A Closer Look
Now that we’ve heard what Steelseries has to say about their headset, lets get some real user information
When I first saw these headphones, I was instantly reminded of a few other Steelseries headset designs. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing since it shows brand recognition, but it would be nice if Steelseries made a few other designs since these can be comfused for the 5H V2 very easily.
In the package you will find that they have included two sets of ear pads for you to try. I did my testing with the cloth ones since the leather pads got too hot on my ears after prolonged use. That is all a person choice though, the leather pads are quite comfortable none the less.
Trying them on the first time, like other Steelseries designs they are quite comfortable. They are a full-cup design so they do not press against your ears at all. A nice seal is made around your ears to keep them comfortable, yet still keep the headset secure on your head.
Like a few of the companies designs, you can also take these headphones apart into 3 separate pieces which is great for traveling. A nice added touch is the ability to swap the 3.5mm cable to something longer or with more connections. They do so by utilizing a micro-usb connection to the headphones. I find this to be great since sometimes when you are walking somewhere with headphones the cable gets caught on a jacket and it will pull the headphones off of your head while walking. This does not happen at all with this headset. The cable simply pulls out of the usb connector and the headphones stay on your head. Very nice touch Steelseries!
Upon seeing the 3.5mm cable, you might notice that there is a volume switch so you can control the volume of whatever you are listening to without using the actual device. At first I thought that was quite awesome, but the downside is that it only works with certain Apple devices. I thought it might be able to work on my Android devices, or PC but it just didn’t want to work at all. I suppose when they say its designed for apple products they really mean it. If they could implement a volume switch like that for all other devices that would be a huge plus in my book.
This headset includes the integrated mic from Steelseries we’ve all come to know and love. The only downside I have with this particular headsets mic is again that it only works with certain apple products which makes the microphone useless on all other platforms and products. But if you do own one of those supported Apple devices, the microphone works flawlessly. Calls were crisp on an iphone 4, as was music.
Cable length for the headset is around 4-feet. If you use it strictly as a mobile headset in public you wont have issues at all connecting to a device in your pocket. However, if you want to use this device on your PC it will be time to find a 3.5mm to 3.5mm extension cable.
Shall we move on to actual testing? I think we should.
