Corsair HS65 SURROUND Gaming Headset (Leatherette Memory Foam Ear Pads, Dolby Audio 7.1 Surround Sound on PC and Mac, SonarWorks SoundID Technology, Multi-Platform Compatibility) Carbon

Product Information

Flip-up microphone to mute. Flip-down microphone to unmute. Alternatively, you can use the mute button on the headset. Holding the mute button toggles on/off sidetone. You select which one sounds "better" to you, and iCUE will build a personalized sound profile for your ears. It's a way to make your own perfect EQ settings without having to know a thing about EQ. And, in my experience, it wound up being a fantastic option for everything from playing games, to listening to music, to streaming TV shows. SoundID almost singlehandedly elevated the HS65 Surround from a headset that sounds good to a headset that sounds great. Corsair HS65 Surround review: Verdict CORSAIR (NASDAQ:CRSR) is a leading global developer and manufacturer of high-performance gear and technology for gamers, content creators, and PC enthusiasts. From award-winning PC components and peripherals, to premium streaming equipment, smart ambient lighting, and esports coaching services, CORSAIR delivers a full ecosystem of products that work together to enable everyone, from casual gamers to committed professionals, to perform at their very best. Finally, there’s also the impressive soundstage and sound imaging, both of which it inherited from the wired HS65. The soundstage is already good on its own, but activate the Dolby Audio 7.1 surround sound, and it’s even wider. Meanwhile, its sound imaging is incredibly precise. In Control, even something as mundane as a movie projector is accurately represented, so much so that even when I swing my point of view around, I could hear the projector sound swirling around me.

That’s something I appreciate as someone who’s tired of feeling her way through seemingly endless headphone buttons, never really knowing which switch is for what until I actually press it. Plus, when I’m wrapped up in a game, all I really care about is the mute function and adjusting the audio volume anyway.For the price, the Corsair HS55 Wireless certainly hits that sweet spot between performance, features, and price. This model is finally winning. With the HS65 WIRELESS, you can play and listen completely untethered, with 24 hours of battery life to continue gaming sessions without worrying about your headset’s lifespan. Additional Bluetooth ® enables mobile chat, phone calls, and gaming audio on even more devices. Thanks to an omni-directional mic that clearly captures your voice with nearly zero wireless lag, you can interact with games, and the people you play them with, as reliably as ever. The Corsair HS65 Surround is exceptionally built, featuring an adjustable headband that fits comfortably on any gamer’s head. What is different here are the buttons. While the wired version only has a volume wheel, the HS65 Wireless comes with a mic mute button, a Bluetooth button, and a power button. That’s on top of the volume control wheel that moonlights as an EQ select button. These controls are also intuitive to use.

Use the volume control/EQ select wheel to adjust volume up or down. In addition, pressing the volume wheel cycles through four audio EQ presets: Standard, Bass Boost, Movie Theater, and FPS Competition. CHARGING The HSE say that while the first two parts are targeted at business leaders, owners, trustees and line-managers, the third part will be particularly useful to those such as professional health and safety advisers who need to put in place or oversee their organisation’s arrangements for health and safety. They also hope the material will be of value to workers and their representatives. In any case: SoundID (after the update) is a pleasant addition and definitely something you should try, though I wouldn’t use it for competitive gaming as it’s really something that’s aimed at content consumption if you ask me. The FPS profile is much better for competitive gaming. Sound Test Features and Everyday Usage The Corsair HS65 Wireless is very affordable for a wireless gaming headset, and it comes with nice extra features to make it an even better value. Sadly, the Corsair HS65 Wireless’ sound quality isn’t as balanced as its wired counterpart’s. Its audio is very colored.

You’ve been warned

There’s a tendency among gaming headsets to not really be ideal for music-listening, but that doesn’t apply here. The Corsair HS65 Surround delivers just as well when it comes to tunes. With Lizzo’s “About Damn Time,” the bass sounds are again very present but not overwhelming, the vocals are detailed and crisp, the flutes are clear and bright, and Lizzo’s voice sounds rich and full. In Taylor Swift’s “August,” which has plenty of mids, both her vocals and the guitar sound rich, with the surround sound bringing even more elements to the front. I do have to say that I like the direction that Corsair is taking with their headsets: both the HS80 RGB USBand this headset look subtle, sleek, and classy, and I absolutely prefer that over more outlandish designs. I don’t like the material choices they’ve made here, but that’s completely subjective: I know a lot of people who love leather and fake leather materials. Sound and Mic The 7.1 Surround Sound capability is accessible through Corsair's iCue software with Windows Spatial Sound active, found under the properties menu of your output device in Windows' sound settings.

While the low end on the newer HS55 Wireless is a bit disappointing, the inclusion of Dolby Audio 7.1 virtual surround sound more than makes up for it. When engaged, the soundstage is wider and more three-dimensional, making you feel like you’re right in the action. Turning on surround sound does soften the headset’s brightness a little bit, but that wider soundstage is worth it. And, even with it on, the sound imaging is still precise. I really love that Corsair have added the possibility to activate sidetone here. It’s something that I always enable on my gaming headsets, and I’m not sure if I can main a gaming headset without having sidetone anymore as I feel almost kind of naked without it.

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NOTE: Prolonged listening at high volumes may adversely affect your hearing. Take breaks between sessions and always begin with the volume at a low level before increasing. MICROPHONE CONTROL

For me, that’s perfectly fine. I rarely find myself using anything but the mute and volume controls on a headset (I control all other features through software or not at all) so I don’t need anything else. The volume wheel is also nicely positioned: I didn’t find myself accidentally manipulating it when I wanted to readjust or remove the headset. I played Call of Duty:Warzone with 7.1-channel Dolby Surround enabled and the FPS Competition equalizer preset enabled, and I was able to get good positional audio cues without the bass of gunfire and explosions overwhelming the audio. I also chatted over Discord while playing, and swapping to the Clear Chat preset muffled the game audio a bit but brought out the voices of other players clearly. \ Finally, the third tab lets you toggle device settings. Among these three tabs, it’s the Equalizer you’ll likely be using the most. Corsair HS65 Surround – Performance At 0.6 pounds (282 grams), these aren’t featherweights, but they are on the lighter side for cans with 50mm drivers. The aluminum-reinforced headband provides solid clamping force. On my largish head (I use the last two notches on a baseball cap), the HS65 Surround stayed firmly in place without feeling tight or constrictive. However, the headset was clearly at the limits of its flexibility when I wore it, so gamers with even bigger noggins might find it too tight. The top portion is decently twistable but it’s not very bendable. This means that there’s quite some clamping force when wearing the HS65, and if you have a larger head (like I do) then it can get uncomfortable. I should say that I have an almost comically large head, though: I once was trying on helmets at an army surplus store for fun and none of them fit me, just to give you an idea. Your experience with the clamping force might be different, but for me it’s a bit too much.The Corsair HS65 Surround uses Corsair’s iCue software – the same software the brand uses for most of its gaming peripherals – and it’s as straightforward and sound-focused as ever. You can use the headset without it out of the box, but if you want to take advantage of its Dolby Audio 7.1 surround sound capabilities or tweak the current sound profile, it’s a good idea to have the software handy. And, believe me, you’ll want to toggle surround sound on at the very least.