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The 7H is only available in matte-black, unlike the Siberia V2 which is available in white, red or black gloss. This is not necessarily a bad thing though; I actually prefer this understated look to the garish white of my Siberia V2's. It also means the 7H is a lot less likely to pick up marks and scratches or the grime which quickly degrades most white cables quickly. To enhance what would otherwise be quite a boring design, SteelSeries have added some metal trim around the ear cups and on the ends of the band.
Aside from the metal trim, the headset is finished almost entirely in plastic. This said, the headset feels extremely robust and the lack of a metal backbone means its very lightweight for its size. Branding has been kept to a minimum with a subtle SteelSeries logo cut into the headband and two on the metal trim at the ends of the band.
It is clear that the 7H has been designed witt gamers on the move in mind. It separates into four pieces (headband, two earpieces and cable) for easier and safer transportation. To remove the earpieces, we simple have to press down a small tab on the underside of the band and pull the earpiece off.
The detachable cable connects to the headset using a micro-USB connector. Thankfully it requires quite a large amount of force to be pulled out of the socket so it's very unlikely to come out accidentally during use. The cable itself carries a braided shielding for better durability. Unlike many gaming headsets it uses two standard 3.5mm gold-plated connectors rather than USB. There is also a USB version available which is essentially the same headset with an external USB sound card – the benefit of this being it enables virtual surround sound.
About half-way along the cable there is a small control which allows us to mute the microphone by sliding down the large button. There is also a small wheel on the side to adjust volume. The 1m of cable is ideal in length to be used in conjunction with the SteelSeries 7G keyboard or a laptop or PC on top of your desk. For machines that are further away, SteelSeries provide a 2m long extension cable which should be ample for use with a machine under your desk.
As we mentioned earlier, SteelSeries supply two pairs of interchangeable ear pads with the 7H. One pair is covered in faux leather and the other in fabric. The faux leather ear pads are designed to have superior noise-isolating properties to the fabric ones which are designed to allow you to talk to fellow gamers at LAN parties withing hindrance.
Looks like a good set of phones, if rather expensive compared to some competitors
Good review, attractive looking phones. Steelseries are quality.
Hell of a product from Steelseries – they are one of the gamers first choices on the market really even with hefty competition.
Unusual they would make two versions at such slightly different price points. no ?
good phones, I would never use them though 🙂
How many colours are they selling them in ?
Interesting and good review. I am not sure its worth selling my old Steelseries phones though, they are still great. might see how much I can get for them to get a cheap upgrade. but im not spending another 92 quid on these.
I wonder would it be worth selling my logitech phones to get a pair of these 🙁
Good review henry. Seems the wise option is to spend extra for the surround options.
Are these really worth the extra money when compared to the Arctic cooling headphones you reviewed last week?
@ Raymond, the difference in the prices is a result of adding an external USB sound card. Otherwise the headphones are identical.
@ Garry, The 7H is only available in black for the moment
@ Frank, Comared to the P531 the 7H is better built, and quite a lot lighter and more comfortable. The sound quality is also a bit better but it lacks proper surroundsound, even with the USB option.
Any chance to review Roccat Kave?