Product Review: Steelseries Diablo III Headset

When evil rises again, make sure you're prepared.

by Sparkileptic on Apr 30, 2012

I remember when game consoles were boasting their stereo sound output, urging you to plug a pair of earphones via a 3.5 jack in the TV to get you closer to the game and make you experience your favorite 8-bit and 16-bit sounds in full auditory glory. Replace earphones with high-quality headsets and marketing muscle, and you have yourself the current generation of gaming.

A multitude of companies have risen to the plate to offer what they believe is 'the' essential product. From mice and controllers to headsets and keyboards, as long as there are people like me still gaming, the inventory will never cease to grow.

When you have an accessory that is licensed and co-designed by the people behind the game it’s meant for, you know you're in the win. The first thing you'll notice when you take the headset out of the box is the suspension design for the headband which allows it to automatically adjust to any head size without the need for any resizing and/or modification of the cups over your ears.

It's weightier than most gaming headsets I've come across, but once I placed it over my head, it found its sweet spot in a snap and rested with ease. Such comfort comes with a downside, however. The suspension could have been a bit firmer as the headset felt a bit loose, making me repeatedly push the ear cups at my head just to confirm that I was getting optimum results.

The headset connects to your system via USB. Its actual wire is wisely only 3 ft long, clearly made with gamers-on-the-move in mind, and comes with an extension cable that provides an additional six feet of length.

You could simply plug it in to your computer and use it as a default headset, but if you are a gamer who takes their sound seriously, you will probably be downloading SteelSeries' accompanying software that allows you optimize its equalizer to your liking. Additionally, the headset comes with the now-standard LED lights covering it whose intensity and rate of fade in/out may be adjusted via the software as well.

The sound it generated was great, just as long as you know what you bought it for. You won't be doing any proper audio work on it and listening to music tracks did not satisfy me, but while I was in game, it delivered a great experience. I tested it with SWTOR and Skyrim, alternating between online and offline, and was pleased with both results.

Possibly my favorite element in this headset was the retractable microphone that you may push in to the ear cup when not in use. It's a sleek, noise-cancelling microphone that does a great job of blocking ambient sounds, but if I were to nitpick, I'd say its quality may not be up to par with some other models currently out in the market.

This headset is a winner and comes with its price tag, but when you're a pro gamer looking for the best results, you can't really go wrong with it. When evil rises again, make sure you're prepared.

Pros:
Comfortable.
Retractable, noise-reducing Microphone.
Great in-game sound.

Cons:
A bit loose around the head.
Not ideal for anything besides gaming.
Pricey.

The Steelseries Diablo III Headset is available right now in stores.

Sparkileptic is an avid gamer and critic who dabbles with the written word.

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