The Fifine H9 is a very affordable gaming headset that comes with features you won’t normally get from its price category. You get a 7.1 soundcard-equipped pair that works great for PCs and is compatible with all currently available gaming consoles. There isn’t a lot of stiff competition in the budget range, but let’s see if the H9 can punch above that limitation.
Design and Features
Handling the box for the Fifine H9 and opening it instantly reveals that it’s a budget model. There are no fancy inserts inside, although the USB soundcard and mic were separately boxed in between the headset. It’s simple and straightforward, although we wish that the gadget had more protection in its factory box.
The headset itself looks simple and elegant, and it sort of resembles the HyperX Cloud II, which prioritized comfort. However, the headband and earcups themselves on the F9 appear and feel slightly smaller. That doesn’t mean that it’s poorly designed, but bigger users or those with longer ears might not get comfortable with it.
One of the desirable features of this budget option is its in-line sound card, which connects to a USB-A port on your PC and laptop. It has dedicated buttons for speaker and mic volume levels, a mute trigger, and the 7.1 button at the center. It lights up in red if 7.1 is active. It also extends the cable quite nicely, so you won’t accidentally pull it out if you are connected to the back of your PC.
However, consoles except the PS5 do not support the soundcard, so you’ll have to use the 3.5mm lead from the headphones itself for those. The Xbox and Switch devices often like exclusive peripherals, so it is understandable for this budget model. You can still use it by connecting the 3.5mm jack to controllers and on the handhelds themselves, so it’s not entirely a bust for console gaming.
Another thing we want to highlight is the mic, which is completely removable if it is not needed. The arm is flexible enough to let you move it out of the way, but the only way to truly disengage it is to pull it out. That’s not a bad thing, and we’d rather deal with that rather than use a pair with a fixed boom mic.
The Fifine H9’s cable comes in two parts, starting with the 3.5mm line from the left and the in-line soundcard with a cable that goes into a USB port. The setup is fine, although we wish the half connected to the cans could also be removed. That would make it easier to stow the headphones, and it would prevent damage to the cable.
Overall, the design and build quality in relation to the price at the time of this review is decent. Sure, it is plasticky, but it doesn’t feel fragile enough to the point where it’ll easily crack with a little bit of flex. The upside of that is it is very lightweight so that it won’t put too much pressure on your lobes.
The headband is also slightly smaller, so the clamping force will be tighter for bigger heads. The foam padding doesn’t do much since they are squishy and easy to compress, unlike memory gel types.
Performance
The Fifine H9 has 50mm dynamic drivers with 32 ohms of impedance, so it won’t require special amps and equipment to be fully utilized. The pair can get loud with a sensitivity of up to 95dB, so it can damage your eardrums if you always use it at max volume. This model comes in black, white, and pink, so there is an option for different tastes.
Its sound quality is a mixed bag, particularly when the simulated 7.1 feature is used or when it’s off and stereo mode is running. The most noticeable difference between the two is that the 7.1 mode emphasizes the mids to a point where bass response diminishes and becomes almost unnoticeable. Vocals also become slightly “nasal” when it’s active, and it is not as directionally accurate as we’d like for a 7.1 implementation.
Stereo mode sounds better, in our opinion, since it is more suited for action-packed games. You get a good bass response with it for those explosions and effects, but it can drown out the highs if your volume level is too high. Specific sound signatures like footsteps or rustling are harder to discern in this mode as well due to this characteristic.
The good news is that you only have to switch between the modes to suit the current game that’s on deck. Pressing the 7.1 button is as easy as peas since the remote is attached to the cable, and you can even clip it to your shirt if needed. We also recommend taking the time to balance out the volume level to try and work around the limitations in sound quality.
The Fifine H9 does fine comfort-wise since it’s very light and designed in a way that mimics some of the known comfy headsets out there. The padding and leatherette used could be better, but we think it is unfair to ask for upgrades based on the price. It runs a bit smaller than your typical headset, but it has room for adjustments, so that can be solved for most users.
Thoughts on the Fifine H9
The Fifine H9 is a good pick if you want a budget-friendly headset with plenty of features. Its sound quality isn’t great for competitive gaming, but the boomy audio in stereo mode is enjoyable for action games like shooters or RPGs. It also manages to look sleek and attractive, especially since it doesn’t look plasticky despite being mostly made out of the material.
We’ve highlighted some cons above, but we feel that it is unfair to ask for major upgrades just because it’s priced quite low. Adding premium-grade upgrades will surely raise the price, although we think Fifine could sneak improvements to its tuning and 7.1 software without blowing the price up. It’s a great headset under the $40 mark, but the market is ripe with options that are proven for a few bucks more.
Pros:
- Very Affordable
- 3.5mm Analog and USB Connectivity
- Built-in Soundcard with 7.1
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Plasticky Build
- Mixed Audio Quality
About the Author: 
Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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