DV Hardware reviews

Another cool feature of the 4H is the flexible microphone which can be retracted.




Testing
Headphones aren't easy to review as the testing procedure is very subjective. What sounds great for me might sound bad to you and a headphone that feels great for you might be very uncomfortable for other people. If you're planning to buy a headset it's best to try out several models but unfortunately that's not always possible.

Sound quality
In games the SteelSeries 4H headset really shines. I tested the headset in World in Conflict, BioShock, Company of Heroes and Call of Duty 4 (demo) and was quite satisfied with the sound quality. The headset performed well and managed to immerse me into the game.

While the 4H is great for gaming I can't recommend it if you plan on using it a lot to listen to music. I tried some rock, metal, dance and trance music with the 4H and wasn't really satisfied with the sound quality. The same is true for movies, the 4H won't give you the optimal listening experience. My cheap Sennheiser HD 201 headphones performs a lot better.

To test the microphone I recorded a couple of samples of my voice. The quality of these samples was pretty good and it had only picked up a small amount of background noise.

Comfort
I used the headset for a couple of days and overall my experience is that the 4H isn't very comfortable. It's OK if you only use it for 30-60 minutes but if you want to use it for several hours a day the comfort isn't sufficient.

The in-line volume control and the retractable microphone on the other hand were very easy to use and are a great plus.

Build quality
For a mid-range headset the durability is OK but you'll have to be careful with it, make sure you don't drop it or accidentally sit on it. The wires are also quite thin.



Verdict
The SteelSeries 4H leaves me with mixed feelings. The quality in games is pretty good, the quality of the micro is good for games and VoIP applications and the product has some other merits like the in-line volume control.

But in other areas like music/movie sound quality and build quality the 4H doesn't really impress and if you plan on using it a lot you might want to buy a headset that feels a bit less spartan.

The Good Stuff
- Good sound quality in games
- Good microphone
- Microphone is retractable
- In-line volume control

The Bad Stuff
- Less suitable for music/movies
- Uncomfortable
- Build quality
- Minimal noise isolation

I give the SteelSeries 4H headset a 6/10.

Added: November 3rd 2007
Reviewer: Thomas De Maesschalck
Score: 6/10
Related Link: SteelSeries
Page: 3/3