I've worked in studios and have demo'd TONS of audio gear over the years. I know what a good DAC (Digita-Analogue Converter) sounds like, and I know what a crappy one sounds like. Music is probably the hardest source material to be objective about when it comes to the listening experience -everyone has their opinion, but almost nobody but studio rats really "get it" in terms of true flat response. Do these have perfect response? No. It's just not hyped sound -there's no built in "smiley face" EQ or any nonsense coloring the sound. Well, actually, there is, but it's made to flatten the output as well as it can -and it does. People complain about "harsh highs" listening to music with this headset...THEIR SOURCE MATERIAL IS LOW QUALITY! Of COURSE an over-compressed MP3 file is going to sound TERRIBLE on any halfway decent DAC. Throw in a good recording of something recently done on a CD or something of equal quality (nice M4A at 256kbps or equivalent) and you're golden.
That's just music. I mention this first because that was my ONLY CONCERN buying this unit. I read review after review of "harsh highs" and "not enough bass" which makes me sick. The bass is there, it's just instead of anything past 500hz was normally smeared all down the spectrum making it indiscernible from the rest of the noise your noggin was bogged down with all these years.
The problem I have with this headset is all that dolby headphone simulation stuff sounds HORRID. Any time you turn it on its like it takes the beautiful bits sound and turns them into bigger, less precise blocks of noise. Yes, it DOES sound like its in a bigger room, or directionally correct based on how you set it, it just sounds horrible. Leave it on 5.1 or 7.1 surround with none of those buttons turned on and it sounds GREAT! Even for stereo source material -it just processes it better. Another thing you definitely want to do is go into your sound settings and set it to 24 bit audio 96khz output -the converter is actually decent at these rates.
The mic does a decent job of filtering out noises without putting a hard and fast reducer algorithm so it still sounds natural, and you can hear noise in the room, its just lower. You can set that to 16bit 48khz, as well.
Theres TONS of volume on this thing -just keep it at a reasonable level and it'll treat you right. Use the mixer on windows 7 to your advantage. Set the output on the programs (itunes, skype, video games) to max (or close to it) and mix the sound in using the control panel -definitely the way to go.
I could go on (as you can tell), but suffice it to say, this is worth at least double the price in terms of usefulness, it doesn't seem like it will ever break, the audio is WONDERFUL (but you won't be used to its precision if you've never taken audio seriously before).
To the reviewer who said this was not for audio purists, I submit it ONLY suitable to audio purists, and to those not afraid to venture deeper into the audio world for extracurricular activities.
This is a great one-stop-shop for a laptop audio solution.
Windows 7 64bit, btw.
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I'll give a more down to earth non-technical review ...
I was on the mission to find a do-all headphone. Quite impossible to do as I own many headphones. I have Bose noise canceling, Sure In-Ear, Grado's, Sony's and more. After reading tons of reviews, and very few reviews on the Corsairs it was a difficult choice. The main draw to the corsairs was the fact that corsair designed these headphones specifically for gaming and music listening. Go visit their website and watch their video. It is quite convincing... So I took the gamble and went for them.
** For Music **
When first installing them and listening I was quite disappointed... But wait!
Duh... mixer. What a world of a difference. And mind you that the mixer alone must be adjusted for all kinds of music.
If you just set it to one setting and listen to all sorts of genre's then you are in for bad listening.
-Windows 7 --
Go into your settings:
Hardware => Sound => Adjust system volume => Advanced Tab
Change it to 24bit 96000Hz
After you do that go into your Corsair mixer.
Main Tab:
System Input Change it the Eight Channels (7.1)
DSP Mode Click on Dolby & 7.1
Effect Tab:
This tab you will have to adjust to your liking. Even those pre-made music styles did not suit me.
Anyhow that should get you started on a much better sounding headphone. This is obviously for music.
** For Gaming **
I'm your typical FPS, L4D2, Starcraft/WoW gamer.
These headphones are quite nice for them. First of all comfort was my top priority. I have an old set of headphones that the plastic-leather became brittle and cracked off. Corsairs don't have this problem.
First of all they have felt padding that is replaceable (yes you can order them and buy more). That is a huge plus because of course they will eventually wear out and you don't want to buy new headphones just because of that. They do not get hot nor do they get that sweaty feel with p-leather.
Secondly they have memory foam. Yes just like those pillows or beds. What genius thought of this? Our heads are all different in shapes and sizes. Memory foam makes total sense and keeps it comfortable.
Finally the headphones are huge so they wrap around big ears... 50mm drivers are bigger than most. If you have dumbo ears you need these. Enough said.
The mic is great and I like how I can raise it up when I don't want to use it.
Aesthetically these are not the most beautiful headphones... but I always prefer design and function over looks.
Finally these will not replace your Grado's, but sure enough you can wear them longer and if you only want to buy 1 headset for gaming/music then these work great.
Be aware USB = no ipod.
However USB = Win for using with a computer.
Best Deals for Corsair CA-HS1ANA Gaming Audio Series HS1 Analog Gaming Headset
I compared the Corsair HS1NA headphones against my Audio Technica ATH-M45 and a pair of American Audio HP 550's. I primarily use these as headphones and did not thoroughly test the microphone capabilities.
The Pros:
I immediately noticed how comfortable the Corsair headphones are to wear. The tension isn't too tight, and the velvet covered ear pieces are very soft. They wear snug enough to do a good job isolating the audio but do not feel too tight like many other noise isolating headphones. These can easily be worn for hours on end this is not something I can do with my Audio Technica's or the American Audio's.
Sound quality is very, very good for this price range of headphone. I was impressed with how honest the playback was on my reference tracks with all settings baselined. Recording aside, I found the control panel and it's variety of spacial and EQ settings very cool. The mixer section allows you to mix in from 3 sources Wave, Software Synth, and CD Player. This is incredibly useful if you want to listen to your own music while playing your video game you can mix in the desired level between the two sources. The environment settings (reverbs/delays) range from rooms to arenas to very extreme. The "auditorium" and "forest" were my favorite settings for adding a "live" sound to music. The settings do a good job of dividing up a stereo signal into a much more lively and spacial experience. I found the 10 band EQ to be quite good there are 11 useful presets, or you can adjust to your liking and save your settings. The EQ has an enormous impact; even the slightest modifications are very noticeable. I found this useful for mixing the audio against the game I was playing so the music could sit in the mix without covering up the sound effects from the game.
The Cons:
The only `con' I can really find is that these are only USB headphones and lack an option or adaptor for a 1/8" or 1/4" inch plug. These obviously are designed for users gaming on a computer so it might not be a fair comparison, but I wish I had the flexibility to use these on my iPhone or to plug into my receiver or mixing console.
Overall these are incredibly flexible, great sounding, and comfortable wearing headphones. The audio control panel is a bonus in my opinion, and set these apart from all my other headphones.
Honest reviews on Corsair CA-HS1ANA Gaming Audio Series HS1 Analog Gaming Headset
To say that Corsair's entry into the gaming headset market started out with a boom, would be an understatement. More widely known for their high-end PC components, Corsair began their invasion into the gaming audio market with the Gaming Audio Series HS1 USB Gaming Headset. Several months later, in a move that appears to have been made to appease high-end audio card users, Corsair released the HS1A Analog Headset. I'll go over both Corsair gaming headsets in this review.
PROS:
Super comfortable
Great sound quality
User-replaceable ear pads
Long, tangle-proof cable
Great value
Good mic
2 year warranty
CONS:
Lacks some bass
A bit heavy
COMFORT
I spend a great deal of time with headphones on, whether I'm listening to music while writing reviews, watching movies on Netflix, or playing games. Not only do headphones provide a better listening experience, but they also allow me to enjoy all those activities at night, when my family is asleep. Therefore, comfort, is the most important characteristic for me. My head size is probably slightly smaller than average so if a pair of headphones are really tight on my head, chances are, they'll be really tight on an average person. My favorite pair of headphones, by far, is the Sennheiser HD 555's. They're better for music than movies or gaming, but I've yet to find another pair of headphones or headsets that match their comfort. That is, until I slipped on the Corsair HS1/HS1A. Their memory foam ear pads are like pillows over my ears. I spent hours listening to them with very little discomfort. The large ear cups easily surrounded my ears. The padding on the headband are nice and cushy and the headset did not grip my head like a vise. In fact, they were slightly loose. If you've ever tried on a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones, the Corsair HS1/HS1A's in comparison will feel like you aren't wearing anything at all. The only problem I had in regards to comfort was that they would occasionally slide around my head a bit whenever I looked up or down, due to the weight and loose grip. Regardless, believe me when I say that with the HS1/HS1A, you no longer have to sacrifice comfort for sound quality.
SOUND QUALITY
I found both the HS1 and HS1A to have very good sound quality for the price. It won't replace my HD 555's or Etymotic ER-4PT's for accuracy, but the HS1/HS1A's are more versatile and cost loads less. In stereo, both the HS1 and HS1A sounded very good, with forward vocals and clear highs. It did lack some bass though, so bass-heads should move along. Even adjusting the EQ didn't help much with the bass. On the HS1A, changing out the ear pads to the synthetic leather ones seemed to help a little bit just by way of creating a better seal. Of course, the HS1's only come with the memory foam ear pads so there's no help there. For music, I tested both headsets with FLAC audio files, Pandora streaming audio and LAME VBR MP3 files.
I tested movies with Netflix streaming and DVDs. The HS1 sounded great with Dolby Headphone 5.1 surround sound (supports 7.1 as well). I was able to make the analog HS1A sound just a good by using my Asus Xonar DX soundcard, which provides Dolby Headphone support on the card itself. I really appreciated the clear dialogue in the films I watched. Sound effects were great and directional effects were spot on. Again, due to the lack of bass, some of the more bassy explosion-type effects didn't come through as well, but I only noticed because I was listening for them critically.
Playing F.E.A.R. 2 with the HS1/HS1A gave me nightmares two nights in a row. No, seriously; they were really bad nightmares. With Dolby Headphone on, the directional effects gave me some serious goose bumps. The HS1/HS1A also reproduced the gunfire terrifically. I could clearly hear the bullet shells hitting the ground. StarCraft 2 was also a joy to play.
The only real issue I had with sound was with volume on the analog HS1A. Though the HS1 and HS1A have identical sound specs, my Asus Xonar DX could not drive the HS1A's as well as I expected them to. I got them pretty loud, but there were times I wished I could get another 15-20% more. A higher end card with a better headphone amp may have done better.
MIC
I had no problems with the mic on the HS1/HS1A at all. I tested it primarily with Skype and with some audio dubbing of video projects. I could hear some slight background noise in my recordings, but certainly passable for my purposes and for gaming. I appreciated that the mic folded out of the way when I didn't need it.
BUILD & DESIGN
Both the HS1 and HS1A use 50mm drivers, which are bigger than the norm and probably contributed to the slightly heavy build. The entire headset is made out of plastic, less the headband. The headband is cushioned well and is covered in a soft, synthetic leather material. The single-sided cord is on the left ear cup and is about 10 feet in length. It is braided to prevent tangles and includes an attached velcro cable wrap. Both headsets have a wired remote about a third of the way down the cable from the ear cup. The HS1's remote is very cool. You can control the volume via separate volume up and volume down buttons. There is also a mic mute button and the volume buttons are surrounded by blue lights. At night, it makes it very easy to find. When you activate the mic mute, the light switches to red. The HS1A has a standard fare volume dial and mic mute switch. Other than the remote and difference in cable ends (USB vs. 3.5mm jack), the only way to tell the difference between the HS1 and HS1A is the color of the ear cups. The HS1 ear cups are silver and the HS1A ear cups are black. I found the overall build quality of the HS1/HS1A to be very good--typical of Corsair. They even warranty the headsets for 2 years for good measure.
HS1 or HS1A?
I personally prefer the HS1 because of the built-in Dolby Headphone support. The built-in sound card essentially guarantees me consistent sound quality across any Windows PC. It's slightly more expensive than the HS1A but by less than $20 at most retailers. Also, my Asus Xonar DX soundcard doesn't autodetect headphones and requires me to select my output manually. This is a pain, but by using the USB HS1, I can just unplug it to listen to my speakers or plug the HS1 back in to listen to the headset. I recommend the analog HS1A to those users who have invested heavily in their PC sound with high-end audio cards like the Xonar Essence, that have outstanding headphone amps and have Dolby Headphone support on the card itself. If I'd spent $300 on an audio card, I'd probably want to use them too. It makes sense that Corsair answered the call of enthusiast consumers by releasing the HS1A. Woo!
CONCLUSION
The Corsair HS1 and HS1A gaming headsets are terrific buys. They have an incredible balance of comfort and sound quality. For everyday music listening, movie watching and gaming, I can't imagine a better headset to own. Audio enthusiasts who invested in high-end sound cards will appreciate the analog HS1A. Everyone else will enjoy the versatility and consistent sound quality of the HS1.
* Review units courtesy of Corsair
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Corsair CA-HS1ANA Gaming Audio Series HS1 Analog Gaming Headset
I won't speak much about the quality of the headset, comfort, etc because it is already well covered by the other reviews, which I am in full agreement. However, I have encountered some problems with the headset after approximately a month of using it. I'm not one to mistreat my equipment, so I was surprised when my headphone's sound quality suddenly fell. Now, when I tilt the headset a certain direction (up or down), the bass disappears (i think, something certainly gets messed up), and it sounds like the music is coming from a different room. Now I'm RMAing it back to get it replaced, and I'm slightly disappointed that it lasted for such a short period of time. I just hope that the next one lasts longer, because I throughly enjoy these headphones (while they last.) Despite this, I still give it 4 stars because it is such a superb microphone (and corsair customer support and replacement is generally reliable).
