Steelseries 7H “Fnatic Edition” Gaming Headset review

SteelSeries is one of the most recognizable brands when it comes to PC gaming accessories so it comes to no surprise that they’ve partnered with a renowned professional gaming team such as ‘Fnatic‘ to redesign their popular 7H gaming headset.

SteelSeries 7H specs:

Drivers:
– Frequency response: 18 – 28.000 Hz
– Impedance: 32 Ohm
– SPL@ 1kHz, 1 Vrms: 112 dB
– Cable length: 1 + 2 = 3 m (9,8 ft.)
– Jacks: 3,5 mm

Microphone:
– Frequency response: 50 – 16.000 Hz
– Pick up pattern: Uni-directional
– Sensitivity: -38 dB

Design and Build

The 7H Fnatic (which is limited edition by the way) is all about aesthetics too, we really dig the matte orange, white and shiny black color combination as well as the comfortable ‘cushy’ felt-like materials they’ve used to cover the underside of the headband and ear cups.

Wearing these cans is not a problem even for big-headed people, it’s very comfortable although the clamping force can be a little hard, it’s nothing that a pillow or a couple of books placed between the cups can solve for a few nights. We were able to wear the 7H for up to 4 hours straight until we needed to take a break from two back-to-back films since our ears were starting to get sweaty.

Overall, these cans were comfortable enough and gave a reassuringly snug fit when worn.

Background noise is muffled out but not as much so keep that in mind, we could still faintly hear the passenger jets taking off [common in Paranaque area].

The 7H is made purely out of plastic but somewhat feels durable despite being lightweight, the 1-meter long braided audio cable with a built-in mic switch feels really durable too and we think it can definitely survive unintentional tugging for a couple of years — or months if you’re careless. Another 2-meter split cable is in tow to let you connect your headset to the rear audio port of your gaming rig as well.

The headband, ear cups and audio cable (2X 3.5mm to micro USB interface) can all be detached from each other which makes the 7H very travel-friendly. Just a nice touch added by the folks at SteelSeries but make sure not to do it too often if you don’t want creaks and a loose fit to occur over time.

Sound Quality

The 7H — for the most part, sounded pretty good so we’ve decided to write this part of the review first. The 50mm drivers were able to churn out massive amounts of bass without distorting the mids/vocals as much, playing Rihanna’s “Where Have you Been” and Far East Movement’s “Like A G6” made us smile since the thumping was seriously blasting their way through our ear canals.

Mids can sound a bit muddy when listening to songs like Shane Mack’s “Break” but nothing that can seriously alter the listening experience too much, the highs aren’t too hissy and irritating as well, more like controlled and well delivered.

Soundstage is as wide as it can get. Playing Left4Dead 2 using these cans gave us goosebumps, mostly when hearing Witches or Chargers nearby. We really don’t know about the 7.1ch claim but as far as positioning of audio elements is concerned — it was so realistic, we could tell where each hum or footstep was coming from. That’s a compliment since this thing is meant for professional gamers after all.

Of course, this is a gaming headset so the retractable microphone comes in really handy and works pretty well given that you’re not in a loud environment when bullying your opponent. Not much to say here really aside from the fact that our voices were picked up pretty loud and clear, it can be pushed back inside the left ear cup whenever we’re in the mood for music listening so that’s a plus.

The 7H is not designed for audiophiles we’ll tell you that, and it’s not meant for music listening anyway so don’t buy these if you’re not a fan of muffled-sounding headphones, it’s bassy for the most part which signifies that it’s meant to enhance the crashes and explosions common in games.

Conclusion

The headset’s ability to be completely disassembled and the retractable mic are nice features to have (apart from the great color combination) which lets you pack it inside your luggage conveniently or use the headset as a pair of good-looking headphones while riding the bus.

The 7H Fnatic Limited Edition gaming headset is unarguably one of the most versatile gaming headsets we’ve used. The sound quality isn’t stunning but the surround sound effect is very noticeable and accurate — which is the point of buying gaming headsets anyway. You want to be able to hear where your opponent’s location is to know where to point the gun and when to pull the trigger.

What we like about it:
– Looks good
– Well built
– Good sound quality
– Bassy
– Great surround sound output
– Very comfortable
– Convenient when travelling

What we didn’t like about it:
– Muddy/muffled sound
– The orange cloths are dirt magnets
– Slightly hard clamping force can be bothersome to others
– Feels ‘plasticky’ at times