ASUS TUF H3 Headset Review

Conclusion

One thing we’ve never really got used to here at OC3D is the idea that nearly all headsets follow the same pattern. We don’t mean two ears and a microphone, but rather that, unless you spend a fortune, you get a headset which follows the 50mm driver, 20Hz-20kHz frequency response formula. Who decided that was the best way forwards? Why does nobody make 19Hz-21kHz headsets? With the major ingredient of the recipe so immutable, manufacturers rely on the subtler elements of audio profile tuning, whether to create an open, partly open, or closed back design and cloth or leather/pvc ear cups.

With all that said, how does the TUF H3 blend its ingredients together?

Starting with the design, the H3 is fairly light, utilising the steel horseshow style band and hinges to keep the weight down without compromising the flexibility or robustness of the headset. So often we find affordable headsets have a serious weakness in the hinge department, or are so complicated for the sake of it that they never quite sit as comfortably as you’d hope. With the TUF H3 all of those problems are dispensed with. The stripped-down nature of the design means it sits exactly where you’d hope and doesn’t place too much pressure on either the top of your head with the weight, nor your ears with a ‘clamped on’ feel. The thick padding underneath those protein-leather covers also help keep things comfortable, although with a closed back design and low breathing cups if you suffer from hot, sweaty ears when listening for a long time this might not be a headset to place at the top of your list.

Speaking of the closed back design it works well in combination with the 50mm drivers to give some pretty tight bass. With so many headsets in the 20Hz-20kHz range having passed through our review process we were expecting something familiar and that’s largely what we got. Thankfully most big manufacturers have moved away from the ‘all bass’ equaliser tuning that once dominated proceedings and instead the tuning of the audio profile tends to be more flat. The H3 is no exception although it does seem to be more of a “scooped midrange” sound familiar to anyone who listens to rock music. The bass doesn’t dominate, but it’s stronger than the mids and high end, largely in part to that closed design. Fortunately even here it’s still easy to determine the different parts of your aural soundscape as the ASUS TUF H3 uses 50mm drivers instead of the smaller 40mm types and this is always conducive to broadening the separation of each frequency. Lastly the microphone is surprisingly capable, being easy to place and letting your voice broadcast clearly across the information superhighway.

The ASUS TUF H3 is a headset which can be plugged into anything that uses 3.5mm jacks, and whilst it won’t set your world alight with aural honey, it’s one of the better offerings in this price bracket with robust build quality and good audio, leading to it winning our OC3D Gamers Choice Award.

  

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