Func HS-260 Gaming Headset Review

By Tom Jaskulka

Manufacturer: Func
Product Name: HS-260
Model Number: FUNC-HS-260-1ST
UPC\EAN: 7350041088981
Price As Tested: $79.99 (Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Func.

On January 27th 2014 Func will start shipping their HS-260 gaming headset, completing a first run of peripherals that started with the MS-3 gaming mouse in February of last year (and the KB-460 mechanical keyboard this past November). Sporting tuned 50mm drivers, detachable audio cables and removable microphone which can switch sides at will, Func brings their focus on functionality to the gaming headset category with their new headset, model FUNC-HS-260-1ST. Benchmark Reviews has a sample on hand, and in this review I’ll do my best to explain my experience with the Func HS-260 gaming headset.

Intuitive control interface integration

The HS-260 has been designed with the sound and volume controls directly integrated onto the headset itself. When these controls are found on an in-line control piece on the headphone cord, it tends to get stuck on your table, chair or wrapped up in your clothes.

With the controls being directly integrated onto the headset, it helps to eliminate distractions such as looking for the volume/mute control while you are in situations of life and death; taking your eyes off the screen can be detrimental at this point.

Tuned and paired 50mm drivers sound optimized for gaming

A larger driver tends to deliver a more powerful sound, which in turn delivers a deeper bass. As well, the sound images get a greater resolution in terms of audio which means that you will be able to hear and distinguish a more detailed sound image.

The drivers have been carefully tuned to deliver a well balanced sound image. This will allow you to achieve a distinguished speech as well as a full audio experience during gaming sessions. The speakers have been synced to work at the same performance level which will help you to pinpoint the exact position of an enemy in-game.

Detachable cord & microphone solution

Convert the headset to headphones thanks to the detachable microphone. The microphone and audio cable can be connected on either side of the headphones as they are removable and will work in both positions.

Velour and leather cushions

Changeable ear cushions, comes with a one set of velour and one set of leather cushions.
The HS-260 has been designed to help you through long gaming sessions with comfortable, breathable ear cups and an extremely accurate sound image. The closed ear cup design blocks background noise allowing you to stay focused on your game, while the controls are located on the ear cup for easy access allowing you to keep your eyes focused on the screen with minimal distractions. The added features of the removable microphone and detachable cord solution ensure that you have a well-rounded, multi-functional gaming headset.

Tech. Specs.

Driver: 50mm, tuned and paired
Acoustic construction: Closed
Frequency response: 20-20 000 Hz
Impedance: 32 Ω
Cable length: 3m
Connection: 2 x 3.5mm

Dimensions & Weight

180x105x194 mm / 7.08×4.13×7.64 in
0.37 kg / 0.77 lbs

System Requirements

3.5mm Audio/Mic jack

Features and tech specifications taken from the manufacturer’s product page.

The testing comes next, but let’s look at a few closer details of Func’s HS-260 headset.

Even though the headband uses a single solid piece of plastic that spans to each ear cup, it’s flexible and durable enough to curl them up (or stretch them out – I got them wide enough to fit a 12″ ruler between the cans!! For something a bit more realistic, they’ll fit around a 200mm fan comfortably). You may be more brave than me and manage to find the limits of the material, but the above image shows more flexibility than most headsets made of similar materials; the Func HS-260 had no issues springing back to normal when curled up to unreasonable positions. I stress unreasonable; even though they come with a two-year warranty (three with registration) I’ll hazard a guess and say snapping them in half “for science” isn’t covered. That goes for ANY product, really. As always, time will tell, but since there aren’t any joints / weak points in the headband I wouldn’t be surprised if the HS-260s were able to stand up to some decent abuse. I’d recommend treating any pair of headphones with some care, but the HS-260s felt surprisingly sturdy despite their primarily plastic construction. The coatings used on the ear-cups themselves lend a very premium feel to the entire assembly, and the materials used don’t detract at all from the overall appearance.

Metal brackets secure the ear pieces to the rest of the headset, and the adjustment mechanism uses well-hidden notches. The overall design is really smooth, and gives the impression that everything is a single piece. In reality there are a few moving pieces here, and the ear-cups begin to pivot here as well to form a more comfortable fit against your head. If you take a moment to look at the first photo on this page, you’ll notice some of the matte black armor-looking segments are “crooked,” exposing the silver frame underneath. Those aren’t fitment issues, that’s just each piece adjusting and pivoting slightly during use to conform to your head. It’s a very cleverly disguised system, and it ends up working pretty well while looking good at the same time.

The HS-260s move the volume controls up into the headset assembly itself, on the left driver housing. I am very glad to see this, as inline controls (common to almost every other headset available) are a very common point of failure. They tend to get caught on chairs and desks, and just do everything but provide a convenient place to adjust the volume – even though they’re supposed to be easier to reach, I always find myself fumbling around first to find the cable in the first place to find the volume control (I’ll usually end up using media keys on my keyboard and not even bother with the inline control). This purpose is better suited to a location on the headset itself, and reaching up to your left “ear” to adjust the volume becomes very natural.

The detachable audio cable is 3m in length and braided in Func’s signature orange stripe weave. It’s a high-quality fabric braid, and the cable doesn’t have any interruptions – every in-line volume/mic control I’ve used ends up swinging around and getting caught on my chair, so I’m grateful for the direction that Func went in with the HS-260s (it keeps the weight down on the cable as well, so you don’t feel like one side of your head is heavier than the other). I appreciated the larger housings on the ends, as it makes the plugs easy to remove (not to mention increases their durability). I like the practice of streamlining the color coding of the audio/mic jacks by placing colored rings on the respective plug, but they become very difficult to distinguish in dim lighting. This is very common for headsets and doesn’t detract from the use or performance of the HS-260s in any substantial manner. I’m still waiting for a unique solution for this minor issue though, as it’s a situation I find myself in often with many headsets!

I’ve been using a pair of Razer Tiamat 2.2s for the past few months, so most of my impressions of the Func HS-260 headset were in comparison to a device that was designed for a slightly different purpose (with a different driver arrangement). The Tiamat retails for $20 more than the HS-260, so keep that in mind during any of my observations as well.

I used a lot of the resources from audiocheck.net to experience the technical limits of the HS-260, but most of my time spent with them was listening to whatever I was most familiar with. I spent an evening listening to albums that I like to use to compare different sound devices with – I tend to stick to more “electronic” tracks that are usually pretty instrumental. I’ll break out the Tron: Legacy soundtrack for it’s Daft Punk collaborated orchestral pieces, and my go to album for almost anything is The Glitch Mob’s Drink The Sea. I’ll try to stream some radio stations from Pandora as well (with some classical music thrown in for good measure), but the real fun is using them in a game with great sound engineering like the Battlefield series (although I can’t get enough of those giant robot footfalls from MechWarrior: Online – a great test of the lower frequencies if anything). I’ll be the first to admit my hearing isn’t what it used to be (and I’m no sound engineer in the first place), so if possible I’d recommend trying out any pair of headphones in person that you’re interested in – the experience can vary greatly per person.

• Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3
• System Memory: 8 GB (2×4 GB) DDR3 1600 MHz
• Processor:Intel Core i5-2500K @ 4.4 GHz
• Audio: Asus Xonar DG 5.1 (Dolby Headphone / Surround)
• Video: XFX R9 290
• Disk Drive 1: Western Digital Black 7200 RPM 1TB
• Disk Drive 2: OCZ Vecter 2 50 GB (Cache, Intel SRT)
• Enclosure: NZXT Phantom 820
• PSU: Cooler Master V700 80+
• Monitor: Hanns-G 27″ 1920×1200 LCD
• Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

With that out of the way, let’s start with the audiocheck.net sound samples. Their headphone tests are pretty straightforward, and walk you through frequency tests, binaural recordings, driver matching tests and polarity checks (among others). I found the frequency tests especially interesting, although they correspond more to the abilities of your ears rather than the capabilities of the drivers. Still I noticed a lower range of audible frequencies from the 50mm drivers of the Func HS-260s compared to the Razer Tiamat 2.2 (you know, with the dedicated “subwoofers”). The Tiamats would almost “push” into the 20 Hz territory with a noticeable (but still subtle) rush, while the Func HS-260 seemed to smoothly transition from one frequency to the next. I lost the sounds in both headsets around the 18-19 KHz mark, which is probably the upper limit of my own hearing.

The driver matching test moves through the entire spectrum of sound waves and I didn’t notice any discrepancies between the left and right drivers on the Func HS-260. They sounded even throughout, whereas the Tiamats gave me a slight “swimming” feeling during the test sample – I couldn’t tell if it was just my imagination, so take that with a whole pile of salt (there are four drivers total in the Razer Tiamat 2.2s, so I might have been hearing something unique to that arrangement).

The “bass shaker” test was interesting, as it is designed to uncover any unwanted noises from rapidly-vibrating drivers. Perhaps you have heard a vehicle pass by that has a powerful subwoofer installed – and you can tell by the entire trunk assembly buzzing like a nest of angry hornets. That is what this test is designed to highlight (and to be clear, that isn’t an effect you would want in a headset. Or a car, for that matter). The HS-260s produced a rich, deep bass that was surprisingly clean and not overwhelming, without any component rattling or buzzing.

The Dynamic Volume test starts at a “full volume,” then lowers the volume in steps with the last audible step being the dynamic range of the headset (or more accurately, your ears). The Razer Tiamat has a little better isolation so I could hear some softer sounds, but the HS-260 wasn’t significantly far behind (and they were pretty close when I switched to using the leather ear cushions – I could still hear the voiceover at 48 dB below full scale volume with hints of the voiceover beneath that).

The polarity tests showed the HS-260s to be wired correctly (always a good sign), and the binaural test revealed a sound stage that was capable of reproducing an accurate sensation of direction and distance.

Most of this testing ends up being pretty subjective and limited by my own ears rather than the headsets I use, but it is interesting to compare the different tones and capabilities of headsets side by side using synthetic tones. The HS-260 performed the tests just fine and seemed to match Func’s claims of frequency response and driver tuning, so you should feel confident you’re getting the technology that you’re paying for.

This is my first experience with a headset that uses 50mm drivers. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but the sound stage feels more “open” compared to other headsets I’ve used in this category (the ear cups and overall material choice also plays a factor in this). Using the Func HS-260 became a better experience after a full day of listening, so I’d recommend allowing some time for the drivers to settle in before forming an opinion of your own. EQ curve, as far as I can tell, is a little more flat – which was a nice experience. Certain frequencies weren’t over-emphasized, and everything sounded…cleaner? The “expanded sound stage” adapted very well to games, and DICE’s excellent sound work with the Battlefield series was an excellent depiction of the Func headset’s abilities. Switching between my Razer Tiamat 2.2 and the HS-260 during rounds of Battlefield 4 and tracks from The Glitch Mob, I found myself preferring the sound from the HS-260s.

Before I conclude, there’s a few things to keep in mind. This is the first headset Func has ever produced, and headsets in general are pretty subjective. All the graphs / curves / features won’t make a difference if you don’t like how they feel on your head (or if you don’t want to be seen wearing them!). Everyone has different tastes and opinions for how their favorite music and games are supposed to sound, so personal preference ends up playing a big part with any headset. If you demand the absolute best sound, you really shouldn’t be looking at devices under $300 anyway – there’s obviously better sounding headphones available if you’re willing to pay for them, but this review was written with computer enthusiasts in mind that want a single device to game/chat with their friends/listen to music. With those things in mind, let’s talk about the HS-260.

First up, performance. To me, rating performance of a headset means asking the question, “how do they sound?” The answer? The Func HS-260 were clear, the sound “stage” felt expanded over other headsets I had on hand, and the tuning seemed flat enough to bring out the best in whatever I was listening to (rather than being overwhelmed with a specific frequency). In other words, they sounded pretty good! I would caution you to take the time to allow the drivers to “break in,” leave them playing music overnight before you form an opinion. In my case, after a 24-hour break-in period the sound substantially improved. The sound stage sounded better than the other headsets I had on hand, but music sounded “tinny” at first. Not at all what I had originally expected from 50mm drivers, but allowing them to settle a bit revealed a richer quality to the sounds produced by the HS-260. This was before any equalizer tweaking, mind you. After breaking them in, I was very satisfied with the sound quality compared to other options in this price range – again, before any EQ curve adjustments. You should be able to get your preferred sound out of the HS-260s without a problem. I don’t use microphones that often, but I did make a few phone calls using the mic on the HS-260; I had no complaints from the listeners on the other end. Similarly, squad mates on Battlefield 4 or Steam’s voice chat didn’t have a problem hearing my voice, it came through clear and static-free.

Func brings their now-signature style to the HS-260s, and the result is stunning. The soft-touch finish returns to the outer surfaces of the ear-cups, and distinctive angular accents provide an attractive frame for the pivoting earcups and articulating joints. Even the perforated leather headband pad isn’t left untouched, and the entire product exudes a fresh, subtle style that is very Func-y (no, I won’t apologize for that one). I said it for the KB-460, and it applies here too: Func is one of those companies that manages to find that perfect balance of style and subtlety, and the HS-260 is made all the more attractive for it. It’s a really refreshing approach to design for the gaming peripheral market, and I hope to see more of it.

Func uses composites and plastics to great effect in the construction of the HS-260. You’ve heard me rave about their soft-touch finishes before and I’m glad to see them used here. The one-piece strip that spans the length of the headband ties it all together well and lends a feeling of durability to the whole thing. The hidden rubber dampeners behind the articulating joints help keep any contact between the moving pieces subdued, and the articulating “armor-joints” on the ends allow for flexibility while keeping a solid feel to the entire unit. The HS-260 feels as durable as any headset in this price range, if not more so.

I mentioned this in my KB-460 review, but with a company motto of “Functionality. Perfected.”, Func doesn’t have much wiggle room in the functionality department. Fortunately, the HS-260 follows suit again (like the MS-3 and KB-460) and offers a level of functionality that is impressive among the competition. 50mm well-tuned drivers, swappable/detachable headset/mic cables, volume/mic controls on the headset itself, additional ear cushions included…this is a very functional headset, in the purest sense of the word. No gimmicks, no software to configure, it just functions the way a product like this should.

The Func HS-260 is releasing January 27th for $79.99 (Newegg), placing it in a common price point for gaming headsets. What’s uncommon at that price point is the level of finesse, functionality and quality of sound that the HS-260s possess. I’ve owned a few headsets over the years that sold for about that price and none of them match the overall value and included features that are standard in the HS-260. Some may have been slightly more comfortable; my Razer Carcharias felt like wearing a cloud, but the sound or build quality weren’t even close to the HS-260. The Tiamat 2.2 was more comfortable, more expensive and the quality – while better than the Carcharias – still didn’t match what Func has done here. The HS-260 is an excellent choice for this price range, offering as much or more than the competition for the same or lower price.

At the end of it all, I really only have one complaint, and it isn’t much of one: to enhance comfort even more, I would have liked a bit more padding along with a softer/memory foam for the ear cushions. After a week of constant use the materials softened up enough to make them comfortable, but they were pretty stiff initially. Many products need a couple hours of use to break in, but a couple more millimeters of padding would have done wonders. The reason I say it isn’t much of a complaint is because the HS-260s weren’t uncomfortable at any point – if comfort were the sole factor considered, the more expensive Tiamat headset is a better option if only for the suspension-type headband and slightly thicker ear cushions. However, given the choice between the two, I’d still choose the HS-260 for it’s detachable cables, headset controls, better microphone, impressive build quality, better sound and superior looks.

Everything you need, nothing you don’t. Another solid offering from Func. There’s a blend of design and function here that seems pretty rare among gaming headsets, and it’s their first one. I’m not sure if I’ve seen a company execute so consistently, especially on their first attempt at a line of gaming peripherals. It seems Func is serious about living up to their “Functionality. Perfected.” motto, as the HS-260 is one of the best headsets I’ve tested in this price range. I’ve tried to justify giving the HS-260 anything other than a Golden Tachometer award (like the MS-3 and KB-460 before it), but the fact remains: I feel they’ve brought a product to the market that’s better than anything else in its category. I appreciate that they don’t waste my time with anything I won’t use, but include common-sense features that actually improve my experience at a computer – and they’re doing it better than anyone else at the moment.

+ Volume adjustment on headset, not inline
+ Detachable AND swappable cables/mic
+ Absolutely beautiful design, subtle and eye-catching approach unique to Func
+ Soft-touch finish on earcups
+ Additional leather pads included
+ Flexible, feels durable in use, accommodates multiple head sizes
+ Easy to swap ear cushions
+ Comfortable to wear for extended periods of time after break-in

– Drivers may require a “burn-in” period (like many headsets)
– Needs more padding in ear cups / different foam material for initial break-in period
– May place more pressure on top of head than suspension-type headset bands

• Performance: 9.25
• Appearance: 9.75
• Construction: 8.75
• Functionality: 9.75
• Value: 9.50

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

COMMENT QUESTION: What gaming headset is the best you’ve ever used?