Tech Specs:
Headphones
20Hz to 20kHz frequency response
32 Ohms impedance at 1kHz
Custom-engineered 50 mm drivers with 24 mm copper-wound voice coils
Extra-large circumaural earcups with a closed-back, noise-isolating design
Two sets of replaceable memory foam earpads: one covered in microfiber, one in synthetic leather
Attached 3 meter cable with inline volume/microphone controller and dual 3.5 mm (1/8”) connectors
Microphone
Unidirectional, noise-cancelling condenser with adjustable, rotating boom
2.2k Ohms impedance
200Hz to 10kHz (+/- 3dB) frequency response
-45dB (+4/-2dB) sensitivity
Specs taken directly from Corsair.com
Overview:
The snipet directly from the Corsair website reads as follows. "With amazing sound quality and superior comfort for long playtime, it’s the analog headset for gamers who are serious about audio." Unfortunately for Corsair this couldn't be further from the truth.
Corsair has long been a industry leader in the products that it produces, offering bleeding edge performance products for competitive prices. This is what brought me to purchase this headset as I was looking for something more beefy for my gaming needs. Everything went downhill once they were placed on my head.
Sound Quality:
The sound quality on these headphones can be described no better than terrible. There is a complete and utter lack of low end with ear screeching highs to compound the problem. It seems that when Corsair was designing this headset they decided to leap before they looked. This headset required HEAVY equalization just to reach a point where they were bearable to listen to any input for an extended period of time.
Test 1: Battlefield - Bad Company 2
In some minds the audio in this game is the new standard at which games should be measured. With the HS1A it not only ruined the experience but I promptly reached for a much cheaper headset after an hour or so of play time. The explosions of mortars rang in your ear with high pitched squeals, instead of the low booming bass one might expect. The lack of low end on these took great input and turned it into terrible output.
Test 2: Seperate Ways - Journey
I chose a song to start off with that I knew this headset would butcher and it didn't disappoint. Seperate Ways was the very first song I listened to with the HS1A's. The opening 15 seconds is all synth, no bass no real mid range. It was almost unbearable, and the shear awesomeness of the song is what got me through those first few seconds. I never really understood what "fatigued" highs meant until I listened to this song with this headset.
Microphone:
The mic isn't the worst part of the headset by far but it, like the rest, has problems. Firstly, there's what's becoming more and more standard on these types of headsets, distortion. Simply holding down your push to talk key gives you a nice little buzz to go along with everything else you say. Is it hugely noticeable? No, but it is there and it simply shouldn't be.
Overall Impressions:
I'm sure you all know what I'm going to put here. The horrible sound quality, the lackluster mic, it's a perfect storm of poor quality. The only good thing this headset has for it is it's excellent comfort. Bravo Corsair you got one thing right, it's damn comfortable. But did you honestly think that people would look past these glaring problems because you put some memory foam in the ear cups?
Build Quality/Comfort - 4
Sound Quality - 2
Mic - 2
Overall = 2.5
