Steelseries Siberia has generally been considered to be one of the most popular gaming headsets for a number of years now and recently they’ve received an update. We were already familiar with the Siberia V3 and were quite pleased with the headset, but we had a small remark that they were more expensive than the V2 which they were replacing. Now with the 200 model – a sort of a rebranded V3 – we go back to a bit more affordable pricing while keeping almost all of the most important characteristics.

What is the same?

Siberia 200 visually resembles the V3, and even more so the V2, which is by no means a bad thing, because those were the headphones that became gaming legends. This time Siberia comes in more varied color options, which is interesting if you want to stand out at a gaming jam or a tournament. When we asked for a test sample we were wondering if we could get anything other than black or white – we wanted a bit more colorful piece. The only other two available options were purple or red, so I went for the red one, because purple seems to be more suited for girls. And the result was pretty impressive – over the course of a week or so during the test there wasn’t a single colleague of mine who went past and didn’t comment about the bright red object on my head. It bears considering that I usually have some hardware on my desk, most frequently of a gaming variety, which implies bright and flashy colors, yet nothing has spurred so many reactions. If you want to get noticed this is definitely the color to go for.

What has remained completely unchanged is the comfort – these are still one of the lightest and most comfortable I have ever put on my head. Many hours of wearing them presents absolutely no strain whether you’re playing video games or listening to music. The ear pads are made out of soft leather which is very comfortable in these winter months, but note that they don’t breathe as well as those made of fabric material – a thing to consider if you usually use them in a warmer climate. However, it’s a matter of individual preference and we have the utmost praise for the comfort of Siberia 200. Attributing to that is the unique flexible headband that automatically adjusts to any form and size of the head. The whole product seems flexible, but is remarkably stable while wearing, which I found to be a very good combination.

And what has changed?

When we visually compare these headphones to the V3 the differences are really small, almost cosmetic. However there are some details that seem to have come from the player’s feedback on the previous model. First thing is the return of the volume controls and mic mute button on the cord which eliminated the mute switch on the left earpiece. There was a slight change in the connection method – the V3 had one 3.5mm jack that could be separated via supplied adapter to different headphones and microphone connector. Now the situation is reversed, there are two connectors to start with and you get an adapter to join them into one should you want use the headset with a phone or a tablet.

Everything else remained pretty much the same, the most important thing being the sound quality, which is excellent. Of course, it’s adjusted to specific gaming needs – i.e. the bass is a bit exaggerated. The microphone is retractable and flexible, and comes out of the left headphone which is a really great solution. It appears that its quality is a bit below the one used on the V3, but it still serves its purpose of in-game communication very well.

Conclusion

The differences between Siberia V3 and 200 are minimal, almost negligible. What is important it that this product comes to market with a starting price that is about 20% lower. We have to applaud this, because that means that more gamers will be able to afford a really comfortable pair of gaming headphones. Also the addition of more colors is a nice move, since people will be able to find a pair most suited to their general style.

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