Headset
Sitting at the top of the SteelSeries headset range is the 7H Pro Gaming headset, which is loaded with enough features to keep most gamers happy. Shopping around on staticice I’ve seen this headset priced as low as $149 AUD and an average of $165 AUD depending on retailer, which isn’t too bad considering the build quality of this headset. The RRP is $189.99.
From the small rubber stops that sit behind the ear cups that stop the ear pieces from “clacking around when you move them, right through to the solid feel of the dismantling points, SteelSeries has put some serious thought into overall construction. The ear cups have a solid back, which provides a fair amount of noise cancellation, but if you wish to allow a little more ambient noise, the 7H comes with an optional set of interchangeable ear cushions that are made from cloth. These ear cushions simply just clip in and out and when fully assembled you’d be hard pressed to tell that they are interchangeable. I have a PC that sounds like a F18 taking off when the graphics cards are under load, and all I could hear was in-game audio, even at a modest volume.
When it comes to comfort the 7H is brilliant, with each ear piece having a number of adjustment levels to suit various head sizes as well as a few degrees of swivel on each side. The headband is made from a ridged plastic material with just the right amount of flex in them. Fitted to the underside of the headband is a thick layer of soft foam for that extra snug fit. The ear cup size should be large enough to suit most ear shapes without any pinching even if you wear ear rings. The level of comfort still remains pleasant even after hours on end of use, although personally I think the cloth ear cushions are better for long gaming stints as they seem to breathe a little better than the foam items.
A standout feature of the 7H is its ability to be dismantled into four separate travel friendly sections. The ear cups can be disengaged from the headband with a press of a button and even the audio cable can be unplugged from the head set. Everything locks back into place very securely with all connecting points feeling and looking solid. This is fantastic feature for regular LAN party goers and the occasional neat freak that just has to pack up everything, although the only thing that’s missing is a carry pouch.
We say: Highly Recommended
SteelSeries Siberia V2 Full-Sized Headset
So far I’ve seen the Siberia V2 go for a very wallet friendly price of $118 AUD with the occasional retailer stitching on an extra 10 bucks. The RRP is $189.99. If you’re after a good headset and don’t want to break the bank then the Siberia V2 is hard to walk past. Don’t let the low price sway you into thinking this is a cheaply made headset, as the Siberia V2 is constructed of durable materials and features some clever design elements. Three colour options are available, which include white, black and red, so there’s a good chance there’s something available that will match your PC or Mac.
Compared to its bigger brother the 7H, the Siberia V2 has a few differences in fit and design. For starters the ear cups do not cancel out as much ambient sound even though there’s noise reduction foam used on the ear cups. Depending on what you intend to use this headset for this may not be a bad thing, as quite often people prefer to be able to hear what is going on around them anyway.
The Siberia V2 really comes into its element when you take a look at how it fits on a users head. Rather than having a structure that has to be adjusted to suit each user, SteelSeries has added a clever spring-loaded headband that sits under the flexible main frame, much like suspension. Basically all that needs to be done to get the best fit is to pull the headset over your head and bring the ear cups to your ears. To further aid that perfect fit the ear cups have a few degrees of vertical tilt and those too will fall into place. This system works very well with long hours of use causing little to no discomfort, and half the time you can barely tell that they are there thanks to their lightweight design.
Since there is no need for any hard adjustments to be made, anyone else that wishes to use your headset can do so without messing up your adjustments. On top of that, the spring loaded headband will adjust itself around anyone wearing a hat. For those that can’t stand having their hair messed up you’re in luck, because the Siberia V2 puts barely any force on your head to get the perfect fit. In short this headset will suit all shapes and sizes and only places the bare minimum amount of force for correct fitting.
The Final Verdict
Both headsets score very well in performance and comfort for their price range. For LAN party goers and people that like a high level of quality the 7H is something you might want to check out. Bang for buck and sheer convenience with the Siberia V2 deserves your attention. My personal pick of the two is the Siberia V2. I just love how well it fits and how much value you get for your purchase. If you have not got a good onboard sound chip or a dedicated sound card the USB versions of these headsets may be better suited to your application.
We say: Highly Recommended