ASUS TUF H3 Wireless Gaming Headset Review

Conclusion

You would imagine that of all the products that you pore over the details to pick the best, headphones are the ones where the specifications matter the least. After all, if you’ve spent more than a moment checking out the dozens of headsets on the market you’ll quickly realise than 99% of them have a frequency response between 20Hz and 20kHz, and so they should, on paper at least, sound identical. The only variables as such are the size of the drivers and whether the back of the ear pieces is closed or open, with closed ones vastly dominating the market.

Having spent a huge number of hours listening to them all we can report that things are significantly more complicated than that. Build materials, the depth of the foam around the ear pieces, and the level of sound profile tuning that they’ve undergone in the factory can all make a marked difference. We say this because, just like the wired model we tested 12 months ago, the ASUS TUF H3 is smack bang in the middle of everything. It’s not remotely damning with faint praise but it’s an average headset that actually sounds exactly like you’d expect it to from the specifications.

Starting with the build quality the TUF feels very robust. The steel headband with two U-shaped connectors to attach the ear pieces is a very popular design and with good reason. We’ve lost count of the number of headsets that have died because of the hinges long before any other fault, and with a thick steel band you know that the H3 Wireless will last a long time. Despite being a wireless headset it’s not too heavy on the head, and although the steel horseshoe attachment means you’re limited in the amount of adjustment any slight issues with your head shape are negated by the deeply padded ear cups. Using memory foam covered in protein leather they are cooler than you will get from a closed-back, leather coated design, although obviously not as cool as cloth ear pieces with an open backed headset. How much this is a problem depends on how sweaty you tend to get wearing headphones and that’s down to the individual.

The drivers themselves are 50mm Neodymium ones and we’re pleased to report that ASUS have resisted the temptation to go all in on the bass side of things. Far too many manufacturers, especially at this price point, think that thumping bass somehow equates to quality, whereas we know that a nice neutral soundscape gives you far more flexibility out of the box and room to tune it to your own preference. The TUF H3 can do thumping bass if you choose, but doesn’t demand you turn it all down if you don’t. No matter what you throw it’s way it sounds fine. It won’t make your ears orgasm but neither will you consign them to the bin immediately. The 15 hour battery life isn’t the longest we’ve seen but nor will it have you cursing the brief moment you get before having to put them on charge again. Those of you with long gaming days will put them on to charge overnight in the same way we do our phones, and that’s fine.

It might seem that the TUF H3 Wireless are in the middle of the pack in every regard and they are, but that definitely isn’t a negative. Many headsets have better elements in some areas but worse in others, and most of the ones that are better in all places have significantly higher price points. The ASUS TUF H3 Wireless is guaranteed to disappoint nobody. If you’ve got a limited budget and want a wireless headset with flexible connectivity and a sound profile that is good out of the box but also has plenty of room to adjust to your taste then it is all of those things. It’s a very solid choice, and some times solidity and the reassurance that you’re spending your money on a product that will give satisfaction is enough.

  

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