At first we would like to thank SteelSeries for offering the Siberia 800 Wireless Gaming Headset for testing and reviewing.

 

About SteelSeries:

"From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making high performance gaming gear used by the most demanding, top professional gamers worldwide and peripherals that provide superior quality and a competitive edge to gamers of all skill levels. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying!

 

What originally began with two people who recognized the need for superior, high-quality/performance gaming gear that would give gamers a competitive edge, has grown into a global leader in gaming and entertainment gear sought after for their high performance capabilities.

 

Fast-forward to today, and we’ve come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!

 

While we are proud of our technology and product innovation, we are even more excited about how these products are developed to meet the needs of gamers. Many companies may claim to develop superior gaming products but few actually do. Instead, they spend countless hours with lab engineers trying to force fit a new technology with bells and whistles and mediocre functionality for the end-user.

 

At SteelSeries, we develop our products with a small internal team and a vast network of technology partners, channel partners, game publishers, and gaming communities around the globe. We aren’t afraid of being challenged and implementing new ideas. Our main goal is to always to listen to the collective feedback of our professional gaming community.

 

We won’t bore you with cheeky slogans, trying to underline our authenticity as gamers. We fully acknowledge that the best professional gamers in the world know more about what they want and what will make them better, than we do. We are proud to be working with our partners, but we can’t take credit for their invaluable input and feedback. Instead we tell it like it is: they help us. We want to know what works and what doesn’t. For this reason, SteelSeries creates innovative solutions that provide a competitive advantage for all gamers.

 

Critical to our company’s success is also our reinvestment in the gaming communities and the individuals who support them. As a result, our corporate philosophy is to take a substantial portion of our revenue and put it back into the gaming community to help spur industry growth. We support our community in numerous ways, ranging from co-hosting tournaments like Iron Lady and King of the Hill, and supporting gaming competitions of all sizes, to promoting the top and up-and-coming gaming teams/organizations.

 

Put simply, SteelSeries does not claim to invent or reinvent the gaming industry. Nor do we focus on one specific product, copy other companies or follow the crowd.

 

Instead we leave it to you, the gamer, our customer/partner/inspiration, to decide if we are deserving of such declarations and accolades. What we do promise, however, is to remain committed to you. We will continue to work with you and the gaming community to make the best products possible and give you that competitive edge. We will continue to do our best to support the growth of the professional gaming industry and give back to the gaming communities. By doing so, we don’t just talk a good game, we win!"

Product Features:

 

Game Breaking Audio

 

The Siberia 800 cuts the cord to deliver exceptional audio in a brilliantly designed wireless headset. Hear your enemies so clearly, they'll think you're hacking.

 

Cutting-Edge Compatibility

 

We've designed this headset to work with all of your devices. Wherever and whatever your entertainment is, Siberia 800 has you covered, just like a trained marksman.

 

Living Room Elegance

 

Looks aren’t everything? Tell that to the ugly headsets. The Siberia 800 was designed to resemble a stealth bomber, sleek and deadly. The modern allure of the headset and transmitter are guaranteed to raise eyebrows.

 

Customizable

 

The powerful OLED transmitter gives you full control of the features that matter. Customize the balance of voice chat and modify your EQ settings, all on the fly.

 

Lag Free

 

Siberia 800 uses continuous frequency hopping technologies to prevent any lag between your game and your headset. The competition waits for interference to be detected before changing channels. We just avoid it completely.

 

Dolby® Audio

 

Immerse yourself in incredible virtual 7.1 surround sound. While most headsets simply feature Dolby Headphone, we feature three different Dolby technologies: Dolby Headphone, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Pro Logic IIx.

 

Low Latency

 

Siberia 800 delivers the lowest latency in the industry. Period.

 

Versatility

 

Siberia 800 works on PC, Mac, Xbox One (with adapter), PlayStation 4, home entertainment systems, phones, and tablets. We even threw in a Sound Share port for when a friend wants to join in on the action.

 

Couch Control

 

The on-earcup controls make adjustments quick and intuitive. With the control wheel, you can adjust volume and navigate the most commonly used settings right from your seat.

 

Swappable Batteries

 

Never lose power, never go wired. We included two 20-hour lithium-ion batteries, which can be changed mid-action without the hassle of any cables or wires. The spare battery charges inside the transmitter so it's ready when you need it.

 

Stunning Design

 

A sleek and stylish mix of matte black and glossy finish are highlighted by SteelSeries Orange stitching for a polished look. Add in comfort to style, memory foam padding on the headband and ear-cups delivers enduring wearability.

 

Beautiful Display

 

Profiles, audio sources, battery life, and volume are shown with crystal clear visuals. The large display makes it easy to see and operate from the comfort of your couch.

 

Chat Mix

 

You control the audio level balance between the action in your game and the communication from your team. Simply turn up the chat audio to ensure hearing your friends over the explosions. Or turn down your friends if you want to focus on the action.

 

EQ

 

Hear what you were meant to with the pre-programmed equalizer. Easily change it with the push of a button for those intense, action-packed movies, or switch to Music when feeling those slow jams.

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

Speaker drivers

 

40mm Neodymium Drivers

Effective Range: 10 m, 30 ft

Headphone Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20000KHz

Weight with Battery: 318g, 11oz

Weight without Battery: 297g, 10oz

Max Volume: 100dB* SPL @ 1kHz

Ports: Wired Mode / Share Port,

Chat port, mini USB FW update port

 

Microphone

 

Frequency Response: 100Hz - 10000Hz

Mic Pattern: Unidirectional

Microphone Sensitivity -44 dB

Microphone Impedance 2200 Ohm

Indication: Red LED on mute

 

Transmitter

 

Wireless Range: 12m, 40ft straight line

Latency: <16ms, fixed

Ports: Analog In, Analog Out, mini USB,

Optical In, Optical Out, Power

Battery Type: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 1000mAh

Battery Life: 20 hours per pack, typical usage

 

Package Content

 

Siberia 800 Headset & Transmitter

2 Battery packs

6 Cables: Optical, USB, Power, Analog, Mobile, Chat

Power adapter with 4 worldwide plug ends

Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories

 

 

It is finally the time to check out the high-end offering of the SteelSeries gaming headset range; this one is named Siberia 800 and it is in fact a reincarnation of their successful Siberia H. While the headset is wireless, it needs to connect to its breakout box to operate and not directly to the device which transmits the audio so we can consider it as a hybrid device. The box Siberia 800 ships in is of similar size we have seem with the Prism models, so yeah, it is pretty big! On the frontal area we will get to see a photo of the main product along with some of its main highlights listed in the corners:

 

 

 

 

 

On the box laterals, we can see that SteelSeries has also written some short descriptions of some additional product features it wants to bring in focus:

 

 

 

 

If we would like to learn more about the product, including its accessories, we are free to check out the back side of the box:

 

 

 

This is not all! The bottom area of the box has the list of the technical specifications regarding the headphone, microphone and used technology stats:

 

 

 

After removing the top packaging layer, we will end up with an inner box, which does feature the SteelSeries logo in the middle, along with an interesting pattern, which was also seen with their Flux Luxury Edition headsets:

 

 

 

The Siberia 800 does sit inside a custom plastic mold along with the breakout box:

 

 

 

Besides this, we will get on the lower layer a separate cardboard box with the rest of the bundle:

 

 

 

Let’s open it and see what we do have inside!

 

 

 

The inside contents are quite impressive:

 

-USB Power adapter

-USB Power cable which connects to the said adapter

-one 3.5mm plug

-a Chat Cable 3.5mm for Xbox 360

-a Chat Cable 3.5mm for Xbox One, Playstation 4

-an Analog 3.5mm audio cable

-an optical audio cable

-an USB cable

-one battery

-documentation

-different power plugs for the Power adapter

 

 

 

The headset User Manual is accompanied by a set of SteelSeries stickers:

 

 

 

In the manual, we will get to see how to perform the connection procedure depending the device we are using and also how to operate the rechargeable batteries:

 

 

 

The supplied power adapter was manufactured by Ktec and is rated on the output as 5V at 1A:

 

 

 

In the back of it we will find the USB port:

 

 

 

We will attach the supplied plug in order to start using it:

 

 

 

The breakout box (the brains of the SteelSeries 800) is fully covered in transparent plastic film in order to avoid any scratched during transit; one other reason is the fact that its frame is made from black shiny texture which is prone to fingerprints and dust:

 

 

 

In the frontal area of the unit we’ve got a small Back button along with a Volume controller which can be also pressed in for selecting the current option; on the left side we have a tiny OLED display available which we will show later:

 

 

 

On the back side of the unit we will get to see a ton of interfaces:

 

-Analog In

-Chat Out

-DC-IN

-USB port

-Optical In

-Optical Out (for connecting the console/PC to a sound system and Siberia 800 at the same time)

 

 

 

The right side of the unit does have a special opening; this is actually the compartment used to charge the second battery:

 

 

 

On the bottom of the breakout box we’ve got a large central sticker attached which does feature the product code name, FCC ID and supported standards; on the side we do have a rubber foot so the product will stay steady on the surface we will place it on:

 

 

 

The build of the Siberia 800 combines matte plastic, glossy plastic, rubber and very comfy ear cup/headband paddings:

 

 

 

The cups can be fully rotated in order to fit most head sizes and shapes; their glossy plastic exterior covers are fully removable:

 

 

 

A photograph without flash shows the silver logo placed in the middle:

 

 

 

Both ear paddings and interior of the ear cups have a flavor of orange besides the black leatherette material. For each cup we do have a single 40mm neodymium driver with a frequency response between 20Hz and 20000KHz:

 

 

 

Here is also a closer look at the inside of the ear cup:

 

 

 

On the lateral of the right cup, we have got a separate compartment with audio jacks also the Power button:

 

 

 

The Power button also acts as a Mic Mute button when tapped:

 

 

 

The Chat and Share audio jacks are hidden right under the black rubber cover:

 

 

 

During operation, the Power light will turn on and blink slowly:

 

 

 

The top area of the right cup does also come with a Volume controller so we won’t have to reach the console (breakout box) in order to modify it; it can be also pressed in for selecting different options:

 

 

 

The left cup does come with the retractable microphone; this one does have a LED which signals when it is muted:

 

 

 

The microphone can be adjusted as needed:

 

 

 

The thick padding on the top area of the headset will ensure that it will stay comfortable even during longer gaming sessions:

 

 

 

As with many other headsets, we can adjust it on each side:

 

 

 

On the top area of the headband we will observe the SteelSeries logo printed on a rubber layer:

 

 

 

The rechargeable battery looks similar to the ones we usually find on mobile devices:

 

 

 

This one is rated 3.7V/1000mAh:

 

 

 

On the top we will get to see its three gold-plated contacts:

 

 

 

To recharge the battery, we will only have to insert it into the slot of the console and the OLED display will confirm that it has been connected and charging:

 

 

 

 

A secondary battery resides inside the left cup; in order to reach it we will have to remove the top cover, by rotating it a bit to the left:

 

 

 

The back area of the cover does show the marker which should align with the one on the ear cup:

 

 

 

On the bottom of the battery compartment we will get to see an additional sticker:

 

 

 

On the right side cup we will also get to see an USB port for firmware upgrades:

 

 

 

Right after we power on the console, it will go into setup mode, but it is better to show this via a small video on the next page:

 

 

 

The Siberia 800 wireless gaming headset flagship from SteelSeries does come with a Dolby-certified console and can be connected to a wide variety of devices thanks to the inputs/outputs on both breakout box and headset but also thanks to the supplied cables. The dual-battery setup is quite unique and permits us to swap between these in just under ten seconds. The display of the console is always on thanks to the OLED technology, shows a lot of settings which we can perform depending on the chosen interfaces and on the main screen we do have the battery levels listed, current volume levels, Dolby feature when enabled but also more.

 

We have tried the headset while listening to music, watching TV shows, movies but also while gaming and we can say that it can offer an optimal sound quality even with the flat EQ; Dolby can be enabled when needed and offers a nice experience while watching video content. Do not expect though this headset to offer stellar volume levels; while with other models we were usually listening under 50% volume levels, with this one we needed to adjust from the console over 75% but this cannot be considered a negative point for the product. If we consider that the default EQ is not enough for us, we can choose from a set of predefined profiles like Immersion, Performance, Entertainment, Music, Voice or even create a custom EQ of our own.

 

Regarding the supplied batteries, we were able to squeeze about 17 hours until the battery needed a full recharge; SteelSeries recommends thought that we should recharge the batteries when around 25% in order to preserve their capacity for longer. This is an easy process to accomplish since the console always shows us the battery level when we power on the headset, during use and also when it drops a line. Why the console needs a separate power adapter connected to it? Well, while the Siberia 800 can operate well without it when the computer is on via USB, if we turn off the computer then no power will be supplied to the box so the charging process of the extra battery will be also turned off. The power adapter will make sure that everything stays fully functional even without the computer and we can always connect other devices to the breakout box and keep on rocking this way.

 

Which are negative points you may ask? Well, there are two: first, the device is advertised as being compatible with the SteelSeries Engine 3 on the box and at least at the moment it is not. We have tried to install the software while we had the headset connected on USB and it is not detected at all. Windows though sees the device and we can select it as our default communication device right away. The secondary small issue is that the console still identifies the device as SteelSeries Siberia H on the OLED display so only a firmware update will be able to get this fixed.

 

Considering the amount of features and overall build quality, this is clearly a device for enthusiasts and gamers which are usually buying their devices to use for a long time. This also reflects in the selling price, which is currently about 337 Euros online.

 

SteelSeries Siberia 800 Wireless Gaming Headset is Recommended For:

 

 

We would like to thank again to SteelSeries for making this review possible!