UPBEAT iGamer Video Game Review

by Cochaman Peef with additional editing by John Mundazio

Steelseries '5H v2™'— Optimized Sound Perfection.
This headset has been used by some of the most talented gamers to ever win major international events like The Electronic Sports World Cup, World e-Sport Games, World Series of Video Games, Kode 5, World Cyber Games, Samsung Euro Championship, ESL Extreme Masters and too many others to even bother to mention. When wearing the SteelSeries 5H v2 you'll immediately notice the full-sized ear cushions which gently fit around your ears and reduce the background noise. The comfort is something that just has to be experienced first hand, either at a friend’s house or at one of the many LAN-centers and Internet cafés that offers the headset to their customers. The headset features a custom-engineered soundscape designed to further enhance performance and immersion in FPS games. This headset was developed and optimized specifically for in-game sound frequencies found in the most popular shooters— making in-game sounds like footsteps, alerts and gunfire especially clear. You will be able to hear and pinpoint the location of your opponents, often long before they can hear you. The Steelseries 5H v2 headset came well-secured in a sturdy clear plastic box. The front of the package clearly displayed the entire headset, and the back of the package provides a list of product specifications and a description in multiple languages.

Upon looking over the company's informative web site and product development blog we discovered that this is the second generation of the 5Hv2 headset (hence the “v2”). Opening the package, the headset can be found secured to the molded cardboard container. The package simply contains the headset and a 2-meter extension cord, along with some information about SteelSeries’ other product offerings. The headset itself is both versatile and sleek... it's also enormously attractive and resembles a far more high-end set of headphones rather than a mere headset. The earpieces are sleek and substantial, with sizeable ear cushions that fit rather comfortably over the ears. The two earpieces rotate along their center axis, allowing for far superior adjustability. The headband cushion has another thick cushion and is more congruent than most headphones I’ve used. One unique thing about this headset is that it breaks down into three pieces for easier/smoother transportation, which is a handy feature. I haven’t even arrived at the coolest feature of this entire headset— you see, the microphone actually retracts into the earpiece. Oh yeah... we're talking about Captain Kirk cool here. This feature allows for the mic to be practically hidden while not in use and should help reduce the chances of damaging and/or crushing the mic, which can happen. The mic itself is attached to a flexible cord and is uni-directional, which means this entire set easily picks up sound from all directions. Trust me folks, THIS is an extraordinary feature!

The sound quality was remarkable overall. When listening to music, the headset offered a wide range and had little distortion that I could even remotely detect. The high frequency sounds were crisp and clean, and the headset had a respectable amount of deep bass (though not overly “reverberant”). Also, I was happy to NOT have to hear that exasperating background buzzing sound except at really high volumes, ones that would be too earsplitting to listen comfortably to any sort of music. Although the headset does not have surround sound or noise-canceling features, it still provides a first-rate sound experience, especially when gaming. The microphone performed perfectly; my fellow gamers all thought my voice sounded crisp and that the volume was at precisely the right level. I found the mute button to be convenient also, since I usually leave the microphone off while playing games like World of Warcraft so that other players couldn’t possibly hear my new girlfriend complaining about me playing way too long… hey— she’s a civilian, what can I say? For a number of die-hard gamers, an all-in-one bundle from an extremely popular brand is just what they crave; it easily minimizes the research involved in seeking out quality, and it combines both soundcard and speakers/headphones to further reduce any further stress.

So... there you have it fellow game freaks... the 5H v2 USB headset from SteelSeries is an excellent choice. This headset not only comes backed by a respected brand name that all of us here at UPBEAT trust, SteelSeries, but it also comes bundled with a USB soundcard for a low-cost, no-frills upgrade over onboard sound. It's the perfect solution to any gaming equation. UB

Despite a number of short-term unwarranted arrests for a virtual plethora of misdemeanors, which, for some odd reason, remain "classified", Cochaman Peef has continued to let his beloved hemp play a substantial role in his ever-waning life. Whether he’s smoking from a hand-blown glass pipe while studying Eastern religion and Woody Harrelson philosophy, or just smoking Jamaican sticks and watching Kung-Fu with David Carradine on DVD [he claims to know Carradine personally, a fact we've yet to convincingly dispute].