Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset Review - Final Words & Conclusion

Corsair HS35 Headset - Final Words & Conclusion

I'll break this review down very simply. Why should, and why 'shouldn't you buy the Corsair HS35. It'll be that simple.

Why should you buy the HS35's?

The HS35's are, perhaps, one of the hardest products I've had to review in my time at Guru3D. I alluded to this on an earlier page, and the point mostly related back to their price point and 'what' to compare them against. Aside from that, however, there are 4 primary reasons why you should consider giving the unit we looked at today a little bit of a spin.

Decent Performance: The first is, despite all the ragging I've given them, actually decent performance. This is especially when you consider the price point that the HS35's occupy. Still cheaper than mid-range competitors and not all that much more expensive than some bargain-basement rivals that, to be honest, I would not give the time of day. Sadly, this product had the unfortunate problem of being reviewed by someone who has reviewed and used £200+ products. When I realized that it was time to judge the HS35's on their own merit, and use them for gaming, they did better.

Subtle Looks: This was, in my view, one of the HS35's strongest points. To my eyes, the product looks truly excellent. Very, very understated, with an absolute minimum of 'gamer' flair. I used this unit out and about and I would continue to do so, for sure. There is, I think, a decent market for unsung and non-flashy gamer gear, and products like the HS35 (and its bigger brothers) fit the bill very well.

Build Quality: The HS35's are, for the most part, built well. Sure, there are some cheaper plastics used, and the headset lacks a little 'heft' (which, in retrospect, probably improves comfort a fair degree). However, given the price point that this product occupies, the build quality is far and away ahead of what I have seen in the past. Easily. I guess this positive point comes down less to a complete bare-bones look at facts, and rather a more relative look of where this product 'is' in relation to rivals.

Comfort: Subjectively speaking, the HS35's are pretty comfortable. There isn't much more I can say on this point, to be fair. However, I would argue that if you have a bigger head, then you can put this product on the 'safe' list. If you have a regular-sized head, then chances are you'll probably be even better catered for by this unit than I was.

Why shouldn't you buy the HS35's?

This was a weird section to write, mainly because whilst I know this product has flaws, it does have to be done in the context of their price point, which is, to say, 'budget'...ish.

Overpriced: Whilst some might heavily disagree with this view, I think the HS35's are about £10/$10 overpriced, and really should be in the 30 GBP/USD price point. Sitting at just under 40 leaves them too far clear of some really budget headsets that I think a lot of people buy in pursuit of the ultimate budget setup. The problem, however, isn't necessarily the cheap rivals. Rather, it's the better alternatives at the 50+ price point. Charging 39.99 means you really are cutting it fine with alternatives that are only a bit more expensive. Now, that might be a little presumptuous of me, granted. Corsair's own HS50 is a good £20 GBP extra and whilst that might not be a lot to some, that is certainly a lot to others. I really do think, therefore, that the HS35's could stand to be a smidge cheaper, just to make them a little more accessible to those really wanting a good product at the budget end of the market.

Audio Balancing: The audio experience on the HS35's is, at best, a little wonky. The hardware behind this product is very, very similar to that powering the HS50's. From my review, the HS50's were a very, very solid product that provided an excellent audio experience for the price. Something, therefore, has heavily skewed this product's audio experience for the... well, not necessarily for the negative, but you get my point. I guess this negative also depends on whether you're looking at this product from the perspective of someone who has used something better before, or whether it is the casual gamer who just wants a headset and vaguely recognizes the name 'Corsair'. This isn't out of the realms of possibility, to be fair, as I know many a PS4/Xbone gamer who is well aware of Corsair's existence, despite them being a PC focused company.

Conclusion

I've been in this game for too long and used a large variety of better headsets to know that 'better' can be achieved with not a lot more money. However, should 'you' buy the HS35's? Arguably, if you want an affordable and solid headset that is branded, should last a while, and gives adequate performance for the price point in which it rests (yes, you are paying a bit of a Corsair tax, I would suspect), then go for it. I will not stop you. In my view, some strange decisions regarding price point and audio balancing/tuning were made in the development of this product. Naturally, I understand why, especially in regard to the audio. Given the similar specs to the objectively better HS50's, something had to be done to quell the HS35's performance to below that standard, otherwise... well, it's pretty obvious. Ultimately, the HS35's do get a recommendation from me. I do think they're a tiny bit expensive, but the rest of their qualities are enough that I think they're a solid pickup if you can find them for a 10-15% discount to drop them toward that 35 USD/GBP mark.

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