After the de-merging of Sennheiser Communications and Demant Group last year, EPOS was created — as part of Demant Group — to continue the production of gaming and enterprise audio equipment. Although the team has stayed the same as when they were partnered with Sennheiser, offering the same technologies and experiences as they had been before the de-merge — the H3 line of gaming headsets is the company’s latest suite of premium gaming headsets.The EPOS H3 Hybrid is the latest iteration of the H3 headsets which launched earlier this year. This new offering comes loaded with improved features over its lower-priced sibling, which includes analogue audio for wired console gaming, a 7.1 surround sound digital experience on Windows 10, and sporting a detachable microphone for wireless phone connectivity when on the move. The H3 Hybrid comes priced at £149/$179/€174 and certainly looks and feels like a premium peripheral straight out of the box. Our unit came in a Ghost White finish with black detailing, but you can also pick up the H3 Hybrid in Onyx Black. Its headband is layered in a soft mesh material which I found to be comfortable over an extended period of use. I’ve been using Turtle Beach’s Stealth 700s for the past year and comparatively the H3 Hybrid is a class above (as it should be). The earcups, although they look small at first glance, fit perfectly around my ears and caused no problems when being worn with glasses — I also sport a ‘scaffold’ piercing in my ear which has spikes protruding from two different points. It’s not uncommon for some headsets to cause soreness or rubbing after a couple of hours of play, but surprisingly, the H3 Hybrid’s smaller earcups didn’t cause any discomfort at all. Although I’d not judge a headset for causing discomfort due to something I decided to stick in my head, anything that doesn’t cause me issues can only be classed as a win. A lot of the reason for the comfort comes from the adjustable headband, which is numbered to help with easily re-finding your preferred sizing when you inevitably knock it out of place. Sidenote, if you’re anything like me and regularly play with one cup on and the other on the side of your face so you can communicate with your family, then the numbers are perfect to quickly adjust back to a closed fit. The H3 Hybrid comes with a large boom arm microphone that uses the same drop-down-to-speak controls that other gaming headsets use, including a way to mute yourself by pushing the boom arm back up. The boom arm is pretty large when compared to what I’m used to, although it ensured the microphone was close to my mouth, making my voice clear to hear when on party chat or a phone call with my partner. The large microphone, however, is magnetically connected, meaning it easily detaches so you can use the headset away from your gaming setup when you just want to wirelessly listen to music. Once the mic is removed, you can fill the hole with the provided cap that matches the volume dial on the other side. This also activates the secondary mic in the headset kicks into action, and although it’s a little further away from your mouth than the full boom arm, it still provides a fairly clear way to speak to someone when out-and-about.That leads me perfectly onto one of the main things I like about the H3 Hybrid… versatility. I’m a sucker for anything I can get double the value out of, and these excelled in every environment I wanted them to work in. The H3 Hybrid uses a detachable wired 3.5mm connection when used with an Xbox, plugged into the controller’s audio jack. But the dual audio capabilities of the unit allows you to wirelessly connect to your mobile or tablet with a Bluetooth connection. For instance, I always have my Surface Pro X (another multi-use item) open no matter what I’m doing, so using the H3 Hybrid to play games while wirelessly connected to that means that I can receive my notifications while gaming — by connecting my phone to the Pro X using the ‘Your Phone’ app means I have my game, PC, and phone notifications running through the headset, taking calls, replying to messages, and everything in between. The H3 Hybrid shines as a productivity device as well as a solid gaming headset. Alternatively, you can connect the headset to your Windows 10 PC using the provided USB cable to unlock the EPOS Gaming Suite of 7.1 surround sound features, equalizer settings, reverberation, and a whole bunch of other tools. It’s a fantastic addition for those that also game on PC and unlocks the full potential of the unit. When not in use, the H3 Hybrid needs to be charged using the aforementioned USB cable. Battery life was exactly what I would expect from a premium headset, giving me a full day’s worth of use before needing to be charged again, while using it for both console play and Bluetooth — in fact, I never ran out of charge in the first place.Of course, having some pops and pings dropping notifications into your ears is great, but how does the sound stack up? Well, pretty darn solid, except when it comes to the unit’s bass. I’m quite the lover of a good thumping around the earholes — yes, I’m still talking about bass, so put your fists down. The EPOS H3 Hybrid headset doesn’t quite reach the deep thudding that I’d personally like to hear, but the extremely crisp audio certainly helps make up for it, allowing you to hear everything that a scene wants to give you. I have three methods of finding out if I like the audio that is being fed to me: games, movies, and Alex Terrible of Slaughter to Prevail. Games are obviously the most important place to start when looking for a headset for… gaming. The H3 Hybrid took games like The Elder Scrolls Online, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and Wreckfest in its stride, offering an immersive experience in all three games and delivering a great experience all around. The Elder Scrolls Online was a light introduction to the headset, which gave fantastic feedback when speaking to the various citizens around Tamriel. The same can be said about Wreckfest, crashing was detailed and pleasing to hear but the slight drop in bass with each collision was missed. Aliens: Fireteam Elite, however, gave the H3 Hybrid the perfect playground to show off exactly what the H3 Hybrid’s speakers can do, and they did not disappoint. The atmosphere was transferred beautifully, even to the point where there were noises happening in different parts of the level that were catching my attention — things that I hadn’t even noticed before. These cans gave me the most immersive experience when playing Aliens. From the Xenomorphs screeching as they charged towards me, to the sounds of the environment throwing off atmospheric cues, everything was clear and brought to life. Movies held up just the same as with the games, with 2014’s war movie Fury offering a surround sound experience that captured each scene flawlessly, especially when it came to the tanks.I always like to bring Alex Terrible into my audio tests purely due to his insane vocal abilities, and because my go-to music is metal and deathcore. So, it stands to reason that putting any piece of equipment under the stress of extremely heavy music is a great way to tell if the unit in question can continue sounding clear. I was impressed with the feedback I received when having Slaughter to Prevail turned up and treating my eardrums to metally goodness. The EPOS H3 Hybrid is at the top of my pile of great headset experiences. Offering crisp and detailed audio that captures each moment perfectly, although it does have my wanting a little more punch with my bass… but it’s damn near close. It’s comfortable over long periods of play, with a battery that lasts for a full day of gaming. Smart, sleek, and perfect to use while travelling to work or walking down the street, although fully wireless wouldn’t go amiss — at least for my “the-fewer-wires-the-better” tastes. The H3 Hybrid is a worthy purchase for those that want a good audio experience but also a versatile unit for almost any situation, and it is an absolute pleasure to use.
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