Pros & Cons
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- Decent headphone, mic quality.
- Very good X-Fi software drivers.
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- Fit is a little tight for those with large heads.
- Possible volume problems on some systems.
Fatal1ty USB Gaming Headset HS-1000 Specs
| Active Noise Cancellation: | Active |
| Frequency Range: | 20Hz ~ 20kHz |
| Type: | Circumaural (over-ear) |
I wasn't a fan of the original Fatal1ty Gaming Headset. The design was fine, but the audio wasn't. The $79.99 (direct) Creative Fatal1ty USB Gaming Headset HS-1000 does better. Though unlike it's predecessor, the headset can't plug into sound cards or integrated audio subsystems, since it just uses a simple USB connector, the included host-based X-Fi audio driver is quite good. You don't get all the modes and features of the X-Fi sound cards, but the virtual surround CMSS-3D, X-Fi Crystalizer, and ambient EAX effects sound great.
The headset may be less than ideal for people with large heads, but otherwise it's fairly comfortable. Up/down volume buttons do make for cumbersome sound-level adjustment, though. And on one test system, the audio quickly became deafening when I turned up the volume—probably a driver bug. Still, both the earphone and microphone audio quality seem improved over the previous Fatal1ty headset. Neither match that of far more expensive headsets, but this product is a good option for those wanting a simple USB headset under $100.