Today we will be taking a look at the SteelSeries 5Hv3, one of the big brothers of the 3Hv2 that we reviewed just a few days ago (Link).
SteelSeries, for those of you who don't know, is one of the leading companies when it comes to gaming peripherals, they focus heavily on creating high performance gear to be used in professional competitions.
Their products usually are pretty straightforward, focusing on getting the job done right, before thinking about fancy colors or extravagant shapes, the 5Hv3 fits perfectly in that profile, it's a good headset for gaming in general but looks a lot more "serious" than most of its competitors.
With that said, let's move on to the actual review.
SteelSeries, for those of you who don't know, is one of the leading companies when it comes to gaming peripherals, they focus heavily on creating high performance gear to be used in professional competitions.
Their products usually are pretty straightforward, focusing on getting the job done right, before thinking about fancy colors or extravagant shapes, the 5Hv3 fits perfectly in that profile, it's a good headset for gaming in general but looks a lot more "serious" than most of its competitors.
With that said, let's move on to the actual review.
As always, we will begin by talking a bit about the packaging and its contents.
Starting with the box itself we can see that it stays true to SteelSeries traditional black and orange color scheme, it also presents tons of visual and technical information to any buyer thinking about taking the plunge.
Moving to the insides of the box, we quickly realize that there aren't a ton of accessories bundled with the 5Hv3, besides the actual headset you will find an adapter for most mobile devices like tablets and phones, a 2m extension cable, a small quick start guide and as always, a SteelSeries sticker.
It does not bring anything out of the ordinary, basically just the essentials, it's clear that SteelSeries really focused on keeping the product affordable without cutting any corners when it comes to the actual headset quality.
The only thing we would like to see included would be a carrying pouch, much like the 3Hv2, the 5Hv3 is very portable thanks to its easy to dismantle design, a small bag would help protect the headset from any scratches that might occur during transport.
Starting with the box itself we can see that it stays true to SteelSeries traditional black and orange color scheme, it also presents tons of visual and technical information to any buyer thinking about taking the plunge.
Moving to the insides of the box, we quickly realize that there aren't a ton of accessories bundled with the 5Hv3, besides the actual headset you will find an adapter for most mobile devices like tablets and phones, a 2m extension cable, a small quick start guide and as always, a SteelSeries sticker.
It does not bring anything out of the ordinary, basically just the essentials, it's clear that SteelSeries really focused on keeping the product affordable without cutting any corners when it comes to the actual headset quality.
The only thing we would like to see included would be a carrying pouch, much like the 3Hv2, the 5Hv3 is very portable thanks to its easy to dismantle design, a small bag would help protect the headset from any scratches that might occur during transport.
The SteelSeries 5Hv3 presents itself in a very stylish black with small details like the stitching in orange, for those of you who prefer a discreet looking gaming headset, then this one is for you, it looks good without being over the top.
Like I mentioned before, the 5Hv3 has an interesting feature that allows it to be quickly dismantled and stored almost anywhere, very useful for gamers that travel from competition to competition.
Just a quick note, the mechanism for dismantling the headset seems pretty durable so far, essential when you're dealing with this sort of thing.
Like I mentioned before, the 5Hv3 has an interesting feature that allows it to be quickly dismantled and stored almost anywhere, very useful for gamers that travel from competition to competition.
Just a quick note, the mechanism for dismantling the headset seems pretty durable so far, essential when you're dealing with this sort of thing.
Now let's talk about what I believe to be the strongest aspect of the 5Hv3, comfort.
Everyone knows that competitive gaming requires a lot of training, hours upon hours in front of the computer, entire days with your headset on your head, because of this, comfort should be one of the top priorities when choosing a gaming headset.
Comparing the 5Hv3 to other audio solutions I found them to be probably on my top 3 in the comfort department, the leather ear cushions are incredibly soft and adapt really well to your ears, the headband while not as good as the one from the SteelSeries Siberia is still well above average.
Everyone knows that competitive gaming requires a lot of training, hours upon hours in front of the computer, entire days with your headset on your head, because of this, comfort should be one of the top priorities when choosing a gaming headset.
Comparing the 5Hv3 to other audio solutions I found them to be probably on my top 3 in the comfort department, the leather ear cushions are incredibly soft and adapt really well to your ears, the headband while not as good as the one from the SteelSeries Siberia is still well above average.
Regarding the retractable microphone I got to say that it sounds great, my gaming buddies had no complaints, while professional quality is still far away, it certainly does the job of communicating with your teammates flawlessly.
In terms of sound quality the 5Hv3 seems to be well balanced, the bass was lacking a bit more 'oomph', odd when you consider that usually gaming headsets have too much bass. When it comes to audio positioning the 5Hv3 excels, you will easily be able to pinpoint your enemies positions, unless they are of course ninjas, in that case you're doomed.
In terms of sound quality the 5Hv3 seems to be well balanced, the bass was lacking a bit more 'oomph', odd when you consider that usually gaming headsets have too much bass. When it comes to audio positioning the 5Hv3 excels, you will easily be able to pinpoint your enemies positions, unless they are of course ninjas, in that case you're doomed.
Final Thoughts
If you're in the market looking for a high quality and affordable audio product you may have just found it, the SteelSeries 5Hv3 is a decent improvement over its predecessors, it's one of the most comfortable headsets I ever had the chance to try out and at the end of the day, despite the relatively low price ($79,99), it compromises very little when it comes to build and sound quality.
If you're in the market looking for a high quality and affordable audio product you may have just found it, the SteelSeries 5Hv3 is a decent improvement over its predecessors, it's one of the most comfortable headsets I ever had the chance to try out and at the end of the day, despite the relatively low price ($79,99), it compromises very little when it comes to build and sound quality.
The Good
-Very comfortable
-Good sound quality
-Portable
-Retractable microphone
-Good build quality
The Bad
-Bass felt a bit weak
-No carrying pouch
Thanks to SteelSeries for providing the review sample
Thinking of replacing my old plantronics with this, more expensive but better also i hope!
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