Steelseries’ H Wireless Gaming Headset Is a Miracle Of Sound And Function [Review]

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IMG_1098

Every time I think I’ve found my favorite pair of gaming headphones, Steelseries sends me another one to try out.

H Wireless Gaming Headset by Steelseries
Category: Headphones
Works With: Mac, iOS, Android, PC, Gaming Consoles
Price: $299

This time, it’s the H Wireless series, a fantastic, well-designed headset that connects via optical or analog inputs to provide stunningly good Dolby sound without wires. You can, of course, connect an iPhone or iPad to the box, as well, getting a quality sound to walk around the house with.

Seriously, these are my new favorites.

Flatter is better.
Flatter is better.
The H Wireless headphones rotate to a flat position, letting them sit nicely on a table or your neck as you wear them off your ears. Place them on those same ears, though, and you’ll be able to hear audio from a ton of different sources, including anything with an optical output, like the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, both Xboxes, and–my new setup–directly from an HDTV.

The box comes with all the connection cables you can imagine, including an analog stereo cable that lets you connect to an iOS device, and another USB input that lets you plug the box right into your Mac, providing wireless audio for all your movie-watching, game-playing, iTunes-listening needs. Plus it connects as an audio source, so if your Mac needs include audio for gaming or Skype, you’re golden. Bonus? The USB cable will also keep the transmitter box charged with power.

Two batteries are better than one. Always.
Two batteries are better than one. Always.
The headphones are wireless, so need a battery to function. Steelseries has you covered here, too, providing two rechargeable batteries, one of which slides into a slot on the transmitter box to recharge while you use the other one. Brilliant! The battery life is pretty good, too, letting my kids and I use the H Wireless headset for days without having to switch out batteries.

How do they sound? Fantastic, in this layman’s opinion. They aren’t as crazy-audiophile as the company’s Siberia gaming headset, perhaps, but they may actually be a bit more comfortable for long-term gaming, with ear cups that fit around my big ears, something I appreciate as they don’t smash my several earrings into my head while I’m using them. The bass is deep without being boomy, the highs are clear without overdriving, and the mids are well-balanced enough to keep the action and movie or game dialogue up front.

Enough input for all your sound needs.
Enough input for all your sound needs.
The transmitter box itself has some nifty software features, as well, letting you pre-set several devices at once. This lets you, say, ensure that your PlayStation 4 chat audio is routed through the headset while your Mac audio doesn’t have to search for it when you’ve got it connected for wireless listening. If you’re gaming, there’s a system in place–called LiveMix and ChatMix–that will automagically lower the volume of the game so you can hear the taunts of your enemies that much clearer.

The killer feature on any wireless headset is the ability to make changes to volume, EQ, and chat mix right from the headset. The H Wireless has an easily accessed volume dial on the right ear cup, which clicks and rotates you through the settings, which can be seen taking effect on the transmitter box, itself fairly readable from across the room. Turning the headphones on or off is just as easy; there’s a big button on the underside of the right ear cup that you hold to do just that.

These headphones are really just perfect for someone with a ton of devices in their home. Plug in your iPhone and walk around the house, making phone calls, listening to music, and then click over to the Mac for some fun game time. Feel like a console gaming session with chat? Just click over to the setup on the transmitter box, and you’re good to go. If you need your kids to watch TV or play a game without disturbing your adult conversation, just show them how to work the H Wireless headset and you’ll have blessed peace and quiet for a bit. It’s all very convenient, and it sounds incredibly good.

IMG_1095Product Name: : H Wireless Gaming Headset
The Good: Fantastic design, works with every sound source imaginable, easy to set up and use. Sounds fantastic.
The Bad: Probably a bit on the pricey side, but still competitive with other high-end headphones that do less.
The Verdict If you want a pair of really great headphones for gaming or movie watching without the hassle of wires and extensions, these are a must have.
Buy from: SteelSeries



[rating=excellent]

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