Genius HS-04U

Verdict: [+] GeniusDSP processing built into driver; comfy[-]GeniousTerrible microphone quality; poor headphone quality; gimmicky LED volume control

Have you seen those adverts for WKD where a bunch of suburban geezers perform hilarious pranks upon each other before settling down to drink some grim alcopops? Clearly, it’s a drink that’s marketed directly at imbeciles. Fair enough, really.

If the same premise applies to Genius’ latest gaming headset, it doesn’t bode well for the company’s vision of its customers. On the packaging there’s a picture of a young man enjoying his Formula 1 simulator with such moronic exuberance that we don’t know whether to laugh at it or quietly pity his idiot face. Seriously, he has the look of a man who is waiting for a punch in the chops that he knows is too lenient a punishment for him.

BUILD QUALITY

Anyway, on to business. The headset feels reasonably robust and the open-backed design is cool and comfy to wear. Fortunately, the misjudged marketing doesn’t impact too heavily on the design of the headset itself.

The only offending article is the in-line volume control, which is lit up with green LEDs that flash when audio is passing to and from the headset. It looks rubbish and can be pretty distracting. This volume control had no effect until we installed the driver software, which had to be downloaded as the supplied CD only covers Windows XP and earlier. This is a pain when using the headset on different PCs.

The benefit is that the software control panel provides EQ, EAX-style effects, virtual surround and Dolby Headphone processing. The virtual surround effect is a poor imitation of the real thing but it’s a little better than plain stereo.

AUDIO QUALITY

Sound quality of the microphone was atrocious. The top-heavy frequency response may be good for intelligibility but it’s not pleasant to listen to, especially as it’s accompanied by mains hum and a high-pitched digital whine. Headphone quality is better but still below average, even at the low price of £25. At least the driver’s custom EQ controls let us tone down the harsh treble and thin bass to give a more balanced tone.

CONCLUSION

The HS-04U isn’t a disaster, but Logitech’s ClearChat Pro USB offers better quality for the same money (see Overclockers).

You can buy the Genius HS-04U from Ginger6 for £25.22 inc VAT (price correct at time of review)

For more information on the HS-04U, visit Genius’ website