Corsair CA-HS1NA Gaming Audio Series HS1 USB Gaming Headset

The USB headset for gamers who care about audio

If you're like most gamers, you use your computer--and your headset--for more than just gaming. You listen to music, watch movies, and even use voice chat applications like Skype. The Corsair Gaming Audio Series HS1 was designed for you. With its massive 50mm drivers and careful acoustic engineering, the HS1 delivers amazing audio quality, clarity, and depth for the competitive advantage you need in your games. But that's just the beginning movie soundtracks will come alive with full virtual surround sound, and you'll enjoy detailed, uncolored music reproduction that's beyond anything you've experienced in a typical gaming headset.

Built for comfort

The noise-isolating, closed-back circumaural design helps keep noise out, so you can keep your head in the game. With its padded headband, extra-large earcups, and replaceable memory foam earpads, the HS1 fits comfortably around your ears without binding or pinching, making the HS1 easy to wear for hours of non-stop gaming. And since they're covered with breathable microfiber fabric, you'll find them cooler, too.

Dolby® Headphone technology for virtual multi-channel surround

Listening fatigue is a common problem with headphones and headsets. It's caused by having isolated drivers delivering the right and left channels independently to each ear, making the audio seem to come from inside your head. Dolby Headphone technology brings the audio "out of your head", adding a natural sounding balance and spaciousness. Advanced audio processing, including psychoacoustic modeling, lets you get the most out of multi-channel games and movies, putting you in the environment in a way that ordinary stereo headsets simply can't match. You can even transform ordinary stereo sound sources like MP3s into an immersive virtual 5.1 surround sound experience.
Dolby and the Double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.

Advanced audio customization

The Corsair HS1 USB Headset
software gives you total control
of the audio experience.
Click here for a larger image

The HS1 control panel for Windows allows you to choose stereo, 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound, and even choose the exact position of the virtual audio sources. You can select from multiple room sizes and environments for just the right amount of realism, and exploit the amazing dynamic range of the 50mm drivers across the entire frequency spectrum by tuning the equalization to match your media and your style. You can even change your voice in Skype and multiplayer games to amuse your friends and confuse your enemies.

What the experts are saying about the Corsair Gaming Audio Series HS1

"Bottom line: the Corsair HS1is the best gaming headset we've come across and is certainly worthy of a recommendation if you're looking for a premium sound from a premium product."
- Hexus.net, September 2010

"The comfort level of the Corsair HS1 USB Gaming Headset was nothing short of spectacular. The combination of the thick memory foam and absorbent cloth fabric is a great match and to be honest, it makes us wonder why more companies don't do this The Corsair HS1 USB Gaming Headset is a great entry to the audio market and we have to give Corsair the thumbs up on their efforts."
- Legit Reviews, September 2010

"It's worth noting that the HS1 was more comfortable than any headset we've tried, including various Razer headsets, the Steelseries Siberia V2, and the Psyko. It’s also more comfortable over the long haul than our dedicated Sennheiser HD 580 audio headphones. In the end, Corsair has exceeded expectations. The audio quality, while not perfect, is certainly excellent overall. Factor in the high level of comfort and the $99 price tag, and you have a nearly unbeatable combination."
- Tom's Hardware Guide, September 2010

"The HS1's sound is generally excellent, with high-end and mid-range tones particularly detailed and clear; female vocals in particular sound deliciously smooth and natural The Corsair HS1 is a headset capable of high-quality audio that's also supremely comfortable to wear over long periods - a rare feat indeed. More than a few times during our testing we looked around our desks for the HS1 only to realise we were still wearing it – it really is that comfy!"
- Bit-tech.net, September 2010

The Corsair Advantage

With more than 15 years of building enthusiast-grade memory and components, we've earned a reputation for quality, compatibility, and performance. Need help? Our highly-regarded technical support staff is available by phone, email or the web.

Product Information

Circumaural, closed-back earcups
provide excellent noise isolation.

The extra-large volume and mic controller
is easy to grab and use when the action heats up.

Package contents

High-performance headset with USB connector, inline volume control/microphone mute, and replaceable memory foam earpads
Driver/Utility CD for Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP
Quick Start Guide

Headphone Specifications

20Hz to 20KHz frequency response (limited by the USB audio specification)
32 Ohms impedance at 1KHz
93dB A-weighted dynamic range
Consumes just 250mW of power from your USB port
Custom engineered 50mmm drivers with 24mm copper-wound voice coils
Extra-large circumaural earcups with a closed-back, noise-isolating design
Replaceable, memory-foam earpads with moisture-resistant microfiber covers
Adjustable, padded headband, with pivots to pack flat for travel or storage
Includes attached 3 meter USB cable with inline volume control and Type-A USB connector

Microphone Specifications

Unidirectional, noise-cancelling condenser mic in an adjustable, rotating boom
2.2K Ohms impendance and frequency response of 200Hz to 10KHz, +/- 2dB
Sensitivity is -45dB (+4dB / -2dB)

Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
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.