Wireless keyboards and mice are still the most commonly used peripherals. However, wireless headsets have slowly become very popular with both PC and console gamers alike despite their increased cost over regular wired headsets. CORSAIR, better known world wide for their Dominator GT memory and Force GT SSDs, took a bold step in launching their Vengeance Gaming headsets last year. They recently took an even bolder step by launching their Vengeance 2000 Wireless 7.1 gaming headset.
While their Vengeance 1500 5.1 Gaming headset has done a great job of seducing our auditory senses, the Vengeance 2000 Wireless 7.1 Gaming headset takes it a couple “channels” further. The real challenge is transmitting all that considerable audio data efficiently, accurately and with the least amount of latency. Is their wireless performance just as good as the wired? That’s what we’re “hear” to to find out!
Features and Specifications
At a quick glance, the headphone frequency response suggests that it provides a decent low 20Hz bass frequency and high 20kHz treble frequency. Everything in the middle translates in to healthy voice, or mid range. The 105dB sensitivity hints to a relatively robust volume levels. This is all possible via two 50mm drivers (speakers) that have have 25mm magnets as well as 16mm voice coils. While the microphone often seems standard across most headsets, the Vengeance 2000 utilizes a high sensitivity condenser mic built in to the adjustable boom. It’s noise cancelling so background or ambient noises shouldn’t make it through the mic. Clarity naturally depends on the quality of the processing and your ability to enunciate.
The headset wireless 2.4GHz signal range reaches up to 40 feet, or 12 meters. This is assuming you don’t have any walls or obstructions. Otherwise transmission distances will be much shorter. Maybe one of the more impressive features is that the headset should also be able to hold a charge up to 10 hours. We will find out if that turns out to be “mostly” true in our testing.
The CORSAIR Vengeance 2000 Wireless Gaming Headset retails for around $149 US at most major retailers. That makes it at least $50 more than its wired brother, the Vengeance 1500. Let’s see if the added convenience has any downsides.
What’s in the Box?
Inside your retail box is the headset, USB charging cable, USB patch cable with rubber base and wireless dongle. The charging cable has a Type-A female port on one end and mini Type-B male on the other. This isn’t as common of a cable as the mini Type-b 5pin. Keep this in mind if you need a new one, or go back to Corsair for a replacement. Software drivers can be downloaded directly from Corsair.
Examining the CORSAIR Vengeance 2000 Wireless Headset
The V2000 are really nicely put together, especially up close. The design actually hides a couple more notable features. For example, the left ear cup contains the button needed to sync or re-sync the headset with the wireless adapter. Simply press the button which blinks blue and it’ll acquire the signal automatically. The same ear cup has a small aluminum thumb wheel which controls the volume. Overall, very cool implementation in this respect.
Looking over the headset in greater detail, it’s made from mainly rigid plastics that resemble brushed aluminum, making it quite attractive. Rotating and moving the headset reveals clean movement free of frame bending or contorting. The ear cups are attached to the head band via metal bushings of sorts. Four black screws on each ear piece make sure things grip tightly. Naturally, the head band extends rather than the cups themselves which is always a good design.
Each closed ear cup uses roughly 1″ thick memory foam for the best, secure fit around the ears and assist in noise isolation and direction of audio. They’re quite soft thanks to the material covering the memory foam. After about 10 minutes, they conform back to original shape. The cushioned head band uses the same foam and is covered with thin “fleather” (simulated or fake leather) material. Overall, the headset makes a plush, yet snug fit.
Let’s move on to see what the setup process is like then we can give you the goods on comfort and sound quality!
Setting Up the CORSAIR Vengeance 2000 Headset
Set up is pretty simple. For best results, the wireless USB adapter should be placed on top of your desk or work space whether plugged in to the patch port cable or system. I found the audio cuts out if the transmitter isn’t relatively visible or if more than 20 feet away which isn’t a big deal even for home theater PC systems. Once you’re connected, simply download and install the software driver from Corsair’s product page and restart the system after installation. Once back in Windows, it may be necessary to press the left ear cup button to activate the headset.
The software contains the audio driver and settings needed to configure the headset’s performance based on your preference. There is a lot of clean bass in all the presets but a couple of the settings have low treble for some reason. Fortunately, users can program their own configurations in the presets. The surround settings show the HRTF positional audio off a bit more. Selecting the Bypass button will remove any effects for a more pure audio experience.
Are The CORSAIR Vengeance 2000 Comfortable?
This is one of the top two questions. I’m comparing the Vengeance 2000 against the Tritton AX Pro Dolby headset which once held the top spot in my collection. Headset comfort can depend on the shape of your noggin but there are design differences that ensured the Vengeance 2000 were easily wearable for two hours at a time. The Vengeance 2K have an 8.5 inch padded head band which spreads the pressure out evenly, and helps to negate added weight of a wireless headset. The AX Pro has a 3.5 inch pad which can often create a bothersome pressure point in the dead center of your head.
The Vengeance 2K have round ear cups that don’t put pressure on the ears. The AX Pro are rectangular which does squeeze the ears a bit, and become an issue over time. So overall, CORSAIR has done a fine job of ensuring long term comfort for gaming and for movies. But how do they sound?
How is the Audio Performance?
The audio performance is especially important. For comparison, I’m testing the Vengeance 2000 against the aforementioned Tritton AX Pro Dolby headset. Both are USB powered and support multichannel audio. Note: The motherboard’s integrated audio was disabled and each USB headset set as primary audio source.
Decibel for decibel, the AX Pro and Vengeance 2K put up a serious fight against one another. The AX Pro can get quite loud but some of its individual drivers can quickly max out (when they work) requiring you tune each channel accordingly. Otherwise there is serious distortion that you can hear, which ruins the overall listening experience. The AX Pro often defaulted to stereo in many cases.
The Vengeance 2K stayed quite clear since they have a single 50mm driver which balances power at higher volumes. The HRTF channel reproduction is relatively decent as long as the Surround is disabled, or Bypass turned on. Surround can create too much of an echo further confusing the senses. These are the biggest pros and cons between stereo and surround headsets.
During my recent 24 hour Intel Lanfest Infernalan beat down, the headset held at least an 8.75 hour charge at a time. The volume was often at least 50% which drains the battery more quickly. They took about 30 minutes or less to recharge in between use. Wearing them with the wire connected was a non-issue given the flexibility of the wire. This is a great convenience as you never want to stop the game, even if the batteries are draining. Just plug in the cord and keep going.
Final Thoughts
There are pros and cons to both analog and USB headsets. Analog and USB multichannel reproduction accuracy depend on the audio source like an inline USB audio processor, integrated audio (motherboard) or discrete audio card. Analog multichannel headsets rely on integrated codecs or audio cards with multiple wires bundled in to one thick wire, which can often be a point of weakness in terms of wear and tear. USB headets rely heavily on the inline audio processor for sound and use only a single wire that’s quite a bit more resilient. But which is better?
With that said, I’ve had twelve different headsets in the lab and only three remain due to quality control issues like broken frames and/or faulty wiring. That’s the great thing about the CORSAIR Vengeance 2000 Wireless gaming headset. There are no permanent wires to inconvenience or develop issues due to wear and tear. The overall construction is far more substantial than most units I’ve used. While the headset uses a very nice inline C-Media audio processor, the audio channel reproduction will depend on the game title and driver settings selected. So there is some fine tuning to be had before you may get optimal results.
Ultimately, the CORSAIR Vengeance 2000 Wireless Gaming Headset perform similarly to their previous, and still very good HS1. The ear cup rotation could be tightened up a bit as they pivot a little too easily and the USB wires could use a couple more feet for easier setup. However, the audio is quite clear, noise free and most importantly, the headset is wire free which is really what they’re all about. They really give up very little in terms of audio vs. the wired version and the added wireless convenience more than makes up for that.
You can find the Vengeance 2000 for $145 to $150 US/CA from the more popular online retailers making them well worth the cost. Gamers with a more limited budget can find the Vengeance 1500 for $99 US/CA.
Pros
- Wireless connectivity
- Very good design and fit
- Crisp, clean audio performance
- Easy setup and configuration
- Volume roller and sync buttons on the left cup
- 2 year warranty
Cons
- Surround reproduction echos
- USB headset wire a little too short
- Easy to hit the sync button by accident
Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10.0
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