CONCLUSION

   When I first received the H3 Hybrid from EPOS roughly a month ago I started using it with my music players via 3.5mm and honestly, I wasn’t impressed. At the same time, I was also testing a few other 3.5mm headsets and that made things even worse to a point that I stopped using the H3 Hybrid for about a week. However, then I started testing its bluetooth and USB-C capabilities and everything changed. Audio was far more vivid and accurate, bass levels were very good (for a pair of 40mm drivers) and even positioning audio was seriously very good in games (all of them really). Now I don’t know why 3.5mm performance is far from great but if you’re considering buying the H3 Hybrid for that use I strongly suggest looking at other models by EPOS. The detachable boom microphone may not be the best I've ever seen used with a headset but it offers clear communication with other people without lag/delay so it should be more than sufficient for most people out there. As for battery life by using bluetooth connectivity (and after at least 5 recharge cycles) I recorded up to just over 31 hours with the volume turned almost to the max and so no problems there either, as a matter of fact this is a pretty impressive result (would be for any full size closed headset).

   Retailing currently for USD143.10 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 151.80Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the H3 Hybrid by EPOS is priced just as you’d expect for a wired and wireless gaming headset. Overall if you exclude its somewhat less than stellar 3.5mm performance the H3 Hybrid scores very high marks when connected either via USB-C or Bluetooth and since that’s also true for its 7.1 virtual surround sound (positioning audio) it clearly deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Clear & Accurate Mids & Highs
- 7.1 Positioning Audio Performance
- 3.5mm, USB & Bluetooth Connectivity
- Comfortable (Dual Axis Hinges / Memory Foam Earpads)
- Up To 37 Hours Of Battery Life
- Flexible & Detachable Bidirectional Boom Microphone
- PC Gaming Suite Software (Easy To Use)

CONS

- 3.5mm Performance (Could Be Better)