The EPOS H6PRO wired open acoustic gaming headset is an evolution of the GSP 500 and 600 series headsets. While you can pick up the closed acoustic variant for the same price of £149/$179/€179, the open acoustic is designed to allow high-quality audio to be heard, as well as real-world environmental noises — so you can hear your own voice when speaking without relying on monitoring — and offers better ventilation to your ears. At least, that’s what they’re designed to do. Let’s see how I fared with these premium-grade cans below.Visually, the H6PRO is a stunning piece of equipment, and the premium build quality shines through when looking at it. Our set came in a Sebring Black detailing, with jet black ear cushions and headband (Ghost White and Racing Green are also available), which gives the headset a smart two-toned finish. Just like the H3 Hybrid we wrote about last month, the H6PRO uses a metal headband slider with numbered adjustment points to easily find your preferred setup. What’s most notable about these cans is the extremely lightweight feel to them, meaning that the soft mesh headband doesn’t create a huge amount of pressure at the top of your head. It’s worth pointing out that although these cans are light, I have no concerns about the durability of the unit as everything feels well-constructed… as it should be. Being an open acoustic headset, the H6PRO requires larger earcups to allow the sound to flow freely and mix with outside environmental noises. The result of that is larger, more padded earcups that are made from a breathable mesh cushion. You’ll notice that the ear cushion is fairly thick on this headset, which initially concerned me due to being a bearded chap. If it wasn’t overly clear, overheating was my main concern when first trying on the H6PRO but I can happily say that those concerns were quickly swept away. Airflow to your ears is extremely noticeable, and even over prolonged periods of use (6+ hours), I didn’t need to re-adjust to put out any flames in my lug holes. The large earcup size is also comfortable to wear over long gaming sessions — the mix of large earcups and extra padding make the H6PRO one of the most comfortable headsets to ever adorn my noggin.The EPOS H6PRO is a wired headset, but in keeping with EPOS’ other units, the cable does detach so you can keep it in a drawer and have the headset on display without a hideous wire hanging around. The overly large microphone also detaches and can be replaced with the provided cover, which matches the design of the volume controls on the opposite earcup. The mic pops off from a magnetic connector with little effort, so you don’t need to look a little strange when using them on your commute to work. Design-wise, the headset is extremely smart to look at, providing lasting comfort and easy volume control on the right-hand earcup — but how does it hold up for sound quality?My rigorous testing method was poised and ready for this extensive testing phase. I want to start with music primarily due to my surprise. The H6PRO uses an analogue audio system, and as such, I thought that heavier tones might be dulled by the technology. I was extremely wrong. The H6PRO smashed it when listening to… yes, Slaughter to Prevail, and offered a beautiful surround sound experience the whole time through. Each note was clear and concise, while the lower growls offered a superior rumble when compared to other models of headphones that I’ve used. Moving onto games, I used these cans with Insurgency: Sandstorm, which, as I noted in my first impressions article, offers an unbelievable audio experience. Insurgency gave the H6PRO every opportunity to shine, and the cans took it all in stride. In fact, I probably had the upper hand on my enemies when playing due to the joint sound localisation between the headset and the game. Gunfire and bullet impact was realised phenomenally when using the H6PRO, whips and cracks were punchy, and footsteps could be heard so well that I could (for the most part) locate enemy soldiers from listening to their footsteps. Usually, I prefer a lot of bass when playing games, but I think this unit might have just changed my mind — everything feels balanced between the mid-range and high-range frequencies, allowing for just the right amount of thudding low tones, as well as crisp higher tones for better audio location.The EPOS H6PRO is an analogue headset, meaning you won’t be getting the dual-channel usage that the H3 Hybrid offers. This, for me, is the only shortfall of the headset when it comes to my personal needs, but not everybody multitasks as I do. To be honest, the advanced audio features that you get for the price are well worth the compromise if gaming and/or music is your main focus. If you’re in the market for dedicated gaming cans, then the EPOS H6PRO wired open acoustic gaming headset might be worth your attention. It provides stunning audio, comfort, and style that certainly makes the headset a strong contender in the ever-growing gaming headset space. Aside from the loss of dual-connectivity, and other digital features that you would generally get from a pair of cans at this price point, the payoff in audio quality is well worth the trade.
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