Drop and EPOS have a new gaming headset for the sub-$100 market

Online retailer Drop has been collaborating with gaming audio maker EPOS since it was still part of its former parent company Sennheiser. In that time, the greatest of their joint efforts was almost certainly the Drop + EPOS (formerly Drop + Sennheiser) PC38X headset.

I recently reviewed the PC38X headset for ZDNET and found it to be one of the single biggest bargains in both PC gaming and wired audio in general. 

Now, the same duo is back with another headset, the Drop + EPOS H3X. 

The new model comes in at just under $80, and includes many of the same features as its more expensive cousin, including a flip-to-mute microphone, on-ear volume control, and similar sound tuning. 

However, the H3X differentiates itself in several ways too, including relying on closed-back earcups (versus the PC38X's open-back design), and an overall aesthetic that draws most strongly from EPOS' more recent releases, such as the EPOS Audio H6Pro, rather than the Sennheiser HD500 and HD600 series that originally inspired the PC38X's design. 

Also: The 5 best PC gaming headsets

Despite the lowered cost and design changes, the duo claims that the new headset was designed with “user-driven feedback in mind,” and that the model's audio characteristics “match the audio clarity, accuracy, and sound reproduction profiles that the Drop community desire[s].”

Preorders for the Drop + EPOS H3X are open now for $79, with an estimated delivery window of mid-November. 

If you were hoping to know how the new entry stacks up against its famous older sibling, stay tuned for a full review of the H3X in the coming days.