Gaming Headset Roundup

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Headset Roundup

Corsair HS1 Headset - £69

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Posted 12/21/2010

Corsair is best known as a maker of PC components such as memory and power supplies, but have branched out into audio with its first headset, the HS1. Despite hovering around a mid-range price point, the HS1 feels like a premium product. The heavily padded headband and soft-touch cloth earpads are very comfortable, while the brushed aluminium highlights and casing look great. The microphone is easily adjustable, but isn’t concealable, so if you just fancy listening to music on these you’re stuck looking like a call-centre operator while you do so.

Listening to music is something you’re likely to do with the HS1 because it sounds great. It has a very detailed sound, with an incredibly clear high-end and mid-range that lets you hear all the instruments in your music, and gunfire while playing games. That clarity comes at a price, though, with weak bass creating lacklustre explosions and basslines--at least in standard settings. Applying some EQ using the supplied software helps to warm things up, though you can use any software you like.

However, you can’t plug the HS1 into just anything, because it only connects via USB. This enables Dolby’s Pro Logic IIx surround, offering a faux-7.1 experience, but the lack of standard audio plugs means you can’t plug these directly into an iPod or use your own high-quality soundcard. You do get the added benfit of an in-line volume control though, which actually controls the volume in your OS, rather than simply lowering the volume at a headphone level.

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14 comments

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Filkobe

Hahahahah, oh dear... You've managed to fail also the headsets review... you have by far the most incompetent and unprepared staff I've ever seen on the web and in real life. But thank you guys, you always make my day with your sensless and ignorant reviews. I'm still laughing. If someone got this far reading and in wondering what I'm complaning about: 1: the price tags are all wrong. 2: I owned both the siberia headset and the pc360 headset and there is such a huge difference that I would chose the pc360 even if it costed double the price while I could have the siberia for free. 3: you say the siberia headset has a unique head band design, it's simply not true. 4: mostly everything else you've written, it's simply not true. Being a major videogames website you had all those headsets mailed over for free and put a guy there that probably doesn't even know where he lives to write this review. Well, that's not how you do journalism. thank the web that is allowing you to do this, for now... Anyway, I love you guys, keep disinforming unaware visitors! good job! ;)

butler14

You can't really do a gaming headset round up without the Sennheiser PC350s. They come top of almost every list out there. That said, the Siberia v2s are a deserved winner.

coaltango

where are the microsoft & logitech headsets??

Avenger1324

I went with the Turtle Beach PX21 because they were one of the few headsets available with a mic that was compatible with PC, 360 & PS3. It is powered by USB and allows you to control both the game and chat volumes seperately. the mic works via USB on the PS3, and via a 2.5mm cable to the controller.

Whirly

I write a lot of music, and swear by Sennheisers for that purpose - but I spend way more on those than I do on the headphones listed here. I have Astro A40 with the Mixamp for gaming purposes - and I love them. The sound quality is superb, as is the build quality. I love the quick-release cabling which lets me move the 'phones I have upstairs between mixamp plugged into the 360 and the PC with ease. I had the Turtle stereo phones, and tried their 5.1 version - both sucked in comparison to the A40. They are so good, I now have two sets of the A40s. The A40s are seriously pricey though - if you get the mixamp, which you'll want if you have a 360 or PS3, then you're paying more than the price of the console. But the mixamp has one glorious feature - you can independently control voice-chat volume and game volume (easy done on a PC I know, but not so much on the consoles). At the price point, they sure are for the lucky few - overpaid sods (like me) or spoilt kids only - but if you can afford them, you will not be disappointed. If you can't afford them, then rest assured that tiny rubbish headset you got for your console will almost certainly not stop you from killing me dead like the n00b I am. :)

Draggunof

Bought the Siberia v2 a month ago, indeed a great pick!

ord1000

If anyone fancies the looks of the Creative Tactic Alpha Headset then I recommend that you pay the £20 and go for the Creative Tactic Sigma Headset instead. it feels much sturdier and offers more options in the sound department. They are fantastic for games!

NeilCardiff

TheSteelSeries Siberia doesn't have a "unique elasticated headband". I have an 8 yr old set of cordless Panasonics in the attic that use the exact same design. although the SteelSeries do look much better quality. Also the Creative Tactic headset is hideous.