SteelSeries Steel Sound 4H Headset

Submitted by admin on Sat, 06/23/2007 - 18:14.

Headphones

Steel Series SteelSound 4H Headset

(4 star rating)

The market for headphones is an extremely crowded one - from the $5 plastic generic brand headphones at Wal-Mart, to the $1,000 ultra high-end Grado GS1000 headphones (yes, they really do cost $1,000 USD), there are a myriad of choices available. Tucked in the mid-range of the typical price for headphones, and designed specifically with gamers in mind, is the new offering from SteelSeries - the Steel Sound 4H ($69.95 retail price). However, just because they are in the middle of the price range doesn't mean they are just average in terms of performance. As we take a close look at the Steel Sound 4H, you'll understand why they are anything but average.

Look and Feel

While the 4H's share the same 40mm Sundancer drivers for sound reproduction as another version of the Steel Sound lineup - the 3Hs - their design is not nearly so closely related. The 4H is meant to be a simplfied version of the 5Hv2 and retails for $30 less than the 5Hv2 does. At this price point, it is designed to offer high-quality sound at a mid-range price point.

The 4H is an open-air design that allows for sound to both escape the headphones and enter in from outside the listening environment. They are extremely lightweight and are designed to be used for extending gaming or listening sessions. To achieve their lightweight design, the 4H's use felt cloth for the headband, which provides a soft feel for the contact between the top of your head and the headphones. The ear cups are also made of soft felt cloth that does a good job keeping sweat from causing them to stick to your skin, although it does not form a completely tight seal around your ears.

The 4H includes a retractable, uni-directional microphone that can be extended out of the left ear cup, and then retracted all the way back inside the ear cup when not in use. This is a nice touch, and very handy, because it keeps the microphone completely out of your way when you do not need it.

Overall, the 4H has a very nice feel to it. The solid build quality is not quite as refined as the SteelSound 5Hv2, but it does have the fit and finish of a very high quality pair of headphones. The 4H comes in black color only.

Features and Specifications

Headphones