Creative HS-1200 Stylish Wireless Headset

Author: Toni 'HaoKi' Siik Published: 29.10.2008 Manufacturer: Creative Product Group: Audio In English Suomeksi

Sound Quality

I used this headset for some time while working, gaming and just relaxing. I found the sound quality to be good, but not good enough for it to reach the same level, as for example the Steelseries Siberia series, nor the likes of Sennheisers HD-555s. One thing however you have to remember is that the HS-1200 is the only wireless headset of the bunch. I found that pretty much every high sound was nice and clear, but the bass really lacked some umpf. Of course you can add some bass boost from the control panel, but it still doesn't fix the problem completely.

For gaming I tested the headset in TF2, COD4, CS:S just to name a few titles, all FPS-games where you need to hear the enemies footsteps etc. The headset really did work fine regarding the positioning, but once again the flat bass-sounds really dampened the mood in the games.

The microphone was tested by using VOIP-software. This time Ventrilo was used for most of the time. I use several hours a day chatting with friends online. The microphone did do its job, but there was lots of room for improvement.

Comfort

For someone that's used to using headphones which have earcups that surround the ear completely, instead of resting on the ears, this headset felt a bit "heavy" to use. Sure it stays on your head, but atleast for me they put a little too much pressure on the ears for the headset to be comfortable for longer periods. Then again I just might have a big head. If you only use the headphones for an hour or so max, this shouldn't be a problem. Of course there are people that are used to headphones that really put some pressure on your ears, this headset shouldn't pose any kind of problems for them.

Conclusion PROS  Wireless Clear sounds Surround effects in OpenAL and ALchemy supported games CONS  Won't allow you to use a separate soundcard Short power-cord Small design flaws Driver issues Silver Award! Wireless technology has taken enormous leaps in the past few years. This wireless headset is lightyears away from the last wireless headphones that I've used. Creative has produced a nice wireless product that has been targeted at the gamers and they have done a decent job at achieving the main requirements for a gaming headset. However even if many of the needs may have been met, I think that many solutions that Creative has taken could've been better thought out. For the casual gamer that really doesn't sit around at the computer for hours, this headset might just be their thing. No annoying wires, decent sound quality and fairly well implemented 3D sound effects are among the things that are in this headsets favour. However if you use both headphones and speakers and just a bit more time on the computer, I really do think that this really isn't the best headset for you.

Additional Information

Past related articles in Metku.net Steelseries Siberia Full-Size Headset Steelseries Siberia Neckband Project: GhettoBlaster LOGiWOOD

Pages:   1 2 3 4 5