I've been into gaming headsets for a few years now, and the headset is a peripheral you don't want to get wrong. Having had some bad luck with my previous set, the Turtle Beach Z300, I decided to turn to a brand that I trust - Corsair. I already own several Corsair products and am very happy with them, so I decided to give one of their headsets a try.
The Vengeance 2100 is a wireless headset using Dolby 7.1 virtual surround sound, and there are quite a few headsets that do this nowadays, though the quality can vary. It has a strong battery life at 10 hours, large 50mm drivers, and a good control panel. The headset itself has one button for turning the device on and off, and a fantastic knurled scroll wheel for adjusting the master volume.
Straight out of the box, you can tell this device is built to a high standard. The logo placement looks very professional, something Corsair have unfortunately ruined with their latest line of 'Corsair Gaming' devices. The headband has markings for adjustments and the headset as a whole appears quite rigid.
I'm no expert on sound quality, however the sound produced by this headset is the best of any I've owned. At the time of reviewing this, I got to compare it with the Logitech G930, and can say that the Vengeance headset produces far superior sounds which is likely due to the large 50mm drivers this headset uses.
The wireless connectivity is extremely convenient - especially if you like to use it with other computers. I actually use this with my Surface Pro 3 when I'm working out so that I can stream music in my workout room, which was known as the living room before I took it over. When using it with my gaming rig, I use the USB extension that Corsair provided with the device to plug the wireless adapter into. This is the first wireless headset I've had which provided an extension like this, and it's very nice to have. By using this extension, you can get a direct line of sight to the adapter and as a result you get zero interference as opposed to plugging the adapter directly into the back of the PC, where it can cut out every now and then due to obstructions.
The control panel is packed with features, including the ability to turn the surround sound on and off, which is very much necessary as music mostly sounds better without the surround sound. You can change the relative intensities of the frequencies in your audio by yourself, or select from a handy list of pre-sets that Corsair have provided. The control panel also allows you to enable microphone playback, so that you can hear yourself when speaking. Some people like this, and some don't, but it's great to see so many customization options.
The microphone is unidirectional and noise-cancelling, and sounds pretty good. Simply flip it down to start using it, and flip it back up to mute the mic at any time. The mic has a lot of adjustment vertically but not much horizontally - however, horizontal movement shouldn't be required. There is an issue with the mic, which is related to charging. The charging port is on the left cup with the mic, as opposed to charging on the right like most other headsets. It appears that due to close proximity, charging causes interference with the microphone and my friends can hear intermittent buzzing through my mic. If you need to charge when talking, it appears that fiddling with the mic a bit can often make the buzzing go away, but this is definitely an issue that you should consider as talking whilst charging is not practical. The mic is perfectly fine when not charging - the buzzing is only an issue when charging.
When charging the headset, the charging port pulses orange. Corsair were very clever and made the end of their charging cable transparent, so the light propagates through the clear plastic and allows you to see this orange pulsing from any angle. It's a great example of attention to the small details, and you can see the images I've taken for an example of this.
In my experience, the main issue with headsets has been comfort. Comfort is very important - and I've had two headsets that caused me considerable discomfort during use, and this hasn't always been obvious from the beginning. I can't tell you which headset will be most comfortable for you, as it's largely dependent on the shape of your head. If you can, then try them on - look for ear cups that sit over your ears and are deep enough to not put pressure on your ears, as this can cause discomfort after a while. You should also make sure that the cups close properly around your ears, which is a big deal for sound quality and will also affect your ability to use the surround sound to its full potential. What I can tell you is that the ear pads on this headset are soft - they're memory foam, which is always nice and I would say the headband is soft, although seems to be padded with something other than memory foam. I've found this headset to be a tight enough fit for me to lift weights with and have it mostly stay on my head, but also have sufficient padding to not cause any discomfort.
The Vengeance 2100 is a great headset. It's comfortable, fits me perfectly, the cups close around my ears, battery life is strong and the sound produced by the 50mm drivers is great. If you're looking for a wireless surround sound gaming headset, you should definitely give this a chance, because even with the charging/mic issue, I couldn't see myself using anything else in this price range right now.
Those of you who have been shopping around may have noticed the newer Corsair Gaming H2100 headset, and may be wondering if it's worth looking at. Personally, as I said above, I'm not a fan of their new branding. Thankfully, the H2100 appears to be a near-identical copy of the Vengeance 2100, simply rebranded. I chose the Vengeance headset - if you prefer the yellow and like the new logo, then by all means get the new Corsair Gaming version.
Note: If you're curious about some of my previous headsets or other Corsair peripherals, you should be able to find my reviews through my Amazon profile.
This review is also available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1HBEENV08SI1I/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
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