So, I regret that I've not been able to get this review out sooner, but I think it's just a testament to how good this headset is that it was so comfortable, so perfectly intuitive that I practically forgot that it was something 'new' to be reviewed it just fit into my normal day to day so well.
I'm talking about the latest entry by EPOS for their gaming headsets. You'd seen the H3 Acoustic set I reviewed, which was a super comfortable wired headset. Great thing.
Then there was the H3 Hybrid which upped the game by adding in Bluetooth options.
Today, there is now the H3Pro Hybrid, which ups it up just a little more than its predecessor as it adds $100 to the pricetag (now $379CDN).
So let's dive into the specs
- Speaker:
- Driver: 40mm [same]
- Response: 20-20,000Hz [same]
- Sensitivity: 116dB SPL [same]
- THD: <0.35% [little improvement from <0.5%]
- Microphone
- Response: 100-7500Hz [same]
- Sensitivity: -20dB for both [same, except ear cup was -22dB before]
- Bluetooth v5.2
- Battery: BT 38hrs (22 with ANC) / Dongle 30hrs (19 with ANC) / 2hrs for full charge
- Detachable boom mic
- USB dongle for instant connection
- Auto Noise Cancelling
So it's got some good specs, especially the battery life, because nothing is worse than playing and having your headset die mid game. An addition to this model is that, like the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrids, it comes with a paired dongle adapter (kind of sad that it didn't come as a USB-C connector, rather just USB-A and an extension cable for it). However, the biggest notable feature they've added now is an option for Auto Noise Cancelling.
That ANC I have to say is the cat's ass... it really does a phenomenal job of recycling out the background noise.
But I'll get to that. let's compare the 2 models.
Really, there's not a whole lot of difference between them physically, except that the Pro comes in a bit of a cobalt blue colour.
They both have a phenomenal fit for the ears (and they are replaceable, but just didn't seem to figure out how to remove them, and didn't want to chance tearing something) and the overhead band has super easy 'ratchetable' / adjustable to get the right fit over your head and they just stay, they don't get loose and flop, it's an amazingly comfortable fit, that while I've been home over the holidays and playing games it's just so comfortable that I can completely immerse myself in my game(s) and just play and play.
In the box it still comes with the wired cords if you want to run it like a normal wired headset (you won't get the ANC unless you power it on, and if you're powering it on, depending on how you set it up you may just be connecting via BT anyways).
Running it wired can also mean using the USB-A to USB-C cord and plugging it directly into your device (or C-C if you have another cord). The cord is there meant to be for charging as it isn't that long - so you may want something longer.
Like the other models the right ear also has a volume dial built in.
This just makes things a little bit easier, but I have to admit, I'm not used to it yet and still just control volume with my keyboard shortcuts.
The boom mic - like the hybrid, is removable, and therefore has a secondary mic on the ear cup when the boom is removed. I do like how the system works that if you swing the boom up, the mic is muted, and then swing it down to activate. Had to do that a few times while live streaming some games this holiday season.
But the biggest advantage for me on this set is that has the Auto Noise Cancelling
I've tried other devices that do some sort of background noise reduction or noise cancelling, but nothing I know has compared.
I game in my little 'alcove' and there's a furnace duct near me and if I put my headphones on, just hte way that this cups the ears it does a good job reducing that, but when I flick the ANC to on (up) it's like it entirely goes away.
It's awesome. It also has led to a few "hey, I've been trying to call you" incidents where I just couldn't hear anything else. If someone comes down and talks to me I can hear a muffled something, but if it's a shout from upstairs it's not getting heard.
So, be warned, it works really well!
If you have a PC, you can install EPOS gaming suite and then get firmware updates for the headset, and play around with the EQ settings. Pressing the BT button (which you'd use if you wanted to pair with something - you'd long press it) changes either the presets or the 2.1 vs. 7.1 simulated surround.
I have to admit, I never really heard a different with those surround modes. Definitely could hear the different EQ modes, but then you really can get down a rabbit hole trying to adjust to get the best, and depending on what you're doing you just might be cycling through the set up to find the right one.
The other advantage that they have with this model is that because it could be connected essentially 4 different ways (1/8" cord, USB, BT or dongle) you can have multiple connections at once. I didn't get to try this out, but you could BT to your phone, and then USB to your laptop, simultaneously. My kid was able to set that up on the GTW model to dongle on his Switch and then BT to his phone so he could listen to the game and chat on Discord at the same time.
I'm not quite that level of gaming.
But, if you are, and you take it seriously, you'll want to look into this set. It's pretty pricy, but it's amazing comfort and quality.
The mic, I have to admit that I'm spoiled by the quality of my Yeti for doing reviews, but I can't take that everywhere with me, so it's pretty cool to have this set in my bag fairly easily and ready to jump on a Zoom call or shoot some Hell demons on Mars wherever you may be.
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