This is a really good headset.
Disclosure: We were sent a unit for review.
I’ve spent the last two and a half weeks with the EPOS H3 Hybrid gaming headset glued to my noggin, metaphorically speaking but also figuratively, because I wanted to get a taste of the headset in pretty much any situation I could. The only thing I didn’t manage to do was test it out on a plane, I’d need a few more months for that. And after playing forty hours of Far Cry 6 and listening to countless hours of music with this thing planted on my ears for a few weeks I can say that it’s a solid headset.
The EPOS H3 Hybrid runs $180 and comes in black and white. I received the white model. It also comes with a USB-C cable running what must be six and a half to seven feet long which is now used to charge not just the headset and connect it to my computer, but to charge my other USB-C devices. There’s a built-in volume wheel, and you get an aux cable as well. When they say length doesn’t matter on cables, they’re lying. Who says that? People with short cables.
But you have a few options since the headset connects via Bluetooth, USB, and the included aux port. There’s also the option for simultaneous Bluetooth connection, which is really dope. I spent a lot of time with both my computer and my phone connected to the headset at the same time, listening to podcasts on my phone or taking a phone call while playing Far Cry or Call of Duty, running through the same speakers simultaneously, and with no drop in quality from either source or worrying that my mom will realize I’m playing a video game while half-listening to her complain. Sorry mom. But not really.
The boom mic is a handy tool that comes off of the headset thanks to its simple magnetic connector and if you remove it there is a backup pinhole mic that takes over. I asked a few people over the phone how they felt about the quality and they said it was actually better than my normal phone microphone. I tested this with my Razer Phone.
So committed to my review, I had this thing planted on my head for over ten hours straight one day just to see how uncomfortable it would become. It stayed pretty comfy, what with the over-the-ear style headphones and the padded top. I definitely felt like I’d been wearing a headset from ten in the morning until eight at night, but at no point did it start hurting my ears or my head like I get with other headsets after an hour or so.
The quality of sound coming out of the H3 Hybrid is fantastic, I’m hearing sounds that I’ve never heard before playing Fortnite. I’m not going to claim that the H3 Hybrid made me better at Fortnite, but ever since I started playing with this headset and taken in the 7.1 surround sound audio with its extra spatial awareness, I have been kicking some major ass at Fortnite. The quality doesn’t just feel like really high quality audio being pumped through a speaker two millimeters away from your ear, but more like you’re in a room flooded with audio. I actually took the headset off a couple of times because I wasn’t convinced the sound wasn’t coming through my PC speakers.
Battery life is impressive, even though I say this having used it mostly connected by USB. EPOS promises 37 hours of Bluetooth battery life, and while I didn’t exactly time it, it sounds about right. I went grocery shopping several times with these on Bluetooth and whenever I got home after a few hours and plugged it in, the voice still popped up with “you have over 80% battery remaining.” The headphones are also something I’d wear in public and not feel like a dork, just pull that boom mic off and put the cover on before you go out.
The Bluetooth connection itself is pretty strong. To test the strength, I left my phone in the house and went out to get the mail. I got all the way out to the mailbox before the audio starting cutting and I’d say I have a medium-length driveway.
Given my Spanish name is El Cheapo, I have to be really impressed by a piece of hardware to suggest $180 for a pair of headphones. I was really impressed by EPOS. If this was something I’d tested in a store electronics section, I’d likely pony up the money to buy it right there. My ears have been awakened to the wonders of 7.1 surround sound audio and I’ve actually started wearing these when I watch movies at home to get the full surround sound experience.
You can buy the headsets at the official website. I don’t score reviews but I can give the H3 Hybrid the official MMO Fallout seal of approval.
MMO Fallout 