Introduction
Epos has launched a new quite competitively priced headset, the EPOS H6PRO Open. The headset slides over the counter for about € 179, – euro, is that worth it? You can read that here!
Specifications
Time to kick off with the specifications of the EPOS H6PRO.
General
Ear coupling: Around the ear
Transducer principle: Dynamic, open
Pure Variant Weight: 309 g
Cable length:
GSA 30 PC Cable: 2.5 m
GSA 30 Console Cable: 1.4 m
Connector plugs:
2 x 3.5 mm / 1 x 3.5 mm
(GSA 30 PC Cable/GSA 30 Console Cable)
Compatibility:
PC, Mac®, PS4TM, PS5TM, Xbox® One, Xbox® Series X|S, Nintendo Switch™ and devices with 3.5 mm jack input
Warranty: 2 years, international
Headphones
Driver size: 42 mm
Frequency response: 20-20.000 Hz
Impedance: 28 Ω
Sensitivity: 111 dB SPL @1kHz 1V RMS
THD: <0,5% @1kHz 1V RMS
Microphone
Frequency response: 100-10.000 Hz
Pick-up pattern: Bidirectional
Sensitivity: -35 dBV/Pa @1kHz
Style: Detachable
Content of delivery
What’s in the box: GSA 30 PC Cable, GSA 30 Console Cable, 2 x H6PRO Cover,
Safety Guide, Quick start guide
The specifications of the EPOS GSX 300 are as follows:
General
USB standard: USB 2.0
Total harmonic distortion: < 0.01%
Cable length: 1200 mm
Connector plugs:
3.5 mm headset socket
3.5 mm microphone socket
Micro USB
Compatibility: PC
Warranty: 2 years, international
Supported sample rates
Main Audio:
24-bit 96 kHz
7.1 @ 16 bit 48 kHz with EPOS Gaming Suite
Audio outputs
Headphones: Recommended headphone impedance 25 – 75 Ω
Content of delivery
What’s in the box: USB cable, Quick Start Guide, Safety Guide
Unpacking
Via EPOS I received the EPOS H6PRO Open, H3PRO Hybrid, and the EPOS GSX 300. The H3PRO Hybrid comes back in another review.
‘The power of audio’, which remains to be seen…. 😉
The H6PRO comes with the following:
– Manuals,
– Cover caps for the microphone arm,
– Cable for a console
– Cable for the computer (with two jacks, pink and green)
I must say that the headset looks quite nice in terms of colors. The dark blue and black are quite a nice combo.
What makes me personally very happy is that the ear cups can be replaced. After years of use, it can sometimes happen that the ear cups just get dirty, or even completely ‘saggy’ – kind of pancake. Fortunately, this is easy to replace.
What is also striking is that the speaker is slightly rotated. This way the sound is perfectly blown into your ear.
As we were used to with the Sennheiser headsets, and now also with EPOS, of course, when the microphone is facing up, it is muted.
The H6PRO is an open headphone, which means that the ambient noise is also audible in this case. Also nice if your other half is chatting with you, you can also hear what is being said, without having to take off the headphones.
Strangely enough … for an open headphone, this one has a pretty good low-frequency reproduction. But I will come back to that in a moment.
The synthetic/plastic hinges ensure that the ear cups close perfectly. These tilt left/right and up/down. The result is perfectly sealed headphones.
The H6PRO only has a connection for the cable on the left ear cup – the same side where the microphone is. The right side has a large volume control.
What is very convenient is that the microphone can simply be removed. Then you have great headphones, which you can connect to your mobile – using the other cable.
Conveniently, the headband is also neatly numbered. This way you can always set the perfect size, on both sides. Not that one earcup hangs lower than the other.
The top of the headband is synthetic leather (imitation leather).
The microphone of the H6PRO is also flexible. This means that you can also put it close to your mouth, or even a lot further away.
It is time to unpack the GSX 300.
The EPOS GSX 300 comes with a Micro-USB and manual.
The bottom is not very exciting. Two rubber strips so that it does not slide over the table, and some specifications.
In terms of connections, there is of course the Micro-USB connection on the left, then the headphone jack (green) and the microphone jack (pink).
I wonder why EPOS also does not switch to the USB Type-C connection.
Actually, it’s quite a neat little box. The dial has a glowing blue ring when it is on. With the normal presets such as music/video, it has a blue glow. When switching to the eSport mode, it turns red.
Software
The EPOS H6PRO uses the EPOS GSX 300. An application can be downloaded for the GSX 300, the EPOS Gaming Suite. And that’s already some better software than what it was. But it still can be a lot better.
For example, I would have liked it if you could link the presets to applications so that you have a standard preset ready for game A, and another for game B.
And the funny thing is. The GSX 300 does have real added value. It’s just a good USB sound card with good playback. Even a Focal Stelia sounds full and good on the GSX 300. It is not the most difficult headphone, but it is nice if the underlying system can also reproduce the sound nicely.
The Gaming Suite has three pages. A page for adjusting (or even customizing) your EQ preset, an EQ page to create your own preset, a page for the microphone, and a settings page.
The presets at the top are as follows: Music, eSports, Movie & eSports. Of course, you can also create an extra preset and add it to the app. As a result, when pressing the button next to the volume control, that preset is also selected again. The preset you just selected is displayed at the bottom right of the screen.
Under the microphone page, there are some things to adjust such as the gain, side tone, noise gate, and noise cancellation. Among other things, the side tone ensures that you hear yourself talking, in short, a kind of feedback. Noise gate ensures that you can filter out part of the ambient noise. This gives you a voice activation life that only starts when a certain volume is reached.
The settings page displays the GSX 300 version numbers. From this, it can be selected, for example, whether the software is allowed to start when starting Windows. You can also set what the ‘smart button’ does via this page. Or switching between 7.1 and 2.0, or from preset (eSport, flat, etc.).
Over the years I have been able to review quite a few headphones (including gaming headphones). In my review of the GSP 370, I was already harsh by naming the Sennheiser Gaming Suite as the worst software for headphones. EPOS has added/improved a lot with the EPOS Gaming Suite. But there is still room for more improvements. The GSX 300 has a lot of potentials and sounds very good.
Use
I have now been able to use both the EPOS H6PRO Open and the EPOS GSX 300 for several weeks. And I must confess, it’s just a good combination. The H6PRO Open sounds… yes… open! Open headphones have a special reproduction compared to closed headphones, and I must admit that I always remain a fan of open headphones. The tones are ‘softer’, and smooth. The sound can also leak a bit and compensate for the ambient noise. It may not be an HD800s, but it does sound good.
The microphone just sounds good. People on Teamspeak and Discord indicate that this is not much different from the equipment I normally use, so that’s a plus!
And then the gaming, with games like The Division 2, Battlefield 4, and Forza Horizon 5, I must admit that this just plays very nicely. The placement of ‘enemies’ is pretty good. The 2.0 option sounds fine for this. Because the GSX 300 also supports 7.1 software, you can also use this.
Personally, however, I’m not a fan of 7.1 because it’s just software and there are no extra speakers in your ear cups. With a complete 7.1 audio system I could see the point… but not in this case. But then again, that’s personal.
With the supplied console cable I could also connect the EPOS H6PRO Open to my PS5. And that works fine; cable into the controller and go for it. Also, games like Gran Turismo 7, and Horizon Zero Dawn (yes, next I’m going to play Forbidden West) sound great. Because the ear cups have soft cushions and the headband is also quite ‘soft’, you can wear these headphones for hours. Without any problem.
Especially as a console gamer, it is also nice if the other half chats, and you can also say something back without constantly taking off and putting on the headset. Because the earcups are open, you can clearly hear what someone is saying.
So be aware… this goes both ways. The sound ‘leaks’ out of your headphones. Also, when someone is reading a book next to you, they can probably repeat the dialogue.
Conclusion
Gaming with the EPOS GSX 300 as well as the EPOS H6PRO Open is just great. It’s a nice combination. But even if you buy the EPOS H6PRO separately, you will certainly not be disappointed. It is a really good headset that should be in a higher segment. And in terms of price, it certainly does. Fortunately, the headphones can not only be used for a PC but also for a console. And that also works just fine.
The H6PRO Open sits comfortably on your head and certainly does not give a feeling of pressure. The cushions are soft and otherwise, it is simple, and flexible but also very firm. The large volume control on the side is easy to operate, the microphone is easy to click up (mute) and it is also removable. In short, the H6PRO Open gives quite a few options to set it up to your liking.
The microphone doesn’t sound much different in terms of speech – on Teamspeak/Discord – than my other microphones/devices that I use by default. In short, it sounds just fine in any case!
The software of the GSX 300 has already been improved compared to how it used to be, but there is still room for improvement. Yes, you can adjust some options such as the EQ, microphone options, etc. But having this linked to games with the appropriate presets ensures that you don’t have to hit the preset button before you get to your suitable preset.
Coming back to the quality of the H6PRO in combination with gaming/listening to music. Because the drivers are quite good, an opponent in a shooter can be placed very well. For an open headphone, it also has a good reproduction in the low and mid tones. High lacks a bit of sharpness in my opinion. But that is really of no interest at all for a gaming headset.
The EPOS H6PRO Open gets 5 out of 5 stars from me. A nice headset with nice playback as well.
In addition, the EPOS GSX 300 gets 4 out of 5 stars. Only because the software could be a bit better.
