Headsets are one of those accessories that you can get away with spending peanuts on when you first get into the hobby, but as you spend more time playing games online or staying up until all hours of the night, you begin to understand why your mate dropped a few hundred bucks on a pair of Astros. Audio quality is important, that’s a given, but versatility is a big selling point nowadays too. Whether you need a pair that can be used across multiple consoles or that can double as your everyday set to listen to music through, if a headset can make life easier while also sounding better, that’s a big selling point.
In steps the EPOS H3 Hybrid, a headset that, while unkind to your wallet, looks to justify its price tag by supplying crisp audio and a number of features that put player convenience at the forefront. So, should you splash the cash for this audio equipment, or should your ears be listening to your budget?
Sharing an almost identical design to the standard H3s, the Hybrid is a sleek looking and premium feeling unit. Available in black or white, the frame itself is made of hard plastic, connected by a metal strip that runs through the headband. Reserved and almost minimalist, the design of the Hybrids is very appealing, especially when compared to other headsets in the market that aim for that ‘gamer’ look.
The H3 Hybrid is one sexy unit
The memory foam earcups are comfortable and decently breathable, with a suede-like material making contact with your head and leatherette edges creating a premium look. The shape of the earcups contours to your ears, though they’re fairly form-fitting, which may cause some issues for those with larger ears. The headband is adjustable and well-cushioned, so no matter how big your noggin is, you’ll be listening in comfort. I used the Hybrids for long, extended play sessions and they never once slipped or irritated me, in fact, I don’t even recall adjusting them. Weighing in at less than 300g and with earcups made from spongey memory foam, the Hybrids are comfortable for the first hour and every hour after that.
Forgoing a wheel or a slider, changing the volume is left to a dial that can be found on the right-side earcup. It’s simple and easy to use, though you can hear a faint plasticky grind whenever you adjust it. The frame only features two buttons, though, in my eyes, they’re around the wrong way. The Bluetooth/Smart button is located on the back of the right earpiece, while the power button is on the front of the left. I naturally reach for the back when turning it on, but that might just be me.
The two most important facets of any gaming headset are its audio and mic quality. Luckily, I can say with confidence that the Hybrids excel in both fields. The audio is crisp and clear and the 7.1 surround sound on PC is impressively accurate. The mids and highs stand out as being particularly solid and, although I’d enjoy bass with a bit more oomph, the lower frequencies hold up as well. Playing a game with exceptional audio design such as Returnal gave the Hybrids a real run for their money and tackled it with ease, adding to the immersion and providing some stellar sound.
You can tell that they’re comfortable, just look at the expression on my face
Equally, if not more impressive than the sound quality, is the boom mic. Though it may make you look like an air-traffic controller, this microphone is no joke. The clarity in my voice when using the Hybrids was so outstanding that it prompted everyone in my voice chat to ask what headset I was using. With audio playback and a flip-to-mute function, this bad boy doesn’t just provide exceptional quality, it’s convenient as well. That’s without mentioning the coolest feature; it’s magnetically detachable. If you’re playing a single-player game or using it to listen to music you can just pop it off and, best of all, cover up the connection with the small circular disk that’s provided in the box.
In years gone by, the thought of crossplay was blasphemous, but it’s quickly becoming an industry standard. This has created a number of pain points, especially where communication is concerned. EPOS has looked at those pain points and decided to confront them head-on. The H3 Hybrid has three main connections: USB, 3.5mm and Bluetooth. First of all, the inclusion of both USB and 3.5mm makes this headset a dream if you have multiple consoles, as it’s compatible with every major platform, which honestly, is a selling point in its own right.
Having Bluetooth as an option is a winner as well, allowing you to get more from the headset and use it outside of gaming as well. Just to make life that little bit easier, the headset has an in-built mic, making phone calls possible without the need for the big boom boy. It may not have the same crystal-clear quality, but it absolutely does the job and it makes for another helpful addition.
The convenience this affords is wonderful
The real highlight, however, is that the Hybrid can use one of two primary connections and Bluetooth simultaneously. This not only allows you to mix music with your game audio or answer a phone call hands-free, but it also provides an answer to the question of “how can I chat with my friend on PC while playing on PS5?” Being able to simply and easily connect my phone to the headset and use Discord chat while playing a game on my console of choice was the moment that I fully fell in love with the H3 Hybrid. Pairing is a simple as holding the Bluetooth button and connecting it to whatever device you like, with the audio immediately blending with the primary source. There’s no annoying delay and no issue with one audio source being clearer than the other, it just works exactly as it should. With more and more games releasing with crossplay, this is a feature that doesn’t just make sense, it should be a requirement.
It must be said that all of these features come at a price, a small price, but a price all the same. Despite being a wired headset, the H3 Hybrids still require their own power source to produce sound. Admittedly, this is a strange concession, but it’s made less severe considering what the headset achieves while in use, and the fact that its battery life is solid. On a single charge, I managed to get around 20 hours of playtime using just the 3.5mm connection and around 17 hours using dual connectivity. Once you run out of juice, you can expect the Hybrids to take roughly one and a half hours to fully charge and you can forget charging if you’re playing on PC, as the USB connection keeps it going all day and all night.
I really can’t sing the praises of the dual connection loudly enough
Speaking of PC use, you can change the EQ settings for the Hybrids using the EPOS Gaming Suite software…if you can get it to work. The software itself is a bit rubbish, failing to launch 90% of the time, but if you manage to get it working you can tinker with audio settings to get it just how you like it, just expect to be annoyed when it takes an age to open.
I love almost everything about the H3 Hybrids, but I do need to talk about the great sounding elephant in the room. If you’re on a budget, these will likely raise your blood pressure when they set you back around AU$260. That might sound steep for a wired headset, and it is, but it genuinely goes a long way to justify their price when you consider the number of features it has.
Final Thoughts
With impressive audio, a mic that trumps most and a range of connection options that makes your life as a gamer much easier, the EPOS H3 Hybrid is a headset that’s easy to recommend. The high price tag and small irritations like needing power despite being wired are detractors for sure, but the dual-connectivity, premium design and quality of life features more than tip the scales in the other direction. This is by far the best headset that I’ve ever owned and with the H3 Hybrid Pro in the near distance promising to make the whole package completely wireless, it looks like I’ll be sticking with EPOS for some time to come.
Review unit supplied by the manufacturer
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