SteelSeries Siberia Elite
The "Siberia" moniker has always been used by
SteelSeries for some of their top line, gaming audio offerings. Over the years
the design has been refined, and the improvements are now embodied in the
Siberia Elite gaming headset.
Amidst the slew of black-themed gaming headsets in this
shootout, the Siberia Elite stands out in white. The headband arc consists of a
barebones skeleton finished in dull aluminum. From the side view, the ear-cups
of the headset resemble the wheels of a car. Visible on the ear-cups is the
SteelSeries signage and a ring-shaped light display. Like the Razer Kraken 7.1,
this display lights up when the headset is plugged in. Unlike Razer though,
SteelSeries lets users choose any shade from the 16 million colors available
from the RGB spectrum.
SteelSeries Siberia Elite
Matching the Razer Kraken 7.1 even further, the SteelSeries
Siberia Elite also has circular ear-pads. However the diameter of the ear-pads
for the SteelSeries headset is much larger. From a side-on view it also seems
that the cushions are much thicker, but this is an illusion caused by the fact
that the synthetic covering also wraps around the headphone body. Nevertheless,
the cushioning is sufficiently thick and soft. For adjusting fit, the Siberia
Elite has stretchable wires which work like a charm. Over-heating of ears after
prolonged usage however is a problem.
Up till this point we've only seen braided cables on the
gaming headsets compared here. The Siberia Elite bucks the trend and comes with
flat cables instead. A proprietary connector, smaller than a micro-USB connector,
is used by SteelSeries. Users can plug it into a USB sound card and then
connect to their PC or notebook via USB. Cable extensions for connection to an
aux-in and microphone port as well as a 3.5mm port are also supplied. A
retractable microphone is provided for communication purposes.
Competing with the Razer Synapse 2.0 software is
SteelSeries' Engine 3. Engine 3 is a simple configuration menu for controlling
the microphone and audio with the help of a full EQ. It is also the only way to
engage the Siberia Elite's Dolby technologies, Dolby Headphone control and
Dolby Pro Logic Ilx features, as the gaming headset has no actual physical
button(s) to accomplish this task.
This is the only headset that opts
for tangle-free flat cables
The Siberia Elite's warm tone colors its music performance.
This characteristic helps it excel with music genres such as jazz and RnB. But
when clarity is required, especially when listening to orchestral compositions,
the SteelSeries headset fails to capture the correct mood and timbre. Once the
Dolby features are switched on, the 7.1 virtual surround sound kicks in. If
anything, gaming performance is this headphone's forte. The directionality of
the audio is excellent and deserves to be classified in the same league as the
Sennheiser PC 363D and Razer Kraken 7.1. If we were to nitpick, the warm tone
of the Siberia Elite means that details are not heard as clearly.
Logitech G430 Gaming Headset
Just because the Logitech G430 comes with a smaller price
tag is no reason to consider it a poor relation of the other headsets in this
round-up. The G430 boasts 7.1 virtual surround sound capabilities just like the
rest of the contenders, though whether it matches up in terms of performance
remains to be seen.
The plastic body of the G430 does make it feel cheaper when
compared to the SteelSeries Siberia Elite, for example. The construction also
feels a bit shoddy with the headset emitting a few squeaks when handled. The
color scheme is black and blue, which is in line with the look of recent
Logitech products. Overall, the design is also a bit more angular which helps
set the aesthetics of the Logitech headset apart from the rest of the pack.
Logitech G430 Gaming Headset
One of the benefits of Logitech's decision to go with a plastic
body is that they kept the total weight of the G430 low. The ear-cups have also
been designed with ergonomics in mind, as is evident by the slanted shape.
There's also adequate depth making them roomy and comfortable. Logitech has
covered the cushions with what they call "sport performance cloth".
This is meant to help with ventilation and sweat absorption when the headset is
used over long periods. In practice, the G430 performs better over extended
durations when compared with some of the other headsets tested.
The G430 can be plugged in via 3.5mm jack or USB. The
headset does come with Dolby Headphone technology to help deliver virtual 7.1
surround sound. By way of physical features, the headset only boasts a simple
in-line control pod which can adjust volume or mute / unmute the boom
microphone. There is also a Logitech Gaming Software platform that compares
favorably with Razer Synapse 2.0, as it also features calibration and
customization options.
