When I first started working with the audio on the 5H v2 headset, I found the soundcard's music quality to be less than stellar. After working with the equalizer for a long time, trying different presets and custom settings for different genres of music, I found it nearly impossible to hit a good balance in sound. Either the bass was too muted, giving a tinny sound, or the treble was too muted, giving an under-water feel. Having spent about an hour tuning the soundcard specifically to Pendulum's In Silico album, the best setting I could find was the preset for Dance, which still did not give as full of a sound as when using the headset plugged directly into my Creative X-Fi card.

Indeed, the 5H v2 is not meant for listening to music, so to further test the audio capabilities of this headset, I played a lot of Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2. Contrary to my expectations, the virtual 7.1 surround sound was actually very convincing and accurate with locations. So, although the music performance of the headphones was not superb, especially with the USB soundcard, the gaming performance was, providing believable surround sound.

The microphone quality is fantastic, providing clear and interference free audio recording. The only issue with the microphone is that, if the in-cord controller switches during recording, there is a popping noise. Otherwise, the microphone works very well when extended, and then retracts smoothly with no problems.

As far as comfort is concerned, the 5H v2 provides no discomfort, even after more than five hours of consistent use. The large foam padding on the earcups does a great job of keeping pressure off of the ear itself and providing soft support for the headset. Likewise, the thick padding at the top of the headset makes for a soft, comfortable headset experience.

At $119.99 USD on the SteelSeries website, the 5H v2 USB Headset is a decent deal for the money. If the USB soundcard isn't for you, or if you're happy with your onboard sound, I would more likely recommend the SteelSeries 5H v2, non-USB version, which retails for $99.99 on the SteelSeries website.

The SteelSeries 5H v2 USB Headset earns the OCIA.net Seal of Approval.



Pros:
+ Convincing 7.1 sound
+ Very comfortable design
+ Great quality microphone
+ Convenient controller built into a long cord

Cons:
- Less than stellar USB soundcard performance