HAVIT Fuxi-H8 OHS Gaming Headset Review: Versatility and Sound Freedom

Technical specifications

• Drivers: 32 mm
• Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
• Impedance: 32 Ohm
• Sensitivity: ~94 dB/mW
• Latency: ≤28ms in gaming mode
• Battery: up to 30 hours (Bluetooth), up to 15 hours (2.4 GHz)
• Charging time: about 4 hours (USB-C)
• Wireless range: up to 10 meters

Equipment and design

The manufacturer boasts of collaborating with audio engineers and industrial designers. And to ensure this doesn’t sound like mere marketing, it’s backed by the Red Dot Design Award and MUSE Design Awards (Gold Level). These awards typically evaluate not only the product’s appearance but also a comprehensive set of design features, including ergonomics, ease of use, and overall build quality.

The Fuxi-H8’s design immediately stands out thanks to its open earcup architecture . The back of the earcups is not sealed. Acoustic pressure isn’t accumulated inside the earcups, but is partially dissipated outward. This, in turn, reduces the feeling of “confined space” often associated with closed-back models. The result is a more spacious soundscape, and excellent ambient sound.

The design is, frankly, highly unusual, and the sound is perceived quite differently than with standard on-ear headphones. It’s not concentrated, but rather more widely distributed, as if coming from external sources rather than from headphones in the traditional sense. This reveals itself intriguingly in games; frontal and side noise sources are better differentiated, and their distances are perceived more naturally.

The open design ensures constant airflow, ensuring natural ventilation and preventing ear fatigue and sweating. Combined with the soft ear cushions and overall lightweight design, this solution is ideal for long gaming sessions.

The physical design is also designed for long-term use. It uses a relatively lightweight frame made from a combination of aluminum and plastic. The adjustable headband distributes weight without creating noticeable pressure points, and the soft cushions adapt to the shape of your head.

The HAVIT Fuxi-H8 comes with a convenient storage box, a full set of cables for connecting the device to anything, dongles with USB-C and USB-A outputs, a detachable microphone on a fantastically flexible boom, a set of instructions, and special earbuds designed for sound isolation—I’ll tell you more about them later. Our sample is white, but black and beige (ivory) are also available.

Features and impressions

The HAVIT Fuxi-H8’s sound is built around a rather unusual concept for the gaming segment. It utilizes an open-headphone stereo (OHS) design in an over-ear format. Unlike closed-back models, which emphasize isolation and bass pressure, the open architecture creates a more open acoustic field. Sound isn’t “trapped” within the earcups, but rather distributed more naturally, reducing the feeling of pressure and fatigue during prolonged use.

The core is comprised of 32mm drivers with a membrane designed using the so-called “golden ratio” principle. In engineering terms, this refers to the optimized geometry of the driver, which allows for a more even load distribution across the surface of the cone. With such driver dimensions, the manufacturer doesn’t attempt to compensate for physical limitations by excessively boosting the bass, but instead focuses on balance and frequency clarity, which is excellent for gaming, but somewhat questionable for audio content.

In terms of gaming audio, the lower range is reproduced without excessive boominess, and the midrange remains clear and informative—voice, footsteps, and background sounds are all seamlessly integrated. The highs are a bit harsh for my liking, but for gaming scenarios, they perform admirably.

What sets the HAVIT Fuxi-H8 apart from many other dedicated gaming solutions is its ability to be physically upgraded to near-on-ear levels, improving the sound quality of music, movies , and other content using the included earbuds.

When used, the back of the earcups loses its “transparency,” which significantly changes the acoustics. The sound becomes denser, the bass is enhanced, and natural noise cancellation appears. This makes listening to music enjoyable, while maintaining the characteristic lightness of open-back headphones. Of course, this doesn’t make them audiophile-grade—the sound profile is still geared toward gaming—but the sound is transformed to an acceptable level, allowing you to binge-watch a playlist on the go.

There are three sound modes, controlled by a dedicated button on the body. Besides this button, there’s also a microphone mute button, a connection profile switcher, and volume buttons. There’s a gaming profile with minimal latency and a focus on gameplay details, a profile with pure stereo sound, and a unique spatial profile that literally places the sound source in a specific location, and if you move your head, the sound will move accordingly. It’s an interesting, yet unique experience—similar to what a VR headset with external speakers provides.

The HAVIT Fuxi-H8’s connectivity is designed to be as flexible as possible. The wireless segment offers two distinct approaches. The first is classic Bluetooth, designed for mobile devices, laptops , and other devices. The second wireless option is a 2.4 GHz radio connection via the included USB adapters. This includes both USB-A and USB-C connectors.

Wired modes include USB-C to USB-A, which is designed for desktop systems and consoles. USB-C to USB-C simplifies work with modern laptops and mobile devices, as well as the classic 3.5 mm AUX connection. Each cable is flexible and protected by a durable fabric braid.

The HAVIT Fuxi-H8’s microphone is a detachable boom arm attached to one of the earcups. The boom arm is compact, flexible, and can be adjusted to a variety of shapes, locking into position as desired. If needed, the microphone can be removed and the device can be used as a regular headphone.

The microphone’s primary focus is speech intelligibility in voice chats and stable intonation without volume dips. Voices sound quite clear, with an emphasis on the midrange. ENC technology doesn’t eliminate noise completely, but it does reduce its impact on the final signal, partially suppressing constant background noise, such as PC fan noise.

The headset’s battery life directly depends on the selected connection mode and the use of additional features. In Bluetooth mode, battery life is claimed to be up to 30 hours. When switching to 2.4 GHz, this figure drops to approximately 15 hours, especially with the backlight on and volume at medium levels.

The headset’s basic functionality is available without installing additional software—the device is correctly detected by the system and is ready to use immediately after connection. However, for a more precise configuration, a proprietary HAVIT app is provided with additional personalization options—in particular, an equalizer, control over audio effects emulation, and backlighting .

Conclusion

The HAVIT Fuxi-H8 is a unique headset. Its open sound format truly transforms the listening experience, creating a wider and, most importantly, more natural soundstage. It also reduces fatigue and is even better suited for long gaming sessions. However, the model is not without its compromises. In the basic version, the sound is geared more toward gaming than general-purpose multimedia use, and the highs can seem overly emphasized. However, the inclusion of earpads on the inside of the housing partially alleviates this issue.

From a practical standpoint, the headset benefits from its flexibility. A wide range of connectivity options, adequate battery life, well-thought-out ergonomics, and convenient on-board audio controls— the engineers have provided everything necessary. HAVIT has managed to strike a remarkable balance between comfort, functionality, and acoustics, and the device’s price is also reasonable—something to consider.