The gaming headset "EPOS H3" goes well with competition titles, is comfortable to wear, and can be played comfortably for a long time!

"EPOS H3"

Highly versatile that can be used on PCs, consoles, and smartphones.

EPOS, which revolves around gaming audio devices, has announced a new gaming headset "EPOS H3" (henceforth, H3). As a product of the same brand, it is positioned like an entry model that can be obtained at a reasonable price, but let's actually see how it is capable.

The EPOS H3 is a sealed headset. In addition to the EPOS H3 main unit, the accessories are a 3.5mm 3-pole gable that is supposed to be connected to a personal computer, a 3.5mm 4-pole cable that is used to connect to a smartphone or console game machine, and instructions. The connection cable for game consoles and smartphones is not sold separately, but as an accessory, so it's normal that you don't have to spend extra money.

Includes 3.5mm 3-pole gable and 3.5mm 4-pole cable

Let's take a look at the shape of the EPOS H3. The first thing you notice is the housing that hits your ears. The left housing has a microphone, and the right housing has a dial-type volume controller.

A dial-type volume controller is attached to the housing on the right side.

This microphone is usually set up along the headband or arm, and tilted 90 degrees when you want to use it for voice chat or phone calls.

You might think, "But at first glance, there's no microphone on / off switch, right?", But when you tilt the microphone, you'll get a click or click on the way. The microphone is switched on and off with this as a signal, so if you add the habit of standing up when not in use, the voice will not be picked up carelessly.

There is a microphone in the left housing

Mute when you raise the microphone

The volume controller is a dial type, and turning it clockwise increases the volume on the headset side, and conversely, turning it counterclockwise decreases the volume. However, please note that this controller does not control the volume on the OS side, but only adjusts the audio output on the headset side. Also, in my environment, I turned it all the way counterclockwise, and even when the dial stopped, I could hear a slight sound playing on the computer.

Let's also look at the ear pads inside the housing that come into direct contact with the user. The height of the ear pads is about 2 cm from the driver part. The surface of the ear pad is made of three different materials, a soft synthetic leather-like material on the outside, a soft cloth on the part that comes into contact with the user's head, and a mesh-like material near the driver unit that makes sound. It's like a fabric.

It's only a guess, but the synthetic leather part prevents sound leakage and improves the degree of sealing, the cloth is selected with a soft surface for contact with the skin, and the mesh-like cloth is adopted for the reason of making it hard to get stuffy. Isn't it?

By the way, I mentioned earlier that the height of the ear pad is about 2 cm, but this is just the height of the ear pad itself. In fact, the driver unit that produces the sound of the EPOS H3 is designed to fit the human ear, not on a flat surface, so that it does not come into contact with the ear as much as possible. Therefore, the part where the outer peripheral side of the ear is likely to hit has a shape with a dent inside the main body, and the height including the ear pad is about 2.2 cm on the front side and about 3 cm on the back side of the user.

I actually used it for a long time, but I am satisfied that I can use it comfortably without crushing my ears. However, the shape of the ear is different for each person, so if possible, please wear an exhibit to check the usability.

I have not confirmed the contents of the ear pads, but it seems that low-resilience urethane is probably used.It ’s the hardness of a good salt plum.

Uses a leatherlet headband

Headband design with stainless slider

When choosing a gaming headset personally, lateral pressure is important. This is the strength of the force when the headphones pinch the user's head, and some people may have a headache if they wear it for a long time when the lateral pressure is tight. As for the H3, the shape of the head is different for each person, so I'd like you to use it as a reference, but even if I continued to wear it for about 10 hours, the author did not have any trouble and could withstand long-term use without problems.

A competition-oriented headset that makes it easy to understand the situation such as footsteps

From now on, I will actually play the game using EPOS H3 and spell out the impression. The tests used titles such as "Resident Evil Village," "Apex Legends," and "FIFA 21." It sounds awkward, but please keep in mind that it is my impression.

Hearing as well as vision is important when playing FPS and TPS. This is because the noises made by the enemy help the player understand the surrounding situation. Especially important in horror games like "Resident Evil Village" and in Batrois-based competitive games like "Apex Legends".

Then, what about H3? It can be said that it sounds pretty good. In "Apex Legends", when the enemy is running around the player, the distance and direction to the enemy can be sensed from the way the footsteps are heard.

It also makes it easy to recognize the sound of an enemy's thrown grenade hitting the ground or wall, allowing you to quickly decide how to move next. This will be a great advantage in engaging with enemies.

In "Resident Evil Village", when Dmitresk, the owner of Dmitresk Castle, was walking in the castle looking for a player, he could grasp the direction and distance even if he was far away, and he could act as much as possible without encountering.

And I was able to instantly detect the position of enemy monsters such as Lycan that appeared along the way. It can be said that it is a merit to be able to break through without inadvertent damage even when playing a game with a high degree of difficulty.

Then tested in the soccer game "FIFA 21". Since the play screen is played from a viewpoint that is considerably pulled from the pitch like a TV broadcast, it is not powerful, but I was able to enjoy the cheering drums and cheers played by the supporters at the venue.

In particular, the excitement of the stadium after scoring was tremendous, and it was a level that revived the memories of watching soccer at the stadium long ago. If you combine it with an audio amplifier that enables surround output, you will be able to enjoy more realistic sound.

When I actually played the game this time, I felt that the H3 was a rather competition-oriented headset. This is because the footsteps and the jerky mids and highs of the weapon are fairly easy to hear, but the bass sounds rather light. I think this is probably the result of tuning so that the sound does not interfere in important situations.

But what about music and movies? Because the bass is suppressed, you don't often feel the presence or the gritty bass, and some people may find it unsatisfactory.

And the problem with gaming headsets is how well you hear the sound in the front-back direction. There are many products that are not good at producing sounds that are emitted from directly in front of or behind, but the H3 can be easily distinguished. When I first used this product, it was difficult for me to understand the front-back direction, but as I got used to it, I found that there was a slight difference in the muffled sound, and in the end I was able to make a judgment without being aware of it.

Compared to other headsets, the sound quality of the microphone is relatively clear, with no noise or muffled voice. Of course, it loses to products sold as microphones such as condenser microphones, but it can be said that it is a solid white thing when viewed as a headset microphone.

As mentioned above, I have looked around the sound of H3, but I felt that it was compatible with game applications, especially competition-oriented titles. This time it was tested in a stereo environment, but if you use it with an audio amplifier such as the GSX 300 or GSX 1000 of the same brand, you can experience higher quality sound. So, if you are satisfied with the actual use, why not consider purchasing an additional audio amplifier?

Two colors for color variations

Personally, I feel that replacing the headset I'm currently using is a big ant. Even so, it is said that products of this quality will come out in the price range of about 16,000 yen.