Review: SteelSeries 7H

SteelSeries 7H is the latest headset in the H-series. It may look very similar to the 5H v2, but it’s so not. I had the chance to get the headset for inspection, to test what the latest H-series SteelSeries headset is like.

SteelSeries announced the arrival of the 7H headset in March, 2010, during the world's largest computer expo, CeBIT, in Hannover. The headset was introduced with "superior noise reduction and high quality sound in a durable, easy-travel design for gamers". As I have received the SteelSeries 7H USB version for a review, let's find out what all the fuzz is about.

The boxing is pretty much as what we've seen from previous SteelSeries products, and you could easily mistake it for being a 5H v2 when just looking at the box, but the big and fat 7H orange letters tell it's not.

Content

When unboxed, what you will find in the box is a 7H headset, a one meter long cable with volume and microphone control, 2 meters of extension cord, cloth ear cushions, a USB soundcard and a stack of papers, including a note showing you how to change the cushions.

A closer look at the 7H

As mentioned before, the overall design of the 7H is very much similar to what we known from the 5H v2, but looking closer will reveal a lot of new and nifty features. The first major difference is the all-black stealth design; generally all material are made in dark tones, which makes the headset very stylish and slick to look at.

SteelSeries have also kept some of the popular features that we know from the 5H v2, and later on the Siberia v2. Once again, the microphone is retractable and is hidding in the left ear cup, which means I can hide it and basically wear it wherever I want without being ridiculed. This is a huge plus compared to headsets where the microphone is attached on the outside of one of the ear cups, which doesn't allow you to hide it.

So what is different from what we have seen in previous H-series headsets? Well, the first new feature I want to point out is the ability to remove the cable connected to the left ear cup. This will not only exclude one of the many ways a headset will break, but it also comes in handy once you want to disassemble it for travel means. The cable is also double-braided nylon, which secures you high durability on the cable. Rolling over the cable with your office chair will not destroy it!

Another new feature is that the mounts attached to the ear cups are able to twist a little in each direction, which will help the headset find its right position and comfort that you are looking for. 

Going back to the features transferred from the 5H v2, you are once again able to totally disassemble the 7H into four pieces - left ear cup, right ear cup, headband and the cord. 

Talking about disassembling, a new feature that you will find on the 7H is that you are able to change your ear cushions. By the default, the headset is equipped with leather cushions - as we've seen on the Siberia v2 -, but you are able to change them to cloth cushions, similar to the cushions used on the 5H v2.

The volume microphone control is the exact same design as the one we know from the Siberia v2. Though only this time I feel that the volume control is much easier to move up and down, compared to the one on the Siberia v2.

The 7H is also a closed-type headset, which SteelSeries mentions as improved passive noise reduction. It is much similar to what we know from the Siberia v2, especially with the leather cushions mounted on it - It will block a lot more noise, compared to having the cloth cushions mounted.

Generally, the build of the 7H is also much stronger than what I have seen previously. It is clearly not a light-weight headset like the Siberia v2.

Technical specifications

I have never really cared too much about what frequency response on my headset is, or how many ohm of impedance it may have - simply because I am no expert on the area and that I would most likely not be able to tell the difference if it had higher or lower frequency response. But as far as I could Google my way to, the frequency response should be covering the full spectrum. What I find on the back of the box, is a list of specifications that tells me the following:

The box furthermore states that the 7H is powered by 50 mm driver units, which is the same size that SteelSeries put into the Siberia v2.

7H in use

I have now told you about the features and specifications of the 7H, but how is it really when the headset is plugged in and the ear cups are covering your ears?

I've had the headset for a few months now, which has gathered me enough experience to tell you how the headset performs in different environments. Back when I first got it, at DreamHack Summer, I did not have much time to test it game-wise, as the extremely busy summer schedule had kicked in. What I started out with, was unplugging my Siberia v2 from my laptop and plug in the 7H and continue working while I had music playing.

When the leather cushions first enwrapped my head, it became quite clear that I was now in a world of my own. I expressed my excitement about the noise reduction on the Siberia v2 in my previous review, but the 7H is the Siberia v2 superior on this field. Once leaving the trance of discovering the noise reduction, I continued my work. At one point, I twisted my head to the right and discovered that my co-worker was talking to me, which I only realized when I noticed his mouth was moving and his eyes pointed in my direction. He had clearly been trying to get in contact with me for some time, without much success.

That taught me what the 7H is able to block, only with the help of a little music. Some weeks later, on a flight crossing the North Atlantic, I noticed shortly after takeoff that this flight would be a real pain in the ass. On the row behind me, I had a family with a baby crying instantly and continual after takeoff, while next to me I had a really annoying kid playing a stupid and loud video game. To escape the nine-hour long flight from hell, I connected the 7H to my iPhone and fired up the first available playlist.

Once again I was all alone and I could barely hear the humming from the aircraft. A little more than eight hours later, and two skipped flight meals, I woke up. I had slept through the entire flight, like a baby. The only thing I could complain about, was that when I took off the 7H, I felt some pain from the noise reduction. My head was sore and my ears needed relief.

The 7H blocks out noise very well, but wearing it for eight hours had its effect.  When I had used it for extended time, I equipped the cloth cushions. The noise reduction is not as good when wearing the leather cushions, but the level of comfort is much higher.

When the summer madness culminated, and I had for the first time had some spare time, I launched Counter-Strike to see how good the 7H would feel in-game, and oh boy did I have high expectations. Luckily, the 7H did not let me down. I remember when back in 2008 I tried the Sennheiser PC350: I was amazed by how crystal clear the sound was and all the details I suddenly was able to hear. I became better when I got the Siberia v2 last year, and I must say that whatever SteelSeries have tweaked on the 7H, they adjusted it to perfectionism.

Another minor thing I noticed when I played with the headset, was that when I at one point stood up from my chair with the headset still on, the cable was stuck on the armrest. Instead of stretching the cable, which eventually would break a headset, the cable simply pops out - a small but very handy feature, if you want your headset to "live long and prosper".

"Hear the game. Like never before", is what it says on the SteelSeries website, and there is really something to it. Game-wise, the 7H delivers crisp clear and detailed sound and I surely haven't had a single complain about the microphone (other than one time where people did not hear me, due to it being muted), so I can only assume that it is top-notch as well.

Conclusion

SteelSeries have once again created a headset that I am really pleased with. The top of the H-series headset truly lives up to the high demands gamers have. Mentioning gamers, I am quite sure SteelSeries have once again seized the opportunity to seek advice from the professional teams they are sponsoring, such as fnatic, SK Gaming and Evil Geniuses.

There are so many nice features on the 7H. It kind of makes it hard for me to pick my favourite one. I really like the headset as a whole, but the features such as interchangeable ear cushions, the ability to remove the cord totally from the headset and the fact that you can disassemble it stands out. For those who have or have had the 5H v2, which got very popular, I can only say that you will love the SteelSeries 7H even more, as they have done a nice job on upgrades, but still keep the classic and already loved features from the 5H v2.  

I think I have expressed my excitement about the 7H, but I actually have one little picky thing I want to point out. I noticed when I played games that my shirt with an open zipper was rubbing up against the audio cable when I moved my arm. This transferred a great load of noise via the cable to the ear cup. I think it's due to the braided cord, as I cannot recall having this experience with the Siberia v2. It is however not something I am really annoyed with, just something I noticed once it happened.

It is a personal matter whether you like a product or not. I can stress that you will love the 7H once you try it, but it is the individual to try it and have their opinions about it. You have now read my review of the 7H, and I hereby conclude that I really like it, just like the Siberia v2. I will give the 7H 9/10 HLTV.org dots, due to the fact that the price is high and it may prevent a lot of users to ever think about buying it.

The SteelSeries 7H comes in two versions, a non-USB set at €99,99 and the USB edition which is available for €129,99, and both can be purchased from the SteelSeries webshop.