Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS Multiplatform Gaming Headset
Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS Multiplatform Gaming Headset with Bluetooth – Dolby Atmos – Broadcast Quality Microphone – iCUE Compatible – PC, Mac, PS5, PS4, Mobile – Steel Grey
From the brand
| Weight: | 352 g |
| Dimensions: | 20 x 9.7 x 18.3 cm; 352 Grams |
| Brand: | Corsair |
| Model: | CA-9011295-EU |
| Colour: | Grey |
| Batteries Included: | Yes |
| Manufacture: | Corsair |
| Dimensions: | 20 x 9.7 x 18.3 cm; 352 Grams |
Found these to be great in almost every way, but unfortunately returned them as the constant bright light from the mic while off was ultimately too much of a distraction (reflection in glasses).
After tuning the equalizer in the software on PC, best sounding headphones I have heard except a pair of Bose headphones I tried a while back. Microphone quality is the best you can buy built in on a headset.
Very nice microphone, great for discord, the sound and dolby is great quality. The ears do press against my glasses arms though and hurt after a while but I am just a petite little princess
I have used the steel series nova 7x , Xbox premium headset and the turtle beach stealth 700s
However this item just feels not to quite hit the mark and here’s why:
Pros
Great comfort and adjustability (especially for neuroglia suffers like myself)
The Sound ID is heavily under played and deserves more shouting about as customising the balance of volume etc when you have a weaker ear is a great feature and should be turned on
Premium feel all be it would have preferred personally better ear cup material
Cons
Relies heavily on iCUE to function correctly and this can cause “hickups” that you dont see on things like the steel series or the stealth 700
Spatial audio I do find is better than the steel series but on par or a little worse than the turtle beach and the Dobly Atmos is included which is nice (not on Steel series due to its own version), all be it took some fettling for it to be picked up correctly…
The mic boom going from mute to none mute feels hit and miss and not as crisp as some others and the protracted voice line of “Mic on” rather than a traditional bleep can get frustrating when you need to get back on comms after a short mute – made worse if muted shortly in say a FPS game.
All in all if you have already brought into the Corsair ecosystem you will be understanding of iCue and its quirks and this headset you wont go wrong with especially if comfort is one of the top items on your list.
I got the Virtuoso SE from corsair way back in 2019 and with it literally falling apart no to mention the countless software issues I had with it.
One of the reasons I got the Virtuoso was because of the removable mic and not the terrible build quality, I just wish the HS80 had a removable mic too.
Since receiving the HS80 I have had no problems or issues, and the terribly overpowering clamping pressure of the Virtuosos’ has gone and the mesh ear muffs over the terrible fake leather is so much nicer not only in feel but looks too!
I can’t speak much for corsairs EQ settings which are questionable at best as I started using Dolby Access a year ago, but what I can say is these cheaper HS80’s sound so much richer and fuller and not too mention far less tinny then the others.
These HS80’s also are so much lighter, I’m no longer getting neck strain which clearly was a huge oversight from corsair and their overuse of metals.
The HS80 Wireless is worth the cost on amazon, but not so much on corsair.com.
Don’t waist money on the MAX for 4 hours more battery and a bluetooth button!
And certainly don’t waist your money on the Virtuosos.
I do have a complaint though and that comes to the adjustability of the head-strap, I have a larger head it seems, although my head isn’t massive like a freakin pumpkin, that’s for sure, but with the stap loosened all the way without causing discomfort with the metal headband, the adjustment range feels really limited and lacking.
The main reason being the microphone, man it sounds better than a lot of wired headsets I’ve had in the past and blows the majority of the wireless competitors out the water, some of which cost way more than this.
Battery life is great, charging is quick enough, you can always use it plugged in via USB C if you forget to keep it topped up.
I find it really comfortable, I have large ears and it doesn’t cause much discomfort and they still fit inside the cups. The headband is great and I’ve worn it for hours without feeling discomfort or getting hot ears.
Audio quality is great, getting the right EQ for you in the ICUE software is recommended, you can click the volume wheel to cycle between profiles if that tickles your pickle. If you’re an audiophile, it won’t live up to much compared to a dedicated great wired headset and DAC, but for a wireless set it’s definitely enough.
Speaking of ICUE, it’s probably one of the better software’s out there, you can customise a far bit in the app itself, Corsair also offer this voice changing software you can use for free or pay for more voices if you’re an aspiring vtuber or want to annoy your discord.
If using with Discord, you’ll want to fiddle with discords settings as it may interfere with how good the mic sounds.
strong 5/5, no real gripes, could MAYBE look more stylish but Corsair have the Virtuoso line up, although the mics don’t seem to be as good as the HS80’s. But that’s a very minor gripe for me.
Purchased this based on extensive YouTube reviews. Was sceptical at first and wanted to test the mic with friends online. In comparison to the Logitech G pro wireless, this hands down beats it for mic quality.
Comfort: I have a buzz cut and it does leave a Nick Mercs kind of dent in your forehead with prolonged use. You don’t feel the weight of it really.
The sound quality with Dolby Atmos is great. Spatial audio and hearing other players footsteps in FPS gaming is spot on.
Main issue I have with this is battery life. It doesn’t last as long as others, which is a shame as that’s the only issue that lets it down.
The software is excellent, except for the low mic volume which was driving me crazy.
The build quality is a nicer rubber and plastic that is not flimsy and doesn’t discolour easily, the pivot mechanism of the headset is made from durable aluminium. the headrest is a unique band tightened fabric thing that holds the head in place. the sound quality is surprisingly good compared with previous iterations, however still does not outcompete some other similarly priced analog headphones. I understand That wireless will never compete with analog from price point, however even some 80 headphones have better environmental sound and than these Corsair headphones. In addition you can’t use Dolby Acsess or windows surround sound unless you disable frequency tweaks in iCue! This makes you choose Corsair features over functionality. I understand that surround sound is probably not that important for a none surround sound headphone, but I would have thought that at this price point 5.1 surround or 7.1 surround would be a feature.
Apart from that
+connectivity is great
+nice style,
+good mic quality, ( when boosted with windows custom programming )
+good durable build quality
+good sound quality for wireless
+frequency edits for wireless dongle
+Corsair iCue features
Negatives:
– lack of proper surround,
– lack of mic volume ( iCue related )
– battery lasts 3 to 2 intensive hours of gameplay on 60% loudness,
– after 3 hours of gameplay the headband gets a bit tight,
Improvements that can be made:
+ Better software integration
+ proper 5.1 surround sound support for wireless, 7.1 uses more battery,
+ better battery efficiency
The sound after tuning the headset in icue using 8 channel 24bit audio sound really good not sure if it’s slightly better than the Virtuoso but the kids and highs were more crisp than Corsair’s flagship headphones. Bass is there not boom rumble type bass like on other brands but it’s got a nice depth to it doesn’t sound muddy or distorted.
On the fence about returning them at the moment because of the ear pressure problem. I actually find the Corsair virtuoso more comfortable on my average size head!
Edit:
I decided to keep the headset, I bought a set of ear cushions on Amazon for around 15 they are the velvet ones with the pleather. I tried protein leather at first and did not help with the discomfort I felt around my ears. Happy to say the velvet and pleather style works better for me. Decent headset if you don’t want to go crazy on 200 headphones. This one is more friendly on the pocket. Side note on Dolby Atmos, I don’t think it’s terrible, it sounds ok but I found just tuning icue EQ to my preferences did a way better job and shows as 8 channel audio 24 bit 48 000 hz where as in Dolby Atmos mode you only show 2 channels. but at 96 000 hz honestly I prefer icue though to manage the sound stage.
I bought these because the sound quality was superb for gaming and for audio in Discord etc… There are no arguments on that front, the sound is superb and the surround is really excellent. They are great to wear for those 10 hour sessions you don’t admit to having and they look good. I’ve not had headphone fatigue wearing them yet.
But there is a downside. And that’s the battery life. It’s awful, really really poor. In a D&D session I get a low battery warning after 3 hours and a critical battery warning not long after. They do last a bit longer if you don’t plug them in but not that much. For anything over 4 hours you really need them plugged in which completely negates the entire reason for buying them. I’m very seriously considering swapping them for something with a sensible battery life, something with at least 12 hours.
So, great headphones with a critical flaw. If you don’t play games or need wireless for more than 4 hours you can buy with confidence because the quality of sound is excellent. But if you need battery life I’d say on balance you should look elsewhere.
The headset itself is fine, it does what it states on the tin. I wanted a headset with decent mic quality, which this has, and was wireless, which it is. However, I have a wide head and I found that the design of the headband was uncomfortable; there’s no way to adjust the headband itself, there’s just a velcro strap inside that you can move, so if the actual headset is too small then you’re out of luck. Because of this, the earcups rested on my ears themselves and over time the pressure hurts – so it’s either you have comfortable ears and your head hurts, or your head is fine and your ears hurt.
Because of the earcups not sitting over my ears entirely either I found a lot of outside noises bleeding in as I was listening to music/playing games etc. I know the headset isn’t designed to be noise cancelling, so perhaps a minor complaint, but I was somewhat disappointed because the ear cushions are so plush they should be fine at muffling most distractions, provided they’re not too loud.
Set up was super simple pretty much straight out of the box – so simple I thought I was missing an instruction manual or I misunderstood what I was reading! I like the idea of being able to flip the mic up and down to mute yourself, and it beeps to let you know when it’s actually been flipped up enough to be muted; I don’t use push-to-talk so this was pretty convenient.
I’m going to return this headset as it doesn’t fit what I’m looking for, but I can’t fault Corsair for my humongous head. If you’re looking for a decent headset at a decent price then you’ve found it.