When EPOS reached out to me to review the EPOS H3Pro Hybrid, I initially declined thinking they had forgotten I’d already reviewed. The good folk kindly explained to me that I had reviewed the H3 Hybrid. Can you see my confusion? The Pro in the name is so easy to miss unless you are paying close attention and I’m flabbergasted as to why EPOS didn’t just call it the H3 Pro instead of this confusing H3Pro Hybrid.
What makes the H3Pro Hybrid different is the move from wired USB connection to 2.4Ghz wireless as well as the addition of Active Noise Cancelation. These changes add an extra $140 over the H3 Hybrid’s price, totalling $399. If you can get past the price, the EPOS H3Pro Hybrid is as close as you can get to the perfect multi-platform gaming headset.
EPOS H3Pro Hybrid Gaming Headset
I did an in-depth review of both the H3 and H3 Hybrid and so I won’t go back into details of build or comfort since the H3Pro is identical to those. Suffice to say, it’s a leaner, lighter interpretation that is clearly an EPOS headset but better than the military aviator inspired GSP headsets of old. I found the headset fairly comfortable but not for all day wear since the ear cushions hurt the tips of my ears after about 2-3 hours of use. Since we all have differences in ears, your experience will differ but it’s definitely not as comfortable as say the HyperX Cloud II’s.
The H3Pro shares the same drivers and built-in DAC as the H3 Hybrid, which means you are getting the same great audio and one of the best on a gaming headset. The sound signature is rich, with clear highs and clean thumping bass that is as great for game explosions as it is for listening to hip-hop beats on the bus to work. Positional accuracy is excellent, making it easy to pinpoint sounds in all axes around you whether they are enemy footsteps in Apex Legends or Halo Infinite’s pinging audio logs.
The H3Pro also has emulated 7.1 surround sound which makes everything sound a little wider and bigger though not truly around you; which is understandable given the limitations of a stereo headset. Surround sound is only available through the EPOS Gaming Suite software that’s unfortunately for Windows devices but even without it, the H3Pro’s will sound great. Additionally, the software allows you to tweak the equalizer settings to your preference as well as adjust the microphone settings like gain and tone.
Speaking of mics, the H3Pro has two; one is the removable boom microphone that attaches to the headset using magnets and the second is built into the ear cup to assist with noise isolation or Bluetooth calls when up and about. The boom mic is unchanged from the H3 and H3 Hybrid so expect good, clean and natural sounding vocals with good isolation while the secondary mic doesn’t sound nearly as good, it’s still serviceable for phone calls.
Now new with the H3 Pro is the 2.4Ghz low-latency wireless connection delivered by a tiny USB dongle with a handy LED to show off the connection status of the headset. The connection is rock solid with a good range of up to 30 feet and remained pretty solid whenever I left my desk and went to my ensuite bathroom for a break. It works with Windows PC, Mac and PlayStation 4/5. Like the H3 Hybrid, the H3Pro can connect to another device like a smartphone simultaneously over Bluetooth. This opens up the headset to use beyond the desk and combined with the removable microphone, the H3Pro is a viable mobile headset. A pairing button on the right ear cup also serves as basic controls for pause/play or answer/end phone calls.
The second key addition to the H3Pro is Active Noise Cancellation or ANC which separates it from the crowd of gaming headsets. To activate it, there’s a new toggle switch added to the right ear cup just beneath the Bluetooth pairing button. The ANC filters out low, constant frequencies like your PC or laptop fans, a dishwasher or Air Conditioner. It’s not nearly as capable as a true ANC headphone like the Sony WH-1000XM4 though so don’t expect total silence. Still, combined with the passive noise seal from the ear cups, it’s good enough to keep you engaged in your game.
ANC is a power intensive function and will drain your battery a lot faster than without it. So even though the H3Pro will last about 30 hours on wireless, turning on ANC will drop that to about 19 hours. That’s a huge hit but things are much better if you are only using Bluetooth — 22 hours with ANC on and 38 hours without it. That’s more than enough for an international flight from Australia to the UK. The H3Pro also works just fine while it’s charging and it does so via any standard USB Type-C cable so battery life isn’t really a concern.
Verdict
The EPOS H3Pro Hybrid is deserving of its Pro name thanks to the excellent audio, wireless connectivity options and active noise cancellation. It’s hard to find another headset that has all these features done well so really, there’s not much to compare it too. Still, the $399 price tag is a lot to pay and I’m not convinced that you should. The ANC is a nice addition but not really necessary thanks to the already great passive noise cancellation.
And unless you absolutely hate wires, the H3 Hybrid offers identical performance for over $100 less. The H3 line has also been my least comfortable headset design despite the massive improvements EPOS has made over its older gen cans. I’m waiting for the company to unveil the H6Pro Hybrid earphones that use larger, more comfortable ear cups and more powerful drivers but until then, the H3Pro remains one of the best multiplatform ANC gaming headsets.
