Recently, new colors of the Epos H3Pro Hybrid headset for gaming appeared on the market and that is reason enough to take a closer look at the headphones. You can connect the headset to all major consoles, the computer and of course a smartphone. This is done via USB, an audio cable or wirelessly via Bluetooth.
Epos H3Pro Hybrid
Recommended retail price € 279,-
Link USB-c, 2.4GHz, bluetooth 5.2, audio cable
Compatibility Computers, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch, smartphones, tablets
RGB features New
battery life 30 to 37 hours
Website https://www.eposaudio.com/ 7 Score 70 
- Pros
- Active Noise Canceling
- Detachable Microphone
- Audio options on PC
- Included cables
- Widely applicable
- battery life
- Negatives
- Only 2.0 audio on consoles
- Mic sounds tinny
- Little attention to high tones
- Price
When a headset aimed at gamers has a price tag of 279 euros, you can really expect something from it. Admittedly, the price is not close to, for example, the Beoplay Portal, but is also far from the headphones that PlayStation and Xbox offer for 99 euros. What exactly do you get for those 280 euros?
The Epos H3Pro Hybrid is a gaming headset with closed ear cups. It contains 40 millimeter drivers, with a range of twenty to twenty thousand Hertz. You connect the headphones via bluetooth and you can also use the supplied 2.4 GHz dongle. As a result, you can effortlessly connect it to, for example, the PlayStation 5 or the Nintendo Switch.
You can also connect it to the controller of, for example, the Xbox Series X or the audio port on a PC via the audio cable. Finally, you have the option to connect to a PC via USB-C.
Widely applicable
So plenty of options, which makes the Epos H3Pro Hybrid very accessible. The headset also has a detachable microphone, so you can also wear it outside for listening to music. Admittedly, the design is a bit out there, and not at all stylish and unobtrusive like many Sony or Sennheiser headphones. That doesn’t have to be a big problem, especially if you would like to buy these headphones because they are so versatile. you do you.
Finally, Epos offers free software that allows you to set up some parts of the headphones. This is done via a simple equalizer or the option to switch between 2.0 and 7.1 sound. As good as that 7.1 sound may sound (for virtual surround sound), there’s a big downside to it: that option is only available to PC gamers. So if you game on your PlayStation, Switch or Xbox, you’re fishing behind the net.
The software is also a bit slow and doesn’t always work well (it really depends on how you connect the Epos H3Pro Hybrid), so that’s a bit of a shame.
The Epos H3Pro Hybrid is very comfortable. Of course, that partly depends on the shape of your head. They are somewhat narrower than an average pair of headphones – at least intuitively – so that gamers with a slightly wider head may experience that they are slightly tighter.
In any case, the ear pads and the cushion in the headband are very soft. And because the shells are attached to the band at an angle, the headset almost never slides off. Ideal.
Microphones sound tinny
The headset therefore has a detachable microphone, but also has a second microphone in the earcup. This not only helps with the generally well-functioning noise reduction, but also with picking up your voice. You are pleasantly intelligible, but the voice does not sound very rich. You miss some depth and warmth, which makes the sound sometimes quite tinny. Especially if that audio still goes over an internet connection.
There is a slider for noise cancellation on the right earcup. It is not of the highest level, but we should not expect that in this part of the market. It’s good enough to filter out the noise from your keyboard or a Nespresso machine (yes, that was seriously noticeable, because the old beast has been around here for almost a decade and doesn’t get any less loud). The real highs sometimes still come through, so you still can’t completely shut yourself off from screaming children around you. This is nevertheless done quite well.
Full and warm sound
You notice that when you sit down for a while while gaming. With the noise reduction on, you can fully immerse yourself in the game. This is also due to the excellent sound quality. The audio sounds warm and full and gives enough space for details in the background, or at the ends of the spectrum. The emphasis is very much on bass sound and lower tones. As a result, they sometimes get the upper hand, which can be at the expense of higher expressions. This is especially noticeable when you listen to music.
In addition, the Epos H3Pro Hybrid gives the impression of presenting a limited sound. This is probably due to the lack of those higher tones. The headset is not really limited, because it offers access to the full hearing range of humans. That has to do with the standard setting, which sounds warm and full and puts less emphasis on a neutral audio throughput. That’s a choice, one that often works great for video games. Conversations are clearly intelligible and the headset displays the atmosphere and ambiance in a nice way.
Since the Epos H3Pro Hybrid only plays stereo on game consoles, the audio experience can be a bit messy at times. That is not only due to the headset, but also the way a game presents audio, of course. in the game Horizon: Forbidden West For example, we notice that conversations in the background come to the fore too much during dialogues, which is hugely distracting. At other times we really miss the virtual surround sound when trying to figure out where the shooting is coming from – it often doesn’t get further than left or right, unfortunately.
If you game on a PC, you can adjust the headset using an equalizer. Then you can scale back the bass line, while giving the treble more space. In addition, you can opt for 7.1 sound, which really benefits the gaming experience. Then you can hear very well where certain sounds come from.
Epos H3Pro Hybrid – conclusion
For PC gamers, the Epos H3Pro Hybrid seems to be a no-brainer. You can connect it to your PC in various ways, gain access to active noise cancellation and tailor the sound experience to your own hearing. The battery also lasts a long time (at least thirty hours) and you can set it to hear sound in virtual surround sound. For console gamers, the message is somewhat mixed. The headset is just fine and can present nice sound, emphasizing bass layers and warm tones. It is not neutral and it cannot be adjusted.
Nevertheless, we find it admirable that Epos is releasing a headset that is as versatile as the Epos H3Pro Hybrid. You can use it on all consoles, your smartphone and tablet and therefore your computer, via bluetooth, an audio babel or a dongle. And everything you need for that is just in the box. The manufacturer scores points with that.
The sound on PC is therefore better than on consoles, but that does not mean that the experience on your Xbox or PlayStation is necessarily disappointing. For those 279 euros, we would have liked to see console gamers get a little more options.
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