Corsair HS80 Max Wireless review

Let’s begin off with a bang: the Corsair HS80 Max Wi-fi is the best-sounding gaming headset I’ve ever used. Though it’s clearly geared toward a gamer viewers, with a precedence on in-game feels like footsteps and gunshots, it’s now my go-to listening gear for music and podcasts, too.

At $179.99, it’s on the more expensive finish of the headset spectrum, however I believe Corsair’s carried out sufficient to warrant the worth tag. In addition to sounding nice, the HS80 Max delivers on each different entrance, together with its design, microphone, and the iCue software program backing it up.

It’s made clear enhancements over the respectable Corsair HS80, together with the addition of Bluetooth connectivity that immediately makes the HS80 Max a way more versatile piece of package. Let’s begin with the way it appears.

Execs:

• Glorious sound high quality
• iCue, accompanied by SoundId and Nvidia Broadcast, brings a brand new dimension to the headset
• Fashionable design

Cons:

• Higher price-to-performance ratio will be present in cheaper headsets

Corsair HS80 Max Wi-fi design

The HS80 Max I’m reviewing boasts a smooth, pure white design, though there’s additionally a black model accessible. I’m often a sucker for black headsets, however there’s one thing I really like in regards to the contoured, space-age appears of the white model.

I particularly respect it when gaming headsets obey the model norms that common headphones are sure by. What makes gaming gear corporations assume that, simply because I’m a gamer, I wish to put on some blocky plastic monstrosity? With that in thoughts, the HS80 maintains that gaming headsets will be stylish whereas nonetheless clearly gaming headsets.

There’s a restricted quantity of RGB on the surface of the ear cups – and even that’s an excessive amount of in my opinion (or not, because the case could also be), since I can’t even see the lights after I’m carrying the headset! – however the remainder of the design is trendy sufficient that I can rock it anyplace. It’s a everlasting fixture whereas I’m gaming, after all, however you’ll additionally catch me sporting it spherical city, on walks, and on the fitness center. There’s not many gaming headsets that I’d try this with.

One draw back is the mic, which protrudes awkwardly from the left ear cup. Fortunately, you’ll be able to fold it out of the way in which, in step with the headscarf, and this additionally features as a approach of switching off the mic, which is a pleasant contact.

Elsewhere on the set, the sunshine grey, fabric ear pads and contoured edges soften what may in any other case have been an unfashionably angular design. The opposite profit of those ear pads is that they’re tremendous snug, a lot better than leatherette ones in my view. That sense of consolation fortunately pervades the HS80 Max throughout the board.

Though these cans weigh a considerable 352g, you wouldn’t comprehend it from carrying them. The distribution of weight is first-class, and I’ll fortunately put on them for hours throughout heavy gaming or writing periods with none signal of headphone fatigue.

Corsair HS80 Max Wi-fi efficiency

The sound profile of the HS80 max is incredible. The 50mm neodymium audio drivers ship high-fidelity sounds throughout a 20Hz-20,000Hz frequency vary, with booming bass, clear mids, and crisp treble. It excels with in-game audio, as anticipated, however can even compete with mid-range, music-oriented headphones surprisingly properly. Whether or not it’s broadcasting teammates’ callouts, a conflict of swords in Baldur’s Gate 3, or Bach’s Cello Suites, the HS80 brings you wealthy sounds, with depth that may be tweaked in iCue based mostly in your listening preferences, one thing I’ll discuss later.

The primary factor I really like in regards to the HS80 Max is simply how full it sounds. The Dolby Atmos spatial audio it comes geared up with on PC actually delivers. In fact, that’s helpful for a sweaty ladder session on Valorant, but it surely additionally implies that music comes by way of actually properly as properly.

And these spectacular sounds will be delivered by way of a number of means. The first approach of listening is thru a 2.4Ghz wi-fi receiver which you could plug into your PC’s USB slot, which ensures a powerful 24bit/96kHz sound. Corsair claims this has a 50ft vary, and this is perhaps true should you’re in an infinite, open-plan banquet corridor, but it surely’s rather less by way of partitions. Nonetheless, it traveled from my PC on the primary ground of my home to my yard by way of two partitions, which was adequate for any use I may foresee.

As talked about above, the HS80 Max additionally presents Bluetooth connection, that means you should use it along with your cellphone, pill, or laptop computer. This can be a clear step up from the earlier iteration, which wasn’t Bluetooth-compatible. Sadly, the Bluetooth connection appears to have come on the expense of a regular wired connection, which is a disgrace for these of us trying to protect battery life for no matter motive. I requested a consultant of Corsair why the corporate had taken that call for the HS80 Max, however they didn’t reply.

With reference to battery life, the HS80 Max can also be incredible on that entrance. I’ve hardly heard the dreaded ‘battery low’ noise throughout my month with the headset. You might assume I’m a kind of individuals who diligently cost their wi-fi devices once they go to mattress, however that couldn’t be farther from the reality.

I’ve pinned down one motive for the HS80 Max’s superlative battery efficiency, except for a presumably giant capability: you’ll be able to set it to modify itself off after quite a few minutes of your selecting. I went for 10 minutes, which was by no means obtrusive, but in addition seemingly saved a variety of cost. iCue additionally provides you the selection to show off the HS80 Max’s RGB lighting, one other resolution which profit the battery. And that brings us properly to the subsequent part.

Corsair HS80 Max Wi-fi options

As talked about, iCue is Corsair’s wonderful peripheral software program. It’s extra in-depth than most headset companion applications, and that’s a superb factor, particularly because it comes with tutorials on the right way to use its extra esoteric options. iCue permits you to tinker along with your package to an impressively granular stage, even permitting you to customise the small RGB panels on the aspect of the set with completely different lighting profiles, or select from a collection of instructions to assign to urgent within the quantity scroll wheel.

However the primary attraction is iCue’s vary of choices to tweak the HS80’s sound profile. The equalizer is a typical affair, providing a number of presets geared toward gaming or listening to music, in addition to the choice to create your individual presets by tweaking how loudly completely different frequencies – starting from 32 to 16KHz – come by way of the cans. As I say, fairly customary stuff. The HS80 Max’s out-of-the-box profile is fairly balanced anyway, so my customized presets simply boosted the bass and treble a tiny bit.

What’s extra intriguing is the addition of SoundID. This complementary software program from Sonarworks is embedded into the iCue app, offering a substitute for the standard equalizer. It creates a SoundID profile by subjecting you to a collection of sonic duties, like adjusting the amount in your left ear cup till you’ll be able to now not hear the noise coming by way of that aspect of the set. Then, it performs music and asks you to select from quite a lot of completely different presets on the premise of what you assume sounds greatest.

Basically, it’s understanding how properly you’ll be able to decide up sound at quite a lot of frequencies and the way you instinctively like your music to return throughout and makes you a sound profile on that foundation. I used to be fairly pleased with my SoundId profile, but it surely was a disgrace that you simply couldn’t tweak it or customise it any additional. I do are inclined to have SoundID enabled, reasonably than utilizing the equalizer’s presets, although, which exhibits how a lot I price it.

Final however not least, we come to the HS80 Max’s microphone. My first impression wasn’t superb, because the mic juts straight out from the left ear cup, and isn’t remotely malleable. I used to be just a little involved this could translate into murkier comms, given the mic’s distance from my mouth, however this concern proved completely unfounded. The mic is admittedly stable, bringing by way of the complete vary of my voice a lot better than most competitor merchandise. The bass in my voice got here by way of particularly properly within the recordings I did on Soundtrap to check the mic, and as somebody with a deeper voice, this was pleasing to notice. When enjoying with pals, the mic facilitated crystal clear comms with out the necessity for software program help.

But it surely’s after I obtained iCue concerned that the mic actually started to shine, and that’s due to the addition of Nvidia Broadcast. This elective add-on is a separate obtain, however one which I’d wholeheartedly suggest. Nvidia Broadcast makes use of AI (in some unknown style) to ship cutting-edge noise and ‘room echo’ elimination.

This tech actually is a sport changer. I examined the mic out with Nvidia Broadcast’s settings enabled and disabled… And wow! It made an enormous distinction. This software program completely cuts out background noise, to the purpose of neutralizing the music coming from my cellphone on the desk in entrance of me whereas I’m speaking. It doesn’t simply dampen these irritating sounds down a bit: it cuts them out completely.

This, mixed with iCue’s numerous choices for tweaking the drivers’ sound profile, makes iCue a very simple advice should you’re going to fork out for the HS80 Max. In actual fact, should you’re not downloading iCue, you’re lacking out on quite a bit.

Is the Corsair HS80 Max value it?

I firmly consider the HS80 Max is a contender for greatest gaming headset. It’s an absolute workhorse of a product, delivering nice efficiency on all fronts with a battery that’ll final for days, all whereas staying snug and trendy in your head. That’s to not point out iCue, a chunk of software program which can take these cans’ efficiency into the stratosphere.

The one actual draw back is the price. Its $179.99 price ticket places it on the excessive finish of gaming headsets, however I genuinely assume it’s value it should you can spare the money. Clearly, should you’re on a strict funds, you’ll most likely get higher efficiency per greenback elsewhere, however I don’t assume anybody who splashes out on an HS80 Max can be dissatisfied.