Many years ago, Corsair introduced a budget gaming headset called the HS50 and I was impressed with its price and the sound quality there. Now I'm trying its new and improved version, the Corsair HS55, which is equally impressive for a pair of $60 cans. But it also faces tougher competition.

The $60 HS55 Stereo (opens in new tab) is very similar to the $50 HS50 in terms of technical specs. However, there are a few key differences that make one want to consider HS55.

Note: There are also the slightly more expensive HS55 Surround (open in new tab) headphones, but this review focuses exclusively on the less expensive stereo version.

Returning to the review, the HS55 headset is much more comfortable than Corsair's previous budget models; the HS55's plump ear cups are noticeably more comfortable than the HS50's stiff, badge-less foam. The HS55 is also light at 284 grams, which has a significant impact on comfort over long periods of use. I wore these shoes 8 hours a day for a week and never felt like taking them off. On hot days they can get a little sweaty due to the leatherette material, but this is a common drawback with gaming headsets in this price range.

The biggest improvement is the microphone arm, which is permanently located on the HS55's left ear cup and can be flipped up and out of the way when not needed. This is definitely an improvement over the previous HS50, which had a detachable microphone via a 3.5mm jack. Don't judge me, but I've lost quite a few headset mics in the past, and I'm not a big fan of keeping a microphone in front of my face all day when not in use. I am glad to see the flip-up mic in the HS55, as it is a much better option.

However, this mic is not as convenient as other mics. According to a colleague, it sounds a little tinny during meetings, but this was not much of a problem since the flexible arm allows you to move it a little closer to your face. However, once bent into place, it tends to snag my hair and once bounced up, it hits my face a bit. It's a minor thing, but it takes just a little more effort than other headsets I've tested.

Anyway, the microphone sounded great; I was really impressed with the clarity of the HS55's microphone. The subtle tones and nuances of the luscious timbre of my voice (in my opinion) come through accurately in my tests. The microphone is surprisingly clear, even in the low frequencies, and is a really great solution for a budget headset.

Keep in mind, however, that this is a 3.5mm wired headset, so both the microphone and sound quality can be adversely affected by the motherboard's DAC/amplifier and the sound card/external device to which it is connected. These days, even the cheapest motherboards have relatively decent audio, so it shouldn't make a huge difference, but it is worth considering for your overall audio setup.

Next, regarding audio, the HS55 does not have as good an audio output as the microphone input; this is not to say that the HS55 sounds bad, because it does. It doesn't. However, the high frequencies are a little too sharp, making it sound like a cheap driver.

That said, the bass response is surprisingly decent for a budget headset, and the key is that the bass is not turned up to 11x, as is common with many gaming headsets. Bass is a bit lacking when you get into the murky depths of the sub-bass, as the HS55 doesn't have much of a thumping bass. Ultimately, however, this light touch helps to prevent an all-too-common mishmash of sounds in the bass range, which can make listening to music with a cheap gaming headset a real nightmare. This is not the case with the Corsair HS55, which is not a bad pair for listening to tunes.

However, this is primarily a gaming headset, and in this respect it is better. There is enough clarity between the high, mid, and low frequencies to allow you to distinguish between the different sounds in the game. This is key if, like me, you play games that rely heavily on sound cues to warn you of danger. I play Hunt: Showdown a lot, and even with the HS55 in place, I never missed an important cue during the game.

I also liked the HS50 for similar reasons (open in new tab), and it appears that the same audio concepts and tweaks are employed in the HS55.

You get a more comfortable and lighter headset with the HS55 than with the HS50. However, the HS55 feels a bit cheaper and more plasticky than the HS50. However, HS55 feels a little cheaper than HS50 and is more plasticky to the touch.

However, Corsair's products are far from the only competition for this headset: there is Razer's Kraken (open in new tab) and BlackShark V2 X (open in new tab), both of which are good competitors; HyperX has the Cloud II (open in tab) Corsair has enough performance to be considered by gamers looking for a new headphone, but this is tough competition.

The microphone is the real star here. It's very clear and delivers great results; you won't have trouble hearing on Discord or in-game chat, and you won't be the player with a mangled, scratchy microphone that no one wants to play with. The design of the mic is not exactly to my liking, but it is convenient and sounds great. I really appreciate the HS55 at this price.