Corsair’s new ultra-budget gaming headset, the HS35 V2, seems to tick all the right boxes—50mm drivers, a ski-goggle headband for superior comfort, a decent mic, and a lengthy 3.5mm cable, and all that for wallet-friendly AED 200.
And while the headset doesn’t do anything offensively wrong, I didn't come away loving it. It’s comfortable alright, but the headband starts to hurt after a while. The 50mm drivers are large and are able to create a grand soundstage, but the bloated sound signature offers a below average listening experience. The mic is decent, however and can be an excellent communicator when required.
If you are okay with the concessions, the Corsair HS35 V2 is a middle of the road, super average gaming headset that won’t break the bank.
Design and Features
The HS35 V2 is a complete overhaul in terms of design compared to the previous model. If you ask me, I liked the look of the older model than the new one (purely judging from the pictures) as it looked more like Corsair’s other, more expensive headsets. Regardless, the V2 is not an ugly duckling by any means, but it’s not overtly stylish and neither does it punch above its price tag in terms of design (i.e. - yeah, it looks budget).
But budget doesn’t always necessarily mean poor quality. While I cannot attest to the durability of the headset over a long period, I didn’t have any particular issue with it in my two weeks of use. The build is predominantly plastic, hence making the headset quite light, but the overall construction feels solid in the hands. There were no creak or groans when I twisted the headset beyond its limits, so that’s a good sign.
The traditional headband design is swapped for a floating one, which can be adjusted by tightening the straps to make the headsets loose or snug on your head. This is similar to the many Steelseries headsets and even some Corsair ones (the HS80 MAX, for example) already available, and offers similar comfort. The large memory foam ear cups are reasonably soft and have a gentle clamp force. I could wear them for hours if not for the headband digging into my scalp around 30 mins in. However, I am also a balding middle-aged man, so the headset could be comfortable for those with nice, shiny voluminous hair (and yes, I am jealous).
What irks me about the design, however, is that there is no slider to adjust the ‘height’ of the headset. Instead, the height is delegated to the overall tension of the floating headband, and I fear there might not be enough space to fit abnormally large head sizes.
In terms of I/O, since this is a wired headset, there aren’t many controls to fiddle with. On the left earcup, you will find a volume scroller, a mic on/off button, a non-detachable boom mic as well as a 3.5mm cable. The 3.5mm cable makes the headset compatible with virtually any gaming device out there, including the Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PCs, Nintendo Switch, and handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally, Steam Deck, etc.
The cable (1.8m, non-detachable) is lengthy enough to connect with controllers and headphone ports that are at an arm’s length, but those who have slightly congested desktop setups might find accommodating it slightly difficult.
Sound Signature and Game Performance
The Corsair HS35 V2 uses “custom-tuned” 50mm neodymium drivers and are slightly angled for better delivery to your ears. They make a solid first impression, too. The sound is wide and big, and seems set to deliver the goods for the price. However, the cracks soon expose themselves.
The overall sound signature is significantly bloated to a point where all of the frequencies are jumbled together into an incohesive mess. A quick perusal about the previous model suggests that it, too, suffered from the same problem.
The majority of the problem stems from the unruly bass, which lacks any sort of finesse and routinely pours over to the mid-range frequency. This drowns a lot of the details and vocals, which makes everything sound too ‘boomy’. This is also not for the bass-heads among us, as despite the heavy emphasis on the bass, it’s not really refined to deliver a proper thump.
The mid-range frequency sits at a deep valley, peaking out when the bass relents, but everything sounds so far away and compressed that there is no sparkle and joy left. The high-range frequency also suffers a similar fate. The divers are tuned for longevity, so the highs are blunted to a degree, but there isn’t much detail to be found here. Mostly everything sounds extremely smooth, lacking the energy required to make some audio cues pop.
Soundstage is larger than most closed-back headsets, but positional accuracy is spotty at best. You can make out the general position of the enemy, but there aren't enough layers in the audio to make any tactical guesses. It’s not entirely bad for competitive shooters but you might be left wanting more from it after a while (and maybe a good virtual surround sound solution could help).
The headset somewhat redeems itself with the microphone. The boom arm, while cannot be detached from the headset, has enough flexibility to be repositioned to wherever you like, and even get it out of the way when required. The omni-directional microphone is able to pick up your voice with decent clarity, and doesn’t sound too tinny or compressed while doing it. It may not be high quality enough to host streams or record podcasts, but for online chats, it will more than suffice.
Here's a voice recording sample using Audacity on a MacBook Pro:
The Corsair HS35 V2 sits squarely in its price range, with no ambitions to punch above it. While the build quality, comfort and the microphone are reasonably good, the sound signature leaves a lot to be desired. Even for the price, the unrefined and bloated audio experience doesn’t quite cut it. It’s not a lost cause if you are looking for a budget headset, but for the money, there are better options available such as the Razer Blackshark V2 X, Astro A10, Turtle Beach Recon 70, and more.
