 HotSpot Shield service makes your internet browsing safer, more secure, and fully private. Click now to learn more. The SteelSeries 9H is the direct replacement for the much maligned 7H, which delivered fantastic sound for a gaming headset, but was let down by one fatal flaw. The micro USB connection that it used on the bottom of the ear cup was just too fragile. The 9H looks to improve in every way on the 7H by delivering better sound with updated, tournament grade drivers, and by using SteelSeries' newer proprietary connector to break out into standard analog connectors. Included in the package you'll get the headset itself, a USB sound card, which I'll talk about more in the software portion of the review, a short cable that attaches actually quite securely to the left ear cup, and has an inline volume wheel and mic mute button – although the mic mute button is something I'd like to see integrated into the ear cup at this price, but I guess we can't have everything – you get an extension cable that has the same really nice black and orange sleeving, and two 3.5mm analog connector choices that let you use the headset with almost anything, a four pole for mobile devices and ultrabooks, and two separate three poles for a more typical PC. The 9Hs are quite light, a characteristic that I normally associate with cheapness, but their build quality is actually a strong point. The headset uses metal in the joints between the headband and the ear cup, and the pleather that SteelSeries is using in their new products is head and shoulders above the rubbish included on something like the Audio-Technica M50s. The foam in the ear cup is plush and thick, and the headband uses a cloth cover and has actual gaps in the foam to make sure that it's both cushiony and breathable. Unlike the Crossfades, it doesn't really put this workmanship on display though, and the 9Hs have a very subdued overall look to them, as if they're trying really, really hard not to stand out. In fact, only a little bit of subtle orange stitching and a chromed accent on the side reveals that this might be a premium product. Now if you compare directly to audiophile headphones at the same price, the 9H is up against some pretty tough competition. The Moda Crossfades, with the first-party boom mic accessory, can be had for about the same price, and while you won't get a microphone or a USB sound card or anything like that, the legendary Audio-Technica ATHM50s are also available at this price. Alright, so to begin with, I used the included sound card for all side-by-side listening tests instead of my Objective 2, because it felt unfair to not utilize an accessory that actually looks like a pretty solid value. I also did not enable either Dolby Headphone or ProLogic 2 because I don't really care for them, but hey, they're included if you like virtual surround, so that's another value add if you do happen to like that. I burned in all the headphones and listened to my usual mix of Top 40 music and Twitch TV streams, switching back and forth between the headphones as quickly as I could to keep the sound of the previous unit as fresh in my mind as possible. So with that out of the way, the 9Hs are musically a pretty solid performer. Their bass is heavier than I'm used to seeing from SteelSeries and definitely sounded a bit boomy with less control in the low range compared to the M50s, but they also delivered a much fuller bass experience than the M50s can, even if you were to try to EQ them up. The mids and highs also lack detail in a very noticeable way compared to the M50s, something that bothered me in music but not nearly as much in games, and it's all going to come down to what you're after. The M50s are very popular, but they're not for everyone. They are accurate, but they're made for studio monitoring rather than entertainment and have a very flat response curve, something I used to prefer but no longer really find myself preferring. Compared to the Crossfades, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The Crossfades had more oomph in the low end and a similar lack of fine control over that low end, but they had slightly better clarity in the higher ranges, but then that felt somewhat overpowered by the increased boominess. And I think while at this price I'd be happy with either, I very slightly preferred the 9Hs in terms of sound quality, but one advantage for the V-Motas is that with their fashionable yes, you can wear these out of the house look and solid construction, they're a very strong competitor for the 9Hs. Next was my gaming test, and for that I focused on multiplayer FPS du jour Titanfall, which really helped me see where SteelSeries was going with the boomier sound signature, even if I wish it had a bit more control. If the intended use of this headset is more than 30% gaming, then it's starting to look like the 9Hs are a very solid option, because sound effects really go, for lack of a better word. Finally, the 9H uses a closed ear cup design and noise isolation is fairly solid, and while I'm not sure how much their double enclosure technology is contributing to it, I can say that they are competitive with the M50s in this regard, and that's a pretty solid overall place to be. The software is where SteelSeries has really stepped up in the last few years. The USB sound card updated its firmware in a matter of seconds after I plugged it in, and their engine software automatically detected my new peripheral and dumped me into the configuration utility. Very seamless. From there, I could play with EQ, Dolby settings, volume control, side tone, or self monitoring of your own mic stream to avoid those awkward oops I left my mic on moments, and two fantastic mic settings, compression and noise cancellation, which I'll use for my microphone test. The microphone is retractable and is easy to position correctly. The microphone is retractable and easy to position correctly. The microphone is retractable and is easy to position correctly. So in conclusion, the decision to buy or not to buy will, as it always is with headphones, be one of personal preference. The software is functional and easy to use, the build quality is very strong, and the sound quality is good, but it's still a tough choice. The 9Hs are really good, but we can't ignore other good products in this price range. Corsair's Vengeance 2100 lacks some features by comparison and doesn't sound as good to my ears, but is wireless. The crossfades might be preferable if you want to wear them outside, and many people will enjoy the improved accuracy of the M50s even if it costs them some immersiveness and a microphone and any of the other gaming oriented features like the nice short cord so you can plug into your front connectors with extensions and stuff like that versus being stuck with a super long cord that's actually quite heavy all the time. So there it is. They're good headphones and they do what they say they're going to do at a fair price, so if you don't mind the proprietary connectors and you like the look and the stuff I said about them in this video, you'll be happy with the SteelSeries 9H. Guys, like and share this video if you liked it, dislike it if you disliked it, and leave a comment on the Linus Tech Tips forum linked in the video description if you want to discuss this product, you want to know how much it costs and where to get it, or you have any constructive criticism from me and my team. Also linked in the video description is our support link with options to buy t-shirts, see I'm actually wearing one now, give us a monthly contribution, or give us a kickback whenever you buy random junk on Amazon.com. Check it out if you enjoy our videos, it helps us out a whole bunch, and as always guys, thanks for watching, and don't forget to subscribe. Okay.