Power Gaming

So I've had my new Steelseries 7H's for a long time now, and having used them literally every day, I think it's time to write a quick review for the newest headset available from one of our sponsors, Steelseries!

First Impressions
When I first received the headset, it came in a huge box from Steelseries because there were two headsets being delivered to our house (mine and BUK 20's). After opening the box, I saw the branded Steelseries boxes and packaging which looked pretty similar to all of the other headsets we have received from our very generous sponsors. I immediately opened them and plugged them into my laptop to test the quality of the new headset - I was literally speechless! They have the same specs as the Siberia V2's but the way in which they are now enforced as closed headsets is amazing! With minimal volume on my laptops music, the entire room I was in was blocked out making these the best closed headset I've ever used. Although talking with them on takes a while to get used to because you can't really hear yourself talking, mostly you just feel your throat vibrate whilst talking unless you start shouting. But I was definitely looking forward to using them at a LAN and events after finding out how well they block out the unwanted background noise. My first impressions on the aesthetical view of the 7H's was that they look very clean cut and professional and more lightweight and compact compared to the previous headset we were given by Steelseries which was the Siberia V2's. The colour of the headset is an almost matte black with silver Steelseries logos above the headphone areas on the headband. With the classic Steelseries logo/writing on the top of the headband it is not too intrusive into the design, just engraved on the top with no colour added. Lastly you can notice from the pictures in the review, the trademark retractable microphone hidden inside the left ear cup of the headset. Overall my first impression was, "I'm really looking forward to playing A LOT of halo with these!" as I expressed in tweet form to Steelseries!

What's in the box? - 7H Headset (Leather ear cushions attached)
- 1 metre long audio cable
- 2 metres of extension cable
- Cloth ear cushions
- Steelseries papers + Instructional notes

The Design
The newest headset from Steelseries being the 7H, is very similar to the 5Hv2 but one which has been increased or improved by small changes that may go unnoticed from the first look. All except the new dark toned colouring of the headset which in my opinion makes the headset look more stylish and more professional. Once again Steelseries have decided to include the volume control and microphone toggle mute switch, as well as the retractable and hiding microphone used on the 5Hv2 and Siberia v2. This is a very valued feature for those wanting to walk around in public or to use them in public places without having to put up with a microphone attached to the side of the ear cup which also makes it look like you're talking to someone all of the time whilst listening to music!


"Retractable microphone shown extended for use"

So what's new? There's a new feature to remove the entire cabling from the headset via a mini usb/audio adapter which can be removed from the headset itself to allow for even more disassembly when travelling with the headset, which is of course included with the feature shown in the 5Hv2 where you are able to dissemble the entire headset and split it into 3 pieces when travelling or transporting the headset. Also the new headset features a new audio cable which is "double-braided nylon" which means it's highly durable and less likely to break or be damaged if you were to roll over it in a chair or to accidently catch it on something while using it. Another new feature is that the mounts attached to the ear cups are able to twist/turn a little in each direction, which allows for the headset to be adjusted slightly to be as comfortable for the user as possible.

Leather or Cushion?
Included in the box as previously mentioned are cushion ear cups, these however are not fitted as default. The main reasoning behind this is because the headset itself is intended to be a closed headset however with the option of having soft and more open ear cups for more casual gaming. From my personal experience, to enjoy the high quality sound from the headset, you have to use the leather ear cups! It literally blocks out all background noise and is definitely the best headset I've used in terms of quality so why would you want background noise ruining that? For anyone looking for a comparison/reference to what the ear cups are like, the soft cushion ones are relatively identical to 5Hv2 ones, and the leather are smaller sized versions of Sennheiser PC350's. Overall the headset is definately the strongest build of the headsets I've received from Steelseries, much stronger than previous ones and is clearly not following the light-weight approach which the Siberia v2 had.

Technical Specifications
Some technical specifications for you to look at for the 7H's:

Headphones
Frequency Response - 18-28,000 Hz
Impedance - 32 Ohm
SPL@ 1kHz Vrms: 112 DB
Cable Length - 1.0 + 2.0 = 3.0m
Jacks - 3.5mm

Microphone
Frequency Response - 50-15,000 Hz
Pick up pattern - Uni-Directional
Sensitivity -38 dB

From my personal usage here are some good and not so good points about the 7H Headset!

Good points
- Sound quality (will blow you away when you first use them)
- High bass levels
- More stylish/professional looking compared to previous headsets
- Retractable microphone
- Easy to transport (disassembles into 4 pieces)
- Easy to use volume control and microphone mute switch
- Quick disconnect audio cable from headset
- Noise cancelling (best Ive experienced)
- Changeable ear cups
- Microphone is sensitive, but not too sensitive which makes it suitable for loud LAN environments.

What Mr Woodward thinks of the 7H's noice cancelling feature"
Bad Points
- Price? They are expensive, but they're definately worth it.
- Ear cups may be slightly too small for people with larger ears
- Could have some more noticeable branding so it's clear people know you are using a SteelSeries headset!

Overall conclusion

The 7H Headset is 100% the best headset I've used so far in my gaming career - the sheer amount of noise canceling and the quality of it is amazing! The design and aesthetic properties of it also are a lot more appealing to gamers with the new dark toned colour scheme and professional finish. For gaming the headset is perfect, you are able to pin point enemies by their footprints and hear shots being fired from across the map, giving you that slight advantage or professional edge on the average gamer.

I will honestly promote these headsets to anyone who talks to me, and for good reasons. I believe it is the best headset in its price range for gaming, and this comes from experience in using all the main rival competitors for the 7H\\\\\\\'s and they all fall short of Steelseries' latest headset.

So, again our team and I would like to thank SteelSeries for the headsets and support. We used the 7H Headsets in our first MLG Halo Reach tournament in Dallas Texas and were able to place 5th, winning $1,000 as a testimony to the product being of professional standards for console gaming and gaming in general.



"Our team using the 7H Headset in MLG Dallas"

To purchase the 7H Headset from SteelSeries, head over to www.steelseries.com