By Greg Schepers
Manufacturer: Corsair Components, Inc.
Product Name: Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset
Model Number: CA-9011128-NA
UPC: 843591052108
Price As Tested: $69.89 (Amazon / Newegg)
Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Corsair.
Longevity is very important in any industry. It is extremely likely that, when the longevity moniker is affixed to an organization’s label, consumers can buy with confidence. Corsair is one of those labels that can has been doing it well since 1994 and in this industry, 20 years is a VERY long time. Whether you are buying a power supply or a gaming mouse, you know that if it wears the Corsair logo, it is a quality device that will withstand the test of time and perform brilliantly. Performance is one of the qualities we will test on the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset today at Benchmark Reviews. I encourage you to read on in order to find out if this device is worthy to carry the Corsair logo.
The Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset is littered with the features you want to see. Having 50mm neodymium drivers that deliver Dolby 7.1 surround while providing you a high-level of comfort, the H1500 certainly seems as if is a compelling offer. Below, you will find a detailed list of the features and specifications that the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset has to offer:
- Oversized 50mm neodymium drivers bring the action to life with brilliant range and precision
- Dolby 7.1 surround delivers lethally accurate positional audio
- comfortable microfiber-wrapped memory foam ear pads enable extended play
- advanced unidirectional noise-cancelling microphone
- Warranty – 2 Years
- 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)
The merits of having a quality headset for gaming is sometimes overlooked. For many budget-conscience gamers, it is likely the device that receives the least amount of available funds when acquiring new gaming peripherals. However, being able to clearly identify the in-game sounds not only enhances the gaming experience, but it also is likely to contribute to improved gaming performance, especially if the direction from which a sound originated can be pinpointed. Being a Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset, the Corsair Gaming H1500 falls into that fold.
The Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset’s packaging is likely to leave consumers with a very good first impression. Half of the device is clearly visible and the box is quite appealing, In addition, it is likely that any question one may have regarding the H1500 is answered somewhere on the box. Having a suggestion to validate the purchase of the headset, such as “UPGRADE TO UNFAIR,” certainly doesn’t hurt.
The lateral rotation of the ear cups on the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset is a benefit that cannot be overlooked and is more than just a superficial product display feature. The 90° rotation helps to ensure a tight fit.
This shot (above) of the profile displays the circumaural ear cup and microphone on the left-side of the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset. Speaking of the microphone, it is capable of about 120° of rotation and neatly folds away to its closed position, which is parallel to the headband. Also, it is of the noise-canceling variety.
The on-cord volume control has three buttons and is simple to operate. On-cord controllers are sometimes placed too far down the cord and, as a result, can be difficult to situate in a convenient location. Not this one. Also, it has lighting between the buttons, which are not only attractive, but also help to locate it.
As you can see in the above image, which shows the profile of the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset from the right-side, there is a bit of offset between the headband and the ear cup. This causes the headband to sit a bit further back on
At this point, the discussion will shift to the detailed features that the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset maintains. More often than not, it is the little things that help determine the overall appeal of a gaming peripheral. Let’s see if this headset has those qualities…
The microfiber that is wrapped around the memory foam ear pads is soft and will help to provide some ventilation to the ears and will absorb perspiration. I like that choice. The alternative is the faux leather, which generally provides a better seal and is superior in terms of preventing ambient noise from being an issue, but the trade-off is the lack of ventilation. An ear cup should not be a sweat box.
The material that covers the soft headband padding on the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset is faux leather. Faux leather is fine here, since the headband does not totally envelop anything, which as we’ve already discussed, prevents airflow.
The top of the headband is aesthetically pleasing. I like the perforated faux leather with the yellow material showing through from underneath. To me, this is confirmation that Corsair has that attention to detail and goes the extra mile to build something worth owning.
What is sure to be an underrated and oft unmentioned feature of the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset is the clip on the reverse side of the on-cord volume control. This clip helps to position the controller right where you want it. Am I asking too much if I recommended that it have a spring-loaded hinge to provide a better clipping action?
Software does not always accompany a headset, but it is not uncommon either. In the case of the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset, I’m happy to have it. Out of the box, it sounds good, but I had to make some adjustments in order to find the ideal settings. Simple yet thorough, this GUI provides three separate source types, which includes 7.1 surround (obviously), 5.1 surround, and 2.0 stereo. In addition, it has a number of different predefined profiles, plus the ability to create your own profiles. Simply manipulate the equalizer and save.
Everyone has different tastes when it comes to audio output, so I ask you to keep that in mind while reading the next couple of pages of this Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset review, which is now going to cover the testing phase of the review process. During the course of the testing phase, the headset was thoroughly tested by utilizing it for primarily gaming purposes. Other forms of audio were introduced to the testing phase as well, which included .mp3 files, streaming audio, .mp4 files, and streaming video.
The game used primarily to test the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset was Battlefield 4, yet other games were played as well in order to determine whether or not the headset performed consistently regardless of the game. The other games employed for this purpose included Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist, Company of Heroes, and Sleeping Dogs. In terms of other audio, numerous genres of music and movies/TV were part of the testing process.
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3
- System Memory: 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1333 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series
- Processor: AMD FX-6100 Zambezi 3.3 GHz Six-Core Processor
- Audio: ASUS XONAR DG PCI 5.1 Audio Card
- Video: HIS Radeon HD 7950 IceQ Boost Clock 3GB GDDR5 PCI-E Graphics Card
- PSU: Corsair HX Series HX750 750W GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
- Monitor: AOC e2752Vh (27?) & Samsung SyncMaster PX2370 (24?)
- Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate
What I would consider to be the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset’s strongest asset in terms of audio output is what Corsair describes as “lethally accurate positional audio.” I was extremely impressed with the ability this headset provided to me on the battlefield when it came to pinpointing the source of an audible event. In some games, this may not be vitally important. In FPS games, such as Battlefield 4, it is essential. I really, really dislike being stabbed and having my dog tags removed. The H1500 helped me to avoid being sliced and diced on multiple occasions.
The quality of the sound rendered is generally something of a concern, don’t you think? Corsair states that the H1500 delivers, “immersive, cinematic sound.” The short answer to the question of whether or not this headset comes through here is, yes, it does. The long answer is that it may take some tweaking to get there. Out of the box, I was not blown away by the audio quality. However, once the GUI was downloaded and I had the ability to customize the audio to levels acceptable to my ear, then all was well. In the end, the games tested sounded fantastic and the music/video did as well. Bass thumps without distortion, highs and mids are perfect… again, the GUI is essential to the audio performance of this device.
Clear and concise communication is obviously an important in-game asset. The Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset is equipped with a noise-cancelling microphone to ensure that you come in loud and clear on the other end. I can confirm that this microphone performs as advertised. Utilizing TeamSpeak, in-game VoIP, and Skype, I introduced ambient noise to the background and my partners in those conversations returned very positive feedback regarding the lack of disruptive background noise. The ear cups do an adequate job helping to eliminate ambient noise; much better than anticipated, considering the microfiber-wrapped padding tasked to do the job.
In order to stay in the fight for an extended amount of time, the headset you select needs deliver in the comfort category. The ear padding is comprised of memory foam wrapped with microfiber cloth. The microfiber cloth is pretty soft. The padding, on the other hand, is a little stiffer than anticipated. It is still comfortable, but my expectations regarding padding cut from memory foam were different. The headband is soft padding wrapped in faux leather. To the touch, the headband feels as if it is going to be extremely comfortable. For whatever reason, the headband did not totally agree with me and left my head a little tender after lengthy sessions. On the head, it feels harder than it should. It is a bit rounded on the business end. If it was flatter and maybe had a bit more width, it would disperse the weight of the headset better.
Corsair bills the H1500 as providing the, “competitive edge you can only get through positional audio.” I couldn’t agree more. I experienced this advantage firsthand while using this headset during intense FPS gaming sessions. Knowing exactly where in-game sounds originate leads to better performance, period. Also, the quality of audio is outstanding once you dial it in with the GUI, which must be downloaded from Corsair’s website. In all phases of testing the audio, which included gaming, music and movies, the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset sounded great. Finally, the comfort level is very good and I expect it to improve once I break it in.
The ear cups on the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset rotate in one direction only, which is to the front about 90°. The wireless version of this headset, the H2100, has ear cups that rotate about 90° to the front and about 30° to the rear, which, ultimately, leads to a better fit. Also, the headband should be a bit wider to disperse the weight of the headset.
Each of the paragraphs below contains concluding remarks by category. The categories include appearance, performance, construction, functionality, and value. As stated earlier, my unbiased opinion, subjective as it may be, is what is being shared. It is likely that it will be different than that of another individual who has reviewed the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset.
Black and gold are the typical colors found on devices adorned with the Corsair brand. The colors on the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset are consistent with that trend. Black matte and gloss finishes with gold trim looks good on this headset. The headband, with its perforated faux leather cover with gold cloth visible through the holes, not to mention the gold stitching, is attractive. The braided cord is a nice touch and helps to finish off a top-tier headset look. More could have been done with the branding, though. It still looks good.
The Dolby 7.1 surround was clearly the right choice for this headset. Corsair stresses the advantages of directional audio delivered by this technology, and it is evident. I did not have any problems identifying from where sounds originated while playing, and that led, I have no doubt, to the improvement of my performance. Dial in the audio with the GUI and you will be more than satisfied with the output, regardless of the medium. Communicating with the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset is also a pleasure. the noise-canceling microphone not only lives up to its billing, but it also ensures that you come in loud and clear.
While the comfort level of the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset is very good, it is not the most comfortable headset I have had on my head. The ear pads are a bit stiff out of the box, but I anticipate that they will break in. The headband made the top of my head a bit tender after extended play. I hope that the headband breaks as well, but I am not confident that it will.
The Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset is a solid device. Pick one up and shake it. Nothing rattles. The braided cord is another sign of quality. I have seen frayed braided cords out of the box. Not this one. This headset is what you’d expect from Corsair in terms of the quality of construction.
Obviously, functionality is important to consumers in the market for a gaming headset. The Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset has it where it counts. The on-cord volume control is where it should be on the cord and it is simple to use. The GUI for the H1500 can be downloaded from the Corsair website. Make sure you do that. You will be happy that you did. The GUI allows you to choose from presets or program your own profiles. Just manipulate the equalizer and save.
As of November 2014, the Corsair Gaming H1500 Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset was available online for $69.89 (Amazon / Newegg). That is a lot of headset for that price. Think of what you are getting; a gaming headset that delivers Dolby 7.1 surround for under $70. Just what the doctor ordered for the budget gamer.
+ aesthetically a winner
+ Dolby 7.1 surround really delivers the directional audio
+ braided cord
+ noise-cancelling microphone
+ GUI
+ a value for under $70
+ 50mm neodymium drivers
– headband leaves head a bit tender
– GUI audio presets need improvement
– ear cups could rotate to the back for better fitting
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Performance: 8.50
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Appearance: 9.00
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Construction: 9.50
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Functionality: 9.00
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Value: 9.25
Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.
COMMENT QUESTION: What characteristics are most important to you in a gaming headset?
