Corsair HS1 USB Gaming Headset Review @ [H]

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Corsair HS1 USB Gaming Headset Review - One thing that Corsair is not known for is its audio product line. Most likely because until now it has not had one. With its new HS1 Gaming Headset Corsair is attempting to navigate some very uncharted but it is looking like Corsair has managed to pilot around the rocks.
 
Thanks for the comparison to the Creative headset(s). I've been considering the wired version of the Creative set, and sounds like I need to think about upping my budget to the Corsairs.

Thanks
 
Hi Kyle,

Great work over the years.

I am very finicky on headphones and after extensive research chose the Turtle Beach HPA2 with 5 actual speakers within the headphones.

What I would like to see you reference is the ability to gauge distance and position --(3d positioning). Knowing where from, and how close an enemy is is key to any game with combat.

I wonder how an emulated 7.1 sounds compared to a REAL 5.1 headset. I think the true gamers know that the HPA2 is hands-down the best gaming headset available, and it sounds like this Corsair one would give it a run for its money. I wonder.

I would love to see you compare the HPA2 and the HS1 in a head to head--if the HS1 beats the pants off the ones you mentioned, well then, it's in the same league as the HPA2.

Anyway! Would love to see a bit more, thanks for taking the time to do this.

I've been around since HardOCP changed its name to HardOCP and years before that even--which is a while ago :)

(It says last visited 7-29-2006) hah

E
 
love the last line haha

"If you are an audio purist, this headset is absolutely not for you."
 
ekidhardt said:
Hi Kyle,

Great work over the years.

I am very finicky on headphones and after extensive research chose the Turtle Beach HPA2 with 5 actual speakers within the headphones.

What I would like to see you reference is the ability to gauge distance and position --(3d positioning). Knowing where from, and how close an enemy is is key to any game with combat.

I wonder how an emulated 7.1 sounds compared to a REAL 5.1 headset. I think the true gamers know that the HPA2 is hands-down the best gaming headset available, and it sounds like this Corsair one would give it a run for its money. I wonder.

I would love to see you compare the HPA2 and the HS1 in a head to head--if the HS1 beats the pants off the ones you mentioned, well then, it's in the same league as the HPA2.

Anyway! Would love to see a bit more, thanks for taking the time to do this.

I've been around since HardOCP changed its name to HardOCP and years before that even--which is a while ago :)

(It says last visited 7-29-2006) hah

E
Click to expand...

I had the HPA2's and they didn't work well for me at all. Granted I didn't have anything better then onboard sound but they hissed and gave me static if I tried 5.1 analog. I also have really big ears so they became uncomfortable after an hour or two. One of the straps connecting the two drivers also became unglued and if I wasn't careful taking them off, I'd nearly poke my eye out.

So that led me to searching for a new gaming headset and I eventually landed on the Corsair HS1 over the G35 because of the excellent comfort reviews it was getting. I am able to enclose both of my entire ears with these things so they are really massive. I also wear glasses so coupled that with my big ears, I have a hard time with comfort. These things don't clamp down hard so while the isolation probably isn't as good as the G35, the comfort level is amazing.

I will echo the HardOCP review, the headphones are incredible in games and movies. The Dolby Headphone option works so much better for me then HPA2's analog option. I mostly play WoW so its really just for atmosphere, but it gives a nice sense of space and everything. The immersion is incredible.

The only bad thing, as the review stated, is the treble in music. It is way too high. I've tried it on Dolby Headphone in stereo mode but I lose some of the details on my flac files. Enabling Dolby Headphone in Foobar seems to do a much better job for me.

I'll end up getting an Essence STX and a mid-high end set of cans for music later. All I can say is if you are looking for a set of gaming/movie headphones, these things are awesome!
 
I'd like more info on the mic ;)

Unfortunately I dont know enough about audio or microphones to intelligently define what I'm after but I certainly like to know more.
 
I think this is the best audio review you guys have done to date, props Earl! :)

It was nice to see the EQ issue acknowledged. The EQ thing, at least for me, stems from this: "If you like Bass, why buy a audio solution with a treble-oriented sound signature and then attempt to EQ bass into it? You could have just bought a headset with a sound signature more suited to your tastes, and it would have sounded better without attempting to force it do something it's not designed to do" Of course, I can understand how this is not always going to be an option in the headset side of things, as most of them are probably designed for that bright footstep-detecting sound and their primary function is gaming.

I am confused by the result during musics listening where switching to 5.1 mode changed the sound signature for the massively better. That is certainly interesting, and good news for the HS1. Also, I don't think any audiophiles except for maybe the crazies would disapprove of your listening to music in upmixed dolby as opposed to stereo! In fact, they sell some stupidly expensive audiophile devices whose sole purpose is to upmix your stereo content to virtual surround.

The angled driver position and 50mm driver size makes me think Corsair took a wisely gleaned page out of the ATH-A/AD700 book, then added gaming features to it; a potent combo that someone honestly should have done a long-ass time ago. Makes me curious as to how a normal pair of headphones like the AD700 + a Dolby virtual surround device like the mixamp would compare to the HS1's implementation, or if the HS1 has some secret sauce in it's Dolby upmixing. Do we know what kind of chip is in the Mixamp? That could be a real winner of a product for Corsair to make next, a Mixamp type device that includes all of the Dolby functions the HS1 has and provides them to any headphones you plug into it.

I've always liked Corsair's products, though to be honest I wasn't sure if they would be able to pull this one off. I am pleasantly suprised. :D
 
Sigh, after corsair went to all that work designing a set of cans with (relatively) flat frequency response (or so they claim), this is what you do::(

1286297642A9qbNtMXLe_4_1_l.png


C'mon guys. I mean, maybe I'm just an audiophile snob. But, there's more to music than just bass. I truly believe that a lot of people out there have a bias towards adding more bass because more bass is what they're used to. I was like that when I was young. Experience has taught me that there is so much more content to hear, if you're willing to acclimate your ears to a less biased set of speakers (and foregoing EQ).

The first set of decent speakers I ever owned freaked me out. I was distressed thinking I spent all that money on a system with such poor bass response. Alas, I was being awakened to a better way. The bass was still there. I just wasn't used anything other than having it blatantly hit me over the head with it. After some time letting myself settle in, it has really paid off and made me a better listener of music. On a system with proper frequency response, you hear the bass you're supposed to hear, you feel the bass you're supposed to feel. But it's not there all the time. You don't have to be a true "audiophile" to appreciate the depth you might be missing when everything get's masked with an hyperactive EQ. There's dynamics, and background, and other details the musician/engineer/producer wanted you to hear. Speakers/headphones/subwoofers/amps/preamp. It's all about the reproduction of audio. The goal for any audio listener should be to assemble as system which provides the most unbiased playback possible. There's always subjectivity involved. But an audiophile strives to minimize objectivity, and is willing to learn better ways to listen.

It just makes me sad when I see something like this labeled "best". But then, I do hold audio reviews to a different standard I guess. Obviously, I can't vouch for the accuracy as I do not own a set of these cans. But, experience has taught me to be suspicious when I see stuff like this. Experience has also taught me that headphones usually get better bass response after a few hundred hours of break-in time.

My apologies for preaching.

Moving on, I'll certainly keep my eye out to give these can's a try someday, as I would love to be able to verify the accuracy of corsair's claims to frequency response.
 
Can you just clear this up for me, using these would make my xfi card redundent?

Is this the same for all USB headsets?

Thanks in advance.
 
The Corsair HS1 headset has its own sound card built in. It was very simple to right click the speaker icon in the tray and change our playback device to use the Corsair rather than the X-Fi. We totally disabled the X-Fi during periods of testing in order to make sure that it was not being used in any capacity. Switching back is just as simple. This headset would be great for those that game on laptops because laptops generally have poor sound card chipsets built in.
 
In our testing of the Audio-Techinca headphones, we used a flat EQ and had great results. We always test first with a flat EQ and make changes only if they are necessary for OUR ears. Headphone testing is very subjective.

Thanks for the comments.
 
I was let down by the words "biggest" and "heavy." While you might get used to it after a couple days, all that weight has to be transferred somewhere on your head and that doesn't sound comfortable.

Any chance of reviewing the new Sennheiser gaming headset PC360?
 
bandit390 said:
I was let down by the words "biggest" and "heavy." While you might get used to it after a couple days, all that weight has to be transferred somewhere on your head and that doesn't sound comfortable.

Any chance of reviewing the new Sennheiser gaming headset PC360?
Click to expand...

Just read a review on that. The PC350 seemed to get mix reviews so I was leery of getting that. I've read one review on the PC360 and it seems to be the bees knees. I've had lower end Sennheiser headsets and they were solid. I wonder if I should just pick up the PC360 and a sound card instead of a headphone dedicated solely to music. Hmmmm, decisions.
 
Sincerely, let us know here in the forums what you find. We are always looking for great listening solutions.
 
Wow thanks for that great review Kyle. This is just what the doctor ordered for me. I have been eye-balling a new gaming/movie/music/multimedia headset for some time now and this seems to be exactly what I'm looking for. I've been using a pair of sennheiser pc 160 usb cans for years now and they have served me well I have to say. Nothing to complain about but I have been wanting something nicer and of course newer. I tend to stick with usb headphones for alot of reasons. I think I'm gonna love these.

I read the [H] review as well as 3 others and I think the choice is clear. These represent a great value and a great all around set of cans for what I need. I'll let you guys know what i think when I get my set in a few days.
 
I'm sort of curious - I tend to not to buy "state-of-the-art" PCs when I do a new build every 3-4 years and instead buy on the bang-for-the-buck curve, so frame rate hits aren't just background noise for me. I'm wondering if you switch off the motherboard's built-in sound to these 'phones with the built-in "USB sound card" if you see a framerate boost, hit, or no difference (and also how this would compare the same way with your x-Fi card).

I bought a Razer Barracuda set of cans, but I haven't been real happy with them - they're too cumbersome, and I'm constantly having to fiddle with the volume settings.
 
likely no difference in framerate.

The C-Media chip used in these phones is similar to the chips used in many motherboards for onboard audio. It's still being processed the same; the processing is just happening in a new place.
 
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

Great to hear. I'm so looking foward to recieving mine. Ya I also think Kyle's review was on the money. Since when they do headset reviews here I really love how they take the PC gaming slant which is what most of us here do with our cans.
 
ekidhardt said:
Hi Kyle,

Great work over the years.

I am very finicky on headphones and after extensive research chose the Turtle Beach HPA2 with 5 actual speakers within the headphones.

What I would like to see you reference is the ability to gauge distance and position --(3d positioning). Knowing where from, and how close an enemy is is key to any game with combat.

I wonder how an emulated 7.1 sounds compared to a REAL 5.1 headset. I think the true gamers know that the HPA2 is hands-down the best gaming headset available, and it sounds like this Corsair one would give it a run for its money. I wonder.

I would love to see you compare the HPA2 and the HS1 in a head to head--if the HS1 beats the pants off the ones you mentioned, well then, it's in the same league as the HPA2.

Anyway! Would love to see a bit more, thanks for taking the time to do this.

I've been around since HardOCP changed its name to HardOCP and years before that even--which is a while ago :)

(It says last visited 7-29-2006) hah

E
Click to expand...
You do realize you only have 2 ears and yet you hear in more then 2 directions. Science and all it's glory (counting psychologists yes they do science) mapped the frequencies into how we hear direction. A 5.1 or 7.1 headset can accept 6 8 channels and convert it into their own formulas for making the sounds needed for direction =p. Also just because the headset has 6 or 8 speakers in it doesn't even make logcal sense for one to tout it's better as it still needs to be run though a formula as the distance to your ears and the positions need to be taken into consideration so the processing is still there.

Namorismo said:
Can you just clear this up for me, using these would make my xfi card redundent?

Is this the same for all USB headsets?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

USB headsets would just bypass your xfi card as it has it's own drivers for sound processing. The benefit of USB is that what you hear in the end is the same no matter what quality of sound card you have, along with you don't need crap like gold connectors to ensure a good connection etc as it's a digital signal.
 
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Had mine for about a month and OMFG they are comfy and they sound amazing! And they cancel out a ton of noise, IMO they are the perfect balance of price and preformence!

Can't recommend them highly enough!
 
Very nice review Earl. Convinced me to look into these. Too bad Amazon has them listed at "ships in 1 to 2 months". I could order from Tiger or Newegg I suppose, but I like my free two day shipping.
 
the review said:
We do not know of any way to further shield our cooling system from creating interference with a USB microphone.
Click to expand...

try putting a ferrite ring on the power cable of the water pump. i would be interested to see if that makes a difference.
 
can anyone please suggest a headphone solution similiar to these that will work with xbox 360 and home theater use. I am dying to find one that will allow me to play games and watch movies after the girlfriend goes to bed.
 
would like to know how does it compare in 2.0 mode with a Fatal1ty USB headset?

so hard to shop for a headset.
 
Guys, EARL reviewed it, KYLE edited it. Give the man the credit he deserves :)


gilga said:
can anyone please suggest a headphone solution similiar to these that will work with xbox 360 and home theater use. I am dying to find one that will allow me to play games and watch movies after the girlfriend goes to bed.
Click to expand...
The PS3 works with USB headsets (at least my Logitech one). I wonder if this one would work with it?
 
I surprised by the lack of G35 info still. Its been out for a long time and while I'm not sure about the chipset on the HS1 being the first one as I'm not sure what chipset logitech uses, but they were the first actual headset released with:


  • The first driver-level implementations of Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speaker
  • The first PC implementation of Dolby Pro Logic IIx technology for 7.1 channel surround
Being they both use the same tech it would be nice for a comparison between the two (same price point as well). Seems the only difference is the softwere GUI and the 50mm vs 40mm drivers.
 
Great review Earl,

But because you know we simply must critique your writing skills.
:D

Last page, immediately after the "Apples to Oranges" heading:

The HS1 provided a better listening experience than we thought possible its $100 price point.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming you meant:
The HS1 provided a better listening experience than we thought possible for its $100 price point.

or

The HS1 provided a better listening experience than we thought possible, considering its $100 price point.

As to the angled drivers:
Maybe an effort to align the drivers with the ear canals?
 
Since both this headset and the ATH-AD700 headphone received the Editor's Choice Enthusiast Gold Award I would like to know how these two specific devices compare. I have already bought the Audio-Technica headphones (for $91), so what would I get from the Corsair headset (for $100 + s&h) that I don't already have with the Audio-Technica headphones? Thanks for any info. Also since one is referred to as a headset and the other is referred to as a headphone, what is the difference?
 
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Kett said:
I think this is the best audio review you guys have done to date, props Earl! :)

It was nice to see the EQ issue acknowledged. The EQ thing, at least for me, stems from this: "If you like Bass, why buy a audio solution with a treble-oriented sound signature and then attempt to EQ bass into it? You could have just bought a headset with a sound signature more suited to your tastes, and it would have sounded better without attempting to force it do something it's not designed to do" Of course, I can understand how this is not always going to be an option in the headset side of things, as most of them are probably designed for that bright footstep-detecting sound and their primary function is gaming.

I've always liked Corsair's products, though to be honest I wasn't sure if they would be able to pull this one off. I am pleasantly suprised. :D
Click to expand...

You're just about right. Bumping up the bass can destroy positional references and stereo separation. Our theory on bass is like our theory on gravy on turkey dinners. We could pour gravy all over the turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole, but then you wouldn't really be able to separate those flavors. Everything would be coated in gravy. We put just a bit on the turkey - and gave you the ladle and the gravy boat so you could add more if you'd like. We certainly aren't going to stop you from drinking gallons of gravy if you want. But we used bass sparingly in just the right proportions in our default config, we think. But again - everyone adds gravy, salt, pepper, and lord knows what else to their meal in different proportions because everyone has different tastes.

I think I took that analogy a bit too far - now I'm hungry.
 
Redbeard said:
You're just about right. Bumping up the bass can destroy positional references and stereo separation. Our theory on bass is like our theory on gravy on turkey dinners. We could pour gravy all over the turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole, but then you wouldn't really be able to separate those flavors. Everything would be coated in gravy. We put just a bit on the turkey - and gave you the ladle and the gravy boat so you could add more if you'd like. We certainly aren't going to stop you from drinking gallons of gravy if you want. But we used bass sparingly in just the right proportions in our default config, we think. But again - everyone adds gravy, salt, pepper, and lord knows what else to their meal in different proportions because everyone has different tastes.

I think I took that analogy a bit too far - now I'm hungry.
Click to expand...

I like white meat and some mashed potatoes with my gravy on the SIDE please. :)
 
Redbeard said:
. But again - everyone adds gravy, salt, pepper, and lord knows what else to their meal in different proportions because everyone has different tastes.

I think I took that analogy a bit too far - now I'm hungry.
Click to expand...

LOL....coming from the land of salt, lard, and hot sauce, I like this analogy. We all know it's easier to put spice into your food than to remove it.

H@RD5 said:
Had mine for about a month and OMFG they are comfy and they sound amazing! And they cancel out a ton of noise, IMO they are the perfect balance of price and preformence!

Can't recommend them highly enough!
Click to expand...


:cool:
 
Redbeard said:
You're just about right. Bumping up the bass can destroy positional references and stereo separation. Our theory on bass is like our theory on gravy on turkey dinners. We could pour gravy all over the turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole, but then you wouldn't really be able to separate those flavors. Everything would be coated in gravy. We put just a bit on the turkey - and gave you the ladle and the gravy boat so you could add more if you'd like. We certainly aren't going to stop you from drinking gallons of gravy if you want. But we used bass sparingly in just the right proportions in our default config, we think. But again - everyone adds gravy, salt, pepper, and lord knows what else to their meal in different proportions because everyone has different tastes.

I think I took that analogy a bit too far - now I'm hungry.
Click to expand...

Me too, 1 more month. :D
 
this headphones or 100 rounds of fun at the range? i can't decide!! :eek:
 
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