Closer Examination, Build Quality and Comfort

The Corsair HS35 looks basic, completely unassuming, especially in the "Carbon" variant. Its design was obviously inspired by the more expensive HS50, though you don't have to be an expert to notice where the company cut a couple of corners. Gone are the metal yokes that hold the HS50's ear cups. The ear cups of the HS35 Stereo are affixed to the headband with a simple plastic mechanism. The ear cups themselves, as well as the headband, are entirely made out of plastic. There are no leather-like parts covering the headband either. With that said, the plastic that was used to build the HS35 Stereo isn't prone to creaking, or anything else of the sort. If you're not the kind of gamer that throws his peripherals around in rage, you'll have absolutely no issues with the build quality of the HS35 Stereo.


The ear cups have a certain amount of swivel, which is a welcome feature in terms of adjustability for various head shapes and sizes.


The frame of the headset can be flexed by a fair amount without snapping. The fact that it's not completely rigid suggests that it's likely to survive a fall or two without breaking.


Both the inner headband and the ear cups are made out of memory foam covered with a comfortable, breathable plush fabric. Because of the materials used here, as well as the low weight of the headset (only 250 grams!), made possible by its all-plastic construction, the Corsair HS35 Stereo can be used for many, many hours at a time without ever becoming even slightly uncomfortable. It's one of those headsets you put on your head and almost forget about wearing. I'd go so far as to argue that it's the most comfortable headset Corsair ever made, although all of the models from their current lineup fare very well in this department.


The "height" of the headset can be adjusted by sliding the ear cups up and down the frame. The range of motion is somewhat limited, but I had no issues making the headset fit my largeish head perfectly.


On the rear the left ear cup, you'll find the volume dial and the microphone mute button. I like the way they're implemented and prefer it over having those controls on an in-line remote control, as is common practice with analogue headsets. This way, you always know exactly where to reach to instead of having to look for the in-line controls around your chest area.


The left ear cup is also where you'll plug in the supplied unidirectional microphone. Corsair is using a standard 3.5-mm microphone connector, but the hole leading to it is square and has a small notch to make the microphone lock in securely. Unfortunately, this makes it impossible to plug in most other third-party microphones. Just for kicks, I wanted to try the HS35 Stereo out with the excellent V-Moda BoomPro, but was unable to because it just wouldn't fit into the hole on the HS35. In reality, I don't see this as much of an issue; if the microphone of a $40 headset breaks outside of the 2-year warranty window, you'll probably just buy a new one. There's no need to replace the stock microphone of the HS35 Stereo in the context of its quality either, but we'll get to that in the microphone performance section of this review.


The arm of the microphone uses a familiar design. It consists of a series of metal rings that make it easily bendable, while at the same time ensuring that it stays in exactly the position it's adjusted to. The microphone capsule isn't protected with a windscreen, so you'll have to spend a dollar or two on one if you want a windscreen; it will give the headset a more "professional" look and also improves the microphone quality, which I'll explain in greater detail in the microphone performance section of this review.


The rubberized cable isn't detachable. It terminates in a 3.5-mm 4-pole TRRS plug, which plugs directly into consoles, mobile devices and some sound cards. If the sound card of your PC has a more common layout with separate audio input and output, you'll have to use the supplied TRRS-to-dual TRS adapter.