Multi-platform gaming headphones are a very unique breed of audio accessories. Getting the right balance between all the supported platforms is extremely tough, particularly when you start asking for the amount of cash that implies this ability. The Steelseries H Wireless Gaming Headset is the creme de la creme of Steelseries‘ H Series and is the latest premium audio system to try and walk this tight rope.
What’s in the box
Steelseries know how to make a box; that might sound incredibly mundane, but every techie understands what a big difference an exciting unboxing makes. In what is a mammoth of a box, you’ll find buried in it the headphones themselves, its matching mixer box, a spare battery for the headphones and a whole number of useful, little cables.
I was really impressed by the number and completeness of the wires and connections that are available in the box. In particular, I was very impressed to see that the power adapter for the the mixer was detachable and had the different fittings for four different regions; who wouldn’t want to travel with these headphones?
The H Wireless is designed to be compatible with Windows PC, Mac OSX, Xbox 360, PS3, iOS and Android and in the box you will a cable for each of these, whichever one is your gaming device of choice. Each of the cables is a metre long which will give you the flexibility to place the mixer in a place where you can see the graphical interface.
The headphones themselves are a super sleek, black affair; covered in matte plastic and leather, there’s only a hint of orange on the stitching of the earcups and inside them as well. The outside of the earcups are a more polished plastic and hide the battery and a small firewire port (which is used for firmware updates). They are a mean, meaty set of headphones and even make the other entries in the H series family look a bit inadequate.
As is almost customary now on Steelseries headsets, there is an exquisite retractable microphone that simply slides in and out of its dwelling whenever you need it. It is bendable into any position and has a light on the tip of it to let you know whether it is muted or not.
There are controls located on the headset itself, but they are decidedly minimal; the power on/off switch doubles as the microphone mute button and the volume wheel doubles as the menu navigation. Remarkably, the wheel and button are very well placed to be manipulated by your fingers when you simply place your hand on the right cup.
When I reviewed the Steelseries 5Hv3 (read the full review here), I said that they were possibly the most comfortable headphones I had ever worn. The H Wireless follows closely after the 5Hv3, but with a small proviso. The H Wireless employs the same circumaural earcups (or as I call them, “pillows”) as the 5Hv3 which do a fantastic job of providing a very cushioned experience. This makes the H Wireless a very comfortable headphone to wear over short periods of time (1-2 hours).
The mixer box shares the H Wireless headset’s design features, but still manages to be a very subtle piece of tech. Its mono-colour LED readout is simple and to the point and all the options displayed clearly, though it can be a bit of a labyrinth to find what you want. Probably the best party trick for the mixer box is the slot in its side. This slot can be used to charge and store the H Wireless’ spare battery, keeping it fully charged in the event that you run out of battery. When that does occur, all you need to do is swap out the flat battery, slot it into the mixer, put the new battery into the headphones and keep gaming.
How does it sound?
For gaming purposes, the H Wireless headset are fantastic. I remember when I first tried them at CES 2014 playing Call of Duty: Ghosts, I was immediately struck by the immense bass and the sheer amount of sound. 3 months later and my opinion still hasn’t changed. Make sure you play some games with explosions in it, turn it up and you’ll be in for a treat. With the aid of virtual 7.1 surround thanks to the Dolby Digital, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Logic IIx, you’ll get some incredible, atmospheric sounding audio for any game that you’re playing, whether it be Battlefield 3 or Diablo 3 (what, just me?). This, however, only applies to the sound you get through the mixer; you won’t have the benefits of Dolby-enhanced sound when you use the H Wireless with mobile devices.
For audio purposes, the H Wireless are also more than capable. I wouldn’t say that they are quite audiophile quality, but they will still give you fantastic sound. As you might expect because the headphones err on the side of bassy, the headphones are going to suit heavier music like rock and EDM, which I had a ball listening to with them. Mid range and treble sounds are also generally good, however when listening to classical music, I found the higher end of the scale to be a little muffled and not as bright as I would have preferred and despite what equalizer settings I had, the music was still very bass heavy. Having said that though, the modern listener will be more than happy with these headphones and their music playing abilities.
What I like about the Steelseries H Wireless Gaming Headset?
There’s an awful lot to like about the H Wireless headset. One of my biggest fears when using wireless accessories is that moment when you run out of battery power; that’s the gamer in me talking. In normal circumstances, this would usually require plugging the device in and being tethered for a period of time. Obviously, the H Wireless does away with this inconvenience with its spare battery, which is neatly tucked away in its mixer for charging, and the process of changing batteries probably takes less than 30 seconds, which I am a huge fan of.
I’m also a big proponent of multi-platform devices being provided with all the necessary accessories, which the H Wireless does by providing all possible cables that you might need. In addition to this, I really like that power adapters for all countries have been included, which I think is super convenient for buyers who are big travellers or buying from overseas.
I also know that it sounds inane, but I’m a huge fan of how the H Wireless headset looks, mixer included. While they definitely aren’t Steelseries’ most ostentatious-looking product, they look subdued enough to draw attention in most settings, but look fantastic when they are noticed. Plus, who doesn’t like all-black stuff?
What I don’t like about the Steelseries H Wireless Gaming Headset?
You may have noticed that earlier in the review I specified that the H Wireless headset is good to wear for 1-2 hours. While that does encompass the average gaming session, longer sessions of multiple hours, I found, did eventually put some stress on my head despite the cushioning of the massive, ‘cloud’-like earcups. Your experience may vary, however, as I used the headphones with the longest extension on the headphone arms; people with more normal or smaller heads may find them much more comfortable over several hours and this much was said in many other reviews; I may just have a really big head.
While the H-Wireless headset is touted as a multi-platform device, unfortunately I can’t really say that it is full realized as an Android or even an iOS accessory. While it is a plus that it can be used as a headset with just an audio cable without the headphones being switched on, you get none of the features that really make it a monster for gaming on consoles or PC. There are no additional buttons that can be used for mobile purposes and not even the volume wheel works in this configuration, which really makes it feel like mobile compatibility is not a priority for the H Wireless headset. And really, that’s fine because the headset excels in many other areas; just don’t be expecting it to be your smartphones’ best friend.
Final Thoughts
There’s not really any other way to say it; if you’re a PC or console gamer, the Steelseries H Wireless Gaming Headset is a hard choice to overlook. It’s really a combination of all its little features that make it into something great, and despite its price (MSRP $299 USD or RRP $399 AUD), it really is worth it if you’re big on games, how they sound and being immersed in the atmosphere. Naturally, I am a little disappointed that there aren’t more mobile features incorporated into the headset, but being able to use them at all with an unpowered, wired setup is a nice takeaway nonetheless.
If you’re interested in taking a closer look at the Steelseries H Wireless Gaming Headset, you can visit its product page on the Steelseries website, or if you’re interested in taking a look at Steelseries’ other products, you can visit their global website here.
