Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset review

Our Verdict

A gaming headset with classic styling that does all the basics competently, the Corsair HS35 is a great buy for those looking to spend less.

For

• Flexible microphone stalk that detaches when not required
• Good driver response in bass to eye frequencies
• Comfortable, lightweight fit for long play sessions
• Classic and understated styling

Against

• No USB connectivity
• Moulded cable connexion
• Microphone tinny and crunchy

Tom's Guide Verdict

A gaming headset with classic styling that does all the nuts competently, the Corsair HS35 is a smashing buy for those looking to spend less.

Pros

• +

  Flexible microphone stalk that detaches when not required

• +

  Good driver response in bass to center frequencies

• +

  Comfortable, lightweight fit for long play sessions

• +

  Classic and understated styling

Cons

• -

  No USB connectivity

• -

  Moulded cable connection

• -

  Microphone tinny and crunchy

Fair alert, in that location volition be a lot of implied "at this price point" statements in this review. With an RRP of just $39.99, the Corsair HS35 punches upwardly in simply about every category.

A wired gaming headset with absolutely no frills, the Corsair HS35 sets itself apart by being pretty good at everything yous need it to practise. The microphone's adaptable (so you don't overdrive it during those shouty multiplayer moments), while the drivers have a good, make clean dynamic range and reproduce the band of frequencies you need for gaming with picayune effort.

What it doesn't do is light up or connect via USB. Nor does information technology have gold-plated plugs or active noise cancellation. It's also plasticky and a piddling on the light side. Simply, for $40 or thereabouts, you'll get a headset that you can accept into battle and that will serve you well. It'due south certainly expert plenty to qualify for our best cheap gaming headsets list.

Find out what we like — and don't like — about information technology in our total Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset review.

• Bank check out the best gaming headsets overall
• And the best PS5 headsets
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Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset review: Blueprint

The Corsair HS35 is the gaming headset equivalent of a TJ Maxx little blackness dress; archetype good looks and style, merely on a budget. In an era where manufacturers signify special features with LEDs and glowing rings, this minimalism is welcome. Though wired and cheap, the headset's cablevision is long and reassuringly tough.

(Image credit: Ruth Ellen Brow)

Most of the HS35 is made from matte black plastic; the cups, hinges and the outer headband. There'southward one inset band that's glossy blackness on each cup. The only deviation from the scheme is a tasteful, inset, chrome logo. It's worth flagging upwards that the fix is as well bachelor with red, green or blue padding and cabling. The colour I tested is called "carbon," which made me wonder why the other choices aren't called "blood," "grass," and "antifreeze."

(Prototype credit: Ruth Ellen Brow)

The hinged cups are archetype ovals though, at starting time glance, a little shallow for airtight phones. The left cup is where you lot'll find a discrete book control wheel and, below that, a mute push button. Information technology'south too where you lot attach and lock in the microphone stem. If you don't need the mic, the socket can be covered with a black rubber grommet.

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(Paradigm credit: Ruth Ellen Brow)

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(Image credit: Ruth Ellen Forehead)

I of my favourite pattern elements was the use of polish mesh cloth over the cup padding. It may exist a personal thing, but I find leather or plastic less comfortable.

Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset review: Comfort

Confession time — my ears stick out. They look similar teacups glued to the sides of my head. Those shallow cups on the HS35 worried me, simply there was space enough. As it turned out, the shine cloth and soft padding fabricated a good seal without being too tight.

Though the outer headband is black plastic the inner is an aluminum strip with an attenuated, plastic ridge. It adjusts really hands across the head. Light headphones are not necessarily comfy headphones, but the HS35 benefits from beingness solid rather than weighty.

(Image credit: Ruth Ellen Brow)

There's plenty flexibility at the hinges and give in the padding that I forgot I had it on after I switched from game-playing to admin. With the mic stowed abroad, you might even be tempted to take it on your daily commute (though I'd draw the line at jogging).

Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset review: Gaming operation

With simply a straight TRRS 3.5mm connection, at that place's no software to install with the HS35 (on any platform), and then you lot can plug direct in and get-go gaming. So, that'due south what I did.

With a headset in this course, you don't await a groovy deal. You want the audio to be crepitation-free and for the drivers to handle the loud rumbles and crashes of Doom: Eternal without it sounding like a pub ring covering Metallica in the middle of a bar fight. Yous demand stereo separation clear enough that y'all can hear enemy burn down in Superhot and know where it'south coming from.

The HS35 does this with aplomb, but it besides delivers beyond that. The bass and mid response was articulate when racing a souped-up Mini hatchback in Clay Rally 2.0. There's no active dissonance counterfoil, merely the airtight cups do the job for you. In fact, they worked well enough that I missed an Amazon commitment. C'est la vie.

(Prototype credit: Ruth Ellen Brow)

Microphones can be a weak point in cheaper gaming cans and the bad news is that you won't be recording your next album with the Corsair HS35. It works, simply is much amend at picking up mid and treble than bass — the opposite of the drivers. Information technology also lacks a pop-guard out of the box, which you'll need to cut downwardly plosives and sibilance. Thankfully, adjusting the mic abroad from the face improves reproduction, also.

Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset review: Music functioning

Hither's that phrase over again: the HS35 performed well in our music test at this price signal. There was an audible bass response from 20Hz upwards in our frequency test, but more importantly, it handled our playlist of classical, metal, folk and electronica consistently and well.

The HS35 favours the bass end of the spectrum; mutual enough in cheaper, closed-cup headsets, but the mid-range was refreshingly wide too. There was little of the artificial squeeze towards the centre yous tin hear in less solidly congenital headphones.

How does that translate to English language? It works well with both traditional and electronic instrumentation, lending warmth and air to both. The merely thing missing was some sparkle at the top end; all that bass and mid masked some of the treble. That'due south not a huge problem in gaming, but if you use the HS35 to listen to music, you may want to recoup a little on the device side.

Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset review: Features

The Corsair HS35 doesn't really exercise "features." It's a wired gaming headset with a detachable mic and that's pretty much all she wrote. The wire terminates in a solid, 3.5mm jack plug that will connect to consoles or laptops and a headphone/mic splitter is included in the box, for PC gamers, with carve up jacks. The jacks fit snugly, without pop, crackle or whatever other rice-based cereal noises.

(Image credit: Ruth Ellen Brown)

I'm a fan of the detachable mic stem and its flexible, gooseneck design — common to Corsair headsets. It's so easy to position the microphone anywhere you lot need information technology, but not so easy to flip away when you don't. Then once again, that's what the mute button is for and so — full-disclosure — I am only pointing information technology out because I'thou reviewing the headset. I did have one gripe, and it was small. Why make the mic detachable? The cable is connected with flexible moulding and that's a failure point. As, though, some folks adopt not to accept to rummage effectually their desk looking for a headset cable when they need it.

Corsair HS35 Stereo Gaming Headset review: Verdict

Some no-frills gaming headsets holding onto the lesser of the budget ladder strike you as cheap out of the box. I'thousand reminded of my Grandma's quondam proverb "buy inexpensive, pay twice." Well, my Grandma never played Sniper Elite 4 with the Corsair HS35.

It'southward not fantastic but, at this price point (that phrase again) it does exactly what a gaming headset should, functionally and competently. Upkeep products should never exist a task to use; a hurdle to overcome or a bottleneck in your system. They shouldn't be so ugly you hate having them on your desk or congenital and then poorly they break in a couple of months.

So, the fact that the HS35 does everything it'south supposed to do and does it quite well overall is welcome. At that place's no indicate in beingness snobbish about that.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/corsair-hs35-stereo-gaming-headset

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