When SteelSeries introduced their new headsets I was excited about their new strategy: Instead of creating expensive top of the line headsets SteelSeries decided to develop cheaper headsets and more for general purposes. Looking from a marketing perspective this is of course a very interesting...
When SteelSeries introduced their new headsets I was excited about their new strategy: Instead of creating expensive top of the line headsets SteelSeries decided to develop cheaper headsets and more for general purposes. Looking from a marketing perspective this is of course a very interesting development, but looking from the gamer’s perspective it is too. Remember that the absolute majority of (online) gamers does not spend more than 60 euro on a headset… How many of your (ex) team-mates play using their standard pc speakers, or on a 20 euro headset? The SteelSound 3H has a pricetag of 39.95€, will this be the ideal headset for these (budget) gamers? In this review I will try to find out…
Technical Specifications:
When looking at the technical specifications of the SteelSound 3H it is clear that this headset offers great features for a nice price.
The Technical Details:
Design:
The design of the SteelSound 3H is compact and very light. It weighed in at 183 grams. This could be very interesting if you want to transport the headset to a friend or an LAN event. The design is light, but the construction still seems decent and firm. I couldn’t find any weak spots in the construction. The leather ear muffs rest on your ears. This is in contrast to headsets such as the 4H, 5H(v2) and the Everglide s-500 where the ear muffs fit all around your ears. The 3H ear muffs feel pretty nice but after using them for a while I noticed that my ears felt pretty hot, something I usually not notice while using one of the headsets mentioned above.
Something I don’t understand is why SteelSeries decided to colour the connectors red and black. Combinations of red and black or black and red are usually used for left/right audio, one for the left side and one for the right side. The normal colours in use for microphone connectors and audio connectors are green and pink.
Something I really missed was a volume control. When using the 3H in windows its alway possible to adjust the volume, but while playing games there are certain moments when I want to change my volume. For instance when there is one player left of the other team increasing the volume might give you just a little advantage over your enemy.
My judgement of the sound quality of the SteelSound 3H will consist of three parts, the sound quality of music playback (on portable and pc), DVD sound and gaming sounds.
Music and DVD Soundquality:
I listened to a few cds while using the SteelSound 3H. I listened to Dido - Life For Rent, Snow Patrol - Eyes Open and Pendulum - Hold Your Colour. I compared the sound quality to my Logitech z-5300 5.1 surround sound setup, the SteelSound 4H (review coming soon) and the Everglide s-500. The soundcard I used is the Creative Soundblaster 2 ZS, all settings set to default to make it as equal as possible.
The overall conclusion is pretty simple: This headset produces awesome bass sounds. The lower frequencies come out amazingly well. While listening to Pendulum’s song "Slam" the bass was really pumping into my ears. I could even feel the headset vibrate. While listening to more subtle songs such as Snowpatrol "You Could Be Happy" the 3H produced very accurate and sharp tones. I chose to listen to "Dido’s Don’t Leave Home" to judge the overall quality. That song is mastered very evenly resulting in balanced lower, middle and high frequencies I was very pleased while listening to this song, the SteelSound 3H is capable to produce very balanced output which is very nice while listening to music.
I’m not sure how many people will buy the 3H to use it in combination with a portable sound device, but I decided to check it out anyway. So I plugged the 3H into my ipod (5th generation “iPod Videoâ€) and started walking around the house and neighbourhood while listening to the three albums I use for testing. Once again I was surprised about the sound quality. The 3H is very light and small, therefore using it while travelling wouldn’t be a very bad idea.
To test the DVD sound quality I watched parts of two DVDs while using the SteelSound 3H. I watched the snowboard DVD “First Descent†and "The Bourne Identity". Both DVDs have amazing sound effects creating an exciting atmosphere. While using the SteelSound 3H I had nothing to complain. Overall the sound quality is good. Especially the excellent bass of the 3H will make high speed car chases just a little bit more exciting…
When looking at the technical specifications of the SteelSound 3H it is clear that this headset offers great features for a nice price.
The Technical Details:
| Frequency response | 10 - 27.000 Hz |
| Impedance | 50 Ohm |
| SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms 102dB | |
| Cable length | 2 meters (6.5 feet) |
| Microphone | |
| Frequency response | 50 - 18.000 Hz |
| Pick up pattern | Non-directional |
| Sensitivity | -40 dB |
| Impedance | 2.2K Ohm |
Design:
The design of the SteelSound 3H is compact and very light. It weighed in at 183 grams. This could be very interesting if you want to transport the headset to a friend or an LAN event. The design is light, but the construction still seems decent and firm. I couldn’t find any weak spots in the construction. The leather ear muffs rest on your ears. This is in contrast to headsets such as the 4H, 5H(v2) and the Everglide s-500 where the ear muffs fit all around your ears. The 3H ear muffs feel pretty nice but after using them for a while I noticed that my ears felt pretty hot, something I usually not notice while using one of the headsets mentioned above.
Something I don’t understand is why SteelSeries decided to colour the connectors red and black. Combinations of red and black or black and red are usually used for left/right audio, one for the left side and one for the right side. The normal colours in use for microphone connectors and audio connectors are green and pink.
Something I really missed was a volume control. When using the 3H in windows its alway possible to adjust the volume, but while playing games there are certain moments when I want to change my volume. For instance when there is one player left of the other team increasing the volume might give you just a little advantage over your enemy.
My judgement of the sound quality of the SteelSound 3H will consist of three parts, the sound quality of music playback (on portable and pc), DVD sound and gaming sounds.
Music and DVD Soundquality:
I listened to a few cds while using the SteelSound 3H. I listened to Dido - Life For Rent, Snow Patrol - Eyes Open and Pendulum - Hold Your Colour. I compared the sound quality to my Logitech z-5300 5.1 surround sound setup, the SteelSound 4H (review coming soon) and the Everglide s-500. The soundcard I used is the Creative Soundblaster 2 ZS, all settings set to default to make it as equal as possible.
The overall conclusion is pretty simple: This headset produces awesome bass sounds. The lower frequencies come out amazingly well. While listening to Pendulum’s song "Slam" the bass was really pumping into my ears. I could even feel the headset vibrate. While listening to more subtle songs such as Snowpatrol "You Could Be Happy" the 3H produced very accurate and sharp tones. I chose to listen to "Dido’s Don’t Leave Home" to judge the overall quality. That song is mastered very evenly resulting in balanced lower, middle and high frequencies I was very pleased while listening to this song, the SteelSound 3H is capable to produce very balanced output which is very nice while listening to music.
I’m not sure how many people will buy the 3H to use it in combination with a portable sound device, but I decided to check it out anyway. So I plugged the 3H into my ipod (5th generation “iPod Videoâ€) and started walking around the house and neighbourhood while listening to the three albums I use for testing. Once again I was surprised about the sound quality. The 3H is very light and small, therefore using it while travelling wouldn’t be a very bad idea.
To test the DVD sound quality I watched parts of two DVDs while using the SteelSound 3H. I watched the snowboard DVD “First Descent†and "The Bourne Identity". Both DVDs have amazing sound effects creating an exciting atmosphere. While using the SteelSound 3H I had nothing to complain. Overall the sound quality is good. Especially the excellent bass of the 3H will make high speed car chases just a little bit more exciting…
In-Game Soundquality:
It would be a shame not to test a SteelSound headset by playing games, because clearly SteelSound is a company by and for gamers. To test the headset I played some Call of Duty 2, Counterstrike 1.6 and Company of Heroes. Once again the lower frequencies were pretty loud, creating a cinematical effect. Overall the sound quality in Call of Duty is pretty good. The sound effects are clearly present and the background sounds are pretty dominant as well. There are two things I have to say about this. When I am gaming for fun there is nothing wrong with loud bass volumes creating nice background sounds, and thus creating a filmlike atmosphere. But when it comes to serious gaming I want to hear the things that will kill me, or the things that I have to kill. It is these things that are of importance! So for fps games I would go for a headset that has loud middle frequencies and therefore make footsteps, gunshots and incoming grenades easier to hear and anticipate to. But what those headsets do is sacrificing sound quality for more e-sport efficiency and that is not what expect from a multi purpose headset. When I played the RTS Company of Heroes the extra loud explosions made the whole gaming experience so intense I almost felt like I was one of the men attacking the Germans. This corresponds to what SteelSeries specifically state in their press release: “while SteelSound 3H has been designed to enhance games that combine events and background musicâ€. I think this concept has worked out more than well. The SteelSound 3H makes sure the whole atmosphere is at it’s optimum. Wether or not this is what you want is up to you to decide.
Microphone:
The retractable microphone comes out of the left ear muff. This system is pretty useful. When you do not need your microphone it has no use and you should have a system of folding it away somehow. If it is folded upright (like normal headsets) the chance of it getting damaged are still always around, especially when the headset is in a bag when you are travelling. With this retractable microphone you reduce the chance of damaging it to a minimum. I have used the 3H in combination with Ventrilo 1.3 and Skype 2.5. With both programs I had a good response from the person I was talking too. The voice quality was very clear and it served its user (me) well.
General Thoughts and Conclusion:
The SteelSound 3H is made by SteelSeries, a gamers company. But with the introduction of the SteelSound 3H this company will most definitely suit a broader audience. I was extremely happy with the all-round performance of this headset. The quality of Music and DVDs is more than satisfactional with the 3H. While playing games the 3H creates an tense atmosphere, by being designed for a combination of events and backgroundmusic. Whether or not this is what you want is up to you. Of course it is obvious that the 5Hv2 performs better in a(n fps) game, but the 5Hv2 headset costs more than twice as much as the SteelSound 3H. Therefore I cannot conclude anything else than the fact that this product is good, very good. The SteelSound 3H combines good overall performance for a reasonable price… With a price tag of 39.95 euro the SteelSound 3H crushes all competition in its price class.
Pros:
- Good quality for a (relative) low price
- Small and light
- Amazing good bass
Cons:
- No Volume control
- Doesn't cover complete ears
Final score out of five: 4.0
It would be a shame not to test a SteelSound headset by playing games, because clearly SteelSound is a company by and for gamers. To test the headset I played some Call of Duty 2, Counterstrike 1.6 and Company of Heroes. Once again the lower frequencies were pretty loud, creating a cinematical effect. Overall the sound quality in Call of Duty is pretty good. The sound effects are clearly present and the background sounds are pretty dominant as well. There are two things I have to say about this. When I am gaming for fun there is nothing wrong with loud bass volumes creating nice background sounds, and thus creating a filmlike atmosphere. But when it comes to serious gaming I want to hear the things that will kill me, or the things that I have to kill. It is these things that are of importance! So for fps games I would go for a headset that has loud middle frequencies and therefore make footsteps, gunshots and incoming grenades easier to hear and anticipate to. But what those headsets do is sacrificing sound quality for more e-sport efficiency and that is not what expect from a multi purpose headset. When I played the RTS Company of Heroes the extra loud explosions made the whole gaming experience so intense I almost felt like I was one of the men attacking the Germans. This corresponds to what SteelSeries specifically state in their press release: “while SteelSound 3H has been designed to enhance games that combine events and background musicâ€. I think this concept has worked out more than well. The SteelSound 3H makes sure the whole atmosphere is at it’s optimum. Wether or not this is what you want is up to you to decide.
Microphone:
The retractable microphone comes out of the left ear muff. This system is pretty useful. When you do not need your microphone it has no use and you should have a system of folding it away somehow. If it is folded upright (like normal headsets) the chance of it getting damaged are still always around, especially when the headset is in a bag when you are travelling. With this retractable microphone you reduce the chance of damaging it to a minimum. I have used the 3H in combination with Ventrilo 1.3 and Skype 2.5. With both programs I had a good response from the person I was talking too. The voice quality was very clear and it served its user (me) well.
General Thoughts and Conclusion:
The SteelSound 3H is made by SteelSeries, a gamers company. But with the introduction of the SteelSound 3H this company will most definitely suit a broader audience. I was extremely happy with the all-round performance of this headset. The quality of Music and DVDs is more than satisfactional with the 3H. While playing games the 3H creates an tense atmosphere, by being designed for a combination of events and backgroundmusic. Whether or not this is what you want is up to you. Of course it is obvious that the 5Hv2 performs better in a(n fps) game, but the 5Hv2 headset costs more than twice as much as the SteelSound 3H. Therefore I cannot conclude anything else than the fact that this product is good, very good. The SteelSound 3H combines good overall performance for a reasonable price… With a price tag of 39.95 euro the SteelSound 3H crushes all competition in its price class.
Pros:
- Good quality for a (relative) low price
- Small and light
- Amazing good bass
Cons:
- No Volume control
- Doesn't cover complete ears
Final score out of five: 4.0
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