Product: EPOS H3 Closed Acoustic Gaming Headset
Type: Gaming Headset (Wired)
Price: $179.00 AUD
Availability: Out Now
Link: eposaudio.com/en/au/gaming/products/h3

After separating from Sennheiser, EPOS released its first branded bit of audio with the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Wireless Earbuds -- which we reviewed not that long ago. With the release of the new EPOS H3 Closed Acoustic Gaming Headset we see the audio company bring its first proper gaming-focused product to the market this year.

And on that front the EPOS H3 is a wired, affordable, mid-range offering that continues the look and feel of past efforts we’ve seen from the company -- that is, a large boom mic and somewhat angular look to the ear-cups. No real radical changes, just smart incremental ones.

This new EPOS headset arrives with the same focus on high-quality audio, something that’s suitable for a number of games. Or even music. Though on that front, and when it comes to console gaming, there are a few problems that are more easily dealt with when connecting the H3’s to a PC. Thanks to software support the overall “flat” out-of-the-box sound that might not be for some can be tweaked to better suit personal preference or a more bombastic presentation.

Tech Talk

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Clear would be one way to describe the sound of the EPOS H3 gaming headset, where the low, mid, and high frequency ranges are given room to breathe and detail to spare -- something that’s always great to, well, hear in a more affordable offering. This is not to say that the audio quality here is of the premium sort or entirely balanced, but it highlights that on PC at least - there’s versatility that suits gaming and other forms of media like music. The EPOS H3 is also lightweight and comfortable enough to become a go-to no matter the task at hand.

Headphone:

• Drivers: 40mm
  
• Frequency response: 10-30,000 Hz
  
• Impedance: 20 Ohm
  
• Cable length: 2m

Microphone:

• Microphone Pickup pattern: Bidirectional
  
• Frequency response: 10-18,000 Hz

As per the introduction, the default sound here could be described as “flat” -- meaning there’s no real emphasis placed on one portion of the frequency range to the detriment of another. In practice, this means the in-game soundtrack you’re listening to will sound as it was intended. For the most part at least, as even in this more balanced state (something that we prefer when it comes to gaming audio) the bass response lacks punch and presence.

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EPOS H3 is a wired, affordable, mid-range offering that continues the look and feel of past efforts we’ve seen from the company -- that is, a large boom mic and somewhat angular look to the earcups. No real radical changes, just smart incremental ones.

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One of the benefits that comes from well-tuned audio, and one of the reasons it’s always great to see, is the ability to customise the sound. Which EPOS caters for, in the PC space, thanks to EPOS Gaming Suite software -- which offers up an easy to use 9-channel equaliser for precise on-the-fly adjustments and profile switching. For this review we paired the EPOS H3 with the EPOS GSX 300 audio interface and with minor tweaking added that extra bit of oomph to the bass without sacrificing clarity elsewhere.

Something that after initial testing felt necessary when firing up games like Apex Legends, DOOM Eternal, and others.

Design and Comfort

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The EPOS H3 is light, surprisingly so, and for a mid-range offering it features a robust and sturdy design that although mostly plastic has a few nice touches. The steel band, the leatherette and fabric cushions that are soft and comfortable, an overall shape that limits pressure placed on the top of your head. As a lightweight headset the EPOS H3 is quite comfortable to wear for extended periods.

Though it’s a shame that with its first gaming headset EPOS has opted to keep its large boom-mic design non-detachable. Perhaps it comes down to the pricing (which at $179 AUD isn’t quite entry-level) but it would have improved some of the versatility if the microphone was, you know, detachable. That said, the chat quality here is great and the raising of the boom arm to mute feels natural and in the end there’s no sense that the weight distribution is lopsided with the mic sitting there.

On the pulse side, the braided cable is interchangeable between PC and standard 3.5mm connectors.

Sounds Like

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Which brings us to the EPOS H3 as a gaming headset connected to a console like the Nintendo Switch or Xbox Series X. And it's here where the overall “flat” sound feels like a bit of a problem. In that bass response is generally weak without additional tweaking. When paired with virtual surround suites or customisable audio settings on the Xbox Series X, things are improved but it highlights a bit of a difference between connecting the EPOS H3s to a PC versus a console.

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The EPOS H3 is light, surprisingly so, and for a mid-range offering it features a robust and sturdy design that although mostly plastic has a few nice touches.

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On the PC side customisation is a lot easier and the overall design of the audio -- where you get clarity across the entire frequency range -- is impressive. Whether it was playing Outriders, Diablo II: Resurrected, or even firing a classic in the form of Shadow Man Remastered the EPOS H3s sounded great, were comfortable to wear, and featured great chat quality and customisation options via software.