INTRODUCTION

   Necessary "evil", that's how i classify certain electronics and gaming headsets are among them. My reasoning is honestly very simple, whether you live alone or with others the lack of awareness of your surroundings is a serious issue, in the former case because something may happen and you may not notice (like a break-in, something with your pets or with something happening outside of your place) whereas in the latter something may happen next door (someone may fall down or have a health emergency) and you'll still not be able to tell. Yes, these examples may sound as far-fetched to some of you but as someone who's faced similar scenarios there's no way i can ignore that possibility. At the same time however i acknowledge that gaming headsets are very convenient since they allow people to enjoy their favourite games (or movies/music) even at full volume without annoying everyone around them. So, if you have to use a gaming headset my take is that you should be using something well worth it and this is where EPOS comes in with their latest H3PRO Hybrid Wireless Gaming Headset.

   EPOS designs, manufactures, and sells high-end audio and video solutions for gamers and business professionals around the world. Based on decades of psychoacoustic research, EPOS designs audio gaming solutions with unique algorithms and acoustics that provide the best conditions for the brain, enabling gamers to react faster, communicate better and experience full immersion. Owned by the world-leading hearing healthcare and audio technology group, Demant, and with headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, EPOS builds on more than 115 years’ audio expertise and operates in a global market with offices and partners in more than 60 countries. Find more information at www.eposaudio.com

   The H3PRO Hybrid is currently available in 3 colors (black - looks more like navy blue -, white and green) and is the latest addition in the growing H3 line of gaming headsets by EPOS. The H3PRO Hybrid features two angled 40mm dynamic stereo drivers featuring frequency response of 20-20kHz with 116dB sensitivity together with two microphones, a bidirectional noise cancelling detachable boom microphone (with lift to mute function) that features a frequency response of 100-7.5kHz with a sensitivity of -20dB and one inside the earcup primarily used to further improve noise cancellation. EPOS has also equipped the H3PRO Hybrid with 7.1 virtual surround sound, ANC (active noise cancellation), Bluetooth v5.2 (mobile devices), lag-free wireless dongle (use with PC/PS4/PS5), USB-C (PC/PS4/PS5), external earcup controls and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack which can power the headset for up to 38 hours when used via Bluetooth (29 hours via 3.5mm, 30 hours with the lag-free dongle and up to 22 hours with ANC enabled). Sounds like a very interesting wireless gaming headset so let’s check it out.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The H3PRO Hybrid gets shipped inside a black box that has a picture of the left earcup at the front beneath the company logo.

A product description in 6 languages is located on the left side just over the bundle contents and system compatibility.

At the rear of the box EPOS has placed a full product picture showcasing its detachable boom microphone and connectivity.

Packing is once again very good with the headset placed inside a piece of black foam and the rest of the bundle inside a secondary cardboard box.

Contained inside the box are the H3PRO Hybrid headset, boom arm cover cap, 2 meter long 3.5mm braided console cable (headset/mic), 2.5 meter long USB-C to USB-A PC/Console cable, 1.4 meter long USB-A dongle extension cable, safety guide, compliance information paper, wireless information paper and the quick guide.

THE H3PRO HYBRID

Just like with its brothers the H3PRO Hybrid is made out of plastic, stainless steel, leatherette, fabric and memory foam and weighs just 308g (288g without the boom microphone).

In terms of size the H3PRO Hybrid is a rather medium sized gaming headset almost identical to the H3 and H3PRO models.

EPOS has placed both their name and logo on both sides of the headset as seen above.

The drop-down bidirectional boom microphone has a rubber section right in the middle which gives it a relatively good degree of flexibility.

You can easily remove the boom microphone just by pulling it outwards (magnetically attached).

The on/off power button is located Infront of the left earcup while the USB-C port is located at the base and the 3.5mm port at the rear.

Moving onto the exterior of the right earcup here we find the volume control roller/knob, 3 LED battery indicator, Bluetooth button and the ANC on/off switch.

Instead of using leatherette for the entire earpad (these are detachable and can be replaced) EPOS used soft fabric for the front section.

Likewise, only the interior headpad of the H3PRO Hybrid is made out of leatherette, the rest is made by fabric.

You can extend the headset on both sides by a total of 82mm (41mm on each side) via a total of 10 segments (10 tagged).

The lag-free wireless dongle is tiny and getting shipped with a 1.4 meter long USB-A extension cable is obviously a good thing.

EPOS GAMING SUITE

For optimal control over the H3 Hybrid you should download the EPOS gaming suite software.

Once you install the software it will take you to the settings tab if it detects a firmware update.

From the 1st speaker tab, you can adjust the volume, choose one of the 4 available presets (esport/flat/movie/music) or create your very own, switch between stereo (2.0) and virtual surround sound (7.1), set the reverberation level and perform a sound test.

Moving to the microphone tab from here you can enhance your voice (warm/clear effects), mute the microphone, perform a microphone test and adjust the gain, side tone, noise gate and noise cancellation features.

Aside performing firmware updates from the settings tab, you can also change the function for the smart button (surround sound/preset switcher) and enable/disable the auto sleep feature.

CONCLUSION

   Even though I normally test gaming headsets for around a week I ended up testing the H3PRO Hybrid for just over a month and yes, it’s that good. Audio quality is not that much different compared to the H3 Hybrid so once again you can expect crisp and detailed mids and highs accompanied with a good amount of bass sufficient for gaming, watching movies and even listening to music (although for bass heavy genres the H3PRO Hybrid may fall a bit short). The ANC feature is something I didn’t find much need for but the few times I did use it I encountered no issues. Positioning audio (7.1 virtual surround) also works very well, both in games and movies but as expected for optimal results I suggest you switch between 2.0 and 7.1 before you decide which mode is best for you. The H3PRO Hybrid is also very comfortable so even after 2-3 hours of gaming (especially in Battlefield 2042) your head shouldn’t feel tired at all. Moving to the boom microphone well not much to say here, generally speaking most microphones used in gaming headsets are far from stellar but models by EPOS do very well in that regard (of course EPOS is not alone in that, most SteelSeries models do very well too). Finally in terms of battery life when used with the bundled dongle I never recorded over 26 hours and even though that’s 4 hours less than the advertised number it does make sense since those numbers are usually recorded at 50-60% volume whereas i always set volume at 80% if not more. Still 26 hours should be more than enough for most people who use their headsets for 3-4 hours per day (so just over a week without the need for a recharge).

   With a current price tag set at USD263.19 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at 232.48Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the H3PRO Hybrid Wireless Gaming Headset by EPOS may not be what many will consider affordable but I wouldn’t call it expensive either, not for a model with ANC and both wired and wireless connectivity. At the end of the day, it all comes down to whether or not you need these features but if you do the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is clearly a great gaming headset and that’s why it gets the Platinum Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- Crisp & Detailed Mids & Highs
- Good Bass Levels
- 7.1 Positioning Audio Performance
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
- 3.5mm, USB, Lag Free Dongle & Bluetooth v5.2 Connectivity
- Comfortable (Dual Axis Hinges / Memory Foam Earpads)
- Up To 38 Hours Of Battery Life
- Flexible & Detachable Bidirectional Boom Microphone
- Available In 3 Colors (Black, White & Green)
- PC Gaming Suite Software (Easy To Use)

CONS

- Price (For Some)