Travelite HS-1000W

A pricey and portable wireless headset.

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The ASUS Travelite HS-1000W is a wireless headset that operates on the 2.4GHz frequency band. While it is portable and produces plenty of volume, the headphone speakers themselves are quite small, limiting the quality of the audio.

Pros

  • Portable, capable of loud volume, comfortable

Cons

  • Expensive, sound lacks clarity, microphone's "noise cancellation" doesn't work very well

Bottom Line

The ASUS Travelite HS-1000W headset is comfortable to wear and easy to transport. Unfortunately it is also very expensive, and its sound reproduction suffers from a lack of clarity.

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  • Where to buy

    Priced from: $ 45.00
    Selling at 2 stores
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The HS-1000W comes with a nifty USB dongle that has a mini-USB port on one side. When connected to the headphones, this acts as the charger for the Lithium-Polymer battery. The battery lasted 6hr 49min in our music rundown test. The HS-1000W has no other connection, so users won't be able to plug it into a microphone or headphone port.

The HS-1000W’s control system comprises four buttons on the right ear piece. Users can switch the device or the microphone on and off with the power button, depending on how long the button is depressed. Volume control keys sit on either side of the power button, and a "link" button pairs the headset with the dongle.

Wireless headphones are not expected to provide the same level of audio quality as their wired cousins, and the HS-1000W is no exception. Although there is very little distortion, the 40mm speakers deliver sound that is slightly closed in, without enough individual frequency definition.

Fortunately, most users will be surprised by the HS-1000W's volume. Even when turned to the highest settings, distortion was kept to a minimum, although the lack of clarity remained an issue. The bass was light, but that is to be expected from such small drivers.

The headset is quite comfortable to wear once it has been adjusted. Thanks to its light weight, keeping it on for a long time won't strain your neck.

A key selling point of the HS-1000W is its portability. Once the headset has been folded inwards it can be stored in the included hard-shell case along with the dongle and mini-USB cable. This makes it easy to bring it along to LAN events or carry it in laptop bags for Skype calls.

Although ASUS claims that the built-in microphone has noise-cancellation capabilities, we found that environmental noise seeped in. Having said that, the quality will be fine for VoIP conversations and in-game chatting.

All in all, the HS-1000W will not satisfy audiophiles that cringe at a lack of crystal clear treble notes and bowel-clenching bass. But if you're looking for a set of small headphones that are portable, provide decent audio reproduction and can be used for VoIP on the run, then it's worth looking into.

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