Corsair HS50 Review – Stereo Headset 2021

Corsair HS50 Headset Review

Corsair is a well-known developer of gaming accessories, and their Corsair HS50 headset is among the most affordable in the market.

But, does the lower price tag also mean lower quality performance? Fortunately, for a gaming headphone that costs under $50, the Corsair HS50 is surprisingly proficient when it comes to its sound quality performance.

You can't expect it to provide top-tier sound quality – but for the low-price tag, the HS50 is an impressive feat of headphone engineering. Keyword being "for the low-price tag".

The design is pretty straightforward here. Don't expect any bells and whistles like RGB lighting.

But, if you don't care much for style, there might be something for you with the Corsair HS50.

Main Features of Corsair HS50

Design

In terms of appearance, the HS50 is quite unassuming. It is almost identical to the HS60 headset in all but the headband stitching color. The over-ear design is the standard when it comes to gaming headphones.

For those who persist in having a stylish headset, you will be glad to know that the Corsair HS50 does come in two variations: the blue PS4 version and the green Xbox One version.

As we have stated, the Corsair HS50 has a simple design and won't come with any RGB or LED lighting feature.

A strange exclusion as RGB or LED lighting has become the norm with gaming headphones.

The ear cans do have an open-back like design with the grills on the exterior of the cans.

If you want to use it outside, you can as it does look like your standard over-ear headset. However, it might be too bulky for some.

All in all, there is not much to discuss when it comes to the Corsair HS50's design as it is pretty bare-bones and nothing of note to tackle.

If you prefer a gaming headset that you can also bring out during commutes, you might want to check this out.

Comfort

Corsair markets the HS50 headset is one of their most comfortable headphones, and it is easy to see why.

The headband and ear cup construction are pretty standard and will fit most head sizes perfectly.

My personal experience with the HS50 is quite good as it felt snug enough without feeling as if my head is in a vice grip. 

I wore it for a couple of hours without any noteworthy discomfort.
The earcups don't swivel so it is best to test it out to see if it fits you nicely.

The headband is also somewhat stiff. I won't be surprised if bigger/taller individuals find the HS50 too tight to wear.

The earpads are just soft enough to avoid overtly pressing down on your ears and provides adequate support. I would have preferred the cushion to be softer, though.

Audio and Microphone

For an extremely budget-friendly headphone, the Corsair HS50 provides decent sound quality. This can be attributed to its use of the more significant 50mm drivers, which delivers excellent highs and impressive bass response.

Sound quality delivers a resounding win, but nothing to go over the moon.

I used the HS50 with games like Overwatch, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and WWE2k19 – different genres of games and I'm glad to note it performed well.

Sound quality with games like Overwatch that uses an energetic and frenetic soundtrack was handled quite well. The crowd was also booming with WWE2K19.

I do like to point out that the HS50 lacks when it comes to playing immersive games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

It was also a bit underwhelming when I played Resident Evil 2 Remake as the ambient sound felt somewhat flat.

As for the microphone, it held pretty well even with some ambient noise issues. Again, the HS50 is pretty much what you would expect with a below $50 gaming headset.

You won't have much problem with the mic when playing online games and streaming, but it is not up to standards for recording podcasts.

Notable Features

For the price, you can't expect much in regards to the features that come with the Corsair HS50 headset.

Sound spatial awareness is okay as you can quickly pinpoint the direction of in-game sounds in quieter games like Resident Evil 2 Remake.

But it did feel quite chaotic and indistinguishable with games like Overwatch.

If you use this headphone for listening to music, it can handle itself respectively in that area as well.

We did notice the HS50 having a bit of trouble when it comes to mid-range frequencies as we experience a dip in voice chat quality during hectic moments during our games.

Explosions and gunfire tend to drown out the voice chat somewhat.

Controls provide your basic options such as volume and mute, but not much else. We do give it props for being extremely easy to use as the mute button is easy to locate and push.

One of the downsides we would like to point out with the HS50 is its disappointingly short chord at only 6.8 inches. It is quite distracting as I had to continually be aware of the length of the cord when moving.

This is due to me being used to having exceptionally longer cables with my gaming headphones.

I did like the fact that the microphone is detachable, making the HS50 low-key enough to bring with you during commutes.

Pros:

Cons:

Conclusion

If you are looking for bare bones gaming headphone from a reputable brand, the Corsair HS50 is a decent option. It doesn't come with much fanfare, and it only delivers the bare minimum of gaming headphones.

With that said, it is a pretty sturdy budget-friendly headset that will be able to provide what you need when it comes to playing games. Just keep your expectations at a reasonable level.