I am very much an average consumer when it comes to sound. I’m not the type to spend five hundred pounds on a headset – or know what the subtle differences are between the two top of the range sets.
So when it comes to headphones, I have three main concerns. Does it sound good? Is it affordable? And, most importantly, is it comfortable?
I’ve been plagued by countless uncomfortable “gaming” headsets in the past, to the point where I don’t trust anything with that label, and have, for the last five years, used a regular pair of headphones with an attached ModMic for gaming and general use. So when the EPOS H3 was advertised and received as a “comfortable gaming headset”, I was both sceptical and intrigued.
lives up to its promise
I started using these for my day-to-day, which for reference, is around 14-16 hours in our work from home world. And I am excited to say that these headphones really do live up to that comfort label overall. They’re incredibly light compared to my usual headphones due to the stainless steel headband, which also features a slider on each side with labelled increments. The latter doesn’t make a difference to me as I always adjust my headphones by feel whilst on my head, but for anyone who enjoys precision or simply wants to jot down their favourite length, it will be good for you.
The H3 feature soft ear pads that go over the ear rather than sit on them. I’ve always preferred this type for comfort, and the H3 fit almost perfectly around my ears. However, the shape on the inside is long and thin, which means they do push against the back of my ears sometimes, especially when I move around. It’s not uncomfortable but it’s annoying, as I constantly find myself adjusting them to maintain the correct angle. The ear cups are also hinged to help get a good seal on any head shape and keep the headset feeling comfortable.
comfort levels
This leads me on to my next point – are they too tight? This has always been my number one gripe with “gaming” headsets – they are always so tight that wearing them upwards of thirty minutes results in a headache. But the H3 are not tight at all – in fact they are actually the opposite – perhaps a little too loose. This results in one minor criticism. When I tip my head forward I feel the top of the headphones tip with it. Although they never fall off, this is a noticeable annoyance that causes the ear cup position to change, meaning I need to adjust them.
It should be noted I also wear glasses. While some headphones can press the edges of my glasses against my head and cause a headache, the H3 is not one of those. Glasses wearers rejoice! So in summary with comfort, it’s not the best fit with ear shape and is a little too loose. But overall, I really like them and I’m fine wearing them for extended periods of time.
sound quality
So, I hear you ask, what about the sound quality and microphone? I’ll start by saying the sound is great; crisp and clear, making in-game prompts easy to pick out. I’m a video editor by trade and I game in the evenings, and H3 work great in both of these instances. For it’s price point, the H3’s sound is great and I have nothing but compliments here.
Side by side with my ModMic, the microphone doesn’t sound quite as good as it lacks the bassy undertones and sounds less natural. It’s still very clear and crisp and is good at keeping background noise to a minimum. It’s perfect for long gaming sessions. The mic automatically mutes when you push it upwards. This is great when you need to go silent in a pinch, but be aware your friends will hear you doing it unless you’re using a communication service with good automatic noise cancellation.
The EPOS H3 headphones are plug in and play, and come with two detachable cables, one regular for use with consoles and phones, and one split, for computers with separate audio and mic jacks. This is great when you want to swap between both regularly, as I can just pull the split cable out of the headphones when done with my PC, and use the other for console gaming, without the need to go around the back of my PC and unplug and re-plug every time. I’ve used these headphones on both my desktop PC and Nintendo Switch, and they work perfectly on both.
The EPOS H3 come in both black and white editions, and retail for £109.00. If you’re looking for a good, comfortable gaming headset, that works across devices and for a decent price, the EPOS H3 hits all of those boxes.
A headset was provided for this review.