I’ve previously reviewed 2 headsets from EPOS, and though they were decent, nothing stood out to me regarding sound. However, my perspective on this brand took a near 180-turn when I listened to the new EPOS H6PRO Closed Acoustic Headset. There’s also an Open Acoustic version of this, but today, let’s talk about why this headset is the fan-favorite underdog on all fronts.
Style / Feel / Build / Hardware
Out of the box, the H6 shimmers with seemingly metal attributes on a reflective surface. Moreover, when you grab it, you feel how finely made the rest of the headset is. The earcups are made of a super-soft material that feels smoother than expected. The sides of the earcups have leatherettes, but the headband has higher-grade leather on its exterior and metal on the interior, with a noticeably better feel.
It could have used a bit more padding here, as I found it to induce much pressure to my head over long periods, needing to shift it for relief. The band also has 8 well-made notches for head size. Even though the foundation of the headset is primarily plastic, it manages not to look substandard. The boom design also brings home the beauty of the unit, matching in shiny vibes and a metallic sheen. It features a flip-to-mute boom mic that’s made well and feels like it won’t be flimsy over time. You can also detach the boom via a magnet by just simply pulling it off. This choice of manufacturing is a thumbs up for me.
We’ll come back to mic input quality later. The H6PRO has no inputs on the body, leaving it clean, but it would have been nice to have USB-C for higher fidelity connection options. Other than that, it only has a 3.5mm jack for mic and audio. I wish we could get away from this jack at this point on premium devices because it naturally has more compression than most. A volume dial on the right side controls a separate pre-amp in the headset, leaving the desktop and headset volumes different. This is a great sign, and I absolutely love to see dual volume because it always sounds better. I don’t know why these companies don’t advertise that feature more.
Anyway, I like that the volume dial is flush to the headset for a minimal look, but I still think the execution is awkward. It could be worse, but maybe a premium metal dial would still feel better than the plastic disk dial. Lastly, the wires provided are your typical braided 3.5mm cables. The box provides 3.5mm to green and pink mic audio jacks and consoles’ one-and-done controller jack cable. Both wires have more than enough length to reach up and over multiple objects, so thank you, EPOS.
Everything is accounted for with the design, and it shows. Moving on…
Performance / Hands on Use / Features / User Experience / Analysis / Etc.
Starting off this section, I would like to say that I figured out how to fix the bug of EPOS’s “Gaming Suite” software not opening since the last review. You can personally ask me how to fix it, but I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders after getting it open. Still, it is buggy and definitely needs more work. Also, this headset will NOT DETECT in your EPOS gaming suite if you do not have one of their pre-amps, such as the one I have, the GSX-300. It would be best if you did this to unlock the true potential of the H6PRO.
The quality is slightly increased natively from the pre-amp, but the features and customization add even more class than you’d expect. Customizing this headset using the EPOS mixer, surround sound settings, and volume levels enhances this headset’s tone. You can add way more bass than out-of-the-box sound, and if you like more mids and high ranges, you can bring those out too. I was delighted with the improvements coming from the pre-amp, and the H6PRO sounds incredible. Although the overall volume output could be a “smidge” higher, this headset’s overall performance is a huge win.
The sound stage from the fully enclosed padding makes you hear sounds from all directions. The construction of the drive also adds to that experience, shooting directional sounds all over the interior of the ear cup. Anyway, I think the H6PRO has very balanced but flexible sound, which worked out favorably for me as I have many hobbies other than gaming. It’s nice to have a headset that accommodates sound tones to different daily tasks and hobbies. If I want to bump out to music with heavy bass, I can. If I want more high range or surround sound amplification, I have that too.
Switching between sound settings is only possible with an amp, so again, go pick up a GSX-300 or something else to that effect. You can also customize your mic’s sound tone from settings like warm and clear input to mixing your input audio, Gain, sidetone, and much more. Further, the boom mic quality is quite superior to most headsets bragging about having a great mic. This is the best boom I have heard for this price, at least when attached to the headset.
So, there’s customization and excellent mic quality too? Does this headset have everything? No, unfortunately, because you can’t use the pre-amp with consoles, so only PC players can reek the extra unlocks of this headset. The quality is passable on consoles but far better on PC.
My biggest complaints regarding this headset are the buggy software experience, the lack of USB connection options for people with no add-on accessories, and the discomfort of lengthy sessions.
Other than those issues, this headset exceeded my expectations, and EPOS is now on my positive radar. Despite using a 3.5mm jack, the sound is stellar, but you can hear the compression if you are an audiophile. Additionally, keep in mind that you will have to shell out another $70 if you want the best experience with this unit. It’s almost not worth it if you don’t have the amp. Lastly, if you can’t get the software to work, the headset is not worth it for a PC gamer or even a music listener. This is the most conflicting review I’ve done because the product is awesome, but EPOS is bogged down by endless bugs that need attention.
