Corsair HS1 USB Gaming Headset Review @ [H]

So I think I figured out why why the volume controller heats up, I think its the LEDs that are generating the heat.
 
ShadowStriker said:
So I think I figured out why why the volume controller heats up, I think its the LEDs that are generating the heat.
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I figured it was too much awesomeness contained in such a small part that it was getting hot on its way to critical mass.
 
Savoy said:
Let us know how the rma experience works out for ya dude. I'm sure they will handle it expediently but just the same good luck and keep the thread updated.
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Well, the best I can say about Corsair's RMA process is that it's SLOW.... Still waiting on my replacement cans. Supposedly they are supposed to ship today or tomorrow.

I requested the RMA and then followed their process to set it up. I ended up waiting 2 days before asking them why I didn't get my RMA number and they responded that I didn't process my request as instructed(I still have the confirmation email form Corsair...) So, I started the process all over, got the RMA # and instructions and then paid $25.00 to 2nd day the cans to Cali..... Now I still sit a and wait. :(
 
so i'm figuratively at the checkout screen on these phones and just had a quick subjective question. right now im using an audigy 2 zs coupled with a pair of mdr-v700's

will this be an increase or decrease in overall quality?

the answer wont deter my choice of buying these, i'm buying them for a more overall complete gaming experience, being my audigy 2 zs's drivers have huge issues with windows 7 64 bit in the microphone port working properly.

edit: meh, i specifically chose newegg over amazon being they are in california and always ship very fast from their city of industry address to my central california address, and was willing to pay the extra 10 dollars for shipping to do so.

ends up being it shipped from new jersey (instead of washington from amazon) instead, what a waste of money :/ oh well i shall have my hs1's by monday.
 
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Okay played some COD Black Ops with my HS1. I haven't noticed much of this problem in multiplayer (probably because I'm paying more attention to the people shooting at me) but what I have noticed is that in singleplayerI don't think the sound directional positioning or whatever the F it's called is working right.

For instance as a test I threw a grenade and turned my field of view so that it explodes to the right of me. The explosion sounds like it's in front of me or at least it doesn't sound like it's coming from the right. It's almost like it's coming out of both speakers at the same time. Also in the snow level when Dragovich, Kravchenko, and Steiner are talking their conversation didn't seem to follow which way I was looking. Anyway, in short I think I don't have something set up right.

I have it set for 6 channels. Is there anything else I'm supposed to do?
 
i was really disappointed with the positional audio of this headset. That was the major buying factor and they failed miserably. They are now sitting in my junk headset bin. I really don't get how or why people think these are good.
 
V3|!UM said:
i was really disappointed with the positional audio of this headset. That was the major buying factor and they failed miserably. They are now sitting in my junk headset bin. I really don't get how or why people think these are good.
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I suppose it's possible you have a bad set. Feel free to try an RMA.

RMA LINK.
 
V3|!UM said:
i was really disappointed with the positional audio of this headset. That was the major buying factor and they failed miserably. They are now sitting in my junk headset bin. I really don't get how or why people think these are good.
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lol wow

I want pics of this "junk headset bin"
 
V3|!UM said:
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I thought you were joking because you always hear of people like that, but never really run into them.

Can you post a pic of the box of hot girls that dont meet your expectations.
 
LOL, i would never throw a hot chick away :p
I guess after you know there is better out there and have seen/heard it for yourself, makes it hard to enjoy something you know isn't that good...
 
V3|!UM

In your opinion what would you say was the best cans you have had ?

I ask because I am looking for a set of cans, dunno whether I should go normal stereo, 5.1 or 7.1

I am not alover of fake 5.1 upmixing and alike, hence the decision to just go stereo, which I am unsure of atm, but by the looks of your box, you have had a few sets of decent headphones, so you should be a good person to ask about the quality of them, so, in your opinion, what was the best set of cans you had and would you advise me to buy a set of those ?
 
If you check out headfi and such sites, you will realize that they won't even respond to you if you mention Dolby headphone. A good set of headphones can create a nice sound stage with the right equipment. The best I ever had would be my current newly bought Sennheiser 650. Mind you a did like 3 months of research and an actual in-store audition before purchase. It comes down to what you can afford and what you are looking for. For gaming to this day i LOVED my Sennheiser 585's. The 650's are HUGE leap, both had there pro's and con's though.
I honestly thought the Plantronics 777 had slightly better music playback than the Corsairs. The Razer Carcharias sounded nice and the mic was good, i hated the on-ear design though. I wear glasses and they hurt my ears, otherwise i liked them quite a bit. The creatives were OK, but they got distorted really fast at high volumes or heavy bass/guitar music. Plantronics even with the garbage dolby on the 777 sounded decent, they clamped really hard though. The Corsairs can be EQ'd i will give them that. Frankly i think it's annoying to have to change settings of the headphones every time I listen to something different. Best advice i can give is try out best buys stuff for a week and bring it back. If you find something that makes you happy buy it at BB or elsewhere. If you can go without a built in mic i would recommend the following: ATH-700, ATH-900, Sennheiser 555, 595, and Ultrasone 580/780.Get a zalman clip mic. These are listed because they can run off of a sound card just fine. If you would get a an amp you can add the Beyer-dynamics 880, 990. Many of those suggestions are what I read on headfi with user impressions.I suggest you check out headfi for comparisons. Audio is subjective down to the way your ears are shaped. Something that sounds good to me can sound horrible to you and vice-verse. Thing is if you have never heard a nice headphone, frankly you would not know what your missing . That in itself can be a blessing, you won't start dumping money on audio bliss (your wallet will thank you) :p

These are my opinions, please read this as such. I am by no means an authority on audio, I consider myself pretty green on the subject...
 
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I'm actually part of gaming community. I was thinking of making these sets a prize for winning some tournaments and such.
 
V3|!UM said:
I guess after you know there is better out there and have seen/heard it for yourself, makes it hard to enjoy something you know isn't that good...
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So why did you buy a set of USB headphones in the first place if your going to compare sound quality to audiophile grade headphones that cost 2-6x as much?

Elitism isnt cool braw
 
If anybody is looking to unload a set of these crappy corsairs or the creative Usb set I am looking to take them off your hands.
Posted via [H] Mobile Device
 
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V3|!UM said:
If you check out headfi and such sites, you will realize that they won't even respond to you if you mention Dolby headphone. A good set of headphones can create a nice sound stage with the right equipment. The best I ever had would be my current newly bought Sennheiser 650. Mind you a did like 3 months of research and an actual in-store audition before purchase. It comes down to what you can afford and what you are looking for. For gaming to this day i LOVED my Sennheiser 585's. The 650's are HUGE leap, both had there pro's and con's though.
I honestly thought the Plantronics 777 had slightly better music playback than the Corsairs. The Razer Carcharias sounded nice and the mic was good, i hated the on-ear design though. I wear glasses and they hurt my ears, otherwise i liked them quite a bit. The creatives were OK, but they got distorted really fast at high volumes or heavy bass/guitar music. Plantronics even with the garbage dolby on the 777 sounded decent, they clamped really hard though. The Corsairs can be EQ'd i will give them that. Frankly i think it's annoying to have to change settings of the headphones every time I listen to something different. Best advice i can give is try out best buys stuff for a week and bring it back. If you find something that makes you happy buy it at BB or elsewhere. If you can go without a built in mic i would recommend the following: ATH-700, ATH-900, Sennheiser 555, 595, and Ultrasone 580/780.Get a zalman clip mic. These are listed because they can run off of a sound card just fine. If you would get a an amp you can add the Beyer-dynamics 880, 990. Many of those suggestions are what I read on headfi with user impressions.I suggest you check out headfi for comparisons. Audio is subjective down to the way your ears are shaped. Something that sounds good to me can sound horrible to you and vice-verse. Thing is if you have never heard a nice headphone, frankly you would not know what your missing . That in itself can be a blessing, you won't start dumping money on audio bliss (your wallet will thank you) :p

These are my opinions, please read this as such. I am by no means an authority on audio, I consider myself pretty green on the subject...
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Thanks ;)

I just pulled the trigger on a pair of ATH-A700 's as I have heard of a lot of good reviews about the 700s.

Cheers for your input.
 
Droc said:
So why did you buy a set of USB headphones in the first place if your going to compare sound quality to audiophile grade headphones that cost 2-6x as much?

Elitism isnt cool braw
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He was asked what the best headphones he'd heard were. He provided that answer, and additionally provided his experiences with a wide range of different headphones and headsets in different price ranges that includes some that compete directly in the price range of the Corsairs. His recommendation list then contained at least two headphones that are audiophile grade and cost LESS than the Corsairs.

Commenting on posts without reading them isn't cool, braw.
 
Kett said:
He was asked what the best headphones he'd heard were. He provided that answer, and additionally provided his experiences with a wide range of different headphones and headsets in different price ranges that includes some that compete directly in the price range of the Corsairs. His recommendation list then contained at least two headphones that are audiophile grade and cost LESS than the Corsairs.

Commenting on posts without reading them isn't cool, braw.
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I was referencing his juke box where he tossed his HS1's because they wernt up to par with audiophile headphones.
 
Azureth said:
Out of curiosity did you install the drivers from the disc or did you download the latest from corsair's website?
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They're one and the same. The drivers don't have a direct link on Corsair's website, but there is a link to them on the sidebar of the Corsair forum (House of Help forever lol).
 
Droc said:
So why did you buy a set of USB headphones in the first place if your going to compare sound quality to audiophile grade headphones that cost 2-6x as much?

Elitism isnt cool braw
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I'm not an Elitist Braw, I just don't think these are as good as they are hyped up to be. They sound flat and lifeless i don't care how much dolby crap you throw at them. I honestly think the 777 Plantronics sounds better than these at regular volumes (HS1's can go higher with no distortion). The HS1's have potential, if you like to tweak your EQ for just about anything these ARE for you... Maybe there second run will be more pleasing.
 
Got my ATH-A700's today, I must admit, I could hear a difference from my old cans straight away, much crisper and cleaner and I can now hear higher tones that with my old set I just didnt know was there.

I am liking them atm, I spent the whole day ripping a pile of shit to FLAC, as all my mp3's sound total shit now, I can hear too much hissing and clicks, which wasnt as obvious before with my Technics cans.

I have used a mixture of Flac/ape and mp3 for years, but today I finally decided to kick mp3's in their shitty arse and bin them once I can get all my mp3 songs in flac format, it will take a while to source said files, but eventually I will rid myself of MP3's once and for all.

Cheers V3|!UM for your recommendation of decent cans earlier in this thread, as I am happy with these ones, and usually I am a fussy tard when it comes to sound, although I did read a good few reviews about these before I asked you for your Reco, but your help helped me make my mind up and get them.

I just need to get a headphone amp for them now, as I am running them from the front headphone output on my XFi Platinum box, so I am sure they can sound even better with a decent amp in the mix.

cheers again ;)
 
Glad i could help ; ) As for an amp i will honestly say there would be a minimal difference from the X-fi's output. The 700's are very low impedance so they are easily driven. The only help an amp will give is slightly tighten up the overall sound. Otherwise the X-fi will provide enough power to blow your eardrums out. If you want cleaner sound i suggest you get a dedicated DAC. From what I read the uDAC is a great low budget addition.

Give those cans about 50-100hrs of usage. Once the diaphragm breaks in they will sound even better... The Mids will open up a bit, and the bass will be punchier...
 
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This Dac ?

http://www.sightandsounduk.com/NuForce-uDac.html

Also, how would I go about connecting that to my headphones and PC ?

it doesnt seem to have a headphone output that will fit the phones and it also has a usb connection. ( unless it has one on the other side and is hidden in that picture )

So, would I connect this to the xfi or would I bypass the xfi and plug the dac into a usb port and get sound that way ?

I have never used or read up about them so I have no idea how they would work.
 
That's the one, it bypasses the X-fi via USB. The headphone jack is on the front side. Mind you it is mainly for music..
 
Ah, so it bypasses the soundcard completely. I was thinking that it plugged into one of the outputs on the xfi, and then the sound comes from the xfi and goes into the dac, thus the dac making the sound clearer and sharper etc. But the Xfi is totally out of the loop.

I didnt know that, I just thought it hooked upto the soundcard.

These things seem cheap enough so I will pick one up and give it a test drive to see what differences their are if any, dunno if it will be the same dac as the one above, but I will have a look and see if I can find a decent one in the 1/200 quid range, one that will preferably last me a good few years.

Cheers again dude, your info is much appreaciated ;-)
 
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StryderxX said:
I've owned this headset for about 2 weeks now. IMO they're incredible! Starcraft 2 and LFD2 never sounded better. Kyle's review is spot on.
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Thanks for that tidbit, getting these for SC2/Skype, so appreciate the info.
 
I'm gonna be in the market for a new gaming headset and I'm now gonna look at these along with the Steelseries 7H USB and will make my decision next month.
 
Creative just released the Tactic3D Alpha and Tactic3D Sigma USB headphones. I'm curious to see how those line up. I saw the Alpha's at Best Buy yesterday for $59.99, and was tempted to try them out.
 
Got my HS1 headset in and I am a little disappointed.

The ear cups do not have enough depth to them and thus they press against my ear causing it to hurt after about an hour. My ears dont stick out by any stretch of the imagination so I dont know if I got an dud set or what.

When I can find some Kave 5.1's in the US I am going to pick those up.
 
I know what you're talking about. That's disappointing to hear. I've had my eye on these cans.
 
Heebs said:
Got my HS1 headset in and I am a little disappointed.

The ear cups do not have enough depth to them and thus they press against my ear causing it to hurt after about an hour. My ears dont stick out by any stretch of the imagination so I dont know if I got an dud set or what.

When I can find some Kave 5.1's in the US I am going to pick those up.
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Not sure if there is such a thing as dud memory foam, it's either there or it isn't. heh. I don't have any issues with my ears touching but they do not seem as padded as some other cans so I can see how people who have ears that stick out further would run into problems.
 
I absolutely disagree that Dolby Headphone with music is not for audio purists.

Dolby Headphone is a speaker and environment simulator. If you use it to simulate stereo speakers (and the DH HRTF suits you) you are usually listening closer to how the recording engineer / producer intended. Most music is intended for stereo speakers and using front L & R only, that's what you hear with Dolby Headphone. Well - with DH1 anyway, which is rather like using nearfield monitors. I'm less keen on DH2 and DH3 for music as I find the acoustic reflections sound atificial.

Upmixing to stereo music 5.1 though. That's less clever. Using 2 chanels with Dolby Headphone is great for restoring the soundstage information of the original recording - just like listening to decent stereo speakers out in front of you. That can give some startling 3D effects if recorded well.
 
Roccat Kave 5.1s are better than Corsairs in my opinion.

The HS1s are slightly more comfortable.
 
So I was lucky enough to win a pair of these in the drawing held on the forums... They sound great Just wanted to add another +1 for these headphones.

Thanks [H]
 
I'm gonna add my 2 cents. I returned these headphones to the store after 3 days. The bass was so lacking I'd call it non-existant, and I could never get them as loud as I actually wanted. Yes they were comfortable, but the audio was just so underwhelming I couldn't justify $100 on a pair of headphones like this. The audio that did come through was indeed crisp and clear, I'll give them that, but these things are drastically lacking in dynamic range.
 
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