SteelSeries 5H v2 Headset Review

 

About a month ago I took a look at the SteelSeries 4h headset, I found it to be quite capable, well made and with excellent sound quality, today I have the SteelSeries 5H v2 headset that has all the features and more of the 4H.

The 5H v2 headset is touted as one of the most popular gaming headsets in the world, and used by many talented gamers to win major gaming events. With that kind of hype one can only expect great things from this product. Read on to find out if it lives up to the hype or not…

Review: SteelSeries 5H v2 Headset

Author: Kristofer Brozio

 

Sponsor: SteelSeries

 

 

Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:

SteelSeries 5H v2 Headset

SteelSeries 5H v2 highlights:

– Pull-out microphone system

– Custom engineered soundscape for gaming

– Specifically optimized for FPS games

– Comfortable XL-sized ear cushions

– Features extra durable braided cord

– Can be dismantled into 3 seperate pieces

 

SteelSeries 5H v2 is one of the most popular gaming headsets on the planet. This headset has been used by talented gamers to win major international events like Electronic Sports World Cup, World e-Sport Games, World Series of Video Games, Kode 5, World Cyber Games, Samsung Euro Championship, ESL Extreme Masters and many others.

 

When wearing the SteelSeries 5H v2 you’ll immediately notice the enormous full-size ear cushions which gently fit around your ears and reduce background noise. The comfort is something that has to be experienced first hand, either at a friends house or at one of the many LAN-centers and Internet cafées that offers the headset to their customers.

The headset features a custom-engineered soundscape designed to enhance performance and immersion in FPS-games. This headset was developed and optimized specifically for in-game sound frequencies found in the most popular shooters – making in-game sounds like footsteps, alerts and gunfire especially clear. You will be able to hear and pinpoint the location of your opponents, often before they hear you.

The SteelSeries 5H v2 can easily be dismantled into 3 separate parts, that easily fit into a bag or a carrying case. This makes transportation of the headset both easy and safe. The pull-out microphone is practically invisible when not in use.

Specifications for SteelSeries 5H v2:

 

Headphones:

– Frequency response: 16 – 28.000 Hz

– Impedance: 40 Ohm

– SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms: 110 dB

– Cable length: 1+2=3 meters (10 feet)

– Connectors: 3.5 mm

Microphone:

– Frequency response: 75 – 16.000 Hz

– Pick up pattern: Uni-directional

– Sensitivity: -38dB

– Impedance: 2k Ohm

A Better Look at Things

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When I first opened the box that the SteelSeries 5h V2 headset was shipped in I was struck by the very cool presentation style box that they come in. The box proudly displays the 5H v2 headset so everyone can see all the details and features of it. The back off course lists all the specs, features and the teams sponsored by SteelSeries and that use their products.

 

The SteelSeries 5H v2 comes packed with a catalog, advertisement and a brief instruction sheet and an additional length of cables.

 

The additional length of cables connect to the main set if you need them via color coded connectors. The cables themselves are of the cloth braided variety that are very durable and should last for many years.

 

 

The main, short set of cables are permanently attached to the headphones, they feature an in-line volume and microphone control so you can easily adjust the volume and gain of the microphone, or just turn it off.

 

 

The left ear piece houses the retractable microphone which is flexible but still rigid allowing it to stay in place where the user wants it to.

 

There’s not much special about the right ear piece, along the headband, and on the ear pieces themselves we’ll find several hinges or flexible parts and areas for adjustment on both sides.

 

 

The top of the headband inside is padded, while the outside sports the SteelSeries name and logo.

Both ear pieces are heavily padded making them able to conform to the users head and at the same time comfortable for long periods of use.

One thing very cool about the 5H v2 headset is its ability to be broken down into three parts so you never have to worry about breaking them while taking them on the go. When I travel with my headphones I’m always afraid of breaking them, that’s why I usually travel with earbuds or a ‘cheaper’ set of headphones. They come apart essentially with the push of a button, but that can be difficult at first, once apart we can see the contacts inside.

 

 

Installation, Testing and Comparison

Here’s a quick shot of the SteelSeries 4H and 5H v2 together, you can see they look very similar with the 4H being a little bit smaller.

The first thing I have to say about the SteelSeries 5H v2 headset is that is is very comfortable to wear for long periods of time, there were many night I sat playing games with them on for 3-5 hours straight. After a few minutes of wearing them I really didn’t even notice they were there, they are lightweight and fit comfortably.

 

The sound quality is excellent and the in-line controls are a great help. I really like the sectional cables, having a short set attached and an additional long set is very nice. My speakers are a set of Altec Lansing’s and they feature a headphone jack on the side of the right speaker along with volume, bass and treble controls as well. I don’t have to use the long set of cables if I don’t want to, which is very nice having that option available to use them or not, I’ve always found that while long cables are nice they do tend to get in the way and or course get tangled. The cables themselves are great also, they are the braided type that I showed you earlier, they are much tougher and should last quite a long time.

I used the SteelSeries 5H v2 headset playing games, watching movies and listening to music, I found that they are just a great set of headphones, the highs and nice and crisp while the lows are pronounced and the bass can be felt. They’re listed are being specifically for FPS type games but really can be used for anything at all, they really are a great all around set of headphones.

The microphone seems to work fine, it’s ability to retract like the other SteelSeries headsets is a welcome feature to get it fully out of the way when not in use. The microphone itself works well and has a nice range to it, you don’t have to have it right in front of your mouth for others to hear you clearly.

Summary:

The SteelSeries 5H v2 headset is just a great headset no matter what type of gaming you do with your system, besides gaming they are great for movies and music as well.

This is just a great all around headset, the sound quality is excellent and the overall quality of the headphones is very good as well. The SteelSeries 5H v2 is the first headset that I have found that is truly portable, yes others are portable but you risk breaking them, the 5H v2 breaks down into three sections to avoid stressing and possibly breaking the headset.

The audio cables themselves are nice and long and are of the braided type making them very durable and tangle free.

DragonSteelMods gives the SteelSeries 5H v2 Headset a 5 out of 5 score and our Recommended Award as well.

Pros:

-Excellent sound

-Portable

-Long braided cloth cords

-Dual cords/long cord length

-In-line audio controls

-Comfortable for long periods

Cons:

-None really

I would like to thank SteelSeries for the chance to review the SteelSeries 5H v2 Headset and for their continued support of DSM.

 

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