Home Gaming SteelSeries H Wireless Review

SteelSeries H Wireless Review

6 min read
17

We already raved to you about the glory that is the SteelSeries Siberia Elite headset. As a result, I jumped at the chance to review the SteelSeries H Wireless Gaming Headset and my ears have been thanking me ever since.

Feel Me

Before I linked the wireless headset to my PC, I did what any normal person would do and put them on my ears. I have been loathe to take them off since then. The headset is far too comfortable. Typical to SteelSeries, the earcups are large enough for any sized ear while still being snug. The soft leather-wrapped foam makes them feel so luxurious, they’re like slippers for my ears.

Steelseries h wireless 1

Surprisingly, despite being a wireless headset they don’t feel heavier than normal ear wear. Perhaps it’s the perfectly-padded self-adjusting headband that distributes weight evenly across the head, or maybe it contains some genius technical design that prevented the headset from weighing much in the first place. Either way, the headset is light enough to wear all day without causing skull strain.

Without wires, this headset really is quite convenient. I often have a variety of things on my desk, or move around a lot while working – the lack of wires means that I’m not worried about knocking things over, or accidentally strangling myself or others with wires. The range is technically about 12m, although walls and metal shelving can cause sound obstructions. I was able to carry on using the headset while making myself a sandwich, but opening the fridge door for mayo did disrupt the signal.

Hear Me

Featuring Dolby virtual 7.1 surround sound technology, the headset offers fantastic clarity and accuracy. You can hear someone trying to sneak up on you in game, or follow a directional guiding voice. The audio range is rather impressive, offering the deepest vibrating bass as well as distinct high notes without muddying the middle sound levels. Be aware, it is still a wireless headset, so when there is nothing playing you can still hear a slight amount of white noise through those cushy earcups. That said, as soon as audio was streaming to the headset all that was completely gone; thanks to some cool frequency switching capabilities in the transmitter, I also never struggled with any feedback despite my numerous devices. For people who are used to real surround sound, no headset with twin drivers will be able to replicate that perfectly, but most do a pretty good job. 

I must say that the bass could have used a bit more oomph. Sure, you certainly get that vibrating tingle at lower frequencies, but it isn’t quite powerful enough for the best music listening. That said, the sound reproduction is surprisingly clear – I noticed string twangs and breathing in songs where I’d never heard them before. As a gaming headset, it obviously is optimized for that media but I found it more than serviceable for day to day music and video consumption.

Steelseries h wireless 3

Thanks to its multi-port transmitter, the H Wireless is completely cross platform with inputs for analog, optical and USB connections. This makes it an ideal headset for those who, like me, have multiple gaming devices – you can use optical cables for newer consoles, opting for analogue or USB inputs for others, allowing you to switch seamlessly between inputs without changing cables every time you change platform. Assuming you are getting your game and chat audio from different sources, you can even adjust which source is louder, allowing you to turn down your game music in favor of awesome conversation or to silence the drunken friend who keeps talking over your important in-game dialogue.

Love Me

To be honest, I’m not usually one to care much about headsets. I used those crappy Skype headsets for years, and recently picked up some cheap headphones just to have sound pumping directly into my ears rather than disturbing the other members of the household. However, SteelSeries H Wireless offers all the small things that make a big difference.

As you might worry about with a wireless headset, it requires a battery to run. However, SteelSeries guarantees that you will have no downtime by providing two lithium batteries – one to be used in the headset while the other is safely stored and charged in the transmitter box. Changing batteries is as simple as a small twist of the left ear cup, and the transmitter box even displays both battery charge levels so that you can swap before your game kicks off if it seems that you’re running low.

Steelseries h wireless 2

The on/off button for the headset on the bottom of the right earcup doubles as a mic on/off button. This means that if you happen to forget that you have the headset on when you run for a quick pee mid-game, you can mute the mic quickly and easily. When muted, the mic lights up with a red light, reminding you that it’s off. I prefer this approach – I don’t want the light on and distracting me while I’m talking, but it’s nice to be reminded when I wonder why no one can hear me.

Also built into the right ear cup is an additional volume control. Sure, you can adjust the sound on the transmitter box, but it’s so much more comfortable to just scroll the wheel behind your right ear. The right earcup also boasts extra ports so you can share your aural experience with a wired friend.

All in all, the H Wireless offers unbelievable quality with fantastic convenience. Clearly built to be used, it’s intuitive and easy to use. It doesn’t need to add superfluous bells and whistles; it’s simplicity and ease of use showcases the value of streamlined, smart design.

The SteelSeries H Wireless has an RRP of R3699. For the Spec-inclined among you:

Headphone 

  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20000Hz
  • Weight: 297g (without battery)
  • Max Volume: 100dB* SPL @ 1kHz
  • Ports: Wired Mode / Share Port
  • Chat port, mini USB FW update port

Transmitter 

  • Wireless Range: 12m (40ft) straight line
  • Latency: <16ms, fixed
  • Ports: Analog In, Analog Out, mini USB,
  • Optical In, Optical Out, Power
  • Battery Type: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 1000mAh
  • Battery Life: 20 hours per pack, typical usage

Microphone

  • Frequency Response: 100Hz – 10000Hz
  • Mic Pattern: Unidirectional
  • Indication: Red LED on mute

What’s in the box?

  • H Wireless Headset & Transmitter
  • (2) Battery packs
  • (6) Cables: Optical, USB, Power,
  • Analog, Mobile, Chat
  • Power adapter with (4) worldwide plug ends

Last Updated: March 25, 2014

17 Comments

  1. Kromas

    March 25, 2014 at 15:34

    R3700 can buy you quite a few nice things.

    Reply

    • HvR

      March 25, 2014 at 15:40

      At that price I’m expecting nothing less than little angels performing oral sex on my ears.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief of Auraxis

        March 25, 2014 at 16:00

        O_O

        Reply

        • Sk3tz0

          March 25, 2014 at 18:06

          @ R3700 u better hope that Headset will.. Rove you rong time..

          Reply

      • Weanerdog

        March 25, 2014 at 16:27

        You spelled aural wrong.

        Reply

  2. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    March 25, 2014 at 15:41

    Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaha! Okay R3700 is a bit much.

    Here I was thinking I might not have to get the Logitech G930 set I was going to get. xD You make it sound like a more financially viable option after reading this xD

    Reply

  3. VampyreSquirrel

    March 25, 2014 at 15:46

    That’s a crazy amount of money for a headset, which also explains why I’ve got “el cheapo”s

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      March 25, 2014 at 16:04

      I have a pair of Roccat Kave 5.1’s. The worst thing is, I hardly ever used headphones anyway, and when I do I use my uber cheap Philips stereo ones because it’s a las to go behind the PC & mess with all the audio connectors lol. I can just plug the Philips into my regular speakers remote.

      Reply

      • VampyreSquirrel

        March 25, 2014 at 16:29

        Mine are straight stereo with mic and cost me R70… because… reasons

        Reply

  4. Alien Emperor Trevor

    March 25, 2014 at 15:54

    Wow, that price. I wouldn’t even pay that much for a gfx card lol.

    Reply

  5. eyesuc

    March 25, 2014 at 15:58

    Eina! How about a nice review on an affordable headset? I was sold on it until I saw the price. Then I cried and wanted to punch something.

    Reply

  6. Sk3tz0

    March 25, 2014 at 16:10

    Dont like Wireless Headsets.. Imagine u forget that they on and u end up dropping the kids off at the pool.. every1 in ur group gonna have a fun time listening to u 😛

    Reply

    • Her Highness the Hipster

      March 25, 2014 at 16:12

      hence why i love the on the fly mute ability. definitely useful in those moments 😛

      Reply

  7. Jedi JJ

    March 25, 2014 at 16:16

    Not exactly a steal
    Wow that’s lame

    Reply

  8. geelslang

    March 25, 2014 at 17:38

    I use wireless earphones for music, games ect on my pc. I also pick up other peoples signals on them, and one of them is often porn! lol.

    So here is a handy hint, use wired headphones if thats your thing.

    Reply

    • Sk3tz0

      March 25, 2014 at 17:59

      Sure u not just eavesdropping on ur neighbours 😛

      Reply

  9. Michael

    March 26, 2014 at 18:43

    At that price they have to be amazing. Have a broken pair of Roccat Kave 5.1’s – mic connection broke and unfortunately they only offer a 1 year warranty in SA but 2 years in other countries, isn’t that awesome. Replaced them with Logitech G930 wireless headset and haven’t looked back since.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

Twelve Minutes Review – Stuck in a Mystery Time Loop

We’ve all experienced deja vu a few times in our lives, but what happens when you ha…