Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset Review - Article

Corsair HS35 Headset review
'Never Miss A Beat'

Well, after a small absence from reviewing products, I'm pleased to say I'm back to do some more for Guru3D! Today, we have the relatively new Corsair HS35 Stereo headset in for review. I won't waste any time in introducing who Corsair are. If you have literally any connection to the PC hardware/peripherals space, then you will know their name (and, to go with it, their ability to 'RGB-ify' basically anything). They are a company that has always, in my view, built quality products, but have also rapidly expanded their portfolio in recent months. This includes, for the first time, a new custom water-cooling range.

Corsair is introducing the HS35 as their entry-level headset, retailing at $39.99 (USD), and roughly the same in GBP and EUR. I will link the headline page for the product here. Can you spot something that immediately stands out? Well, to me, it was the fact that Corsair has chosen to use the Nintendo Switch (alongside other current-generation consoles) as a poster child pairing for this product. Now, the more cynical amongst you could say that was a reflection on what Corsair think of Nintendo's knockout little console. However, I, personally, think it is more aimed at telling you (the potential buyer) instantly about the kind of market this product is aimed at. It is not for the hardcore, marathon session PC gamer. No, it is for the casual player who 'might' want to talk to their teammates a little, using the built-in microphone. I think this is a fair assumption.

Specifications wise, there are no real surprises when it comes to the hardware the HS35 is packing. For a brief rundown, see the list below:

• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20Khz.
• Sensitivity: 113dB (+/- 3dB).
• Impedance: 32 Ohms @ 1Khz.
• Drivers: 50mm
• Connector: 3.5mm analogue
• Warranty: 2 years

And now the microphone:

• Type: Unidirectional.
• Impedance: 2.2 KOhms.
• Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10Khz
• Sensitivity: -40dB (-/+ 3dB).

These are, give or take, nearly the specifications that you get out of the more expensive Corsair HS50's that we reviewed in late 2017, link here. Aside from some small disparities here and there, they're for the spec the same. Either way, I remember really liking the HS50's, and in fact, they became my daily driver for a fairly long while whilst my beloved Hyper X Cloud II's were loaned to a gamer friend of mine.

Because of this similarity in the specification, I do wonder about the wisdom of a more budget orientated headset. Of course, I get the need for cheaper units, but - with less expensive audio hardware - aside from the build quality, usually the first thing to be heavily compromised is the sound quality. I don't know about you, but having an immersive and all-encompassing sound design fully get you into the game is very important to me. This is to such an extent that I know all too well if a particular set of headphones isn't providing me with the experience that I want. So, then, how will Corsair's new HS35's square up to their higher-end counterparts? Naturally, they will be pitted largely against competitors from Corsair's own product stack, here. Let us move on, then, to the unboxing.