EPOS H3PRO Hybrid headset review - "Superb connectivity for mobile, and incredibly comfortable to boot"

From the glorious strings that serenade you during an emotional scene to the final piano key that punctuates a character's death, the musical score in a video game has the power to make or break a title. Whether or not a game becomes memorable long after the credits roll has, in fact, plenty to do with the background music - at least, that's how I personally feel, especially given this lovely little job of mine where games come and go with every new review.

Hearing every single step an enemy makes before it shoots you to death is also crucial to up your game, and thanks to the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid gaming headset, you never have to miss a beat.

Table of contents:

• EPOS H3PRO Hybrid design and hardware
• Gaming experience, battery life and charging speed
• EPOS H3PRO Hybrid connectivity
• What's the verdict?

EPOS H3PRO HYBRID DESIGN AND HARDWARE

Unboxing the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid was a treat in itself for me, as my review unit came in stunning Ghost White without the need for any bells and whistles. The headset is absolutely gorgeous, with its sleek and elegant design and its sturdy feel. Despite the premium weight, it doesn't feel particularly hefty, perhaps due in large part to its mainly plastic material. That doesn't mean it comes off as cheap, though - on the contrary, the plastic parts complement the foam paddings nicely, lending to an overall comfortable grip around my head and on my ears.

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On top of the cushioning, the adjustable junction points for the ear cups are a plus for me as well, as they make the headset more flexible as opposed to other models that clamp onto the head with a vice grip. I didn't feel any horizontal or vertical pressure even after long hours of gaming, which is a feat in itself considering my previous headsets often gave me a migraine as soon as I pulled them off after only an hour or so.

This is also thanks to the grooves that you can adjust on the extendable headband. With them, you can customise the fit until you find what's snug for you - plus, the grooves are numbered and easily remembered too, so it's definitely a convenient feature since you can readjust the headband properly to the right calibration each time.

GAMING EXPERIENCE, BATTERY LIFE AND CHARGING SPEED

The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid claims that you can game without interruptions thanks to its low-latency dongle, and I'm happy to report that it's absolutely true. I didn't suffer through any frustrating drops either with the dongle or the Bluetooth connection, and especially not with the wired connections. The sound was crisp and immersive - something that the Active Noice Cancellation feature enhanced even more.

The ANC blocks out any ambient noise around you, but to be honest, I didn't really feel the need to switch it on given how good the sound already was (I also didn't want to block out every single thing around me completely and stay oblivious to the world - it always helps to still hear what's going on just in case). The ANC function also eats up your battery life as expected, so personally, leaving it off is a good bet.

Still, if you're not too concerned about running out of juice, it's certainly a welcome feature especially when you're engrossed in a particularly heated match. The battery life itself isn't too bad, either - my usage clocked in at 20% after three hours while connected to the dongle and Bluetooth (using two separate devices) at the same time. Charging, on the other hand, took 12 minutes to reach 20%.

The mic, while nothing as groundbreaking as a dedicated one like my Razer Seiren, fared pretty well in games and during calls. I even jumped in on a Zoom meeting with the headset on and there were no complaints from the other side.

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By the way, gaming on the go gets a special boon here too, as you can pluck the boom mic off (via the magnetic connection) to keep the gaming headset as portable as possible - it also keeps you from looking like you're talking to someone when all you're really doing is listening to your fave tunes in public.

EPOS H3PRO HYBRID CONNECTIVITY

When it comes to connectivity, the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid truly shines. You can connect it wirelessly via the included USB dongle (just plug and play, easy-peasy) or via Bluetooth. If you're more old-school, you can also use wired connections via the included USB cable or the 3.5mm cable (oddly enough, the gaming headset's battery life will still trickle out despite a wired connection, though).

For the purposes of this mobile review, I did use the wireless options more often while testing, and thankfully, I didn't experience poor connections or anything. Once or twice, I even had the luxury of stepping into the kitchen to whip up a quick snack while my phone was on my desk in the other room. Plus, the ability to connect to two devices simultaneously via Bluetooth and the dongle made sure I could connect to my PC or other devices and still be able to take calls from my phone.

I also have a habit of listening to my own music playlist while playing sometimes, leaving only the sound effects of the game turned on so I can bop my head to my own beat. The dual connectivity of the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid, awesomely, can accommodate this little quirk of mine, which definitely scores points in my book.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?

All these fancy features aside, I do have a small gripe or two about the unit in that the volume control is a bit clunky. There's only a grooved wheel attached to the right ear, and it can be a little all over the place when you're trying to adjust the volume in small increments. There also isn't any kind of indicator light to tell you that the headset is on, which means that forgetting to turn it off might just leave you with a headset that's completely out of juice the next day (this happens to me more often than I'd like).

The gaming headset also looks a tad too huge for my head, which, I'm guessing, is something that it probably had to compromise for comfort. The wider build certainly reduces the horizontal pressure on the head, but it also makes it look too wide on my petite female Asian build.

Those are minor inconveniences though, as overall, the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is an absolute joy to use. It looks and feels fabulous, and definitely checks all the boxes for me in terms of connectivity. If you're looking to have a single headset for all of your devices, then you certainly can't go wrong with this beauty.

BUY LINK: EPOS