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After the Steelseries new H-series gaming headset line was released, it caught my attention to try it. I haven't had the chance the try the 9H or the 3HV2, but I did get my hands on the 5HV3. This headset retails for around RM329-359 (depends on your retailers). Now, I've never tried the 5HV2, so I will be comparing it with the 7H, which is the most premium tournament grade headset from the previous H-series generation.

First, let's take a quick look on what you will get inside

Unboxing


Closer Look on the new 5HV3


Inside of the box, you will got the headset itself, the 3.5mm headphone and microphone cable, the 3.5mm 4-pole cable, Steelseries sticker and quick start guide. It's pretty much normal and not much of a different from Razer or Roccat packaging, except for the swappable cable system.

FEATURES

STEELSERIES 5HV3

Most recognized for its tournament and award-winning, gaming audio performance and portability, the SteelSeries 5Hv2 was one of the most talked-about headsets on the tournament circuit. The new 5H now features the newest generation of SteelSeries audio drivers with a custom-engineered soundscape for clear and detailed sound without distortion.

STEELSERIES AUDIO

Building on the historic SteelSeries audio tradition, a custom-engineered soundscape features a wide dynamic range, which makes it possible for 5Hv3 to deliver a balanced and linear tournament-grade advantage.

Powerful, detailed audio experience via tournament grade, next generation SteelSeries audio drivers that feature a wide dynamic range that allows you to hear all levels of your audio: lows, mids, and highs. Our audio engineers custom-engineered the soundscape for the best possible gaming experience. Advanced components like high grade mylar film to further perfect the sound with added clarity and no distortion.

RETRACTABLE MICROPHONE

The 5Hv3 features a retractable microphone system. Pull it out when you need it. Hide it in the left earcup when you don’t.

IN-LINE CONTROLS

The double braided cable gives the 5Hv3 increased durability and also features an integrated volume controller on the cord also offers a microphone mute switch, all for instant control without having to navigate through software settings.

SWAPPABLE CABLE SYSTEM

The ends of the 5Hv3 are swappable so that you can use your headset with your PC, Mac®, phones and tablets.
A mobile end with a single 3-pole 3.5mm jack and a PC cable with a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 3.5mm microphone jack have both been included.

EXTENDED COMFORT

Extra-padded, soft all-leather design provides extended comfort and passive noise reduction.

EASY TO CARRY

The SteelSeries 5Hv3 is especially popular and loved at LAN-events and internet cafés around the world. With the ability to dismantle the headset into 3 pieces for easy carrying and transportation makes it the first choice headset for many gamers.

OVERVIEW

My first impression of this headset is that they have redesigned the 5HV3 to be more stylish than the 5HV2. The 5HV3 has a very nice mix of black with orange accent on it. Instead of cloth earpads, they changed it with extremely soft, leather earpads. They also have changed from normal cable splitter into swappable cable system. The swappable cable system allows users to use it with smartphones by connecting it with 4-pole combined cable, or with PC with 3.5mm headphone and microphone cable. They also comes with extended 3.5mm headphone and microphone for you to connect it at the back of your pc (the extra cable is extremely long) . The in-line controls has a classic Steelseries volume control and mic mute switch. The retractable microphone on 5HV3 is a lot more low profile and sleek, unlike the 5HV2 microphone, which makes you look like a nerd. The 5HV3 is still able to dismantle into 3-pieces to make it portable and easier to carry it to the tournament. For the design and usability of this headset, I give it 4 out of 5.

PERFORMANCE

For sound quality, I've tested it out with games and musics

Games :

As what you would expect from Steelseries H-series headset, the sound quality was amazing for games. Most in games sounds such as gunfire, explosions, and footsteps can be heard very clearly. Although, I would prefer the explosions sounds deeper to give it more realistic feeling in games. I would say the sound quality in games is pretty decent for its price.

Musics :

This headset performs pretty well in musics. It produce very clear and crisp sound. The lows can be heard pretty clear, but the highs is a little bit fatiguing. The mids is very well-balanced as well. Overall sound is a bit warm and on the softer side. But, I don't really like the bass produced from this headset. I won't say it is weak, it does produces punchy bass, but not very noticeable. I would prefer the bass to be deeper just to give a better experience while listening to musics. For bass heavy listener, you might want to look for other headset available at this price point. I'm not saying it sounds terrible for songs who requires lot of bass, it just won't move you like the 7H or Razer Electra

For sound quality, I score this headset 3 out of 5. In terms of comfort, I can wear this for more than 4 hours. The pressure is a lot lesser than the 7H, but they stay still on my head. The entire headset itself is pretty lightweight. The padding on the headband is a little bit smaller than the 7H, but it never cause me any discomfort. Some people might find leather earpads uncomfortable for them because your ears can get hot after long sessions of gaming (unless you wear it in a room with air-con). Comfortwise, I give 4 out of 5.

Mic Test :

I hate to admit it, but this microphone are one of the best microphone that I've ever used. The sound is very clear and crisp, you don't have to worry whether your teammates can hear you or not. If you speak quietly, you might have to place it nearer to your mouth. For the mic quality, I would give it 4.5 out of 5

CONCLUSION

Is the new, redesigned 5HV3 worth buying? Would I recommend it? For both questions, yes. If you want a great sounding gaming headset that you can wear for a long time, the 5HV3 should be in your list. The sound quality is indeed meant for gaming, and is a lot better than most gaming headsets in this price range. The microphone performs very good as well. I can't really say that it has been improved from the previous generation, since I've never tried the 5HV2 myself. Personally, I like this headset because I can use it comfortably for long period of time. If you have any comments or questions, can reply below

PROS :

- Comfortable for extended gaming sessions
- Decent sound quality for its price
- Swappable cable system
- Portable, can be dismantle into 3 pieces
- Good mic quality

CONS :

- Mediocre sound for musics
- The bass is a little weak
- Your ears can get hot after wearing it for a while

This post has been edited by MuhdYusri: Mar 25 2014, 01:49 PM

PROS :comfortable for extended gaming but ears can get hot after wearing it awhile in CONS

so is it comfortable?

To answer your questions, it depends on where you wear it. We live in Malaysia, so if you wear it in a normal room (without air-con) , it can get hot after a while. But, if you usually gaming in a cold room (with air-con), you won't have this kind of problem . So, it is comfortable, almost the same as the 7H, but it doesn't include cloth replaceable pads like 7H does

Nice review!

Thanks

Been using this for awhile. Very comfortable even after several hours of usage