Epos makes good gaming headsets. Emerging from the Demant and Sennheiser split, the company had a history with developing audio-based devices prior to its 2019 debut. The major emphasis was seemingly always on sound quality over everything else.
Being able to hear and be heard are the two of the most important features of any headset. And while none of Epos’s headsets have landed on our Best Gaming Headset list, they’re known to excel in this regard. That’s certainly the case with the company’s solidly built H6Pro, a wired headset that’s only hindered by an uncomfortable fit.
Epos H6Pro – Design and Features
The Epos H6Pro comes in two variations: a closed and open acoustic model (the latter of which was used for this review). Both offer a sturdy, lightweight frame with a slim metal headband wrapped in soft padding. Thick plastic surrounds the adjustable portions, which connect at the earcups via a 2-axis hinge. The cups’ similar plastic and metal combo is offset by thick memory foam padding and the open acoustic design. At a glance, the H6Pro looks rather sleek.
The earcups are nearly bare; besides the boom mic and a large circular volume dial, there aren’t any external buttons or switches. This helps in providing seamless lines, where the aesthetics bleed into one another for an overall uniformed appearance. There are some bits that stand out though. For instance, the left cup features a magnetized surface that secures either the detachable mic or a metal plated cover. Below that is where the headset’s cables connect – either a PC cable (that splits into the green/pink headset/mic plugs) or a 3.5mm cable for console and mobile device use. The right cup sports the volume dial that, without its slightly raised notches, would otherwise go unnoticed.
Unique to this build is the open acoustic design. Each earcup has a breathable top half that mitigates some of the heat that builds up during play. They also allow the transfer of exterior sound, making it easier to hear whatever’s going on in a player’s immediate surroundings. Speaking of sound, the H6Pro has strong inner components. While I can’t speak on Epos’ claim of having the best transducers on the market, I can say that this headset produces high quality audio. The biggest explosions, the faintest footsteps, team chatter – it was possible to hear it all with minimal effort in most cases. Just plug in the H6Pro and go.
Epos H6Pro – Performance
The H6Pro is compatible with the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile devices, all via 3.5mm connection. No matter what platform I tested it on, it performed splendidly. I could easily communicate with other players in various games or through apps like Discord. The headset’s mic always picked up my voice. Unless of course, I wanted to mute myself by raising it up towards the headband. Lowering the mic back down would prompt a nice “click” letting me know I could be heard again.
On the flipside, when it came to in-game sounds, the H6Pro kept me immersed. This proved beneficial when playing games like Back 4 Blood; it was possible to avoid getting pounced on when you can hear enemies lurking around corners. The headset seems to push all sounds forward with little to no overlap. This is boosted by virtual surround sound options on consoles – Windows Sonic and 3D audio/Tempest for the Xbox X/S, PS4, and PS5 – and supposedly through the Epos Gaming Suite, when paired with the company’s GSX 300 external sound card (sold separately).
While the H6Pro was great to use with various consoles, including the Switch, it performed best when connected to my PC. Just being able to fine tune the sound gave that set up the edge. And that’s without using the Epos Gaming Suite. This is partially due to the lack of external features on the H6Pro and how the Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PS4, and PS5 are designed.
There are no toggles or switches on the H6Pro that control a console’s chat mixer. Meaning that you’ll have to manually change the volume of chat opposite of in-game sounds via your console’s audio settings. The problem here is that not all of them are created equal. On Microsoft’s consoles, there’s a chat mixer that becomes available after you’ve plugged in a wired headset. The same with Sony. The difference is that Sony’s consoles only seem to allow you to either change all audio (to hear chat and game or just the chat) or audio within a party.
What this means is that, as long as I’m in party chat on a PS4/5, I can separate chat from in-game sounds. This also works if I empathize in-game chat over my party. But this effect stops working when I leave a party. On my Xbox One and Xbox Series X though, the mixer controls all chat. No matter where I am or what game I’m playing, I’m able to tweak what sounds are heard. All of this would be negated if the H6Pro had exterior functions that could adjust these settings by itself.
To be fair, this isn’t a huge problem as most wired mics don’t have these chat mixer features. And considering that most people tend to hang out in party chat, regardless of their preferred console, I doubt anyone will really notice. That said, Microsoft gets the edge when it comes to fine tuning chat when playing with random gamers online.
When it comes to hearing and being heard, the H6Pro shines. I especially liked the open acoustic design as it kept me engaged with my surroundings without taking me out of the action. Unfortunately, my gaming sessions with this headset were always short lived due to its tight fit. The 2-axis hinge is supposed to help the H6Pro conform to your head. The mechanism doesn’t seem to actually give very much though, resulting in a ton of pressure; I had to remove my glasses at one point because of the pain from the cups being pressed against my skull. This might not be an issue for everyone, but for me at least, despite having memory foam covered cups and a somewhat flexible frame, the H6Pro was very uncomfortable to wear.
from IGN Reviews https://ift.tt/3GrE1eP
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