H3PRO Hybrid, review
Back in November last year I reviewed the EPOS H6PRO, now its fancier relative the H3PRO Hybrid steps up.
Where the previous set was a wired option that did exactly what it said on the tin. The H3PRO Hybrid offers up a fistful of possibilities, even down to mixing mobile calls with gaming audio.
In regards to etc packaging. My review unit came to me somewhat battered by our friends at Australia Post. While the packaging is functional at best, its fair to say the equipment didn’t suffer. There is plenty of foam surrounding the headset, the packaging won’t win any awards, but it will save you from having it passed around the sorting room like a football.
Inside the box, apart from the headset. There’s a charging cable, a cable for wired connection, and the USB dongle complete with an extension. There is also a spare plate for the magnetically removable microphone boom. Handy for using the headsets on the move with a phone. The magnetic boom fits so well I forgot it was designed to come off at all, that’s a mark of EPOS quality.
A brief tour of the unit
The set comes in White, Black or my personal favourite Racing Green. It’s beautifully light (308 grams) and built for lengthy wear. Even a four hour session on Elden Ring didn’t get hot or uncomfortable. Controls on the set are kept minimal, an Active Noise Cancelling option (ANC), which can nicely turn down the world. A Smart Button, that can be set to various uses via a Windows only App and the Bluetooth pairing button.
There is a smallish LED readout, but its a single block of colour graded for various battery levels. If anything, this one piece of design is ‘too quiet’ for my liking. Just give me a percentage to look at, although any indicator on the unit itself is always welcome.
The H3PRO Hybrid and its world of possibilities.
The headset is something of an everyman, offering up a solution for the main categories of gamers and then some.
Using the wired cable and plugging it into a console controller or portable device will get you straight into the game. The quality is rock solid EPOS and it performs as well as the H6PRO did. Even the occasional grating of cable against clothing isn’t much of a put off. I also really like the connection for this cable, its a confident click into a deep seated port. You know its right when it’s in.
For wireless connections there is a tidy dongle set-up, plug it straight into the port of a Playstation or PC. The headset will already be paired to this dongle out of the box. Preferably the USB unit goes into a front port. If you have to use a rear port there is an extension cable thatch be plugged into the back of your PC and fed round to the front.
A feature I didn’t know I needed
Then there’s good old bluetooth, an easy pair to my phone and being an Android user a revelation. The sound for my phone on calls and media is great as expected, using the Smart button to answer is beyond my fumbling fingers though, I manage call son the device still. However, here’s the magic, I can take calls on the headset while listening to game audio. Which means you don’t have to stop playing Elden Ring when your significant other calls you mid fight. Think on that. While Android phones can mix the audio, iPhone users will have to make do with one channel taking over.
Last of the bunch is straight out USB cable, handy to go straight from PC or Mac into the headset. It also has the added bonus of charging the unit while connected. this or the dongle will get you not only gaming, but also make Teams or Zoom meetings more sexy.
This brings up one nagging doubt, although the battery appears to charge relatively quickly, the general battery life doesn’t feel that long. The specifications state there are 30 hours available, less with ANC active. While I haven’t timed out the use in terms of life, I know I’ve had to charge the unit sooner than I would for another brand. Not a disaster, but something to consider.
H3PRO Hybrid closing comments
The H3PRO Hybrid has taken the H6PRO step further that’s for sure. The extra functionality and options on offer via wireless and bluetooth are fit for every purpose. However keeping track of all the cables, dongle, base plate etc needs a dedicated little bag. Being able to use the bluetooth audio mix for calls is a game changer, especially in a busy household. On the downside, I still feel the battery life is overestimated, and the ‘depth’ of sound never really smacks me in the chops.
That said, the H3PRO Hybrid is a headset for today’s world and will suit multi-platform gamers that also need to hit Microsoft Teams during the day.
