Corsair HS70 Wireless Multi-Format Headset Review
Peter Donnell / 4 years ago
A Closer Look
It’s quite a stylish looking headset, but then, I thought that about the last few Corsair headsets in this range, as they all look broadly similar. There are a fair few variations though, colour being the most notable one. There are versions with fancy stitching and colours, shiny bits, etc. However, this one is much more muted, the carbon look, and I love how stealthy and understated it is.
While it’s not all one shade, the headset is pretty much all black. With black steel on the headband mount, matte black plastics on the ear cup surround, and a darker but slightly glossy hard-metal mesh on the back of the ear cups.
Don’t be fooled by that mesh, however, as the drivers are not an open back design. They are sealed in there pretty tight, and that will help lock in the sound from the 50mm drivers. However, it’ll also help block out a lot of ambient noise too.
Being a wireless headset, all the hardware needs to be built-in to the headset, including the batteries. Despite this, the headset doesn’t feel overly heavy, and not really much different from the wired version really, which is impressive. It feels well-balanced and has a good weight of quality about it. It also feels pretty robust, you can bend, pull and twist at it, and it doesn’t feel like anything is straining or wanting to pop loose.
Furthremore, all the controls you require are built into the headset too. On one side, you’ll find a master volume wheel, as well as a nicely clicky mechanical switch for the microphone mute. It’s the same shape as the power button, but raised much higher so you can easily feel which is which without looking.
Below that, you’ll find the USB-C charging port. However, the headset can actually be used in wired USB mode, should you need it. There’s a 3.5mm jack, as the headset can be used in passive powered mode too via any compatible audio device… basically just like any other set of headphones.
There’s also a rubber grommet here covering the microphone mount. I don’t use my microphone too often, so I love that it’s removable. Alas, ever staff call, I can never find my microphone, so it’s a pro and a con.
On the other side of the headset, you’ll find the master power button. It’ll turn off after a while to save power if you’re not using it. However, if you want to turn it off immediately, just hold the button for a few seconds.
The headset has been designed for long-term comfort, so you’ll find a rubbery soft padding on the interior of the headband. It provides a little extra grip on your head, so the band doesn’t slide back and forth. However, it does a very good job of distributing the weight of the headset too; it’s very comfortable overall.
The top of the headband has a more traditional leather look to it, with just a simple Corsair logo printed on one side.
There’s also a little print here with the product name, but otherwise, branding is kept fairly tidy and understated.
The ear cups are deep with lots of soft memory-foam padding, and more of that PU leather material. I love this stuff, as it massively improves the noise isolation properties of the headset. You hear less of what’s around you and more of what the drivers are doing. It also has the added effect of increasing the low-end frequency response of the drivers. Locking the sound it tightens up the bass and just gives it more punch overall.
It’s not the most complex or refined headset in the Corsair range, but it does still pack some pretty decent drivers. They pack a good punch, offering a decent low end bass note, so everything from Little Bit to Stravinsky has the womp you would desire. There’s a nice warm detailed quality to the mid-range, giving all the groovy tones you need to enjoy a performance by Focus.
I do mostly use my headset for music, but when it comes to gaming, the HS70 does shine pretty bright. There’s a lot of detail in the sound and plenty of volume when you need it too. I’ve been using it for my evenings of playing ESO, and the dungeon runs as a blast with this headset, as it really picks out the ambience. Plus, the microphone isn’t too shabby either, it’s bright and clear and didn’t really throw up any issues over discord.
It’s not the most complex microphone in the world, far from it, but it got the job done just fine and that’s fair enough for this price range. If you want something more impressive, you’d have to step of the Corsair Virtuoso headsets or something similar.