Back in September, I had the chance to dig into the EPOS H3 Hybrid headset. EPOS did a great job entering the headset and earbud market with the H3, as it was reliable, clear, and comfortable. It was a step in the right direction and one that I was excited for EPOS to make.
Now, the H3PRO Hybrid is here, and the headset has taken the concept that the original H3 Hybrid brought to the headset market and made some slight changes to keep the design and functionality moving in the right direction.
Let’s get it going.
Design
If you had the pleasure of reading my review of the Stealth headset from Turtle Beach yesterday, then you understand how much headset comfort weighs into my headset review process. You can have all the great functions and clarity in the world with a headset, but if you don’t want to keep it on your noggin, then what is the point? There is no point. Either you design a headset with comfort leading the forefront, or you go home a failure. The H3 Hybrid back in September was comfortable as hell. While I wasn’t too much in love with a few things, such as the uniquely designed mini-stereo that plugged into the headset, I did enjoy having the headset on my head. I can deal with tech issues, but comfort is non-negotiable.
Anyway, the earpads that come with the H3PRO are more comfortable than the H3, and that’s not a knock on the latter. The H3PRO earpads feel light and non-existent at times, and the earpads do a good job of cupping the audio noise and keeping it where it belongs – in your ears. In addition, the earpads do not trap heat, so you’re not feeling like you have earmuffs on, as I did with the Turtle Beach Elite when I reviewed them a while ago. It keeps the air flowing causing much heat build-up. I can only imagine that this is the result of lighter material in the earpads and that allows for earpad to push out as much as it sucks in.
The bridge between the earpads is equally as comfortable, even more so than Turtle Beach’s Stealth 600 line. It’s completely padded all the way around and doesn’t let the bridge bar press against the user’s head. As I stated yesterday in the TB review, avoiding creating a migraine or any discomfort with the bridge is key to long-term comfort. In this respect, the H3PRO Hybrid excels.
In short, the headset is light and comfortable, and it honestly doesn’t feel like it’s there when you wear it long-term.
Functionality
Battery life! Battery life! And battery life. Today, it’s essential that you have enough battery life to get you through a series of games. There’s nothing quite annoying like having to hook up a wireless headset to charge while the device is in use. Thankfully, you get around 30 hours of time (on average) with the battery. Of course, it varies depending on how you’re hooked up to the platform of your choice. It also varies with noise control and how you’ve hooked up with the platform using that feature. What you’re essentially looking at is around 19 hours (with ANC) and the higher range when that’s not a factor. Regardless, I can’t imagine many scenarios that require you to have this headset on for 19 straight hours. Much like using a DSLR battery, you’re going to stretch that battery usage quite a bit because you’ll be turning the device on and off as you use it. Just depends on your responsibility at that point.
As for other functions, I’m still beside myself that EPOS allows the ability to have simultaneous Bluetooth audio from a game while talking on a 3rd party app or mobile device. The amount of software effort that takes to mix separate signals together is brilliant. It’s like having a two-input audio mixer in your ears. That is still, even since September, one of the coolest experiences for a headset that I’ve seen since reviewing headsets.
On the audio side of the tracks, you have 7.1 gaming sound delivery, depending on the capabilities on the other side (the game). You get a nice noise-canceling option to go with that, as well as the ability to detach the microphone from the headset. The latter is nice because you can use your headset to listen to music on your phone and not look like an insane person with a microphone attached to it. Now, I will say that I would have loved to have something to fill that gap once you detach the microphone, as it does look broken otherwise. It works if you’re on a Zoom call because people don’t see the input module on the outside of the earpad, but it looks a bit odd when you’re walking down the street with a gaping microphone hole on your ear. It’s just a style thing at that point, but it counts for something, especially when you’ve got a sweet-looking headset otherwise. I honestly don’t know how much extra that would cost to have something fill in that microphone space once it’s detached, but I would be willing to pay an extra $10 for it.
To round out the functionality of the H3PRO Hybrid, I enjoy having the option to switch between wired and wireless. I like the flexibility that the headset offers on platform choice. I’m not crazy about a dongle, though. I think we’re at a point where platforms should just be compatible with Bluetooth headphones. While I understand the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 and why it has a dongle (it is customized for the Xbox family, but I’m still not a fan), I wish that more platforms would just open their BT functionalities to allow for headsets like the H3PRO to just connect. The biggest culprits when it comes to incompatibility with headsets have to be the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. I have never had a pair of new third-party headsets work directly with their last two systems. This is a Sony issue, but it’s still annoying. It needs to be improved. I just want to walk into a room with an Xbox, PlayStation, or whatever and connect instantly. We should have those capabilities nowadays. I’m sure there is a lot of paperwork and software involved in that, but get it done folks!
Anyway, let’s wrap this up.
Conclusion
The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is an impressive headset. Its ability to game and take separate calls, mixing both audio inputs together, is so impressive. The comfort and longevity of the headset make this a top-tier choice. There isn’t much to dislike about this headset from EPOS, though there could be some minor improvements to make it that much better. Still, it’s one of the best headset options on the market.
