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0 I’m fast becoming a big fan of EPOS and their audio products and they’re back with the EPOS H6PRO. This time it’s a premium no-frills plug and play gaming headset. Can the lack of features justify the price tag? Read on to find out how it performs.
Feel free to check out my previous review of the multi-connection EPOS H3 Hybrid Gaming Headset here.
No Frills All Thrills Audio
Design and Control
When first opening the packaging on the EPOS H6PRO you’re greeted with a very simple but lovely presentation. The headset is encased in a super soft black foam and everything about it looks and feels premium.
It’s only when taking the headset out and holding it you can feel the difference between the H6PRO and the H3 Hybrid. The EPOS H6PRO oozes class and just feels super premium. I thought the H3 felt well built but this thing is on another level. Visually, everything is beefed up. There is bigger earcups, bigger earcup hinges, a bigger volume dial, a bigger headband, you get the idea.
The EPOS H6PRO comes in three colour options. There’s Racing Green (with gold accents), Ghost White and Sebring Black, which is what I received. All three look incredible and it’s good to see varied options to suit different styles.
As already mentioned, build quality really is superb. They weigh in at approximately 310g with microphone attached and 290g without. They don’t feel heavy at all and the comfort is clearly something EPOS has done its research on. Yet again this is one of the most comfortable headsets I have ever worn. As with the H3 Hybrid, clamping force is spot on. I can move my head around vigorously and they never shift position.
One of many reasons I prefer open back headsets when compared to closed back is breathability. The EPOS H6PRO open back is no exception. There is no heat build up at all and your ears are always kept incredibly cool. After hours of usage, I never had any discomfort whatsoever. These can be comfortably worn all day without any issues.
Thanks to the solid plastic and metal construction the EPOS H6PRO feel so incredible in the hand and even better on the head. Flexibility is superb as well, the beefed up earcup hinges feel much better than the H3 Hybrids and I have every confidence the headset will last for many years. The leatherette headband is really well cushioned and doesn’t apply any unwanted pressure onto your head. As with the H3 Hybrid the adjustable headband has really useful numbered measurements. This makes it super easy to set the headset back into the right position for you.
One of my favourite features so far from EPOS which was introduced on the H3 Hybrid, is the superbly designed magnetic detachable microphone. The EPOS H6PRO uses this incredible feature once again and it’s still the best system I’ve ever come across. The microphone on the left earcup mutes and unmutes by simply raising and lowering. Then, if you no longer wish to use the mic and want to use them as just a set of headphones, or maybe you already have an external mic, simply pull outwards and the whole mic comes off the headset.
Once the microphone is detached, EPOS even supply you with a little plastic cover. Just pop it over the side of the earcup and you can never tell there was a mic attached. There is even a spare plastic cover as well just in case you lose one.
On the right earcup there is the volume wheel. This was one of my biggest gripes with the H3 Hybrid and it is an improvement on the H6PRO. The wheel is much bigger making it a little easier to find and operate and there is now a minimum and maximum stopper. It is worth noting even on minimum volume some sound still comes through. This is a bit weird as you’d have to use your device to mute the audio completely. In general, the volume wheel is a better experience, although still not as easy to use as many others like the Sennheiser GSP 500 / 600 and the Game One. I also feel it just doesn’t match the premium feel of the rest of the headset.
Connection
At this price point the features on the EPOS H6PRO are extremely lacking. After all, this is a completely analogue headset meaning there is no wireless or Bluetooth here.
Included in the box are 2 exchangeable braided cables. A standard 3.5mm cable for console gaming or plugging into a phone or tablet. Plus a second cable with splitters for audio and mic output for PC use. Having a universally used 3.5mm audio jack as its only connectivity option does mean it’s compatible with almost every device out there.
If you want to further enhance your audio experience with the H6PRO you can also plug them into an external soundcard which is also available from EPOS.
I would definitely recommend this as there is unfortunately no support for the EPOS Gaming Suite via PC which is a shame. It would be nice to have the customisation options that are available on the H3 Hybrid using the Suite.
Sound and Performance
Now onto the essential part of any headset review, how it actually sounds.
The EPOS H6PRO have new larger 42mm dynamic drivers producing a frequency response of 20-20,000Hz. They have an impedance of 28 Ohms making them super easy to drive and therefore easy to achieve high volume levels from any device.
The easiest way of describing the sound here is extremely punchy and tonally well balanced. Being an open back headset, it is naturally airy and wider in its soundstage when compared to closed back headsets.
I should point out, my daily driver for gaming for a number of years now has been the open back Sennheiser Game One. At exactly the same price point as the H6PRO and with exactly the same features I feel this is a perfect comparison.
The EPOS H6PRO are extremely easy on the ears. The whole sound is incredibly warm and has great depth. One thing I wasn’t expecting however for an open back headset was just how much depth. They really do have thumping low end bass. Normally closed back headsets have much more bass, whereas open back headsets always lack in this area. I’m not a huge fan of heavy bass and there is so much of it present here it’s almost bordering on too much for my ears. This is of course personal preference and I will say, the bass doesn’t ever really overpower the mids or the highs at any point whilst gaming. This is credit to EPOS and their clear audio expertise being able to keep this well balanced.
However, when listening to some genres of music I did find the listening experience a little tiring after a couple of hours. It’s quite difficult to explain but when comparing the really neutral sounding Game One headset, the H6PRO almost sounded a little processed at times, especially in the midrange. This only seems to come across when listening to music though, not when gaming.
The EPOS H6PRO is without doubt meant for gaming as this is where it shines. There is the usual emphasis on the high end you get with gaming headsets. This allows you to easily pick out distant gunshots, enemy footsteps or even a grenade pin being pulled! They are however, not quite as sharp or as crisp as other headsets. Namely the Game One or the EPOS H3 Hybrid which I reviewed before these.
Audio positioning though is excellent. Playing Call of Duty: Vanguard enemy locations are super easy to identify and on Battlefield 2042 the whole world felt and sounded incredible. I could pinpoint exactly where enemy infantry and enemy choppers were coming from long before others were aware. Playing the recently released The Cycle: Frontier beta, the EPOS H6PRO were simply mind blowing. There was so much immersion and so much depth from the bass I genuinely jumped a few times when my teammate so much as fired his shotgun next to me. It is an extremely powerful sounding headset!
In a side-by-side comparison with my Sennheiser Game Ones over multiple games and platforms, there are noticeable differences. The Game One does have a slightly wider soundstage and does a slightly better job at picking out details in any open world environment you find yourself in. The H6PRO however, have so much more depth it brings a completely different dimension to your gaming. When compared to other headsets I’ve tried from the likes of Hyper X, Razer and even the Sony Pulse, the EPOS H6PRO for gaming are superior.
Even on the PS5, the H6PRO are an absolute joy. They sound particularly good with Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio technology. The plug and play nature on the controller is something I love and I much prefer the sound offered over any wireless headsets.
The bidirectional microphone on the EPOS H6PRO is just like the H3 Hybrid, excellent. Speech has great depth, something most gaming mics struggle with, whilst also being incredibly clear.
There are unfortunately 2 quite big negatives to the microphone here.
There’s no sidetone on both the open and closed back variants, along with really poor noise cancellation. This means keyboard, mouse clicks and even whirring fans can be heard. Just to note, the Sennheiser Game One has excellent noise cancellation in its mic.
Both these features I feel should really be standard on gaming headsets nowadays, especially at this price point.
Conclusion
Choosing between the closed back and open back variants of the EPOS H6PRO is completely personal preference and totally depends on your surroundings when gaming. If you need to have complete isolation, don’t want any audio leaking out and don’t want to hear anyone in the same room as you, the closed back is the one for you.
If, however, you’re lucky enough to have a gaming space that’s a bit more solitary, or you actually need to remain aware of your external surroundings, choosing the open back is the one I would recommend. The trade-off for poor noise isolation on open back headsets is in my opinion nearly always worth it to get better imaging, a wider soundstage and increased breathability and comfort.
I was so excited to hear of a new open back gaming headset as there are nowhere near enough of them on the market. So massive kudos goes to EPOS for this.
In summary, for me personally, I do find the Sennheiser Game One listening experience altogether a little more pleasing, particularly for music. They are so natural in their sound and the overall detail is a little better.
I do however realise that most people will prefer more depth and more oomph to their gaming experience, so the fact the EPOS H6PRO achieves this on an open back headset is nothing short of impressive. If you value sound quality over features, I honestly feel the H6PRO are up there with the very best on the market. Pair this with extreme comfort and a great quality mic, the EPOS H6PRO is an outstanding gaming headset. Even at this price tag I do feel it’s worth it, just for the sound quality alone.
The EPOS H6PRO Open Back Gaming Headset get the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Available to purchase at ttps://www.argos.co.uk/list/shop-for-epos-gaming-headsets/
Disclaimer: A sample was received in order to write this review.
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