How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wired gaming headset with a retractable boom mic and a suspension frame you can wear for long sessions, choose SteelSeries Siberia v2; if you need an open-back planar magnetic headphone that switches between wired and Bluetooth, choose HIFIMAN Deva-Pro Over-Ear Full-Size.
• SteelSeries Siberia v2 — biggest strength: a closed, gaming-first design with a pull-out microphone, 50mm dynamic drivers, integrated in-line volume control, and a lightweight suspension build that comes in at 9.12 ounces.
• SteelSeries Siberia v2 — biggest trade-off: it's wired-only through a 3.5mm jack, so there's no wireless freedom, and its passive noise reduction comes from closed ear cups rather than any active system.
• HIFIMAN Deva-Pro — biggest strength: open-back planar magnetic drivers paired with the Bluemini R2R module, so you get both a wired 3.5mm connection and Bluetooth 5.0 from one headphone.
• HIFIMAN Deva-Pro — biggest trade-off: it's an open-back design with no noise cancellation at all, and at 360g with an 18Ω / 93.5dB spec sheet it leans toward home listening rather than noisy environments.
• Pick the Siberia v2 if you're a PC gamer who wants a mic on the cable and a mic you can hide inside the ear cup.
• Pick the Deva-Pro if you're a music listener who wants planar magnetic detail and the option to cut the cord.
The Siberia v2 is a gaming headset first and everything else second. The core of it is the closed ear cup design, built from sound-dampening foam that gives you passive noise reduction — enough to take the edge off a noisy room without any electronics involved. Inside sit 50mm dynamic drivers, which SteelSeries describes as 25% larger than the previous generation, covering a 20Hz–20,000Hz range at 32Ω impedance and 112dB sensitivity. That combination — high sensitivity, moderate impedance — is the profile of a headset that gets loud easily off a motherboard jack or a console controller, no amp required.
The feature that actually separates it from a plain pair of headphones is the pull-out microphone. It retracts into the ear cup so it's virtually invisible when you're not using it, and there's an integrated volume control on the cord so you're not alt-tabbing to adjust levels. That's a small thing until you're mid-match and it isn't.
In my opinion, this is the headset for a competitive PC gamer on a wired setup who wants one device for voice chat and game audio. The 9.12-ounce suspension construction is the other half of the argument: a suspension band spreads weight across the top of your head instead of pressing a padded strip onto it, which matters over a four-hour session. The protein leather, pleather, and memory foam on the ear pads points the same direction — long-session comfort.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants wireless. There's no Bluetooth here, no battery, no dongle — it's a 3.5mm cable, full stop. If you listen to music on your phone with the screen off, or you want to walk around your place while listening, this isn't the tool. And if you want an open, airy soundstage for acoustic recordings, the closed cups work against you. It's a gaming headset, and it's honest about that.
The Deva-Pro is a different philosophy entirely. It's an open-back planar magnetic headphone — the driver type alone tells you the priority is accuracy and detail rather than isolation. HIFIMAN's Stealth Magnet design is shaped so sound waves pass through the magnets without generating interference, which the company says cuts wave diffraction turbulence and the distortion that comes with it. The NEO "supernano" diaphragm is described as 80% thinner than earlier designs, which is the kind of change that shows up as faster transient response and a more detailed image.
Then there's the part that makes this unusual for a planar: the Bluemini R2R module. It's a companion Bluetooth/USB unit built around HIFIMAN's custom HIMALAYA R2R architecture DAC, using a non-oversampling concept with low energy consumption and high sampling rates. In plain terms, you can run this headphone wired through its 3.5mm balanced socket, or clip on the module and go wireless over Bluetooth 5.0. The battery is rated at 8 hours of average life and 8 hours to charge.
The spec sheet is worth reading carefully. Impedance is 18Ω and sensitivity is 93.5dB — low impedance but also low sensitivity, which is a combination that rewards a decent source rather than a phone headphone jack at full tilt. Frequency response is 20Hz–20kHz, same nominal range as the Siberia v2, but planar magnetic drivers behave differently across that range than dynamic ones. Weight is 360g, and HIFIMAN pairs it with a lightweight headband for comfort over long listening sessions.
Who should buy it? In my opinion, the Deva-Pro is for the listener who wants one headphone for a desk setup and a couch — wired when you want the cleanest path, Bluetooth when you want to move. It's the pick for someone who cares more about the texture of a recording than about blocking out a roommate.
Who should skip it? If you game in a shared space, in a noisy room, or on a train, open-back plus zero noise cancellation is the wrong combination — you'll hear everything and everything will hear you. And there's no microphone, so it's not a chat headset out of the box.
• Best for voice chat and gaming → SteelSeries Siberia v2. The pull-out mic retracts into the ear cup and there's an in-line volume control on the cord.
• Best for wireless freedom → HIFIMAN Deva-Pro. Bluetooth 5.0 through the Bluemini R2R module, with 8 hours of rated battery life.
• Best for blocking out a room → SteelSeries Siberia v2. Closed ear cups with sound-dampening foam give passive noise reduction; the Deva-Pro has none.
• Best for critical music listening → HIFIMAN Deva-Pro. Open-back planar magnetic drivers with the Stealth Magnet design and the thinner NsD diaphragm.
• Best for plug-and-play off a controller or motherboard → SteelSeries Siberia v2. 32Ω at 112dB is an easy load to drive.
• Best for switching between desk and couch → HIFIMAN Deva-Pro. Wired 3.5mm balanced socket or Bluetooth, your choice, no re-cabling required.
• Best for long sessions if weight is your concern → SteelSeries Siberia v2. 9.12 ounces versus 360g, and its suspension band spreads the load.
• Best for a quiet-room, one-headphone setup → HIFIMAN Deva-Pro. It's the more versatile listen, as long as you don't need isolation or a mic.
I'd buy the HIFIMAN Deva-Pro for myself. The reason is simple: the wired-or-Bluetooth flexibility plus open-back planar magnetic drivers covers more of how I actually listen — music at a desk, then untethered around the house — and no other single feature in this comparison buys me that. The Stealth Magnet and NsD diaphragm design choices point at the kind of detail I care about more than isolation.
That said, if gaming with a mic is your main job, I'd take the SteelSeries Siberia v2 without hesitation. It does the one thing the Deva-Pro can't: it puts a mic on your face and a volume dial on your cable. Different tools, and I'd pick based on which job you do more.
how should over ear headphones fit
The ear cups should sit fully around your ears rather than pressing on them, with the headband taking the weight. On the Siberia v2 that job falls to the suspension construction and memory foam pads; on the Deva-Pro it's the lightweight headband. Neither should clamp hard enough to ache after an hour.
how long do over ear headphones last
There's no lifespan figure in the data for either product, and it depends heavily on how you treat the cable, pads, and connectors. What I can tell you is that both use replaceable-style ear pads in principle, and the Deva-Pro adds a battery in the Bluemini module — batteries are the part that ages fastest in any wireless setup.
are over ear headphones worth it
For most people, yes — over-ear cups spread pressure across a wider area than on-ear or in-ear designs, which is why both of these are built that way. Whether a specific pair is worth it comes down to your use case: the Siberia v2 earns its place through the mic and closed cups, the Deva-Pro through planar magnetic drivers and dual wired/wireless input.
are over ear headphones waterproof
Neither of these is described as waterproof in the data, so treat both as indoor, dry-use headphones. The Deva-Pro's open-back design in particular leaves the driver exposed to the outside, and the Siberia v2's electronics in the in-line volume control don't want moisture either. Keep them out of the rain and away from the gym.
If you're weighing these two, check the current price on Amazon before you commit — the specs tell you which one fits your setup, and the button on this page gets you to the live listing.
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