A Closer Look and Performance
The Corsair HS50 may be kind to your wallet regarding price, but I’ll be damned if this doesn’t look as good or better than some £100+ headsets. Right out of the box, it looks and feels like a premium quality product, so well done Corsair on that one.
It comes hard-wired with a 4-pole 3.5mm jack, making it suitable for just about any audio device on the planet. I would prefer a detachable cable, but if this is a small detail to keep costs down, then I can live with it.
Detachable Mic
On the base of the left ear cup, you’ll find a small rubber plug covering the microphone socket. The microphone is removable, so if you want to wear these as headphones with your mobile device, you can do so without looking like stupid; no one wants to sit on the bus with a boom microphone attached.
Durable Headband
The headset construction is rock solid, far better than it honestly needed to be to stay competitive in this price range. The design is fairly similar to that of the Hyper X Cloud, which is a very welcome compliment.
A metal headband splits to form the ear cup mounts, and it’s very stylish and robust. The headband is wrapped in a fake leather material, as are the ear cups, giving them a premium quality look and feel. Again, it looks like a much more expensive headset than it is, but it feels like it too, so big thumbs up to Corsair for this.
Powerful Drivers
The drivers are semi-open in terms of design, so they offer a moderate amount of noise suppression to help you focus on your game. However, you’re not completely isolated, so you can still hear your environment a little. That’s not a bad thing at all, as everyone has their preference based on their own usage scenarios.
The headset is really comfortable to wear while sitting at your desk working or gaming. However, it’s also nice and sturdy and comfortable to wear while you’re up and walking around, such as using your mobile.
Built-in Controls
I wouldn’t expect it to stay put on a jog, but it’ll get you through your commute to work just fine. Even better, you don’t have to take it off or tinker with your system or device to control a few basic features, as the volume and the microphone mute buttons are tucked into the left ear cup where you can easily reach them.
Performance
This is a gaming headset first and foremost, so that’s where I started. The sound is impressive, offering up plenty of volume, and a robust amount of bass. It’s not as bass-heavy as some “gaming” headsets tend to be in this price range, and that’s a good thing.
The sound is more natural, but still has all the low-end I could want. It makes for great explosions and easy to enjoy the action. The mid-range on the EQ is a little scooped, but not too much. Of course, it does help enhance the treble, making team chat and footsteps more prominent in FPS game types. Overall, the sound is great and as good as you could ever find in this price range. When listening to music, movies, or even just chatting on Skype, it sounds punchy and exciting, with plenty of detail to it, and it’s sure to put a smile on your face.
