For most consumers, gaming headsets need to meet two specific criteria. They have to be comfortable, and they have to sound good. Coming up short on either of these needs is a non-starter. But when a company has no issue meeting these requirements, they create new requirements of their own, leading to a headset like this.
EPOS, the makers of a number of high-quality audio products, bring to you their H6PRO headsets in both open and closed acoustic options. The difference being that the closed acoustic option blocks out the ambient noise, making for a more distraction-free experience. We tested the closed acoustic version for this review.
The build quality of the headset is exquisite. The headband and ear cups are built for comfort. The decision to go with a fabric cushion was great as I am not a huge supporter of the faux leather design. They are meant to make it look like you have something of a higher quality, but when you put these on, you feel that quality instead.
Another interesting aspect of the build is the cable. The H6PRO comes with two cables, both of which are detachable to adapt to the needs of the user. One is designed with a separate microphone and headphone jack for plugging into the PC and the other is a TRRS cable for use in consoles or anywhere else that supports the cable.
“The H6PRO comes with two cables, both of which are detachable to adapt to the needs of the user.”
The end of the cable that goes into the headset has this interesting little bevel near the jack to help lock the cable in place, so you don’t need to worry about losing that connection in the middle of the game. It can be problematic to get in sometimes in a “USB A is upside down, but it was actually the right way all along” sort of way. It takes a little care to get it in properly, but when you do, it is going nowhere.
On the right ear, you have a sleek volume dial built flat on the side of the cup with a little textile design for you to feel the dial as you adjust it, but on the left is a genius design that epitomizes adaptability. You have the standard boom microphone found on many headsets. So, what makes it so special? If you use a microphone for chat or if you aren’t using the headset to talk at all, you can remove it. Just pop it off and replace it with a flat plate, and you have a gorgeous set of headphones.
The sound quality is the high-end variety that you expect from EPOS. The ambient noise suppression was such that I was immersed in my gaming experience to the point where I may have gotten into some trouble with someone trying to get my attention. It may have been my wife, don’t worry about it.
“The ambient noise suppression was such that I was immersed in my gaming experience to the point where I may have gotten into some trouble with someone trying to get my attention.”
The flexibility of the headset also adds to its top-notch comfort. The way that the ear cups connect to the headband gives you an added range of motion that lets them sit on any head and provides that head with a perfect wearing experience. As an owner of an Arctis Pro Wireless headset, I can honestly tell you that the H6PRO is a more comfortable solution for long-term gaming and listening.
Where the headset comes up short, however, is a simple feature that so many headsets (including a lot of cheaper ones) offer, but this one doesn’t. Well… Sort of.
The H6PRO doesn’t come with surround sound. This is a pretty big problem for a lot of gaming situations. You don’t hear those footsteps coming from the right, you just hear footsteps. A jumpy gamer like myself goes into panic mode when you can’t tell from what direction things are coming.
“The H6PRO doesn’t come with surround sound. This is a pretty big problem for a lot of gaming situations.”
Now I did say that the H6PRO doesn’t come with surround sound, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get surround sound for it. This is where EPOS comes back in with their line of external sound cards, which can enable the headset for 7.1 surround sound. Given the price of the headset and the fact that so many competitors can offer 7.1 surround sound for a smaller price tag, an added price to access a basic feature feels like a money grab.
In the end, I ended up not really using the H6PRO as a gaming headset, but instead used it as headphones for podcasting.
At $179 USD, this is not a cheap headset relative to the competition. Its overall build and sound quality justify the price tag at a glance. The H6PRO feels like a luxury in every way. It is hard to justify the price, though, once you see what you are losing out on in this gaming headset. The disadvantage of not having that surround sound in a competitive game is a hard loss to get over.
