1 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:13,120 Buy an unlocked Intel 4th gen Core i7 or Core i5 processor and get a free copy of 2 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:18,480 Rome 2: Total War. Click now to learn more. Welcome friends to my unboxing and 3 00:00:16,240 --> 00:00:21,840 review of the Steel Series H Wireless. It's a bit of a spoiler alert thing 4 00:00:20,240 --> 00:00:25,359 here, so if you don't want to know the results of this video, then you better 5 00:00:23,279 --> 00:00:30,400 stop watching now. Oh, you probably do. Anyway, it's the 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:32,640 best gaming wireless headset I have ever 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:36,559 encountered. So, let's start with opening up the box and having a look at 8 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:40,559 what's inside. Now, Steeler's whole thing with this is lagfree, 9 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:47,120 uninterrupted wireless performance. And it really 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:48,640 actually is uh more on that in the range 11 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:52,719 test. So, the first thing we find inside is the H wireless themselves. And then, 12 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:56,559 well, we'll talk more about those in a moment. Next, we find the base station, 13 00:00:54,399 --> 00:01:00,399 which has a volume knob as well as a button on the front, a back button on 14 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:04,400 the front, an OLED display that's actually quite vibrant. Then, it has a 15 00:01:02,559 --> 00:01:09,520 little battery port. And finally, on the back, analog in, chat out, power in, USB 16 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:14,320 in, and because it has a built-in DAC, as well as optical in and optical pass 17 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:21,280 through, again, utilizing the built-in DAC. Next up, we find all of the cables 18 00:01:19,119 --> 00:01:24,880 that you could Oops. possibly need regardless of where 19 00:01:23,439 --> 00:01:28,880 you are in the world to hook this baby up to whatever you could possibly want. 20 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:33,439 Now, let's start with the construction and the looks of the unit. The materials 21 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:37,680 actually feel very premium and it has a much more subdued aesthetic compared to 22 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:42,479 the recently released Siberia Elites. I think they're targeting the, you know, 23 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:45,840 the mature gamer. I guess I guess I guess a gamer would have to be at least 24 00:01:44,079 --> 00:01:51,520 mature enough to buy these to be earning their own money because at $300 they are 25 00:01:48,479 --> 00:01:53,520 really, really expensive. but they do 26 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:57,280 look good. In terms of features, we'll start with the weight. They come in at 27 00:01:54,880 --> 00:02:01,040 around 325 gram, which is about the same as the Corsair Vengeance 2100. They 28 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:04,799 feature Dolby Headphone, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Prologic 2, so you can use 29 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:08,399 whatever virtual surround technology you want. Although, personally, I prefer 30 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:12,239 good old-fashioned stereo. They have compatibility with pretty much whatever 31 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:16,879 you could possibly want with via the analog as well as digital inputs. So, 32 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:22,560 you've got PC, Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, phone, AV system, uh whatever, whatever 33 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:26,160 you feel like. The uh one feature that they're touting as a as a big deal, and 34 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:30,239 I actually kind of agree with them, is the fact that it has swappable battery 35 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:34,480 packs. So, it comes with two of these battery packs as well as a charging port 36 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:37,519 in the base station. So, you get up to 10 hours with with each of them. So, 37 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:41,280 let's say that's optimistic and you get up to eight hours with each of them. 38 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:45,840 What you can do is you can actually charge the other one while you're using 39 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:49,360 the first one and then they charge in a couple hours and you can swap them for 40 00:02:47,599 --> 00:02:52,879 virtually unending battery life. I think that's a really cool feature. And then I 41 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:56,160 also think their shareport feature is really cool as well. Now because these 42 00:02:54,480 --> 00:03:00,000 are designed to be used not only in front of a PC but also in a living room 43 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:03,040 and they, you know, they look like something that might make sense in a 44 00:03:01,599 --> 00:03:06,159 living room as more of a multimedia headphone. This is great because you're 45 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:10,159 not necessarily going to have a whole bunch of sets of wireless headphones. So 46 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:15,120 now with this little 3 and a half millimeter jack down here, you can bring someone along for the ride and they can 47 00:03:13,599 --> 00:03:19,440 listen to whatever movie it is that you're watching or whatever game you're 48 00:03:16,959 --> 00:03:24,080 playing at the same time as you. I think that's really, really cool. Now, in 49 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:29,680 terms of comfort, the H wireless fits me like a glove. I actually really really 50 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:34,239 like them for this. The headband is a little bit narrower than I would 51 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:38,480 normally like, but the very soft foam on the bottom does compensate for this. And 52 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:42,560 there's actually that same soft foam on the ear cups. You can see it's an 53 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:46,159 extremely slow rebound when you press it in. So, there isn't really any breakin 54 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:50,879 time. They're comfortable right out of the box. The pleather on the ear cups is 55 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:56,080 also a couple grades above what you will typically find on cheap commodity 56 00:03:52,959 --> 00:03:58,480 headsets and really feels closer to 57 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:02,159 natural leather than than again most of the other pleather products that I've 58 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:05,840 encountered. The weight is about the same as the Vengeance 2100, which I 59 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:10,480 think I already said, but because that weight is closer to the center, closer 60 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:14,400 to my head instead of being further out, I find that they don't slip around when 61 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:20,079 I move my head in the same way that the Vengeance 2100's do. That leads us to 62 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:22,400 our range test. Now, I did five 63 00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:26,720 different spots and then I used the same setup each time. So, I actually had a 64 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:30,720 laptop and then the USB dongle connected to the base station in my office. Then, 65 00:04:29,199 --> 00:04:34,720 I tried the same room. So it's about a 10-ft maximum. The other side of the 66 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:38,800 wall, I tried down the hallway. I tried the stair landing. So coming down onto 67 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:43,360 the next floor, I tried the bathroom on the floor below. And then finally, I 68 00:04:41,199 --> 00:04:48,720 tried the basement. So the H wireless performed better than the Vengeance 2100 69 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:50,720 and the Astro A50s by a long shot in my 70 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,960 range test. However, unless you're the kind of person who's going to kind of 71 00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:59,040 wander around the house listening to music with your wireless headphones, which some people do, I suppose, that 72 00:04:56,479 --> 00:05:02,960 might not be that relevant. Leading into the listening tests, I want to talk 73 00:05:00,479 --> 00:05:08,479 about the maximum volume very briefly. It didn't get uncomfortably loud um or 74 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:12,800 extremely loud. It got about as loud as I would go, but it should be noted that 75 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:17,440 the dial on the back, which can be used not only to adjust volume, but also to 76 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:20,880 adjust settings on the base station to hear. So, you can adjust them either 77 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:24,800 here with uh with the knobs and dials, or you can configure and hear certain 78 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:29,280 settings that you can adjust using the headphones themselves, so you don't even have to get up. Anyway, this is an 79 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:33,919 independent volume control from your Windows system volume if you're using 80 00:05:31,039 --> 00:05:37,680 the headphones or headset on a PC. So, you could use some software tricks if 81 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:41,840 you wanted to squeeze a little bit more volume out of them, but I found 60 to 82 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:46,240 70% was good for day-to-day music listening or or like casual gaming. In 83 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:51,520 terms of noise isolation, I really do think that's a strong point for these headphones. The faux leather ear cup 84 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:55,039 covering does help with this compared to the cloth covering that is in use by 85 00:05:53,199 --> 00:05:59,280 both the Vengeance 2100 and the Astro A50s. both of which I was testing at the 86 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:03,120 same time so I could get better context for each of the products. The I mean 87 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:06,639 this is important because I hadn't really spent much time with wireless 88 00:06:04,639 --> 00:06:10,720 gaming headphones because I don't really care that much about gaming headphones 89 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:14,080 for the most part. Um but more on that anyway in the listening in the listening 90 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:18,000 section. The H wireless is fully driverless on the PC. So I was up and 91 00:06:15,759 --> 00:06:21,199 running in 15 seconds give or take once I plugged it in. There is a software 92 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:25,440 application that you can use to make adjustments. But because this is a 93 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:29,360 console optimized product, you can also adjust all the advanced features using 94 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:32,880 the uh base station or the headphones themselves. So you can adjust your 95 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:38,160 general volume. You can adjust your Dolby, the relative volume of game 96 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:42,800 sounds and chat sounds compared to each other. Or there's even a setting to do 97 00:06:40,319 --> 00:06:45,919 that dynamically so that as chat transmissions come through your game 98 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:50,880 volume can lower a little bit and your chat volume can increase so you can hear 99 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:54,080 things clearly and you can adjust how much of a shift there is when that 100 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:59,120 happens. So that's a pretty cool feature. You can also set up um any one 101 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:03,919 of the preset EQ settings or even a custom EQ if you want, but the control 102 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:07,919 wasn't very glam granular and generally speaking I like a fairly flat EQ. So, I 103 00:07:06,319 --> 00:07:12,000 just found myself sticking with mostly flat and adjusting things up a little 104 00:07:09,759 --> 00:07:16,240 bit in the mid-range. Finally, you can adjust your input source because it does 105 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:20,240 have multiple inputs as well as assign profiles for each of those sources with 106 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:24,160 respect to the EQ, Dolby, chat volume, and all that stuff on a source by source 107 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:29,120 basis. So, it'll remember all that as you switch between different things. 108 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:32,800 Which leads us to the listening tests. They were all performed, all three 109 00:07:30,639 --> 00:07:37,280 headsets, using the onboard DAC. So, we used USB connectivity for the best 110 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:41,680 apples to apples comparison. And this one, I guess I spoiled the surprise a 111 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:45,599 little bit, but it really is probably the best gaming headset I've ever heard. 112 00:07:43,599 --> 00:07:50,400 Um, it surprised both Brandon and Edel as well. We all had very low 113 00:07:47,759 --> 00:07:53,360 expectations because it is branded as a See, it's look, it's right there on the 114 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:57,360 box, gaming headset, and they just tend to not be as good as multimedia 115 00:07:54,879 --> 00:08:01,039 headsets. Um, but honestly, I mean, I feel like for an extra $100 over the 116 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:05,199 Siberia Elites, which were they were good sounding, but they weren't good. I 117 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:09,520 mean, they were good. Um, these are worth it in terms of audio quality, 118 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:13,759 audio fidelity alone. And the fact that they're wireless is just a bonus at that 119 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:17,919 point. And I would really consider saving my extra pennies for something 120 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:21,919 like this versus the Siberia Elites because I don't personally need 121 00:08:19,759 --> 00:08:26,160 multicolored onboard lights. I mean, I appreciate wireless freedom and I 122 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:29,680 appreciate great sound quality, but I don't need like 16 whatever million 123 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:34,000 colors and all that kind of stuff. Now, let's talk about sheer audio quality. 124 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:37,519 Bass performance at very, very low frequencies. So, this would be my one 125 00:08:35,680 --> 00:08:42,560 criticism. You know, those frequencies that'll tickle your ears and make your 126 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:45,279 head vibrate, those may feel a fair bit 127 00:08:42,560 --> 00:08:50,240 lacking, but I would still say that bass performance is very good. It's tight and 128 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:55,440 it's punchy and it's good for general battlefield ambient sounds and great for 129 00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:59,839 listening to music. But if you're one of those people that really enjoys that 130 00:08:57,279 --> 00:09:04,320 rumble, then they might not be quite as appealing to you as they are to me. The 131 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:09,360 mids are also not as strong as some would like, but I found that was able to 132 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:13,279 be taken care of with a very small bump to the mid-range using the EQ. And I 133 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:17,680 would go through and I would probably set that bump on all of my different 134 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:20,800 inputs. The highs are crisp and clear without being fatiguing to listen to, 135 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:25,360 which is a bit of a problem that I tend to have even with good headphones just 136 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:29,519 because um my my hearing is a little bit more sensitive in that range. So, I 137 00:09:26,959 --> 00:09:33,279 quite enjoyed listening to these. Um but you do have to take all of that what I 138 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:38,080 just said with a grain of salt because while I do have a fair bit of experience 139 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:40,160 with wired audio file grade headphones, 140 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:44,800 I don't have any experience with audio filegrade wireless headphones. So, the 141 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:49,839 only thing I could really compare these directly to was other gaming headsets. 142 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:52,880 So, I I mean, I guess the pricing is something that doesn't really make 143 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:56,880 sense. Do these sound so much better than something like Audio Technica 144 00:09:55,040 --> 00:10:02,640 ATM50s? No, probably not. Um, probably similar, 145 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:06,640 but those are a wired headphone and so I don't have the proper context for 146 00:10:04,959 --> 00:10:10,880 wireless audio file headphones to know if these are a good value at $300. But 147 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:16,800 what I can compare against is other gaming headsets. So, the Astro A50s to 148 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:20,000 me are um they don't make nearly as much sense. They're the same price as the H 149 00:10:18,560 --> 00:10:25,680 wireless. They don't really have any features that the H wireless doesn't have, and they just plain don't sound as 150 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:29,200 good, and they don't have as good range and all that stuff. But where things 151 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:32,800 start to get quite interesting is comparing the H wireless to the 152 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:36,800 Vengeance 2100's. If you're a strictly PC gamer, then a lot of the features of 153 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:40,399 the H wireless might not make sense for you. So, what you're getting is you are 154 00:10:38,959 --> 00:10:45,200 getting noticeably better sound quality. So, that is a thing, but I don't know if it's a twice as much thing. You are 155 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:50,079 getting the swappable battery feature, which is really cool because the Vengeance 2100 has a built-in battery, 156 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:54,079 and when you run out, you you tether yourself to your computer using USB, and 157 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:58,720 you run it as basically a wired headset. Um, you are getting the varied 158 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:01,839 configurable inputs, including console compatibility. So, it's nice to be able 159 00:11:00,079 --> 00:11:06,079 to switch between those. The 2100 does not have that, strictly a USB dongle. 160 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:12,160 Um, for me the comfort was better and the overall feel was more premium, but 161 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:13,839 at twice the price, um, it's, yeah, it's 162 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:18,000 up to you whether you can justify it or not, especially considering that the 163 00:11:15,839 --> 00:11:23,040 microphone really didn't blow me away on this one. It sounds pretty hollow. It 164 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:26,640 lacks that that AM radio sound that is typically achievable with a microphone 165 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:30,320 so close to your mouth. I'll give you guys a listen to it here. This is my 166 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:34,160 audio test with the microphone on the Steel Series H Wireless. I hope you 167 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:38,800 enjoyed it. And then I'll talk a little bit about why I feel like with a 168 00:11:36,079 --> 00:11:43,760 wireless headphone or headset, um, the built-in microphone is so important 169 00:11:41,519 --> 00:11:47,680 compared to with a wired solution. Because if you have wired headphones, 170 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:50,800 even if they have no microphone at all, there are many other solutions. You can 171 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:54,240 run another wire for a clipon. You can put a mod mic on it. You can put a 172 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:59,279 desktop mic on your desk. Well, with wireless, the expectation is that you 173 00:11:56,240 --> 00:12:01,360 can move away. You can leave. And so 174 00:11:59,279 --> 00:12:04,640 adding another wire is not a reasonable solution in this case. So I feel like 175 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:10,240 the the built-in mic has to be good enough. And this one's not that great. 176 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:12,240 But it's usable. It's not staticky or um 177 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:17,279 or distorted sounding like the Astro A50s. And they do get major points for 178 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:20,800 the retractable mic. I hate boom mics. I find they get in the way. I don't like 179 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:25,279 how they can't easily be adjusted to the very corner of your mouth, which is the 180 00:12:22,399 --> 00:12:28,720 optimal positioning. Um but it just plain doesn't sound as good as the 181 00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:32,800 Vengeance 2100 mic. I do like the mute button implementation on this particular 182 00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:35,680 headphone though. I think I went and turned them off when I meant to turn 183 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,880 them on there. But anyway, you do a quick press of the power button rather 184 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:42,240 than a hold. And there's an indicator light that is not bright enough to be 185 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:47,360 distracting, but bright enough to be easily visible that shows you whether 186 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:49,920 your mic is transmitting or not. So, 187 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:55,120 thank you for checking out my unboxing sort of and review of the Steeler H 188 00:12:52,959 --> 00:12:58,480 wireless. Don't forget to like this video if you liked it, dislike it if you 189 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:03,360 disliked it. Leave a comment and let me know. Are they just off their gourd? Is 190 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:08,240 $300 just plain too much for a gaming headset? Or is, you know, would you be 191 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:11,440 shopping for something like an Astro A50 or something comparable? And now would 192 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:15,440 you look at the H wireless and consider it? Especially given that according to 193 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:19,200 Lionus's review anyway, it's just plain better in every possible way. Would love 194 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:22,399 to hear what you guys think about that. And last but not least, don't forget to 195 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:49,890 subscribe to Plus Tech Tips for more unboxings, reviews, and other computer videos.