When the SteelSeries Siberia Elite headset launched in August of last year, it was met with mixed reception. The Siberia headset has earned a strong reputation over the years, and many had high expectations for its more luxurious, feature-rich brother. Unfortunately, it was plagued by poor reliability and discomfort, two things that SteelSeries had previously rarely if ever had trouble with. So, the company began designing a successor that would address these issues. That product would be called the Siberia Elite Prism.
I’ve spent the last week and a half using the SteelSeries Siberia Elite Prism, a product looking to replace the original Siberia Elite at the same price point of $199.99. It looks promising, but does it deliver where the original Elite didn’t?
Design: You’ve Got My Attention
The Elite Prism is one of the most stylish headsets on the market. Its two marshmallow resembling ear cups are joined together with a sandblasted steel arc that acts as a stabilizer for the suspension system. A headband supported by wire elevates as the headset is placed on the head, conforming to the dimensions of the head no matter the size. It’s a system used across the Siberia family of products that has earned it a very positive reputation, and in this iteration the materials of the headband and ear cups are the best that SteelSeries brand has delivered yet.
The Elite Prism is available in one of two colors: white/black and black. The all black in particular looks fantastic, especially with the circular LED lights lit up on the exterior of the ear cups. The all white of the original Elite has been done away with, replaced by a mixture of white plastics and black ear cushions. It’s definitely unique.
What stands out most about the headset is its massive, plushy foam around the ear cups. It gives the headset a more exaggerated look, in addition to sealing in the audio a bit better than the Siberia v3’s. However, because this headset is larger and has a steel support connecting the two ear cups, it’s heavier than most of SteelSeries’ other offerings.
Comfort: A Giant Enemy Headcrab
The original Elite’s were known for being tough on the ears. Although the Elite Prism’s now have a softer, more breathable synthetic material for the ear cups, and have been given larger ear openings, the distance between the foam and the speaker housings simply isn’t enough to let the ears stand peacefully. Although the first 30 minutes of use make it appear that it’s a comfortable headset, in less than an hour your ears are likely to begin hurting from being pressed against the thinly veiled plastic of the speaker housings. You are unlikely to finish a Counter-Strike match or a full length feature film without your ears turning red from pressure.
It’s a shame because the suspension system is an absolute ace. Its materials and suspension tension are perfectly balanced resulting in excellent comfort around the top of the head.
Audio: Ah, That’s the Stuff!
The SteelSeries Elite’s audio is excellent, stacking up well against dedicated headphones in the price range. Audio is delivered by two large drivers that improve upon the balance of lows, mediums, and highs of the base Siberia headset. Bass in particular is spot-on, delivering powerful pulses. The acoustic experience is fantastic.
There is some sound leakage, which is actually a good thing so that you can hear yourself speaking when using the microphone, but just enough that there’s very little loss in audio quality.
This is a headset with a USB Sound Card built into the extension cable, and a major benefit to this is it supports Dolby Digital. The acoustic delivery is fantastic, and can be adjusted using an equalizer in the intuitive SteelSeries Engine 3 interface.
The only miss-step is with the microphone. It appears to be a slightly altered version of the one used in the SteelSeries Wireless H, which is tinny and surprisingly worse sounding than the SteelSeries Siberia v3.
Features: Checklist Complete
Instead of offering an in-line audio control, volume and mic mute/unmute can be changed by turning either one of the dials on the outside of the ear cups. It provides great feedback, and is arguably the most well thought out solution seen on a headset.
The SteelSeries Engine 3 software is supported, allowing you to adjust the audio in numerous ways using an equalizer, in addition to having options for Auto Mic Compression, Mic Feedback, and Mic Volume. You can even adjust the LED lights on both sides of the headset, which are able to represent millions of colors.
Also See: SteelSeries Siberia v3 Review – King of the Jungle
Also, there are several cables included that make it easy to set the headset up with a PC with the USB card or 3.5mm jacks, a PS4, Xbox One, mobile device, and more. Similar to the headset, the cables are high in quality and are unlikely to give up on you.
Conclusion: A Great Headset Held Back By Discomfort
I would argue that comfort is the second most important quality for a headset behind the audio experience, and unfortunately the SteelSeries Siberia Elite Prism is the most uncomfortable headset I’ve ever used. Granted, I’m only one person, and someone else’s ears might not find their’s as impacted by the speaker housing, but given my ears are nothing out of the ordinary, I feel this will be a common complaint by users of the headset.
It’s a shame, because this is a headset that has so many great qualities, too. The audio quality is better than most headsets in the sub-$200 price range, supported by Dolby Digital and powerful drivers. SteelSeries Engine 3 allows for a fair amount of tinkering, making it easy to tune the headset to your preference. It’s also an eye-catching headset, one that appears mature and refined in a market where most headsets appear adolescent.
As such, you may want to try out the headset before buying it. If you find that there are no issues with comfort after 45 minutes of use, then feel free to pull the trigger. You’ll likely be satisfied with every other quality about the headset.
Jonathan Leack is the Gaming Editor for CraveOnline. You can follow him on Twitter @jleack.
Unit provided by manufacturer. SteelSeries Siberia Elite Prism Gaming Headset is now available for $199.99.
