Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset Review

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Games Tests

Corsair HS35 Headset - Games Tests


Here, I put the HS35's through a series of tests designed to test their mettle in games. These provide another element of challenge to headsets, as not only must the product represent well any soundtrack the game has decided to implement (whether that be through known 'chart' songs or an internal composition), but it must also give a good showing to the game's sound effects in their own right. Explosions, screeching tires, bullets, voice work, and so on. So, how do the HS35's stack up to the competition?

Battlefield 1

I prefer Battlefield 1 over 5, so that is the grandiose multiplayer shooter title that we will be sticking to. Strong sound design has always been a major plus point of games produced by DICE, the controversy over anything else aside. To cut a long story short, the HS35's provide a relatively decent experience in Battlefield 1, and I have absolutely zero doubts that it is an upgrade over anything you could probably buy at the 25-30 GBP/USD price point that seems to collect the offerings of the budget headset market. Yes, there is absolutely still the lack of a decent mid-range, leaving some elements of the game (where I am used to strong instrumentals, for instance) sounding a little empty. That said, the strong bass of the HS35's means that the bits that should 'hit' you hard (e.g. nearby explosions, flying bullets, etc) still do so, and so very effectively.

In fact, that is all I really need to say. For a start, I know this performs better than a lot of cheaper end headsets, having used a multitude of them. The HS35's are in a strange segment, financially speaking. Not cheap enough to call them truly 'budget' (in my view), and not expensive enough to call them anything approaching 'middle of the market.' This, therefore, leads to an interesting two (potentially three) way argument. The first is that maybe you should spend just that little extra in order to have that noticeable jump in quality. This argument rings relatively true in virtually any product sector, as well. Spend a bit more, get 'extra', but only up to a certain point (i.e. diminishing returns).

The counterargument to this is that it is unfair for me to compare this headset to others that cost perhaps £10-15 less. That is very true, and you would have an entirely valid point. However, my counter-counter (see where the 'three' comes in?) argument to this would be that I really don't know what else to compare the product to! If you stack it up against products that cost £15-20 extra, then, of course, it is going to get absolutely creamed. Heck, Corsair's own HS50's put a trapdoor below the HS35's and pull the lever, if you will forgive the slightly morbid metaphor. However, put the HS35's up against a slightly cheaper product in the £15-30(ish) range, and they punch back hard. So, what do I do? I could do both, but then I have only limited time. Rather, I think the better solution is to stack the HS35's up against the cheaper end of the market, and maybe point out where I think an extra investment into a better headset would be... well, better. That, therefore, is something to keep in mind for the rest of this segment. On to a different game.

Doom 2016

With Doom: Eternal fast approaching, I am sure the now fairly venerable Doom from 2016 will be soon retired. However, it gets (at least) one final shot at glory here. Doom's soundtrack is, honestly, utterly sublime. The game itself has excellent sound design, regardless of the strength of its hardcore rock heavy OST. However, the two playoff against each other perfectly. Again, I am spoiled by some of the higher-end headsets I have reviewed over my time (I'm even spoiled by my daily driver headset, to be fair). I know full well that, when I play the game, some elements of the soundtrack feel a little bit hollow and absent. There is no getting away from this.

However, judged against the merits of the headsets in the 'rough' budget segment that it will have to be competing against, and I would say that the HS35's do a job good enough to be worthy of consideration. Would I spend extra, here? Yes. Would I spend extra anyway? Yes. Are the HS35's good enough (in games, so far)? Again, yes. The game is totally playable and if the HS35's were your first foray into the world of branded gaming peripherals from the likes of companies like Corsair, Steelseries, Logitech (and so on), then you would probably be a very happy camper.

Project: Cars

Finally, we come to Project: Cars. This racing sim released in 2015 captures the feeling of speed exceptionally well. As such, it has - to go with that sense of speed - an excellently done sound design that really does allow you to 'feel' what you are doing, as well as getting a very good sense of what is going on around you.

The story here is, however, much the same as it is anywhere else in this section of the review. The headset performs 'fine,' and - as usual - if you are used to something higher end, you will no doubt feel that something is fundamentally missing. I will admit that the 'gruntier' segments of PC's sound design did sound good, so the lower engine ranges, for instance.

For the record, the fact that this headset isn't 'quite as good' as my Hyper X Cloud II's didn't make me play any of the above titles any worse than I would have done normally. I want to make that clear before anyone thinks that a pair of headphones is the missing link in them going from Gold to Platinum tier in RS6: Siege, or anything of that nature. They might help (and I would venture that Siege is, perhaps, a title where a higher-end audio setup would be of notable benefit), but I would probably spend the money on a better monitor, or mouse, for instance.

The Microphone

For those interested, the HS35 does come equipped with a detachable (appreciated, Corsair, thank you) microphone that can be easily manipulated into a more comfortable position. It is a unidirectional & noise-cancelling unit that, actually, does a very solid job. I was suitably impressed by this as whilst my advice will always be 'get a dedicated microphone' (if your use case requires it), you could certainly do some entry-level streaming and/or multiplayer gameplay with the HS35's microphone with very little ill effect. The sound was clear, crisp, and only maybe a little quiet? That, luckily, is something that a little gain will sort right out.

With that, shall we move onto the conclusion of these tests?

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