SteelSeries SteelSound 4H Headset Evaluation

Product: SteelSeries SteelSound 4H Headset
Author: Paul Mercer
Category: Gaming/Audio
Date: December 2006
Product cost: MSRP EUR: 49.95 USD: 69.95
Manufacturer: Steel Series
Spelling and Grammatical Editors: Jon Aubrey & Jason Hambley

Introduction

The SteelSeries name has become synonymous with gaming and gaming accessories, such as their SteelPad line of mouse pads. A frequent flyer on PlanetX64.com, this time they?ve sent us a SteelSound 4H Gaming Headset for evaluation.

SteelSeries believe that there should be a headset for every budget, so if the SteelSound 5H seemed a little too pricey for your pocket, you may be interested in a couple of new arrivals to the SteelSound product line, the 3H and 4H. As you can probably guess these are essentially cut down, cheaper versions of their SteelSound 5H.

Let?s take a look at the specs…

{mospagebreak title=Specifications and Overview}

Specifications and Overview

SteelSound 4H at a glance;

* Lightweight gaming headset with XL-sized
earcushions
* Developed in cooperation with professional gamers
* Retractable uni-directional microphone system
* Volume control, featuring 3 microphone settings
* Full-size earcups for maximum individual comfort
* Strong and deep resonating in-game sound
projection
* 40mm SteelSound SunDancer(Sd) Units

 

Technical
specifications;

Headphones

Frequency response	16 – 28.000 Hz
Impedance	40 Ohm
SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms	110 dB
Cable length	1.8 meters (6 feet)

Microphone

Frequency response	75 – 16.000 Hz
Pick up pattern	Uni-directional
Sensitivity	-38dB
Impedance	2k Ohm

 

The SteelSeries SteelSound 4H arrived in full retail packaging and as usual, on the back the features are listed in different languages.

  

While the plastic packaging isn?t the strongest stuff, it should have no problems protecting the headset during shipment. Inside, the headset is secured in place using wire ties to prevent it from rattling around.
 

The headset
is nice and sturdy and although it is only plastic, it feels well made and
capable of taking some rough treatment.

The headband
and earpads are both cushioned and make the SteelSound 4H very comfortable to
wear for long periods (perfect for those all night gaming sessions or that long
conversation with your Nan). The ear pieces completely cover your ears when
worn and eliminate the aching ear problem when wearing a headset with pads that
press on your ears.

The microphone is very flexible and will have no problems at all
finding the perfect talking position. It can also be retracted into the left earpiece when not in use.

The inline
control supplied with the SteelSound 4H headset has a volume wheel for the
headphones and a three step volume control for the microphone too (high, low
and off).

 

{mospagebreak title=Performance} 

Performance

Test system:
Intel
Core2Duo E6700
Intel
D975XBX BadAxe
2GB (2×1GB)
TeamGroup PC5300 running at DDR800 4-4-4-8
Foxconn
7950GT 512MB
Creative Soundblaster
X-Fi XtremeMusic
2x 80GB
Hitachi Deskstar 7200RPM SATA2 in RAID0
 

Testing of headsets is always a subjective task, it sort of goes with the saying "you can please some of the people some of the time…". Everybody’s hearing is different, just because one person likes the way a set of headphones or speakers sound, doesn’t mean everybody will feel the same way. For this reason I decided to keep it simple and just give my personal opinion comparing the SteelSound
4H with a headset that cost nearly twice the price, the Sennheiser PC155. When
comparing the pair, I listened to the Sennheisers without the USB soundcard
attachment, essentially downgrading them to the PC150 set.

 

Movies

I watched the Lord of the Rings with both headsets and could
immediately tell the difference. While the Sennheisers did have a lot of bass
and made battle scenes come to life with the explosions and battle roars,
dialogue was a little muffled and quiet at times.  As a complete contrast, the 4H had a much
?crisper? sound throughout. Occasionally at times the treble was a little too
much for me, but this was easily be remedied in the sound card control panel.

 *Warning* 
At one point while watching a movie I completely forgot that I was wearing the
SteelSound 4H headset and tried to get up, only to be dragged back down by the
cable…

The Sennheiser
set, with its smaller earcushions, exert pressure onto my ears. After a
little over 30 minutes of wearing the Sennheiser PC155?s my ears were aching.

I also
noticed that the SteelSeries 4H were a more snug and secure fit, although the
Sennheisers seemed to be putting more pressure on my head, they were incredibly
easy to make fall off simply by tilting my head slightly forward or back. With
the SteelSeries headset in place I had a much larger range of movement.

 

Music

I listened to a small selection of music from Lemon Jelly,
Cypress Hill, The Stone Roses and various tracks from a Clubland album. Again,
the SteelSeries SteelSound 4H gave a much clearer sound and were my preferred
listening device, allowing me to hear the subtle tones of Lemon Jelly and still
appreciate the basslines of Cypress Hill and dance music. While these certainly
aren?t your audiophile quality headphones, I still enjoyed using them to listen
to music.

 

VOIP (Skype)

Testing both headsets on Skype, The SteelSeries 4H were the
definite winner for me. Dialogue was easily understandable on the SteelSeries 4H
and the people on the other end told me they could understand and hear my voice
a lot better when I had them connected, while the microphone on the Sennheiser set apparently sounded "quieter".

 

Gameplay

Now gaming (along with VOIP) is what the people at
SteelSeries had in mind when they designed this headset. This becomes quickly
apparent as soon as you load up and start playing your favourite FPS (first
person shooter). I?m not saying they won?t show benefits in other types of games,
but the FPS is where they shine. Each footstep, rustle of clothing, gunshot and
ricochet can be heard clearly because of the emphasis on the mid to high range
of frequencies. It makes searching and finding (and shooting – obviously) your
friends when playing online all that much easier when you can hear footsteps
around the next corner or in the next room. Although they are only Stereo headphones, I did find the positional sound field quite good.

{mospagebreak title=Price and Warranty} 

Price/Warranty

The
SteelSeries SteelSound 4H headset is available directly from the SteelSeries
online store for EUR: 49.95 ? USD: 69.95 + shipping.
Searching
the web I found them slightly cheaper in the UK for ?27.95 (Inc VAT).

The
SteelSeries warranty covers factory defectives for 2 years from the purchase
date. It does not cover everyday wear and tear or accidents.

Should you need to use the RMA service,
the FAQ can be found here:

http://www.steelseries.com/about/rma-faq

{mospagebreak title=Conclusion} 

Conclusion

With the
increase in popularity of online gaming and VOIP, it?s good that SteelSeries
are thinking about people of all budgets. The 4H model was designed with
communication in mind and this showed during testing. As I mentioned earlier,
headset testing is rather subjective, the type of sound quality that I prefer
may not be ideal in another person?s eyes (or rather ears). To me, in terms of
audio quality, the SteelSeries 4H sound great, but depend on the application
and audio source. Movies and music sound good, with a full range of sound
available. The SteelSeries 4H seem to emphasise the mid to high frequency range
for clarity and the bass is nice and deep without being too overpowering.

The
SteelSeries 4H were incredibly comfortable while in use and I could wear them
for hours without complaint. The headband sits nicely and the ear cushions
completely covered my ears. Add to all of this, the low price point and they are
a good accessory to have for those all night gaming sessions or long VOIP
conversations. The SteelSeries 4H will definitely be replacing my Sennheiser
set ? thumbs up from me.

 

Pros:
Very Clear
Speech
Good
Microphone
Low Price
Comfortable

Cons:
Would have
liked a slightly longer Cable
Treble can occasionally
be a little too harsh

Package/Specs:
4.5/5
Features/Construction: 4.
5/5
Performance: 4.75/5
Price: 4.75/5
Overall: 18.5/20

 

We are proud to award the
SteelSeries SteelSound 4H headset the Best on the Planet award for their
excellent price and performance.

 

We would like to thank the folks at SteelSeries for providing the 4H headset for this evaluation.

Popularity: unranked [?]