SteelSeries 7H Fnatic Edition Gaming Headset Review
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SteelSeries has for long been one of the top names for all-things gaming peripherals in the gaming industry. It has a slew of gaming headsets for consoles and the PC with the 7H series considered to be the top of the line in SteelSeries' gaming headset arsenal. We're going to be taking a good look at the 7H Fnatic Edition gaming headset co-designed by the Fnatic gaming team. SteelSearies' 7H Fnatic gaming headset has it all written down on paper, but will it be good enough to recommend? Find out in the full review right down below.
The SteelSeries 7H Fnatic edition will set you back $140, which is $10 more than you'll be paying for the regular blackened 7H gaming headset. Apart from a brighter color scheme that you get when you go for the Fnatic edition, both are identical to one another in terms of build, specs and features. The 7H Fnatic are a wired over ear gaming headset for the PC. Although they won't work as a headset with Macs, a simple 3.5mm to USB converter will fix that up for you with ease. I'm using this very basic Syba one and it does a really great job for just under $10.
Design wise, the 7H Fnatic don't have much going for them like most gaming headsets, though the sporty orange and white on black colors really work well together.
In addition to the bright orange SNDBlock ear cushions that the 7H Fnatic come with out of the box, SteelSeries also includes a pair of interchangeable black cloth ear cushions that let you easily switch between the two for a more open audio listening experience. But with that you lose sound isolation and gain sound leakage.
The 7H Fnatic are constructed out of part shiny black plastic, some more plastic, some fabric and some more matte plastic. I may not be a fan of the glossy black ear cups, but there's no denying the 7H Fnatic are a tank set of headsets. The various joints feel sturdy and headband can twist and flex without snapping in half unlike a lot of unworthy and overpriced headphones. When you're gaming and occasionally thrashing about when you end up getting killed, know that these headsets are sure to take all of your abuse and frustration with a smile. In other words...built quality, superb.
Uncomfortable headphones are the last thing you want to worry about when you're in the middle of a gaming session. It's very important that gaming headsets are to be comfortable so that they can be worn for long periods of time. I'm happy to report that I've worn the 7H Fnatic for hours and hours without my ears hurting from pressure. The 7H are super comfy, I can wear these all day, everyday without ever wanting to take them off my head.
The ear cups rotate and articulate so that they better fit each individual. While the ear cups are designed to go over your ears, they are on the small side and if you've got fairly large ears then these might start to get uncomfortable at a certain point.
With that said, I've got medium sized ears and these fit me spot on without any room to spare. The special SNDBlock ear cushions are very well padded and because they're designed with a leather interior layer and a soft cloth exterior which feels great to wear, they block a great deal of background noise unlike any other gaming headset that I've worn. Sound leakage is a none issue when using the SNDBlock ear cushions at high volume.
The 7H Fnatic gaming headset is stuffed with features from top to bottom. Literally, it's pretty ridonkulous. On the left side you'll find an unobtrusive, retractable uni-directional boom mic that can bend into your desired position. Although I'd much prefer the Logitech F540's boom mic to these retractable coil mics as they automatically mute when retracted, SteelSeries' retractable boom mics work just as well. Then again SteelSeries doesn't want you to look like a fool when you aren't using your headset as a headset. Voice clarity is superior than most other gaming headsets so you'll be heard clearly in the in-game chat. The 7H's boom mic does a fairly good job in reducing the amount of background noise it picks up.
At the very bottom of the 7H's audio cable is where the in-line volume and voice mute control. The problem I found with this controller isn't that it doesn't work well in adjusting the volume, but it's the fact that it's awkwardly positioned far from a convenient reach. Instead of reaching somewhere near you neck to adjust the volume or mute yourself, you will find yourself reaching down below. Way down. Near your junk. The mute switch feels a bit cheap and isn't easy to slide on and off.
The audio cable, or should I say cables, are detachable and plug into the headset at only one side via a micro-USB plug. Don't worry about ever having to reach behind your desktop to re-plug these in because with a super long, 10-feet of braided cable goodness, you have the freedom to roam, sit back and relax. On the end are two 3.5mm plugs, one a dedicated mic line and the other is a dedicated audio line. Optionally you can split that extra long cable into a much shorter length that's suitable for plugging into portable devices.
Are you keeping up? The 7H Fnatic's impressive last and final feature comes in real handy when traveling around, going to game tournaments and LAN parties. In no way are these considered portable gaming headsets by their bulky design, but what actually makes them possible to be stuffed inside any gear bag, separated compartments is their unique detachable construction. The headband comes clean off when pressing a security snap in order to detach each ear cup from either side. You're left with three pieces after you've dismantled the 7H that are now completely travel friendly.
A note worth mentioning after we pointed out the solid build quality of the 7H Fnatic, because these break up into multiple pieces, there's a great chance that something can go wrong after a certain time. The connections in the headband are prone to stress each time the headband is stretched to fit your head.
SteelSeries knows more than a thing or two about making quality gaming headsets. The 7H are crazy good sounding.
I had heard good things about SteelSeries, but never have I expected such a brilliant performance out of these gaming headsets. As we've concluded earlier, not only are these better built than headphones which costs three times as much, but they easily compare to some really good headphones in the same price range if not higher; more notably Sennheiser headphones.
Some might say the $140 price tag is pricy, but honestly the 7H Fnatic are a total package. And that's hard to come by. I tried hard to find bad drawbacks, but I've found none. They're so perfect, well balanced sounding that I really wouldn't mind using them for listening to my entire music library. The bass is just right for gaming, not overpowering and distorted with the just the right amount of presence that is tightly put together and great even for listening to techno, pop and hip-hop. The mids and highs are surprisingly crystal clear with warm notes and decent definition. The massive 50mm dynamic drivers have tremendous capabilities in pushing out audio at high volumes while retaining an enjoyable listening experience that's not overblown.
All in all, SteelSeries did an outstanding job with the 7H Fnatic edition gaming headset. And because the entire 7H series which includes the 7H USB gaming headset and the 7H headset for iOS devices smartphone all have the same audio specifications, we consider them to be just as good. Gamers who would like to casually use the 7H Fnatic as headphones for listening to music and watching a movie will not be disappointed. If you want it all, you got it all. The 7H Fnatic are spectacular, well equipped with features and above all, sound awesome. SteelSeries' 7H are one of my all time favorite gaming headsets.
