SteelSeries have shown an innate ability to build upon an existing product and refine it accordingly. After receiving feedback on the original Elite, the changes made are relevant, noticeable and for the better. The headset is still large and heavy, but considering how magical the 50mm drivers sound there is little to avoid that except to make the enclosure as comfortable as they can. The Elite Prism is certainly much more comfortable than the original and should satisfy the majority of people.
The microphone is also significantly improved and one would almost go as far as impressive, yet still suffers from that 'Siberia' noise leakage. Though this leakage tends to only be significant when you are listening to loud music or watching loud videos it seems to be an omnipresent existence in the Siberia line. This is likely to do with how the retractable microphone is positioned near the audio drivers where the flexible microphone can pick up the vibrations. For most it's rarely a problem, and the noise cancelling on the USB does dampen it, or you could simply avoid listening to loud music while in a skype chat. Still, considering the price and knowing that this can be cancelled with the right digital signal processing, yet the USB soundcard included can only dampen its effects may disappoint some.
Though considering how much the Elite Prism has improved over the original Elite, there is little to really pick on, it looks great, has customisable LED lighting effects, the awesome sound quality can be tailored to any preference and the Dolby Headphone surround will please the most avid surround fan. The only primary consideration would be cost, at £170 or €199, this is likely to be one of the most priciest a gamer would be willing to spend out on, and there are many other options available. Though, if you want a gaming headset with top tier audio, your wallet will inevitably feel the hurt one way or another.
The comfort is dramatically improved allowing for longer sessions with what could be the best gaming audio you can get.
Pros.
+ Sleek aesthetic
+ Improved comfort (compared to original Elite)
+ Customisable lighting
+ Best-in-class audio experience
+ Impressive build quality
+ Impressive v7.1 surround
+ Versatile/ modular
+ Great bundle
Cons.
- Price
- Requires a DAC/ discrete sound card w/amp to get the best out of it
+ Sleek aesthetic
+ Improved comfort (compared to original Elite)
+ Customisable lighting
+ Best-in-class audio experience
+ Impressive build quality
+ Impressive v7.1 surround
+ Versatile/ modular
+ Great bundle
Cons.
- Price
- Requires a DAC/ discrete sound card w/amp to get the best out of it
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