INTRODUCTION

   Using and testing Bluetooth enabled devices has become a way of life for me since i spend the better part of each month in the company of many wireless portable speakers, earphones and headphones. However no matter how many of these devices happen to land in my hands in the end with just minor exceptions like the REVO Wireless by Jabra (and some hands-free headsets i use in the car) i prefer wired headphones over wireless ones when listening to music in the comfort of my sofa. Granted I’ve said many times in these pages that i believe wireless freedom is the future but at least when it comes to consumer oriented products we've yet to reach a point where wireless streaming can produce the same results (although i have to admit that AptX is doing a great job narrowing that gap). Tt eSPORTS has been manufacturing quality gaming headsets since day one of their appearance in the market and so it was just a matter of time before they too would enter the wireless market which they just did with the introduction of the SYBARIS Wired And Wireless Gaming Headset.

   “Challenge is the game” highlights the philosophy to bring out gamers’ addiction in gaming and the ambition of reaching to the extreme. Tt eSPORTS, a gaming obsessed division from Thermaltake, is uniting gamers from all over the world in a unique & fascinating eSPORTS culture, inherited the spirits of Thermaltake, is an energetic, powerful, bold and intelligent challenger who never says “no” to the extreme competition. We do not only provide gamers the ultimate gaming gears but also fulfills the passion to achieve the ultimate success. Thermaltake has been a well-known brand in the gaming & DIY market for PC Chassis, Coolers and Power Supplies PSU for many years. The brand personality of unique, aggressive, vivid and stylish makes Thermaltake an expert in creating exciting things and fascinating environment for gamers and enthusiasts. Tt eSPORTS inherited the brand personality with unique and creative design by observing users’ behaviors and requirements. The fan cooling design on Tt eSPORTS Challenger keyboard demonstrate the brand spirit. It is the worldwide first keyboard with fan cooling function that could dry your hand sweats and blow tension away during cut-throat competition.

   Although the SYBARIS is the first attempt by Tt eSPORTS to enter the wireless market i was surprised to see that it comes packed with several technologies we don't see much with other similar products (at least not all together) including support for Bluetooth v4.0, AptX lossless audio streaming and NFC (Near Field Communication). The SYBARIS uses two 40mm neodymium stereo drivers featuring a frequency response of 20Hz-20KHz with 32 Ohms impedance and 97dB (+-3dB) sensitivity and a bi-directional detachable noise cancelling microphone that features a frequency response of 100Hz-10KHz with 2.2KOhm impedance and -67dB (+-3dB) sensitivity (there's also a built-in microphone for wireless use but we have yet to receive it's specifications). Also thanks to the built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery packs placed in both earcups and Bluetooth v4.0 you can use the SYBARIS wirelessly for up to 14 hours at normal volume levels. Since however it wouldn't be the first time that on paper something sounds great let's see how Tt eSPORTS did with their first Bluetooth wireless headset.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The SYBARIS retails inside a thin black box with a product picture at the front, the Tt eSPORTS logo and the main product features.

Several product pictures can be seen at the rear right next to the specifications list of the headset, its features and a quick product description in 16 languages.

Much attention was obviously given to the packing of the headset.

Inside the box you will find the SYBARIS headset, detachable microphone, carrying pouch, USB to microUSB charging cable, 3.5" cable, 3.5mm PC cable with in-line controller, warranty policy booklet and the quick installation guide.

THE SYBARIS

The SYBARIS features a steel frame covered with polished hard plastic so although very durable dust and fingerprints may pose a problem for some people.

Placing the SYBARIS right next to the REVO Wireless it's not hard to see that it's quite bulkier (although it weighs just 255g).

Tt eSPORTS has placed their logo on the exterior of both earcups although on the right earcup we also see the NFC area (pointed out with a sticker and yes it works although i prefer bluetooth pairing), a large play/pause/answer/end calls button and the activity LED right next to it (well you can't really see it but it’s there).

At the rear of the right earcup we find the on/off power button and the volume level buttons.

As you can see the microUSB charging port is placed at the base of the right earcup (you can also see the built-in microphone hole further up) while the 3.5" port is placed at the base of the left earcup.

You can attach the detachable microphone at the base of the left earcup as seen above (not as flexible however as some others we've seen in the past).

Of course taking up the 3.5" port means that there must be another 3.5" port somewhere for you to connect the audio cable so Tt eSPORTS has placed one at the base of the microphone.

As expected the earpads are made out of memory foam material and are covered with leatherette (the drivers feature cloth covers). Removing them is also very easy but placing back on might take a bit longer.

The earpads have a 90 degree pivot feature making them easier to store.

Left and right markings are placed on the interior of the headband.

The headpad is not very thick but it's surprisingly comfortable.

The SYBARIS can extend up to 40mm on every side via 18 increments (not visible ones).

Once again we see the company logo printed on the exterior of the headband.

If you decide to use the SYBARIS for gaming then you will need to use the cable with the in-line controller which allows you to control the volume and mute the microphone.

All 3.5mm connectors (from both 3.5" cables) are gold plated.

CONCLUSION

   We tested the SYBARIS right next to the REVO Wireless by Jabra (wireless vs wireless) and the On1 Monitor HD Series by Thinksound (wireless vs wired) for 6 days with several MP3/MP4 players, smartphones, A/V amplifiers and of course my primary test rig that wears the Sound Blaster Titanium HD card. So for starters the SYBARIS produces very good and deep bass levels (although not as warm as we had hoped) with good mids and equally good highs (clear and crisp) but when connected via Bluetooth the overall volume level is not what we had in mind from such a relatively large headset. You can of course correct that by using the 3.5" cables but even so we felt that both the REVO Wireless and the On1 Monitor HD Series produced higher amounts of volume (the On1 Monitor HD Series is however in a class of its own). The SYBARIS is also very comfortable (although since it's not very small i wouldn't wear it out in the open) and it easy to see that Tt eSPORTS spend much in the build quality department although the polished plastic used needed cleaning each time we used it and that's pretty much the only thing i didn't enjoy while testing it (however to be fair the SYBARIS is not the only headset out there with such a problem). One thing that left us with mixed feelings was the detachable microphone since on one hand it's very good at what it does (we enjoyed using it in Planetside 2) but on the other hand it's not very flexible and it's a bit larger than we'd like it to be. That's not really a serious issue but we do hope that next time Tt eSPORTS opts for a retractable microphone although the built-in one is a good compromise. As for battery life we were unable to reach the advertised 14 hours even after 5 full recharges (as expected) but we did manage to come really close to 9 full hours of playback with the volume set all the way to max and that's not something we've been able to do with many wireless headsets.

   As far back as i can remember Tt eSPORTS has always offered their products for less compared to the competition and the SYBARIS is not really an exception since it currently retails for USD139.99 inside the USA (Newegg) and for 113.31Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Now if i had to choose a simple Bluetooth wireless headset then I’d probably stay at the sub USD100/100Euro range but for something more complete that can also be used with games and offers very good overall audio quality with advanced characteristics then my next choice would be the quite more expensive REVO Wireless by Jabra but in that case I’d still miss out on the very good bi-directional noise-cancelling microphone of the SYBARIS which can be used while gaming. In the end if you just need a wireless blue tooth headset to listen to music while on the go the SYBARIS is not for you, but if you're looking for an all-around solution then this could just be what you're looking for. As for us we really liked the SYBARIS and although we do feel that Tt eSPORTS did cut some corners along the way still they designed and manufactured a very good wired and wireless headset worthy of our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Clear & Crisp Mids/Highs
- Good & Deep Bass
- Wired & Wireless Use
- Bluetooth V4.0 + AptX
- NFC (Near Field Communication)
- Detachable Noise-Cancelling Microphone
- Earcups With Pivot Feature
- Battery Life (Up To 14 Hours)
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Bluetooth Volume Levels
- Somewhat Bulky (Compared To The Competition)