Gaming with the HS60s

Gaming

My usual suite of games will remain unchanged for this test. Battlefield 1, Doom (2016), and Project Cars. I feel as though all three provide a decent test that covers the widest possible range of modern AAA games. Open chaotic warfare, a heavy metal backed space opera and some high octane driving. These tests are all conducted (the same with the music tests) using the included USB adapter, as well as seeing how well Corsair's CUEi software can alter the experience to my liking. I will, naturally, dedicate a segment of this review later onto CUEi, as well.

Before we begin, a word on software surround sound. I did test each game with and without the software enabled Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound. This can be a very 'marmite' bit of functionality, depending on who you talk to. Generally, as I briefly said before, there have been some headsets I've used where this has been good enough for me to regularly use over the standard stereo, though only in games. I will, naturally, briefly mention what I thought of 7.1 in each title.

Battlefield 1

I always return to this game. DICE have really nailed the chaos of war, and the sound design of this title is truly exceptional. It's roughly a year and a half old now, but I know of no other title that can be legitimately overwhelming with the right audio setup. I played three 64 player Operations matches using the unit, and was very impressed. I initially used the 'Bass Boost' EQ preset in the CUE software, and whilst this gave explosions and gunshots an impressively deep kick, it did entirely overwhelm nearly everything else. I then copied these settings, reduced the bass, and then upped sliders on the mid and upper range on the configuration. This was a major improvement, with the game's lower end effects still retaining their punch, all whilst better allowing me to enjoy the game without being fatigued by the near constant rumble/shakes. I happen to really enjoy Battlefield 1, and I was pleased to note the unit did not muddy or dull any of the more subtle sound effects. Bullets, footsteps, and incoming shells were easily discerned and clear, even amongst the chaos. I did briefly use the 7.1 modes, but found it introduced too much of an echo, whilst also increasing 'loudness' with a small loss in clarity. If you have this unit, find your profile in software, leave 7.1 off, and enjoy. So far, this is the only real letdown with this unit. Perhaps I've been spoiled by all the relatively good software 7.1 implementations I have used so far, but this one just feels lacking. That aside, and all in all, so far, looking good.

Doom (2016)

Ah, Doom. I have such a soft spot for this game. Who would have thought that Bethesda, of all companies, would so successfully reintroduce one of the most iconic games of all time? This title is well known for the chaos of its many encounters, but I also enjoy the title for how heavily it uses fast-paced and punchy rock heavy tracks, as well as synth samples. It is all designed to get you into the game, and it works. However, having played this game with a very average pair of headphones, I can confidently say that a decent audio experience is enough to elevate this title from 'great' to 'really and truly excellent.' These headphones certainly deliver, with me playing through a pitched battle that takes place toward the end of the game, shortly before the final battle. The bass is powerful, but not too powerful, and I happily retained the same profile that I used for Battlefield 1 here. Even with Windows' and the unit's volume cranked to 100%, there was no audible distortion due to loudness, and all other parts of the game's soundtrack were easily picked out. The weapons, in particular, sounded superb, with a deep punch that made me a regular user of the super shotgun... funny, that. Doom is a very easy game to get engrossed in, and this headset did make that very easy indeed.

Project Cars

This was the only game where I had to slightly alter my EQ, as PC is a game that relies much less heavily on bass than either of the two previous titles. Whilst it is nice to hear the deep burble of a V12, it is equally necessary to be able to pick up on other auditory cues the game can offer. Signs that the car is about to 'let go' when going through a corner. Hearing an upcoming gear change. These are all part of having a solid Project Cars experience, and once I had done my job in enhancing the upper end of the audio scale, this headset delivered a very good experience. My standard test of simply hammering an Audi R8 V10 through Brands Hatch carried on well after I had really formed a conclusion on the experience in this game. That's partly because I am a nerd who really likes shaving off tenths of a second here and there, but also because I was legitimately enjoying my time in the game with the HS60. Surround in this game was actually fairly good, but did still wash out clarity and introduce a little too much 'echo' for my liking. I left it off and was fine with that.

The Microphone

I have kept to our standard method of testing microphones here. Audio from myself reading a pre-written passage (using Audacity to playback) is the baseline test, and I also enter a one on one chat room with a friend from Reddit's /r/buildapc on Discord. Now, I said this earlier in the review, but if you are looking to start a YouTube channel, stream, or record semi-pro or pro-grade audio... why are you looking at this bit of the review? It is functionally useless to you. Get a standalone microphone.

That is, for the record, in no way whatsoever meant to deride from the included microphone. For an attached unit, it absolutely delivers on both the promise of noise cancellation and uni-directionality. Audio quality is perfectly acceptable, being perfectly clear and my Discord partner 'reading me 5' without any issue. There was ample room for increasing gain, and like the HS50 before it, I could detect very little background noise or interference. If I had one criticism, it would be that the audio was a little too 'tinny', but that I can forgive. The focus here should be on the audio. The added microphone being entirely acceptable for most people's needs is a nice bonus. At the end of the day, they could hear me and hear me well. Moving on, shall we look at how the headset does with some tunes?

matters? As a counter-argument, however, I can think of several titles were I really appreciate hearing subtleties that this headset wasn't able to deliver with just the jack. This presented itself over three separate songs and two gaming scenarios before I got onto the USB/Software testing (which is naturally what you're all here for). If you don't want the USB or software, get the HS50s? In the defense of the default experience, the 50mm drivers delivered perfectly 'clear' sound, and whilst it was a little on the weak side, I had no issue in picking out bits of track or game that I knew were there or couldn't hear with other units. They were just a bit lacking. Nevermind, though, it's the surround and USB integration we're after.