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You have just collected your brand new XBox Series X, you are ready to throw yourself into the fray but then you realize that your headset, inseparable companion of adventures for the whole last gen, is about to abandon you. You have two options: hold on, and while you take off the remnants of faux leather from the sweatshirt you repeat " ... so much is the audio secondary ", or you go on a frantic search to find a worthy replacement, who will accompany you for at least the next five years.
If you are part of the firstly category we wish you good
luck, if instead you are more for the second then stay with us, we may have
some advice to dispense you.
A few days ago, in fact, the last wireless headset made in
Corsair was delivered to us ,: a hi-tech jewel expressly designed for Xbox
Series X (or S) , but also for PC users with Windows 10 on board. It is a
high-end product, characterized by the unmistakable quality and robustness
typical of Corsair, equipped with a glorious Dolby Atmos certification .
The price, we say it immediately, is not very friendly: €
179.99 on Amazon Italy, and if you plan to use them via PC, then you must also
take into account the purchase of an Xbox Wireless Adapter (about € 35). If, on
the other hands, you are thinking of pairing it with a console, then just hold
down the power button, just like a pad, and Xbox will do the rest.
Design Über Alles
The new Corsair HS75 XB are very similar to their two
smaller sisters, the HS70 and HS60, in the sense that like them they share the
same minimal and sober concept, typical of Corsair. No egocentric leds, no
aggressive logos or bold edges; rather soft curves and resistant materials and
a great abundance of metal .
In this regard, the first detail that catches the eye is
precisely the external finish of the (generous) pavilions: also made of metal
and with a "triangular" texture that surrounds the Corsair sails logo
which, in addition to elegance, it has the power to make the whole structure
seem indestructible. Same thing goes for the bayonets that support the
pavilions, made of thick aluminum and without too many frills, but still really
impressive.
The memory foam coverings in contact with the skin, on the
other hand, including that of the upper dome, are really ultra-comfortable;
wide, soft and wrapped in what appears to be a very high-end eco-leather , even
if on this specific material, as usual, no one can really guarantee the actual
duration.
By extending the ferrules up to the maximum, a really wide
arch can be obtained, also suitable for larger heads: comfort is therefore
guaranteed, especially in the face of only 379g of weight, but keep in mind
that the structure is sturdy, and that it still tends to "tighten the grip",
so if you love super-flexible or almost non-existent style, this is something
to keep in mind.
The placement of the keys is practical and functional ,
although unlike many other headsets here it develops on both sides. In addition
to the ignition / pairing, on the right we find the inevitable wheel for the
mix between in-game audio and chat, while on the left side there is obviously
the USB type C input (cable included) for fast charging, volume and finally the
button to mute the microphone, the latter having no LED indicator.
Speaking of microphone, also in this case we are talking
about a removable semi-rigid headband equipped with an anti-pop cap, able to
rotate and twist, adapting to your every need. Simple, versatile and
functional: the design of the new HS75 XB is certainly perfect for gaming, it
has character and style, but if you want you can easily take it to the office,
without declaring your domestic passion to everyone.
Performance
From a headset with this cost, at least a scary sound is
expected, and in fact the HS75 XB does not betray expectations: thanks to the
large 50mm Neodymium drivers, the yield is extremely full-bodied, capable of a
rather important volume but above all well balanced between highs, mids and
lows, even if the latter have a slightly more pronounced accent (as Corsair
wants).
However, if we use the Dolby Atmos function, then we really
go up a level; the latter, as many will already know, has the ability to
interpret the origin of sound sources in virtual space, thus managing to return
an incredibly enveloping and immersive 7.1 simulated audio, while not
completely isolating it from external sounds. Anyway, before you can ask, yes:
compared to other headsets without this certification, Dobly Atmos guarantees
greater precision , as well as a particularly pleasant brilliance derived from
the separation of individual sounds, without ever losing the general amalgam.
Thanks to the Dolby Access software supplied, very simple
but also quite accurate, it is possible to modify the parameters and access
some simplified presets, such as Games, where ambient sounds are emphasized,
Cinema, where basses are the masters and finally Music. , which generally
focuses on the power of the beat without losing the mid-frequency spectrum.
There is also a performance option explicitly created to
enhance even more all those positional sounds typical of COD-style competitive
FPS, such as footsteps of enemies, but also bullets and explosions, and we must
admit that although some frequencies become of consequently a little
"excavated" the result is quite impressive. You can also tinker and
create up to three custom EQ profiles, and on console this level of
customization is by no means obvious.
On the software front, therefore, the promotion is
guaranteed, especially on Xbox Series X , but keep in mind that on PC the app
must be downloaded and managed through the Microsoft Store, and once again we
must admit that between bugs and endless crashes, it was not certainly a good
experience.
After having talked about listening extensively, now it's up
to the capture, or the microphone, which given the successes of the past
Corsair in this case was a special guard. The Californian company has in fact
the reputation of making good microphones , and not only in terms of noise
cancellation, which is still there and does its job worthily, but rather for
the ability of the capsule to record a sound free from all those annoying
artificial compressions, which crush the speaker's voice too much. It also
happens to the best, some would say, and in fact the latter is a very
widespread problem even with other big brands, but luckily Corsair managed to
deliver good quality this time too, certainly far from dedicated microphones,
buthowever above average .
It remains to discuss only the duration of the batteries,
which however is not a trivial matter; let's just say that compared to the
approximately 20h declared by Corsair, our test returned results ranging from
11 to 13 hours , which obviously are not bad at all, but not even record-breaking.