The entry-level audio market is a very tough place to crack. On one hand, you have to keep in mind the pocket pinch for the target customer and on the other hand, you need to provide a good product. Asus recently brought the TUF Gaming H3 Gaming headset, which provides a good balance between the two extremities.
Most of the innovation in the gaming audio market is happening in the lower end of the spectrum, The TUF Gaming H3 is a result of that constant innovation. You wont see the bling of RGB or the oomph of an onboard DAC with the headset, but the quality more than makes up for it.
TUF H3 Specifications
| Driver Type | 50mm neodymium |
| Impedance | 32 Ohms |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz-20KHz |
| Microphone Type | Unidirectional electret condenser |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm |
| Weight | 0.6 pounds / 294g |
| Cord Length | 6 feet / 1.8m |
| Lighting | None |
| Software | None |
Packaging
The box is nothing to write home about. We have the standard gaming headset type box with a huge picture upfront and highlighted features on the back. On of the side has the product name and the other details the specifications.
Design and Comfort
The H3 is rather civil in appearance. You can color match the headset to your system if your system contains black, silver, blue, and red. Each ear cup is also adorned with the TUF Gaming logo in black, which is muted against the headset’s black plastic construction. We were provided with the Red version for review. The headset uses a standard 3.5mm jack for connection.
The headband is sturdy and flexible, enough to fit snugly and enhance the sound quality and not so snug that it causes a headache in the long term. It can take a beating giving credence to the TUF branding.
The elongated circular cups are finished in a leatherette contact pad with foam inside which provides a more than decent level of comfort. A lone volume scroll wheel with a mic mute button populates the left ear-cup. The scroll button is easy to find and operate while you are concentrated with headshots, control points, etc. The mute button needs a bit of pressing to make it work properly, but its not a deal-breaker. the left rear cup also houses the unidirectional mic.
On this note, I would like to point out that the TUF H3 is Discord and Teamspeak certified. It also supports PS4 out of the box, so on paper you shouldn’t be facing any problem. On my end, I used both discord and team-speak and have faced absolutely zero issues.
The H3 is overall very comfortable. while it is not the most premium looking headset in the market, once you put it on the comfort and quality start to grow on you. The weight is not insubstantial but is distributed very evenly. The earcups and the mic are just right for the price they offer. Due to the fact the earcups don’t fold inwards and there’s no carrying case, these aren’t easily transportable cans but that’s an acceptable compromise.
Sound Quality
Coming to the sound quality side of things, Asus markets this headset with “deep bass” but the bass profile is remarkably restrained. Which is something I actually liked since many headsets at this price range goes for the “boom” at the cost of clarity. Clarity wise the headset sounds wonderful. I didnt have to change sound profiles when playing different games and fiddle around much to get a decent experience across the board.
A lot of the success comes from the design of the ear cups. Since its a snug fit around the ears, a lot of the low-end resonant frequencies doesn’t lose power. The leatherette cover also creates a very good seal for the sound to propagate.
Conclusion
As we have already said above, right now all the action in gaming audio is in the lower end of the spectrum. Every brand wants the piece of that pie and Asus TUF Gaming H3 is a result of that struggle and innovation. We have a very capable yet budget set of cans with a good sound signature all across the board. The looks won’t win you any beauty contests, but to be honest you can’t expect everything at this price range. The only competition would be the HS50 from Corsair if One could find one for real.
Overall, a very capable budget headset from Asus which provides a lot of value for the money its sold for.
A gold from Team TechARX.
