The models do not differ in appearance, except for the connection sizes (3.5mm analog versus USB), housing colors and the LED lights of the prism. However, they are quite different in tone.
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Appearance
Both V3s come in the same, sturdy box with plastic insert. In the pack you will find except the headset itself still a scarce Quick Start Guide and a fan sticker. The "simple" Siberia V3 adapter / extension cord is attached (by 3.5mm headset / four poles on 3.5mm headphone / microphone and three-pole / three-pole).
Externally, there are the headsets virtually entirely of plastic. But you seem solid and meticulously crafted. The earcup cushions are like the resting on the headband covered with very soft, supple leather.
For proper fit on the head there is no adjustment. The contact pressures of the earcups and the headband are but in a wide deflection range consistently, that an individual adjustment is required. Up to the maximum design problem that starts to sweat rapidly under closed headphones, the Siberia V3 / prism bears very pleasant. Even a (not too thick) spectacle frame is "swallowed" by the soft cushions. The comfort is really excellent for over-ear devices. Suppressed even during longer sessions and twinge nothing - one forgets quickly that one has the headset on your head.
V3
The analog cable to the "simple" Siberia V3 is supple, acts stable and has 120 cm up to 3.5mm universal plug a reasonable length. This connection type is found most commonly on mobile devices. In full-blown PCs headphone and microphone jack are usually separated but - the included adapter cable also extended all over again to two meters, so that connections are easily reached on a PC back.
V3 Prism
The USB cable of Siberia V3 Prism is compared to relatively thick and a bit on the stiff. It has one and a half meters an appropriate length, as long as you do not want to connect it to the back of a PC - it would have to buy an extension.
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Quality headphones
V3
A gaming headset must firstly be able to build powerful soundscapes, and secondly allow good perception and locating sounds fine. Both succeeds in Siberia V3 really good. While listening to music with the V3 contrast makes quite fun - but you can clearly see that there is no hi-fi headphones. The low bass sounds tired in the upper bass range tends the V3 but the roar. The highs sound very clear and differentiated from simple noises - noises individual plots it clean and well locatable by. For complex sounds I wish, however, more precision, and in tones noisy, I feel, to hear some artifacts like a bad MP3 compression.
V3 Prism
The V3 Prism is recognized immediately to the USB port of a Windows PC and works immediately (no software installation). Compared to the V3 it sounds clean, precise, neutral and therefore only once less formidable, even slightly pointed for my taste. About the control software "SteelSeries Engine 3" (more on that later) but you can help out by equalizer to make it rummst similarly strong as in V3. In the end it depends on personal preferences, tastes and listening habits.
In games mode, the sonic shortcomings of the "simple" Siberia V3 are barely noticeable - on the contrary, to build large soundscapes manages the "small" model out-of-the-box, even better.
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Quality of the microphone
First of all you have to praise the design, thanks to which the microphone is almost completely sunk into the housing. It can be pulled out well and turn with his malleable shaft in position. Even the slightly easy identifiable behind the left ear cup slide switch for muting is well done.
V3
The microphone is at the port in Windows initially very quiet, but what can be remedied by raising the level in the configuration of the "recording device". The quality is perfectly adequate for an understanding in online games. YouTube videos so that I would not want to add sound. The sound is somewhat muffled and distorted occasionally depending on the position of the microphone. Ambient sounds are transmitted with considerably.
V3 Prism
When Siberia V3 Prism but the microphone sounds compared somewhat duller, for cleaner and more evenly. Ambient sounds are transferred only with silent. But here one should not expect miracles.
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Other
For the V3 Prism one downloads the control software "SteelSeries Engine 3" from the manufacturer's website. On Windows, it latches onto via icon in the Taskbar in. In the nicely designed interface you can create different configurations, each containing settings for the five-band equalizer, the microphone (volume, Auto-off control) and the LEDs (color, on / off). These configurations can be combined with the launch of programs and synchronize via cloud between different computers. For registration with names, e-mail address and password from SteelSeries is required. The final configuration of the LEDs is the way stored in the headset and remains connected to other devices on which the software is not installed, maintained.
One advantage of the "simple" V3 is of course that you, unlike the prism can also use on most smartphones and tablets.
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Conclusion
Both versions are definitely good gaming headsets. If not already the connection type is decisive, can make a decision between Siberia V3 and V3 prism depends on whether you value hi-fi quality. While the LED illumination of the prism is more frills and not of interest to anyone who brings the cleaner sound reproduction clear advantages, as well as the application-specific and easily transferable to other systems equalizer. In turn, sounds the "simple" V3 out-of-the-box and fatter, with its analog connection versatile. When it comes to the microphone V3 Prism nose has also front - but the difference is not huge, especially since both microphones are acoustically mediocre.
