Refreshing their lineup of impressive Vengeance audio products, we take a look at the Corsair Vengeance 1400 and 2100 gaming headsets, what will our verdict be?
Product on review: Corsair Vengence 1400 & 2100
Manufacturer & Sponsor: Corsair
Street Price: £65 inc VAT & £130 inc VAT respectively
Corsair’s entry into the audio sector was very well received and raised the bar for build quality and performance in regards to what people are looking for in gaming audio products. The latest revisions of the Vengeance stable will bring an abundance of gunmetal coloured brushed aluminium, 50mm drivers housed inside large, closed-back earcups, that will allow Corsair to make a lasting impression that lives up to their product reputation.
The Vengence 1400, direct successor to the 1300, is priced in the mid range, using 3.5mm analogue jacks, while the 2100 directly replaces the 2000, sports 2.4GHz wireless, Dolby 7.1 virtual surround and improved 50mm drivers.
Overview by Corsair
The new Vengeance series headsets are updates to the existing 2000, 1500, and 1300. The new Vengeance 2100 is the top-end model with wireless connectivity on the 2.4GHz band, Dolby 7.1 surround sound over new 50mm drivers, a noise cancelling microphone, microfiber covered memory foam over-the-ear padded ear cups and a padded headband. It has a rated battery life of 10 hours and wireless range of 40 feet.
The final addition to the Vengeance lineup is the Vengeance 1400. The successor to the Vengeance 1300, the 1400 gaming headset is an analog model with 50mm drivers, padded headband and microfiber covered around-the-ear ear cups, a noise cancelling microphone, and a long cloth-covered braided cable with inline remote. The Vengeance 1400 is stated to be an improvement over the 1300, and if so that should mean that the Vengeance 1400 delivers good stereo sound for the price when paired with a dedicated sound card.
The final addition to the Vengeance lineup is the Vengeance 1400. The successor to the Vengeance 1300, the 1400 gaming headset is an analog model with 50mm drivers, padded headband and microfiber covered around-the-ear ear cups, a noise cancelling microphone, and a long cloth-covered braided cable with inline remote. The Vengeance 1400 is stated to be an improvement over the 1300, and if so that should mean that the Vengeance 1400 delivers good stereo sound for the price when paired with a dedicated sound card.
Specifications & Features
Vengeance 1400 Analog Gaming Headset
Headphones
– Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz
– Impedance: 32 Ohms @ 1kHz
– Dynamic Range: 95dB (A-weighted)
– Drivers: 50mm
– Cable Length: 3m
– Connector: 3.5mm male
Microphone
– Type: Unidirectional noise-cancelling condenser with adjustable, rotating boom
– Impedance: 2.2k Ohms
– Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10kHz
– Sensitivity: -41dB (+/-3dB)
– Connector: 3.5mm male
Headphones
– Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz
– Impedance: 32 Ohms @ 1kHz
– Dynamic Range: 95dB (A-weighted)
– Drivers: 50mm
– Cable Length: 3m
– Connector: 3.5mm male
Microphone
– Type: Unidirectional noise-cancelling condenser with adjustable, rotating boom
– Impedance: 2.2k Ohms
– Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10kHz
– Sensitivity: -41dB (+/-3dB)
– Connector: 3.5mm male
Amazing sound
The massive 50mm drivers greatly reduce the overloading and distortion that can occur with gaming headsets that use smaller drivers that aren’t up to the task. You’ll get more accurate sound reproduction, particularly for the all-important low-frequency effects. The more detailed, cleaner sound doesn’t just enhance your enjoyment… hearing the audio the way the game designer meant it to be heard can give you a competitive advantage, too.
Superior comfort
The extra-wide, extra deep earcups don’t just help things sound great — they feel better, too. The memory foam earpads with synthetic leather covers provide a comfortable and reliable fit that conforms to the shape of your head without binding or pinching.
Intense, immersive gaming
The circumaural, closed-back design blocks distracting sounds and keeps your head in the game, and the extra-large inline volume and microphone control is easy to grab and use when the action heats up — you don’t need to take your eyes off the screen.
Whether you’re barking instructions to your teammates or chatting with old friends, you deserve to be heard. The unidirectional, noise-cancelling microphone is tuned to capture your voice loudly and clearly, while screening out distracting background noises. And, it flips out of sight when you’re not using it.
Vengeance 2100 Dolby 7.1 Wireless Gaming Headset
Headphones
– Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz
– Impedance: 32 Ohms @ 1kHz
– Sensitivity: 105dB (+/-3dB)
– Drivers: 50mm
– USB power consumption: 500mA
– Connector: USB Type A
– Wireless range: up to 40 feet (12m)
– Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Microphone
– Type: Unidirectional noise-cancelling condenser with adjustable, rotating boom
– Impedance: 2.2k Ohms
– Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10kHz
– Sensitivity: -37dB (+/-3dB)
Headphones
– Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz
– Impedance: 32 Ohms @ 1kHz
– Sensitivity: 105dB (+/-3dB)
– Drivers: 50mm
– USB power consumption: 500mA
– Connector: USB Type A
– Wireless range: up to 40 feet (12m)
– Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Microphone
– Type: Unidirectional noise-cancelling condenser with adjustable, rotating boom
– Impedance: 2.2k Ohms
– Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10kHz
– Sensitivity: -37dB (+/-3dB)
Don’t just play the game… become part of it.
Of course it matters whether you win or lose. But it matters just as much how you play the game. The right headset is essential. The Vengeance 2100 combines high-fidelity, multi-channel Dolby audio, and superior comfort and wearability for an amazing audio experience that will help you play better, and have more fun doing it.
Don’t tie yourself up in knots.
You don’t want to miss out on any of the action. With a battery life of up to ten hours and a range of up to 40 feet, you’ll enjoy cable-free, high-performance gaming audio where you want, as long as you want.
What you can’t see will hurt them.
Experience the reality of Dolby 7.1 surround sound. The extremely accurate rendering of 5.1 channel and 7.1 channel gaming audio gives you a sheer tactical advantage and lets you pinpoint your opponent’s position even when you can’t see them.
The sound will astound.
The large 50mm drivers deliver detailed audio that envelops you in its realism. Voices are crisp, effects sound the way the audio designer intended, and with its tight bass response, Vengeance 2100 lets you experience deep, satisfying lows without overload or distortion.
Give as good as you get.
The unidirectional, noise-cancelling microphone ensures that your words will be heard. Whether you’re calling out DPS targets or just chatting between matches, your voice remains loud and clear. Flip the adjustable, rotating boom out of the way when you don’t need it, and flip it back into place when you’re ready for action.
Play for hours.
The Vengeance 2100 has been designed from the ground up for maximum comfort and durability. Microfiber-covered memory foam earpads and the padded headband help keep it in place, while the 10-hour battery capacity means you can play from sundown to sunrise – and if you want to go even longer, just attach the USB charge cable and keep playing.
Packaging & Accessories
The Vengeance 1400 packaging
Unlike what we previously saw with the Raptor, the vengeance headsets are packaged using a half acrylic, half cardboard box. This is a good way to display the product and avoid extra cost on fancy packaging with windows, allowing the product to speak for itself
Reverse side
The cardboard section has enough space for multilingual specifications and features.
The Vengence 1400 in-line remote and jacks
The inline remote is small and simple, coated with a rubberised texture. Being an analogue headset we find the two 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks.
The Vengeance 2100 packaging
Jumping to the 2100, the packaging is fairly similar to the 1400, though the acrylic seems slightly firmer.
Reverse side
Again we find multilingual features and specifications.
The 2100 accessories
Included with the 2100 is a USB extension and wireless dongle, as well as a USB-mini USB charging cable.
Closer Look: Vengence 1400
The Vengeance 1400
The overall impression speaks of quality, gunmetal coloured brushed aluminium with soft padding around the headband and ear cups. The ear cups are very large and closed back.
From the side
There are accents of blue around the ear cups and the headband, visually it is very attractive and professional looking.
Easy to adjust
There are adjustable marks in the aluminium straps.
Got blues?
The inside ear cups are very large and is lined with a blue fabric.
Microphone boom
The microphone is a fixed boom that is slightly flexible, some may prefer a modular microphone, or a more flexible microphone, but considering it is a gaming headset it should be all good.
Closer Look: Vengence 2100
The Vengeance 2100
Aesthetically it is nearly indistinguishable from the 1400, however, on closer inspection there are a few differences, firstly the corsair logo is embedded rather than embossed and stands out, then the ear cups are mounted slightly differently and finally, of course, there is no cable because it is wireless.
The headband
The cushioning on the headband is very soft and is identical in material to the 1400.
Ear cup joint
The motion and connection is similar to the 1400 too, it appears very good quality and allows the ear cups to rotate 110° to fold flat.
The adjustable strap
The 2100 also shares a similar mechanism for adjustment, who doesn’t like the look of brushed aluminium?
Integrated controls and I/O
As the Vengeance 2100 is wireless there is no need for an inline remote, however controls are needed, we find a large button on the side with accompanying LED indicator for on/off/pairing and underneath that we find a metal volume roller. Here we also find the mini USB port for charging.
Large ear cups
Again we find the huge ear cups, however, the lining material on the padding is different and thicker. On the 1400, it had soft fabric, where the 2100 has a microfibre material. The padding is removable and replaceable with a various selection including a ‘leatherette’ option available for purchase from Corsair.
The microphone boom
Similar to the 1400 we find a fixed boom microphone that is semi flexible.
Software: Vengence 2100
The software drivers for the 2100 is not too disimilar to the raptor in aesthetic and is fairly basic. We get an equaliser, and various options for enabling the Dolby surround. Unfortunately, there are no other options or processing features and similar to the Raptor HS40, the Vengeance 2100 is limited to 16bit 48,000KHz sample rate.
Performance Testing
Setup, Design & Observations
Vengeance 1400
The build quality is impressive and isn’t as heavy as it may appear. The brushed aluminium looks very classy without being overstated and will definitely appeal to gamers that want a robust headset. The head clamp strength is spot on and the ear cups easily encompass my ears. Overall the 1400 is very comfortable to wear even with glasses, however long periods seemed hit and miss because sometimes the ear padding material would start to feel ‘prickly’ and irritating, warmer days could aggravate that.
The connected cable is braided which is desirable for non-modular headsets for flexibility and protection. The in-line remote is small and has a soft feel texture, which solid in construction, the microphone mute switch is small and difficult to use on the fly, the volume dial is also set in quite far so could require more of a fiddle in use than what should be required.
Vengeance 2100
Setting up the 2100 requires plugging in the dongle and leaving the headset to charge completely before use. The headset does not come supplied with a driver disc so you also need internet access to download the drivers. Once done, pairing the wireless is simple, turn the headset on, then hold the power button to pair. From this point on you can also use the USB – mini-USB to play while charging should the battery run out. Battery lifespan is very good, from full charge to flat, it lasted around 8 and a half hours at a reasonable volume (60-70%) and seems likely that 10hours could be achieved at a lower volume.
Build quality, like the 1400 is very good with some very nice touches, the head clamp strength and ear cup size is similar, though ear space is slightly less due to the thicker padding used. The microfibre material is breathable and slightly firmer than the material used on the 1400. For long sessions the 2100 is comfortable, even when wearing glasses, though again suffered with a prickly sensation over long periods of time, it could be that my preference is more for leather/ PU leather however it isn’t an issue due to the padding being replaceable.
Multi-Media
Vengeance 1400
Listening to music, the 1400 was a little underwhelming, the bass was a little loose and broken, which was surprising despite the use of 50mm drivers. The mids and highs were good, even when turned up loud, yet overall there was a lack in definition and precision.
Gaming was great yet explosions in Battlefield 3 lacked the punch some may want. The most impressive thing to note is the ‘openness’ of the sound. This is likely due to the large ear cups and the 50mm drivers, because of this I found it worked well with stereo surround options able to give decent directional definition.
Vengeance 2100
Throwing on various playlists, the 2100 instantly revealed its impressive creamy rich bass that had definition and depth, arguably some of the best I’ve heard. The middle tones and treble was crystal clear and complements the bass very well. The soundstage was impressive, backed by the large ear cups and 50mm drivers we get a very open impression rather than a compressed injection of aound into your ears.
Gaming was equally as enjoyable, the bass was impressive boomy and really immersed you into the game. The Dolby Surround works very well, alone, it simply made the audio volume ‘dip’ and slightly echoy, but when used in an FPS with the surround mode enabled, directional fidelity was surprisingly good.
Microphone
Vengeance 1400
The microphone was very good at reducing noise but to get a good pickup you need to set the sensitivity quite high (70-100%), in Skype, voice quality was described as very good.
Vengeance 2100
Similar to the 1400, the noise reduction was very good, the ultimate test was to use it in a room next to a TV with young children running around playing and the results were impressive. While background noises were audible, they were very reduced and didn’t interfere with the chat. When raising the boom above your head the microphone doesn’t even pick up your voice. However, if left for a period of time, it has a tendency to raise its gain to search for other sounds even if automatic sensitivity is disabled, resulting in background noises being picked up but is quickly rectified once the microphone is back in normal use. Voice was described as very good and perfect.
Conclusion
Corsair Vengeance 1400
The Corsair Vengeance 1400 offers the excellent construct of the Vengeance stable along with large ear cups and 50mm drivers. The comfort factor generally is very good, but some may prefer a different material on the ear cups over the fabric ones supplied. Finally the microphone does a good job at reducing background noise.
There are little downsides to the Corsair Vengeance 1400, most notably the lack in audio precision across the board. Another downside would be that people may start looking more towards modular cables and microphone rather than fixed. Though being a gaming headset it isn’t a huge issue.
Corsair offer excellent construction and good audio quality for gamers looking for that reliable friend in the middle of a warzone. We proudly present the Vengeance 1400 our Silver award.
Pros.
+ Balanced audio
+ Large ear cups
+ Excellent build quality
+ Comfortable
+ Noise reducing microphone
Cons.
– Not modular
– Lacks definition
+ Balanced audio
+ Large ear cups
+ Excellent build quality
+ Comfortable
+ Noise reducing microphone
Cons.
– Not modular
– Lacks definition
Corsair Vengeance 2100
The rich bass was instantly impressive and the overall balance of the audio makes the 2100 great for all audio uses, gaming, movies and music, however, the excellent noise reducing microphone, and the Dolby Surround makes this a choice weapon for dedicated gamers.
The setup was simple, and the wireless worked without any issue. The only lag experienced was with using the volume roller that took a fraction of a second or so to adjust the volume once moved. It is a shame that there was no additional audio processing to allow higher sampling rates, though to gamers this isn’t going to affect them in any way, so is more of an oversight.
The Corsair Vengeance 2100 offers an excellent balance across every aspect, from build quality, to sound quality. The smooth bass is hugely impressive and the Dolby Surround is an excellent feature for gamers. Don’t forget that this is a wireless headset too for a reasonable price. Deserving of our Gold and Amazing Value Awards.
Pros.
+ Wireless
+ Long battery life
+ Excellent build quality
+ Amazing bass
+ Balanced Audio
+ Comfortable
+ Good surround/ spatial awareness
+ Good noise reducing microphone
+ Price
Cons.
– Limited sample rates
+ Wireless
+ Long battery life
+ Excellent build quality
+ Amazing bass
+ Balanced Audio
+ Comfortable
+ Good surround/ spatial awareness
+ Good noise reducing microphone
+ Price
Cons.
– Limited sample rates
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net. Thanks to Corsair for providing today’s review sample.
