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The Corsair HS65 Surround may not be as feature-rich as others, but when it comes to gaming headsets, audio performance is king, and that’s where this headset truly shines. The headset supports Dolby Audio 7.1 surround sound for an even more immersive experience, but even on stereo, it delivers excellent sound quality in which all frequencies are represented beautifully and there’s decent sound imaging. On top of that, it’s pretty loud at its highest volume with only the slightest hint of distortion. With powerful 50 mm drivers and Corsair's novel SoundID technology, each game's soundscape felt rich, nuanced, and immediate. Utilize the USB adapter and toggle on the Dolby 7.1 surround sound feature in iCue, and suddenly, the soundscape is much wider and much more immersive without sounding artificial. Obviously, you’re not really getting a real 7.1 speaker system here, but the effect is as close to the real thing as you can get with a pair of headsets. In addition, features on “worker consultation and involvement” and “leading and managing” are provided. To keep its price down without compromising on performance, Corsair has used high-quality plastic with a nice soft matte finish for the earcups and headband, only using aluminum in the bones to reinforce the headset. If you’re worried about comfort, don’t. The memory foam leatherette ear pads and headband padding are not only plush and luxurious, but also breathable.
The Dolby Surround audio also sounded great when I watched movies and TV shows. The battles in the Halo TV series sounded as immersive as they do in the game, thanks to the headphones’ strong-but-not-overbearing bass and excellent surround-sound simulation. Dialogue was clear even during action sequences.Sadly, as with my previous experience with it, I was not a fan of the sound profile that the software “custom-made” for me, which it designed based on a series of sound tests I had to answer. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t try it yourself. The feature itself, I think, works well and created a very unique EQ for me. I just did not like the sound itself as it was very unbalanced, and I personally tend to lean more towards balanced audio. 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. 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 These drivers on the Corsair HS65 Surround have no problem pushing sound through the 20hz-20khz audio range while its bass frequencies carry real weight. The mids and highs of dialogue and various sound effects come through incredibly clear.
For gaming, the imaging is certainly good enough, though the rather narrow soundstage doesn’t do the HS65 any favors. Still, I never felt like I was at a disadvantage when gaming, and when using the premade FPS EQ config (which dials down on the lower tones in favor of more important sounds in the higher register such as reloads and so on) I had no issues locating my enemies ingame. I won’t say that this is the best headset that I’ve experienced on either front (gaming and media consumption) but it most definitely punches above its price point if you’re asking me. I won’t say that I am an audiophile but I do know a thing or two about audio quality, and I was pretty disappointed with the sound profile that SoundID came up with for me. I tried it again a couple of times to see if it was maybe a fluke, but I never really liked the results that I got better than my own configured EQ profile that I created the old school way. You couldof course say that I have bad taste in audio, but then I would expect SoundID to come up with a bad sound profile that I personally like, like it was designed to do. To me, it really only came up with flat profiles. 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. Musically, I wouldn’t trade the clarity of my audiophile-focused (and admittedly more expensive) Sennheiser HD3s for the HS65, but the HS65s sound pretty good for gaming-first headphones. I got plenty of bass in Daft Punk’s “Technologic.” But highs and mids in songs with acoustic instruments, such as Bowie’s “Starman,” were crisp and distinct as well. Music is faithfully reproduced across the volume spectrum, with no distortion except at the very top of the volume dial. Maximum volume is plenty loud; I was at the top of my comfort level with both the Windows and headset volume dials maxxed out.In Corsair’s iCUE software you can select or create EQ profiles, though I really only found the FPS Competition profile to be of any use to me personally. All the other ones didn’t really offer anything meaningful over the profile(s) that I created myself but of course that’s mostly down to personal preferences. You can also use the aforementioned SoundID to create your own sound profile, and you can adjust the mic volume and sidetone volume. When testing gaming headsets, I usually do so with as little processing or EQ adjustments as possible, but I did try Corsair’s SoundID feature, which allows iCue to help you personalize your headset’s sound profile based on your audio proclivities. It’s not a new one and something I’ve tested before, but it is one of the HS65 Wireless’ marquee features so I gave it another try. 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. 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.
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