Others by stefan @ 2015-03-09
The H1500 headset takes part of the latest Corsair Gaming series, packs dual 50mm drives and is able to emulate 7.1 surround sound thanks to the Dolby Pro Logic IIx certification. The product comes with a 3-meter cable and on it we will also find a tiny remote which allows working with the volume control or for muting the microphone.
At first we would like to thank Corsair for sending a sample of their Gaming H1500 Dolby Gaming Headset for testing and reviewing.
Meeting Performance Computing Demands since 1994
"Corsair is a global company bringing innovative, high-performance components to the PC gaming market. Specializing in very high performance memory, ultra-efficient power supplies, and other key system components, our products are the choice of overclockers, enthusiasts, and gamers everywhere.
Founded as Corsair Microsystems in 1994, Corsair originally developed Level 2 cache modules for OEMs. After Intel incorporated the L2 cache in the processor with the release of its Pentium Pro processor family, Corsair changed its focus to DRAM modules, primarily in the server market. In 2002, Corsair began shipping DRAM modules that were specifically designed to appeal to computer overclocking enthusiasts. From its roots in high-performance memory, Corsair has expanded its award-winning product portfolio to include ultra-efficient power supplies, builder-friendly cases, ground-breaking CPU coolers, blazing-fast solid-state drives, and other key system components.
Corsair has developed a global operations infrastructure with extensive marketing and distribution channel relationships. Corsair’s products are sold to end users in over sixty countries worldwide, primarily through leading distributors and retailers."
Upgrade to unfair
Powered by oversized 50mm neodymium drivers, the Corsair Gaming H1500 USB Headset wraps relentless audio in comfort and style with microfiber-cushioned memory foam earpads.
Genuine Dolby 7.1 surround delivers lethally accurate positional audio and immersive, cinematic sound
Take command and be heard loud and clear with the advanced unidirectional noise-cancelling microphone.
Unlock legendary audio
Oversized 50mm neodymium drivers bring the action to life with brilliant range and precision. They greatly reduce the overloading and distortion that can occur with gaming headsets that use smaller drivers that aren’t up to the task. You’ll get more accurate sound reproduction, particularly for the all-important low-frequency effects.
Epic immersion and true multi-channel audio
Genuine Dolby 7.1 surround delivers lethally accurate positional audio. It accurately reproduces multi-channel gaming audio for precise situational awareness and the competitive edge you can only get through positional audio. It also helps reduce “headphone fatigue,” which is essential if you play competitively or if you just enjoy playing for hours at a time.
Embark on marathon gaming sessions
The comfortable microfiber-wrapped memory foam earpads enable extended play. They provide a reliable fit that conforms to the contours of your head without binding or pinching.
Take command
The advanced unidirectional noise-cancelling microphone makes you loud and clear, and screens out extraneous noise from outside your game.
Said all you have to say? It’s easy to flip the mic out of sight when not in use.
Headphones
Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz
Impedance: 32 Ohms @ 1kHz
Dynamic Range: 95dB (A-weighted)
Drivers: 50mm
Cable Length: 3m
USB power consumption: 250mW
Connector: USB Type A
Microphone
Type: Unidirectional noise-cancelling condenser with adjustable, rotating boom
Impedance: 2.2k Ohms
Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10kHz
Sensitivity: -44dB (+/-3dB)
Compatibility
PC with USB port
Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP
Internet connection (for software download)
With the launch of the Corsair Gaming series, we have new headsets available from them, one of them being the H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset and the other one the H2100 Wireless Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset. The wired model is cheaper and instead of having the controls on the headset chassis itself, we will find them on a smaller remote placed on the wire. The product is shipped inside a medium-sized box, with some of the product features listed quite in front; half of the box is made of transparent plastic, so we can take a peak on the inside:
On the side of the packaging we will receive the translation of the main features in multiple languages:
A more in-depth explanation can be found on the back, where we will also see the technical specifications:
What will we find inside? Well, obviously the headset, but this will be accompanied by some warranty documents which are wrapped in a separate plastic bag:
The Corsair H1500 headset comes with a refreshed yellow/black color scheme, along with the new “Gaming” branding; the 90-degree lateral rotation of the cups allow them to sit in a comfortable position:
The right circumaural earcup sports the series branding and the black plastic has a rougher texture:
Around the memory foam of the ear pads we will find microfiber, which is pleasant to the touch and does really help with ventilation during long gaming sessions; the drivers are 50mm, same size as the ones we have found with the Vengeance 2100 Dolby 7.1 Wireless Gaming Headset:
The headset can be extended easily for adjusting to all head sizes:
The left cup has a similar design, except with the inclusion of the adjustable microphone and the USB cable:
This one is capable of rotation of about 120 degrees and does not mute by itself when it is placed in the docked position:
As specifications for this microphone, we could remind that it is unidirectional, has an impedance of 2.2K Ohms and a frequency response between 100Hz and 10kHz; the sensitivity is rated at -44dB:
The headband comes with leatherette material but on the top we will also observe a nice effect thanks to the yellow banding:
H1500 is using a 3-meter cable, which is fully braided and should be enough for most users:
On the wire we have the tiny remote, which has volume controls and microphone mute functionality; the buttons have a rubberized texture to them and in the middle we have two LEDs, which shine pretty bright during normal operation (blue color) and while the microphone is muted, the LEDs will alternate between red and blue; as we have seen on some forums, people would like to have these turned off in some instances or at least an ability to adjust the brightness:
In the back of the remote we have a plastic clip:
The cable ends with a branded USB connector:
In order to benefit from the H1500 advanced settings, we will have to go ahead and install the latest software version from the Downloads tab of the Corsair website; at the time of the review, the available software version was 2.0.35. The GUI is very similar to the one we have found with the wireless variant and pretty easy to use: we have the volume control levels, surround settings but also the EQ:
For the input, we can specify which type of content we are doing playback of: 2.0 Stereo, 5.1 Surround or 7.1 Surround. For 2.0 Stereo, with Dolby disabled we will get on the output exactly the same material, while with surround enabled, the signal will be converted to 7.1; with 5.1 Surround input and Dolby disabled, we will have on the output 2.0 Stereo, while with surround enabled we will receive 7.1; the 7.1 Surround input will be converted to 2.0 with Dolby disabled and if we enable the surround setting, we will also get 7.1:
The Dolby Pro Logic IIx setting can be enabled by clicking on the Power button sign on the top left corner of the interface:
Moving on with the interface presentation, we have the 10-band EQ available, which is fully customizable; Corsair has also built some presets for us like Audiophile 1, Audiophile 1+, etc which can be used to our liking:
The GUI can also provide us with the exact software version and audio driver revision:
With the H1500 we have found a problem which did not manifest with the previously tested Vengeance 2100 headset: it is quite loud even at the lowest volume settings and instead of moving the slider with one-point increments, it moves with two-point increments. We think that this is clearly a software problem, which has been already addressed in the Corsair forums and may be fixed with the next release.
Now to the good stuff: the headset is comfortable even during longer gaming sessions thanks to the soft fabric and open cell foam; for a better customization, we can rotate the earcups up to 90 degrees and the microphone can be also adjusted up to 120 degrees.
We have tested the headset with the latest series of The Walking Dead, Better Call Saul, while having Dolby enabled and they offered a good experience; same thing we could say when playing Dying Light, Carmageddon: Reincarnation or Resident Evil: Revelations 2 but in the case of music, we have preferred leaving Dolby mode off and working instead with the EQ in order to get optimal results.
Depending on the environment, the blue LEDs on the tiny remote can be sometimes annoying since they are always-on; we would have liked to be able to adjust the brightness of these and why not, maybe turn them off completely. A nice setting would have been to have them light up only when adjusting the volume combined with a breathing effect while the microphone is muted. When the computer is off, the LEDs turn purple and we have found the headset to be unstable when connected to an USB hub which does not offer enough juice (from normal blue color operating mode, it becomes purple and does not respond until disconnected and are being reconnected). Most often this issue appears when working with the volume buttons.
The Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset is available online for about 120 Euros.
We would like to thank again to Corsair for making this review possible!