Introduction

Not long ago SteelSeries announced that they were going to produce a so called neckband headset under the Siberia product line. Today I will be taking a look at their SteelSeries Siberia Neckband headset. The special thing about this newcomer to the SteelSeries product lineup is the fact that it's a neckband headset which means that the band that holds the two cups together is placed behind your head just over your neck, hence the name neckband.

Since the headset is labeled Siberia it comes in the iPod white style that we saw on the old more conventional "Icemat Siberia headset". Despite the close relation to the old Siberia headset the new one is nothing like it. Every aspect of its design is radically different and even incorporates more functionality than the old one. This new Siberia headset even offers support for Xbox 360 via a neat little transformer that allows you to use this headset with any Xbox 360 console.

Another new feature on the Siberia Neckband headset is the retractable microphone first introduced with the SteelSeries 5H headset. It looks and functions just like the one on the 5H, but look cleaner due to a sleeker white microphone headpiece. As with the old Siberia headset the new one also aims to be a comfy headset.

The Package

The SteelSeries Siberia Neckband headset arrived in a very stylish black box with a lot of text on it. Even through the clear plastic on the case you can see that this headset is very different compared to what you are used to looking at. Besides being a neckband headset the design of the ear cups is also very different compared to what SteelSeries have recently launched.


That the Siberia can function with PC as well as Xbox 360 is a brand new feature. The Xbox 360 support is made possible through a converter cable that changes the otherwise standard mini-jack cables to the type that the Xbox uses. This is nice because it adds a lot of value to the headset.


The specifications for the SteelSeries Siberia Neckband headset are ok nothing new here, except the support for Xbox 360.


With the SteelSeries Siberia you also get an Xbox 360 converter which basically is a micro-jack to mini-jack converter with a twist. The converter is made in the same white as most Xboxes are delivered in. Since I don't have an Xbox 360 I will not be testing the converter, but I can hardly see any reason why the converter should make the sound quality better or worse.

Close Examination

This new neckband headset looks so nice. The fact that it's held in a clean white color along with a black neckband makes it look neutral and stylish at the same time. You can definitely wear this headset down the street without people stopping and laughing. The fact that it's a headset is concealed nicely due to the retractable microphone. Since the microphone tip is white you really have to know what you are looking for in order to spot the microphone. Once you have retracted the microphone it stays in place until you pull it out. Even if you shake or bump the headset the microphone stays in place.

Much like its older sibling, the new Siberia is also based around an open back headphone design which means that air can pass through the cup without being blocked. This benefits comfort a bit, but ruins any sound attenuation properties that the headphones might have had. If an open back headphone is decently calibrated, the sound can be really smooth and well balanced like, i.e. the Sennheiser HD555/HD595/HD650.


The ear cups themselves are really sturdy and fixed to the headband in a very thorough manner. The joint between them is quite thick and seems to withstand pressure in a nice way. The joint is slightly arched so that the ear cups maintain a neutral position compared to the ear. Besides that the neckband features another bendable joint that allows the ear cups to align themselves with the ear vertically. This helps to improve wearing comfort and decreases stress on the ears a lot. Even though the Siberia is held in place by putting pressure on your skull it is by no means uncomfortable to wear. The only part of the ear cup that isn't iPod white is the small SteelSeries logo and a small right and left indicator.


One of the things that make this headset stand out from the crowd is the fact that it's a neckband headset. The neckband functions as both a spring that makes the ear pads press against your skull and a size adjuster with a bendable joint. The neckband isn't padded that much compared to more traditional headsets, but that's because the neckband itself is barely touching your head. This does have a few downsides, like the pressure that is needed to keep the ear cups in place exceeds that what you would normally expect with ordinary headphones. The ear cups of the SteelSeries Siberia tend to collapse the upper part of your ear due to the fact that they slide down a bit while in use.


When you look at the headset from top down it looks very small, and it is. But that is only because you can't see the size adjustment mechanism since it's hidden in the neckband! This headset can easily accommodate even the biggest of heads. The force that the ear cups are held in place with stays about the same across all size adjustments which makes it equally comfortable to wear for people with any size of head. The only thing that hurts the general comfort while wearing this headset is that it tends to slide down a bit. Both the ear cups and the headband have a tendency to slide and then increase the pressure on your skull and ears which makes it less comfortable to wear.


One of the great things about the volume control on the Siberia headset is that it's detachable which means that you won't have to carry it around if you just want to use it as a normal pair of headphones. Besides that the volume control works with any other headset you might have. The only feature that the volume control lacks is a microphone sensitivity adjustment mechanism like we saw on the 5H series headsets. That little feature was so nice to have, for example if you are using the headset at a LAN party. It definitely makes up for the lost functionality in the looks sector. It is a little sleek looking device that doesn't look out of place on your desk along with your other peripherals.


The mini-jack connectors on the Siberia are quite bulky and seem really durable. Besides the fact that the plugs are made from tough plastic there is also a cord stress relief which should further reduce the strain on the connectors. The cable that the Siberia uses is a single cord that splits into two mini-jack connectors at the audio device end. All the way up to the headset there is only a single cord. In order to connect to both earphones the cable is passed through the neckband eliminating the need for a y-split connector at the headphone end of the cable.