When I reviewed the EPOS Sennheiser GSP 370 in 2020 I was blown away at the sound quality and the battery life. It quickly became my staple PlayStation headset. Now the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid has come along and for about $80 more at a massive $430 the question is, is it worth it?
One thing that can be annoying about headsets is their limited connectivity. Due to console makers being stubborn, they have issues a plenty with Xbox and PS headsets not working alongside each other. The Arctis 1 worked around this by including heaps of cables which is fine as long as you remember to take the right one. The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid on the other hand put this new fancy technology in the headset called Bluetooth. Oh and they also included some cables.
Connecting to all the devices
Being able to connect to Bluetooth means that you can easily connect to your phone, a computer or the Switch wirelessly without the use of a dongle. So immediately we have some great versatility here, but then it comes with a dongle as well. This is a super easy way to connect to your PS5 or your computer. I plugged it into the PS5, turned on the headset and boom, I was listening to my games in sweet ass quality in seconds.
But how do I connect to my Xbox Series X? Well fortunately the headset comes with that one crucial cable, a sweet 3.5mm cable that can connect to your controller. Anything else with the 3.5mm plug that is like a PS4. Immediately it is clear, this headset will work with everything.
Get rid of that pesky world around you
I know the world still technically exists when you can’t hear it, but drowning it out certainly helps. Fortunately you don’t have to smash what is left of your hearing to focus on the game by cranking up the volume. Instead these beasties come with ANC (Active Noise Canceling), which means you can listen to your games by turning down the sound of the outside world rather than cranking up the volume.
I was using it at what I would call a comfortable volume, and I got some noise bleed through the cups on the headset. This isn’t a big deal for a couple of reasons. The first is I had the volume surprisingly low, because with ANC on you don’t need the volume up to hear it over the surrounding sounds. The second reason is sometimes you do actually need to hear that something is happening around you. What it did though was drop the background noise a massive amount and I was super comfortable using it.
Need to game for ages
The GSP 370 had up to 100 hours of battery life, which is absurdly high. So does the H3PRO Hybrid come with this battery life? Well, no. As I said, the 100 hours is absurd, but this beasty comes with a, still excellent, 19-30 hour life depending on what features you use.
So if you have it connected to one device, and have no noise canceling on then it would get more battery life. I on the other hand had it connected via the dongle and occasionally Bluetooth, with ANC on all the time and that 19 hour life seemed about right. It comes down to how you are using it, but 19 hours battery life on a headset is still more than reasonable. If not, plug it in, and have a two hour nap, you do need a break now and then.
Speaking of charging, it boasts a two hour charge time. I got it from empty to full in two hours which is absolutely banging. Two hours is no time to wait for a full charge, and if you are that desperate to get back in the game, a quarter charge in 30 minutes ain’t too shabby either.
Gotta be comfy
If you are gonna be wearing your headset for that serious number of hours, then it needs to be comfortable. I mean don’t actually go for 19 hours straight though, take a nap or something. But back on topic, let me tell you, the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is comfy as. The ear cups are super soft, and have a velour material on the the part making contact with your ears. It has some foam at the top as well with a mesh that feels super soft on the top of your head.
When I say comfy as, I mean comfy as.
Do Not Disturb – Enhanced Noise Cancellation for Gamers
The one thing is that to make it super comfy, it is super light. The majority of the unit’s exterior is plastic and it moves a lot. This obviously allows it to mold to your head, and means it doesn’t weigh as much on your head.
The only thing is I don’t know if it will last a long time. I have no specific reasons to think it won’t, it didn’t creak under pressure, but it is worth keeping an eye on. I moved the headset at some uncomfortable angles, and it handled it fine, but at month 15 will it still be? Only time will tell.
Remove the mic
With the headset being Bluetooth compatible, you may want to use it on the go. Connected to your phone for Netflix, or jamming the Switch on the train, this headset wants you to enjoy it. The major issue is it looks tacky having a massive gamer mic on the train. Well the H3PRO Hybrid lets you remove the mic. Boom problem solved.
Removing the mic is as easy as pulling it out, and it has a nice chunky adapter so you don’t feel like you are going to bend or break it. In the box is a sweet cover that covers the port and it goes from being a headset to headphones.
This is an awesome feature because I loved the sound quality that they provide. Probably the best sound, especially when gaming, that I have heard. The mic itself isn’t the best, it is easily good enough quality but you sound like you are using a headset. So this won’t be the headset you use for recording your sweet ass podcast, but it’s easily good enough for online gaming.
Should you buy one?
The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is easily my favourite headset to date. It has been built to be versatile, and delivers so damn hard. Need it to be a headset? Done. Need it to be headphones? Done. Need it to connect to your Switch, PS5, Xbox, PC and phone? Done.
The $430 price tag is a high price point, but it is a damn good headset.
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