The Epos H3 doesn’t have a lot going on. It’s a wired gaming headset with a 3.5mm connection, no special features to speak of, and it costs $119. But if you take a closer look, it has some little touches that show a closer attention to detail, like a two-hinge system that keeps the ear cups flush. And if you listen close, you can hear that there's detail and clarity to its sound that you might not find in a lesser headset. The Epos H3 isn’t perfect, but it’d be a mistake to take a quick glance and not consider its finer qualities.
Epos H3 – Design & Features
The Epos H3 is a straightforward wired gaming headset with a few subtle tweaks to maximize comfort and ease of use. The top band is made of black plastic with an adjustable steel core, which is marked with numbered notches to help you set your head size symmetrically. The top band features memory foam padding coated with a healthy coating of leatherette all the way around the band, which gives it a refined look.
The top band attaches to the ear cups horizontally, sitting in front of the cans rather than directly above. Meaning the top band sits forward on your head a bit more than most headsets. Though it is a distinct change, the visual difference is more subtle than you might think. When you look at the headset before you put it on, it almost looks backwards. If you look at yourself in the mirror with the headset on, you don’t notice a thing. Most importantly, at 279 grams, it sits light on your head. You won’t forget you’re wearing a headset – the ear cups fit a little too well for that – but it’s easy to wear all day.
The most notable elements of H3’s material design are its dual-hinged plastic forks. The two hinges, one vertical and one horizontal allow for the ear cups to get a flush fit on the sides of your head. It also allows you to easily adjust them if the seal starts to feel more tight than snug.
The ear cups themselves are long half-moons, padded with thick memory foam. According to Epos, the shape is designed to make the headset more comfortable and keep the cans from hanging on your ears. This works swimmingly, so long as you make sure the headset is well-adjusted. If you don’t take a moment to find the size that works for you and make sure it’s symmetrical, the narrow shape will box your ears and get uncomfortable quickly. That isn’t a problem, but it’s worth knowing that tailoring your experience is a requirement, not just a perk.
The H3 has only one on-set control, an inset volume wheel, which I rarely used. The headset comes in slightly soft at the default, full volume: The moment I started playing with the wheel, the volume was too low.
The Epos H3 comes with two cables; a 1.5 meter 3.5mm jack and a 3.5-meter Y-shaped audio cable for PC. I was peeved to find that, while the cable is detachable, the smaller audio jack and unique housing means you cannot swap them out for non-Epos cables. The default 1.5-meter cable is on the short side, so it would be nice to swap it out for a longer cable in some situations.
Lastly, the H3 features a comparatively large bidirectional mic on a thick but flexible plastic boom arm. Unlike most headsets in recent years, the mic is not detachable: It’s built into the housing of the left ear cup. When you flip it up the off position, the mic auto-mutes: In a nice touch, there’s an audible click when the headset moves in or out of mute position.
Epos H3 – Gaming
The Epos H3 looks refined, and it puts out a crisp, clear sound to match. Though Epos describes the headset’s soundscape as bassy, I’d say it’s quite even-keeled: Yes, it brings some bass, but its mids and highs sing as well across games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Dead by Daylight, Days Gone, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, among others.
In Call of Duty, I could tell the difference between close and too close bullets based on how they sound whizzing by. Sailing the rivers of England in AC Valhalla, you can hear the smooth timbre of your vikings’ songs. In Dead by Daylight, still my competitive go-to, I was able to locate detailed sounds like footsteps, trash fires, and crows by sound alone. Though there are headsets that offer more robust experiences with deeper, more nuanced sound, you can hear a good amount of detail in most in-game situations.
One noticeable, not so great trait: The headset’s volume, by default, is somewhat soft. As I mentioned, the volume wheel isn’t particularly useful unless you turn the system volume on your device very loud. I could always hear when playing on my PS5 or Xbox Series X but found myself frequently looking to make the volume just a smidge louder.
The microphone is generally very clear and easier to position than I expected, given its size. Although Epos described it as a noise-canceling mic, I found it picks up ambient noise just a little more fully than other headsets that feature microphones with active noise cancellation. It’s a small difference that, in my testing, didn’t impact gameplay at all but might make you think twice before using it for streaming or other, more demanding audio work.
from IGN Reviews https://ift.tt/3m5zSFB
This could be a real lead forward for personal gaming... Revolutionise gaming
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