Usage
I have been using the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid as my primary headset for the last few weeks, and I have been quite impressed with not only the fit and feel, but the audio quality as well. Starting off first with comfort, the memory foam padding on each earcup did a good job molding to the shape of my head, and provided a good amount of comfort when worn for multiple hours at a time. The suede-like material found on the headset was comfortable, though I do wish the earcups were slightly larger. While I don’t have large ears by any means, the headset did feel a bit cramped at times. As far as clamping force goes, the H3PRO Hybrid felt great. It wasn’t so tight that it was overly squeezing onto my head, but it also didn’t feel loose at all. The small adjustments available on each side of the headband made sizing a breeze.
My audio testing consisted mostly of using the H3PRO Hybrid in wireless mode, as I prefer the flexibility and freedom a wireless headset gives me. When paired up to my PC using the included wireless dongle, I found that the headset provided the best results when in stereo mode as opposed to the 7.1 surround sound mode. While playing titles like Apex Legends, I was able to pinpoint sounds spatially a bit better in 7.1 mode, but there was a definite loss of audio quality in that mode compared to stereo. I ended up using the stereo mode most of the time, as I was much happier with those results.
While my listening library isn’t as sophisticated as a true audiophile, my listening mix of hip-hop and rap, classic rock, country, and EDM tracks gave me a good range of genres and songs to sample from. I definitely feel like the bass from the 40mm drivers was a bit underwhelming. There are definitely some times while listing to very familiar tracks that I was ready for the “bass to drop”, and it just never showed up. That isn’t to say that the H3PRO Hybrid isn’t capable of playing these low frequencies, it just felt to me that there should be a bit more power behind the low notes. Vocals and acoustic stringed instruments were very clear, and when reviewing dialogue scenes from a few movies, I had no complaints.
My 3.5mm testing consisted of connecting the H3PRO Hybrid to a Creative SoundBlaster X4, which did a great job of outputting audio to the headset, though keep in mind that the headset has to be powered on in order to use the 3.5mm jack. I wasn’t able to tell much of difference in audio quality between the 3.5mm jack, wireless, or wired mode, which is a great testament to the consistency that EPOS has brought to the table with the H3PRO Hybrid.
Last up is Bluetooth, and when paired with my OnePlus 10 Pro 5G, everything from music to virtual meetings sounded great.
Moving over to microphone quality, we have two options to choose from, both of which I have provided samples of below. The removable boom microphone is by far the better of the two microphone options, while the integrated earcup microphone does a fine enough job when you don’t want the larger microphone attached to the headset. To remove the boom arm, you simply pull the arm away from the earcup, and the magnetic bond is broken. Three small pins make the electrical connection to the headset, and when you are ready to use it again, the boom arm snaps right back into place.
H3PRO Hybrid Integrated Microphone
H3PRO Hybrid Boom Microphone
And for comparison here are audio samples from gaming headsets we’ve reviewed in the past…
Drop + Sennheiser PC38X
Edifier Hecate GX
Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless
Razer BlackShark V2
Cooler Master MH630
Cooler Master MH650
Cooler Master MH670
Corsair VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless SE
Corsair VOID Pro
HyperX Cloud II Wireless
HyperX Cloud Flight S
Razer Kraken Tournament Edition
Razer Kraken Ultimate
Audio-Technica AT2020 – Dedicated Microphone
One truly standout feature of the H3PRO Hybrid is the active noise cancellation (ANC). ANC can be enabled or disabled with the flick of a switch on the right earcup. Let me tell you, this feature makes a world of difference, and I really noticed it while at my day job in an office. The constant noise of an HVAC system was instantly removed when I turned on ANC, taking me to my own little fortress of audio solitude. That isn’t to say that all outside sounds will be removed, as I could still hear the clicking of my keyboard, or any passers-by that wanted to stop by to talk. But the removal of those white noise sources that can sometimes be an annoyance was great, and I really appreciated the extra focus I was able to attain with ANC enabled.
With regards to battery life, EPOS touts a 38 hour use period with Bluetooth, 30 hours with the wireless dongle, 29 hours via 3.5mm, and 19 hours with ANC enabled. I found I was more or less able to use the headset for these advertised lengths, depending on whether or not I left them on to walk away from my system for a while, and when used in a combination of connectivity modes throughout my trial period. Testing wireless range is always a bit of a challenge, and every environment is going to be a bit different regarding layout, etc. That being said, my test PC is located in my basement office, and I were able to move around all areas of my basement and first floor with no cutout or noticeable degradation in audio quality. Moving to my second level did introduce some signal loss in various locations, but at that point, the signal is travelling through multiple walls and floors.