21.3.2021

I've been on the magic carousel of trying to pick a pair of wireless headphones for a good half year now. Like many of us; I have a use-case where I game alot in the down time (Primarily PC, some console), listen to music all day whilst I work at home, and spend a good deal using voice comms and video chats. In addition in these lockdown times the ability to wear a headset and move freely around my place has also become increasingly important - as nipping downstairs to make a cuppa and not miss someone ringing me is incredibly useful. Combined with an effort to go wire-minimum for my gaming setup I see wireless as something desirable even though it's not yet perfected.So why have I bought the Virtuoso?Well having watched endless reviews, listened to microphone tests, looked at price points, waited on offers and discounts and sat for hours considering the pro's and cons from each manufacturer in the market - In the end I found I was spending more time researching than actually enjoying the benefit of being wireless.I narrowed down my selection to a handful of products: The Razer Nari Ultimate, The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro, The Virtuoso and Virtuoso SE and the Arctis Steel Series. These all sit in similar price points, functionality, features and use-cases. For a while I toyed with the idea of a top tier dedicated headset (Such as a pair of Bose or MX4's from Sony) with a dedicated aftermarket fix-on microphone but Bluetooth has an ever so tiny bit of lag involved which compromised using these headsets as a gaming tool as I play competitive shooters and racers.To narrow my search; I ruled out the Nari and Blackshark. Although I don't mind Razer products, the gimmick of the vibrating Ultimate added too much to it's costs, whilst the Blacksharks light-weight design was super appealing, it's exposed cable design was concerning as I could just see it getting sliced at some point by accident. The software is hit and miss with Razer, but I do know they hit more often. The Steel Series wireless pro sadly priced itself just beyond what I was willing to spend, and from what I found the microphone is tragically bad. I have a group of friends I game with, and for their benefit I think it best that I don't sound nasally and on helium. Steelseries also tries to sell it's "Signature Sound Profile" which is, in all honestly, absolute rubbish as it's just a generic slightly mid-tone boosted profile you'd find on nearly all headsets. However for some people I would recommend giving it a look as its cross platform compatibility, Bluetooth switch option, built in chat-game mixing and hot-swap batteries are very appealing features for some.So, for me, it came down to the Virtuoso and it's Special Edition. Now the only real differences between the two are:1. The SE's come with fully machined aluminium head cups. The non-SE are gloss plastic.2. The SE's come with a variety of colours and aesthetics like Espresso. The non-SE are black or white.3. The SE's come with a larger microphone, from around 30 different mic test videos, is lower quality than the standard edition.4. The SE's cost more.Otherwise they are identical headsets - same drivers, battery etc. Seeing as 1,2&4 don't really make a difference to HOW the headset performs, but 3 does, I felt that it wasn't justified to pay a premium just to make the side of my head look pretty as I work alone.Now then:I will say that, at the end of the day, I feel that this headset can and does shine in the current market. It's priced acceptably, it sounds decent when tweaked, the build quality is good and it comes from a respectable and trustworthy brand. It comes with alot of features that, although you probably won't use them all, gives you options. The downsides with the thing is that you need to really put in a bit of legwork to get the best out of it; so for many who just want an out-the-box experience, I recommend you look elsewhere.I primarily use a PC; and to be honest if there's a real limitation of the Vituoso its that, to fully get the best out the headset, you need to be using it on PC's. As you can't access many of it's features on consoles or mobiles as it's not got Bluetooth. Avoid it for Console use as it's not built for it.Furthermore, untweaked, this headset is shocking for it's price. It's default sound profile is on par with budget headphones from a supermarket. It genuinely sounds like you have your head underwater. I would really like to know why Corsair have gone with this approach; it's as if they forgot to actually do any configuration of the product in the factory. It's not even a "set everything to neutral" approach, it's a "make everything sound like tinny crap" by default. Next; the device only has software based 7.1 surround, no built in physical toggle. Seeing as this is one of their selling point's its not exactly a great feature if you can't even turn it on. Further, you'd be easily forgiven if you found the round ear cups as being about 1/2 a cm too thin and the RGB a nice, if pointless feature seeing as you will never see it unless your turning the headset off.To address these issues:1. Get the iCue software. This allows you to enable faux 7.1 surround sound and control the lighting aspects of the headset. If I'm honest I don't like fake 7.1, as headphones are never going to be able to replicate what actual 7.1 speakers can do, as headphones are, by design, stereo. But at least it's there and thats how you turn it on.2. Turn off the RGB in iCue by going into device settings and dragging the brightness bar all the way to the left. This will give you a good couple of hours extra battery life; so unless you are some sort of fish-person who can see in 270' vision and find colourful light more entertaining than what you are playing, do so as you won't ever see the sides flashing.3. Once you are in the iCue software immediately create a custom Equaliser profile. This lets you adjust the way the headset sounds dramatically. I use a set of older Sony MX RBT's for the gym and at work which have a fantastic sound profile even in wireless mode for the music I listen too. Sound is a highly subjective topic but I like emotive bass and sharp top-ends as I listen to alot of Synth which my Sony's do incredibly well. After tweaking the 32-250 range on the virtuosos and subsequently the 8k-16k does I got it pretty much exactly like my Sony's. I feel though the Virtuoso's do become either muddy or incredibly flat if you stray too aggressively with the sliders, so it is a case of playing a selection of tracks and doing some trial and error as you hone into the sound you like. Having done this the headset went from a 1/5 for sound to 4/5 for me. It does lack deep tone to the Bass though so I wouldn't recommend these as your go-to music headset for pure listening pleasure, but for general listening it's great.4. For comfort upgrades: the ear cups are a bit too thin for me. Although the weight distribution and clamp are fine for my watermelon sized head, I do find that, compared to my after-market cups on my Sennheiser PC350 headset I currently use; I find my ears getting a bit fatigued and resting against the driver. Had the base cups about 4-5mm more padding it would be fine but they don't. Thankfully the Virtuoso earcups are removable with a bit of careful twisting, so getting slightly thicker after-market pads with more breathable material and cooling gel isn't so much of a hassle. The only issue you may have is that the fixing ring is glued to the original pads, so either 3D print one, get one from a 3rd part or carefully tear it free and re-glue it. Once in I can't think of anything that would cause discomfort. Again this another example where the Virtuoso is terrible out the box, but a few tweaks here and there and you've got yourself a stellar headset.Overall out the box this headset is a 1/5 product. It relies heavily on you using for PC. It's features are rich but almost gated behind a technical experience requirement. You need to modify the product to get it at it's best - which although good cannot rival dedicated wire-based equipment. Other quality of life upgrades are also recommended so at this price point you are more than justified in saying "why the heck should I have to do this?" and go elsewhere. However if you do tweak it you are rewarded immensely. It is quite easily a 4/5 piece of kit when done correctly. Already I am seeing the benefits of being wireless and the options from the headset itself are numerous. It comes with all the cables for every slot and the build quality is clearly a step above things like HyperX, Turtle Beach and MPow. I naturally find myself reaching for it compared to my older headset (which is still plugged in for EQ tuning purposes) as my go to daily headset; and it was highly enjoyable and surreal to keep talking to my friends as I popped downstairs to grab a drink rather than having to take the headset off and run down. If you can stomach the after-purchase tweaking and modifications I recommend the Virtuoso, but I'd say avoid the Special Edition unless you desperately want one of it's unique colours.

20.6.2021

TL;DR:+ Amazing microphone quality - probably the best in the market+ Wireless mode is well-designed and reliable- Average sound quality- Comfort can be a problem over long periods of use- Massive bug renders bundled app (Corsair iCUE) unusableAside from this headset I have tested the Astro A50, Corsair HS70 Pro, and the SE version of the same headset. The Corsair Virtuoso (not SE) was the best of all four by a significant margin.Unless noted otherwise, everything I write in this review applies to the wireless mode.The best part of this headset is the microphone quality. Simply put, I don't think you will find a better microphone in any wireless headset currently on the market, period,even in much more expensive models. I confirmed this by rigorously comparing level-matched recordings, and you can also confirm it yourself if you look for sample recordings on YouTube. As far as wireless headsets go it is miles ahead of the competition in this regard. Even the best *wired* headsets have trouble keeping up. As with most headsets, the microphone sounds best if it's placed far away from your mouth, otherwise it clips.Note that the only difference between the Virtuoso and the Virtuoso SE appears to be the microphone - I tested both variants and they seemed identical in all other aspects. You might think that the Virtuoso SE, being more expensive, would have a better mic - and you'd be wrong! Counter-intuitively, the SE microphone is worse, though not by much.The sound quality of the headphones themselves is... average. It's not bad, but it's not great, either. The headset is definitely not designed for critical listening, but it is adequate for gaming. The biggest problem with the sound is lack of bass, which might be related to my glasses breaking the headphone seal. The lack of bass can be worked around with EQ, but if third-party frequency response measurements (e.g. Rtings) are to be believed, that will only do so much.Probably the biggest problem of this headset has to do with comfort. The headset is somewhat heavy, which makes sense for a wireless headset with a battery, but the weight is not well distributed by the headband, which means after ~one hour of use my head starts to hurt where the headband is. I modified the headband, adding a contraption based on acoustic foam (see picture) to work around the problem. It does work and the headset doesn't hurt anymore, but it seems silly that I had to do something like this.The Virtuoso uses a proprietary wireless protocol and does NOT support Bluetooth - you will need to use the bundled wireless transmitter, which acts as a USB sound device. This is typical for gaming headsets. The upside is low latency and good audio quality in both directions.Wireless range seemed great in my testing. I had to go a couple of rooms away before I started hearing dropouts. In normal usage ~1 meter away from the transmitter, I never noticed any kind of interference or dropouts, ever, in many hours of use. The wireless transmission seems really rock solid. I can't say the same about other wireless headsets, even much more expensive ones.When the headset is turned off, the computer sees the audio device as removed. This is great, because that means that if you have other audio devices (e.g. speakers, webcam mic) your computer will automatically switch back and forth as you turn the headset on/off. This might seem like a very basic feature, but you'd be surprised how few wireless headsets can do this. All other wireless headsets I tried act as audio devices that "stick around" even if the headset is turned off, which is just silly.Volume control on the headset operates on the software (OS) level. Again this stands in contrast to many other wireless headsets, where the volume control is purely analog on the headset itself. The digital volume control on the Virtuoso works better because it avoids having to deal with two separate gain stages which can get messed up in confusing ways.Aside from wireless, the Virtuoso comes with two wired connection options: 3.5mm Jack (TRRS) and, surprisingly, USB Audio - a rare find for this kind of product.The headset is charged through the USB-C port. Sadly, while charging the headset using a USB charger, all LEDs stay on at full brightness and there is no way to turn them off. That's just silly. It is possible to charge the headset while using it in wireless mode at the same time.The headset can be tweaked using an app, Corsair iCUE, which makes it possible to adjust the RGB lighting and EQ, among a few other things. Unfortunately, in my testing the app suffered from a severe bug where it would constantly mess with per-application Windows app mixer levels, turning them way too low and rendering the headset basically unusable for this reason. Because of this I had to uninstall the app. The headset can be used just fine without the app, but unfortunately the app settings do not persist if the app is closed.I have also used the headset on Linux (PulseAudio), where it works perfectly out-of-the-box.In conclusion, I can recommend this headset for gaming and voice chat - it is very well suited for this use case and your friends/family/coworkers will appreciate the pristine microphone quality. Just make sure to double check for comfort/fit issues. I wouldn't recommend it for music/movies due to its somewhat unremarkable sound quality - though to be fair it is easy to find much worse in this regard.

17.11.2019

- Introduction -When it comes to corsair whether it is mice, keyboards or headsets you are always going to get a quality product. This line of headsets is on the higher end of the scale but what you get in return is worth paying for and I will explain more deeper into my review. Hopefully, this will clear up a lot of misconceptions and be helpful for those who have unanswered questions.- Your Sound Card Is Important ! -When using any audio device on a PC, the quality of the sound is determined by the sound card, drivers and software. This can be the difference between having a headset with low volume and bad sound to something immerses you in the action with crystal clear sound,powerful effects and a volume that puts you in the front seat. For example if you have a set of speakers you need a good quality amp to drive the audio to make sure you are getting the best out of them. Just like that the sound card in your PC is a big deciding factor of how much you are getting out of your headset.- Comfort -I have heard other people say that these are uncomfortable, I know everybody is different and experiences may differ but I personally found them to be very comfortable even for long periods. At first the headband wasn't the softest but like most things you have to be patient and let them wear a little so they can become more supple over time and with these this was the case. The headband has softened up and adjusted after many hours of use, the ear cups caress your ears and don't press too hard and with these being quite light overall they don't get tiring to wear either. The ear cups can make you a little sweaty after a few hours but that's simply a sign its time for a good break instead of being glued to the screen like a cat on catnip! Overall very snug and enjoyable to use after some wear and I have had no discomfort at all.- Build Quality, Design & Features -If you also own a Corsair mouse and keyboard, this headsets black and aluminium design and RGB logo this will compliment your setup for sure. You can tell when wearing and holding that this is a premium design and the build quality is fantastic. On the left ear cup you have a 3.5mm audio port, charging port and the microphone it's self which has a mute button on and is also detachable if you want to play without. To the end of the mic there is an LED to indicate red or green when it is on or off which is a nice touch. To the right of the earcups you have the volume wheel and the wired/wireless button so you can flick between. The RGB on the cups is not much use as it does not make much difference when you have them on, but with all being said if you have them hanging on your desk with a stand they do look nice. Battery life I found to be great when not used excessively but it's always best to leave them on charge after you use them so you never have to worry, The software on windows 10 is really easy to set up and use but can be a bit tedious at times and lag. Hopefully this can be fixed with an update in the future but in all very simple to use and change settings. Also for this price I would expect a carrying case to be included to protect them so you can use them on the go.- Sound Quality -After plugging in the dongle and setting up the corsair software you have many options to choose from depending on which sound you would like. Different sound profiles can be selected giving you a different feel in return which I really liked. Being able to customise the sound gives you control depending on which type of games you are playing and how intense you want it to be. I tested this headset out with assassins creed origins, forza horizon 4, red dead redemption 2 and battlefield V. Having a headset as good as this really adds another layer to the game and gives you a slight advantage in certain situaitons. When playing forza the car engines really roar and give you a feel for the game while car tires screech crisply and clear. With battlefield I was very impressed as it puts you in the middle of the action with the 7.1 surround sound. You feel like you are going to war, every bullet has an impact while explosions rumble and feedback to you in outstanding fidelity and realness. When playing red dead redemption 2 walking through a swamp or a forest you can hear animals and birds from different directions. This headset has really impressed me and is great for any game but remember to have a play around with the sound profiles to make sure you are getting the right one for the type of game you are playing. With voice chat the microphone pics up well without picking up breathing and unwanted background noise. The feedback from my friends was that my voice was very clear, full-bodied and loud.- Conclusion -Comfortable, good build quality and amazing audio this corsair headset does impress and ticks nearly every box. With some quick customisation of the settings you can be engrossed in the game and hear every sound like they were intended to be. The price point is fairly high but it's very true that you get what you pay for and with corsair, you get an assurance of great build quality and thought gone into everything they do. Very impressed and happy with these and would recommend to gamers alike, feel free to ask any questions and I will answer them but for now, hopefully this gave you a different perspective and will help you to make your decision.

22.1.2020

<TL:DR>+ Good build quality.+ Decent sound after some EQ changes.+ Good battery life, about 20 hours as stated by the manufacturer.+ Mic quality is “very good” according to people I’ve talked to.+ Good range. Can easily walk downstairs without cutting out.- Not enough headband padding for me. Starts hurting after a few hours.- No battery voice-indicator at certain levels, just a "battery low" voice at around 15%.- Expensive for what it is, my old headset had MUCH better sound without an EQ and was about £50 cheaper.<SOUND QUALITY>Out of the box, I thought this headset sounded absolutely horrible.They sounded dull, almost hollow, both on my PC, smartphone and Nintendo Switch.The saving grace is the PC software that comes with it, which makes the sound SO much better. Once you play around with the EQ, they have decent, punchy bass and clear high notes, at least in "stereo mode" which is what I always use. Of course, this is highly individual, so you might not agree. My previous headset didn’t have an EQ, so for me, this was a big plus.Seeing as the EQ is what makes the sound acceptable, I would NOT recommend getting this headset if you’re planning on using it for anything but PC gaming. It still sounds horrible on my phone and on my Switch and I’ve found no way to make it better.Oh, and the microphone quality is apparently "very good" according to the people I have talked to, so no complaints on the quality of the mic.<BUILD QUALITY>The overall build quality is really nice and I really appreciate the “clean” look, compared to some other gaming-headsets that look ridiculous. As someone with a large head, I got these to replace my old plastic headset (which I had to glue several times, poor thing…) and it's such a big difference! The metal frame feels super sturdy and it doesn’t “creak” when moving it. The earpieces both look and feel high quality, and the RGB lights are clear and bright. The only downside here is the padding and the controls. The headband padding isn't thick enough for me, so it starts to hurt after a couple of hours. I solved this by adding another strip of padding myself.And then the controls/inputs, they're a little strange compared to what I'm used to. The volume wheel controls the PC volume, which is linked to the headset volume, but it doesn't feel very responsive. You have to scroll quite a lot for it to change, yet sometimes it seems to “jump” suddenly when you scroll. Could be a fault on mine, but worth mentioning. The charging input is placed in a way that if you wear it while charging, the cable will basically be right on your shoulder. Not only will you feel the cable-head on your shoulder, but the cable itself will rub on your back/front depending on how you place it and it WILL pick up noise. Luckily this shouldn’t be a major issue since the battery lasts for around 20 hours and if you time things correctly, you’ll not have to charge during use very often.As for the microphone, it feels sturdy while also being bendable, which is great since you can put it closer to or further away from your mouth. However, it lacks a “pop-filter”, which for the price that this was, I feel that I shouldn’t have to purchase that on the side. Also, the mute button is on the base of the microphone, which to me felt a little strange since I’m used to all the buttons being on the headset itself.<SOFTWARE>The included software has had several updates since a lot of previous reviews I’ve seen.I’ve seen people complain about the lack of a “battery indicator” and that you couldn’t turn off the microphone light, which I’m happy to say has now been implemented. You can now turn off the microphone light, so you don’t have that green light in your face all the time. And you can also view the remaining battery both in the actual application and now also add a battery icon to your Windows taskbar. If you have more than one monitor, you’ll be able to see the remaining battery at all times.Other than that, it’s a pretty straightforward application. You can change the lighting of all of your Corsair paraphernalia, but I’ve only got the headset so I have no idea how well this works with other Corsair products. You can change the EQ settings and a few other minor settings, such as the battery indicator, when your headset shuts off after being idle etc.<CONCLUSION>While I may have been a little nitpicky in this review, I felt that I had to be, seeing as they were £149 at the time and that I still consider my old headset to be superior. The only thing that these are better at, is the build quality and its battery life.Now I’m not saying that they’re bad, but for the price, I just expected a little more.As I’ve managed to make them sound “OK” and that the build quality is as good as it is, I have decided to settle for these and end my search for a new headset.If you’re not as picky as myself and don’t mind its price tag, I am sure you will enjoy this headset!

26.5.2021

So some background context. I wanted to wait at least a year before leaving a review for a product like this because I wanted to observe the wear and tear as well as battery degradation.I bought these last year in March. I talk with friends on Discord in my free time, and I work from home. So I effectively use this headset ALL day every day, and it's almost purely because it's the only headset I've found that I can actually wear for an entire day without any discomfort.Pros:- All-day usage with no discomfort (Please bear in mind that I do not wear glasses, your experience may vary if you do wear glasses).- I can happily say that after a year of using this headset pretty much 18hrs a day,7 days a week. I've experienced almost no battery degradation or even wear/tear on the headband or ear cushions.- The sound quality is impressive, the mic quality is also pretty good.- The battery will last you all day (If you disable the RGB).- The range is ridiculous. I can be literally ANYWHERE in my flat with my headset on and it still sounds crystal clear. I cannot express how insane the range is.- They can get pretty loud if you wanna drown out background noise.- Super versatile, can be used wired (USB or Aux) or wireless.With any new Corsair product (Which this was when I purchased it), there's going to be some teething problems with the software. And lord knows I have had many with this headset. In its current state, running iCUE v4.11.274 software with Dongle firmware v0.16.80 and Headset firmware v0.17.149 appears to be somewhat stable, with only the odd issue that can usually be solved by either power cycling the headset or restarting my PC (More on the issues in the cons section).Cons (A lot of these are software issues that can be fixed):- Little on the hefty side, but you get used to it.- The mic is mounted on a bendy cord instead of being on a pivot and operating like a lever (Like the Corsair VOID). Although this allows me to have greater positioning accuracy than the VOID style mic, It's frustrating that I can't just quickly flip it up to get it out of the way. That being said, the mic is detachable, so you can get it out of the way by detaching it. But I found that it is difficult to plug the mic back in whilst wearing the headset, so you'll almost always be taking off the headset to plug the mic in.- Sometimes the mic mute button doesn't work and requires restarting iCUE service (sometimes my whole PC) to fix.- I like to have sidetone enable so that I can ensure I'm not blowing on the mic. But there have been many instances where I boot up my PC, only to find that iCUE disabled sidetone for no reason. I wish this setting would stick. It's annoying having to re-enable this now and then.- If you use the headset with sidetone enabled, disable voice prompts too. With voice prompts enabled, every time you press the mic mute button, you're greeted with "Mic off, Mic feedback off". Hearing that every time you toggle the mic is EXTREMELY annoying. Thankfully you can disable this in iCUE so that it just gives you beeps.- Sometimes I have to re-pair my headset to the dongle for no apparent reason.- When your PC is off, and your headset is just idle and charging. The LEDs glows white. If your PC is in the same room you sleep in, that headset is gonna be a lighthouse in your room that keeps you up all night. The only way I have found to disable this is by turning the brightness to lowest (effectively disabling the side LEDs).- Battery life is only good IF you disable the side LEDs. Otherwise, it's awful. I don't understand how these LEDs are so power-hungry. the battery life difference is night and day.Quite honestly, the software is the biggest downfall of this headset. I don't always get software issues, but when I do, they prevent me from using the headset which can be frustrating. I've had MUCH worse issues than the ones I listed in the cons that Corsair slowly fixed with software updates. If they keep up this steady pace, then the Virtuoso will be a solid 5/5. But until that time, I cannot give this any more than 4/5 because of the software.

20.4.2020

I bought these pair alongside a pair of Steelsieres ARTICS 7 and gave both of them a shot at the throne of replacing my very old HyperX Cloud 2's, so the bar wasn't too high. I tried the ARTICS 7 first as all reviews lead me to believe that it was the inferior headset and then I tried the Virtuoso. I got about 3hrs in before it was back in its box.ComfortThis is my biggest issue with this headset. Any headset for gaming should be able to be worn on those marathons, be they 8hrs, 24hrs or 48hrs. The clamping force is good but slightly weak for my liking but a good compromise for people with glasses. The headband however is where all the problems lie. Its got either too little foam or the stitching and foam is too stiff,whatever it is, it digs in and is unpleasant after minuets not hours, and I am by no means sensitive, I am well accustomed to the Vive and the head strap there. The ear cups are of detriment to its comfort rating too. They are just too shallow and too poorly fitting to provide a good seal on the head. Overall its a tolerable level but not what I would expect at this price and especially the target demographic of the headset.SoundThe sound from any wireless headset will never be exceptional regardless. This pair however, did blow my old Cloud 2's out of the water, but not without huge EQ tweaking. The provided EQ in the software is good but all pre-sets distinctly lack mids and as someone who listens to rock, unacceptable. This could translate to bass saturation over voices and footsteps in game if there were explosions or gunshots but we never got that far to see. Heavy EQ tweaking from another software got them sounding as I would expect but there was a good level of clipping and this left the sound a little flat, they ended up sounding loud and empty, a point echoed by someone else I had test the sound because I couldn't believe my ears after seeing all the other reviews. Not what I would expect and falls short because of the EQ tweaks needed, if it sounded how it does tweaked out of the box it would be fine, but it doesn't. Wired mode does fair better but not by much and if I wanted a wired headset, I wouldn't be buying this one.BuildThis is arguably the strongest point for the Virtuoso. They feel heavy and sturdy, even the non SE version with solid, stiff, metal hinges and a strong but flexible headband. The microphone doesn't have any clicking when you attach it to the headset which concerns me for the durability of that piece, especially since its proprietary with the hole shape. The 3.5mm jack and USB all do have satisfying interfaces and feel like their connections will last so perhaps my microphone concern has no validity.MicrophoneThis is where this headset shines. This made it so hard to make the decision because the microphone sounds so damn close to my actual speaking voice. The mic on the standard edition is flawless with clear reproduction and good directionality so as not to pick up my keystrokes or even much of my breathing. This is defiantly the strong point for this headset.OverallThe Corsair Virtuoso isn't a bad buy, but it is far from the best. The main saving grace is the aesthetics and the microphone, but to me, I don't game in front of a mirror and I don't hear myself or broadcast and if I did I would probably not be using a headset microphone. I game and listen to music and my teammates for long periods of time and in comparison to other headsets out there, the Virtuoso does a good job, but not the job I would expect for the price and it certainly doesn't to the best job.

4.11.2019

The Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless Headset is primarily made for PC use in mind to work in conjunction with their 'iCUE' software where you can utilise the headset at its full potential, such as: RGB preference, EQ settings, volume settings for mic and sidetone and adjustment of the 7.1 feature. That said, it is also compatible on consoles such as the PS4 & Xbox One (Both wired and wireless) as well as smartphones which have an AUX port (sorry, no wireless compatibility there). The vast connectivity makes this an all-in-one headset and is suitable for those who want that flexibility of using one headset for many devices,just note that the 7.1 surround feature is only available when in use with a PC/Laptop etc...The packaging was really eye catching and the overall presentation seemed very well thought out, including the contents which you will find the following:• Virtuoso RGB Wireless Headset.• Boom-mic (Detached by default).• Branded and very stylish soft-case for the headset that closes via a magnet.• Wireless USB Dongle (PC, PS4 & Xbox One wireless connectivity)• Braided USB-C to USB cable (charging and PC connectivity).• Braided stereo cable (Smartphone and other compatible devices with an AUX port).• Instruction manual and warranty documents.For me personally, I have been using the wireless feature in use with the PS4 and I have to say, the connection was very straight forward: I put the USB dongle into the PS4 then switched the button on the headset from USB to Wireless and within seconds, they connected. My PS4 had automatically set them up, but if that fails you just need to go into the 'Settings' tab followed by 'Audio Devices'. The wireless connectivity was decent and so far, I have not had any unnecessary drop-outs.They worked brilliantly, though I had to bump up the microphone sensitivity by two for my own personal preference. The microphone is easily toggled between 'Mute' & 'Active' by a press of a button and the microphone will turn red when muted and green when active. The microphone I found to be very clear. Holding the mute button down for several seconds will also toggle the sidetone feature - Sidetone is great for over-ear headsets as it allows you to hear yourself talk and resulting in less shouting and more talking.There is a scroll-wheel for ease of overall volume adjustment which I liked; this is very easy to reach and adjust. Depending on what you're using it on, you may need to adjust further settings via other means, such as on the PS4 where you can adjust the chat/game volume ratio through the consoles chat settings.As for audio quality, I thought it was extremely good. The sound is clear and they can deliver some decent bass also - overall, I personally thought it was well balanced, but that's subjective to each person and their tastes.Finally, comfort! These fit over my ears nicely and the headband has a sufficient level of padding making the overall use, very comfortable.Overall, I found this to be a top-notch headset that can be used on multiple devices. Would highly recommend.

17.10.2020

I have had this headset since July 2020 and it has been enough time for me to give my own verdict on this headset. I had to find a new headset after my Turtle Beaches began to snap on one earcup and they have been very faithful to me.COMFORTSo this headset had circular earcups rather than your typical oval ones, so these may be uncomfortable for some people. At first, I did find them uncomfortable to use, but with more usage I have now got used to them. The actual material feels nice and doesn't put too much clamping force on your head. The headband is quite comfortable and is made of a memory foam type of material.The design of the headset does not make it heavy and gets straight to the point that it is a professional headset.MICROPHONEThe microphone on this headset is brilliant. My friends on PS4 say that this is a crystal clear sounding microphone from their side and the sound coming in feels just as nice. There isn't a wind shield / foam cover for the microphone which I think it definitely needs, so you'll need to buy them separate. The microphone is detachable and the mute button is just underneath the back of the microphone. It's a very nice feature and subtle. The microphone cancels a lot of noise out from around you too.CONNECTIONSYou can plug a 3.5mm to 3.5mm Jack into this to have a wired connection, although my friends did say this gave them some strange echo effect on my voice, so I went against using it. It connects to your device through a wireless dongle (USB) and needs to be turned on by a power switch on the right earcup. These can be charged with a type-c cable. There's a volume wheel on the right earcup too.BATTERYThe one feature that ruins this headset for me. I just doesn't last long enough at all. It'll be on charge for ages and then will struggle to get through 8 hours ish. I'm sure I read it's got like a 20 hour battery in it, but it definitely doesn't feel like that.RGBThe Corsair logo is on each earcup and can be lot up in various colours if you use their computer software to configure it. Very straight forward. It will also light up when it is on charge.SOUNDThe sound feels pretty good. I can enjoy listening to my friends or watching cutscenes / being in game with these on and feel immersed with the setting. I don't listen to music through them, so I wouldn't be able to get that opinion.VERDICTOverall, this headset takes time to get used to, especially with the circular earcups, and it can be off-putting for people. The microphone is one of the best I have used on the PlayStation and I'll be using it on the PS5 too. If the battery life was longer and consistent, I'd have given this 5 stars without thinking about it. I wouldn't let that out you off it though, as it could just be my pair. I do think the purchase for me was worth it and enjoy most of Corsairs products.

13.11.2020

The earcups are very soft and comfortable. This along with the good amount of clamping force gives a good seal around your ear increasing sound quality and reducing outside noise. I found the clamping force to be less than the Corsair HS60 which I had first, this may be due to the extra weight of the Virtuoso being wireless. Ultimately this made them a little looser but not enough to make it an issue and certainly not as loose as the Void's. They will not block outside noise so you still have situational awareness. The sound quality is amazing and at this price point probably the best wireless solution under £200. The integration into Corsair iCue software is good.The RGB effects you may have on other Corsair products can be applied to the Virtuoso. Volume control is responsive and mic mute button is on the stem of the mic making it easy to find. The mute button also switches side tone on and off with a long press. The mic is extremely good quality and the built in pop filter works great. Voice cues can be turned on for mic mute and unmute and there is an LED on the mic for a visual cue. The mic flexibility is great and stays exactly where you adjust it to. It can only be plugged in one way so connecting it is easier. The Corsair virtual surround sound is OK but personally I found windows spatial sound to be nicer. With any virtual surround sound you will not be able to adjust the E.Q. The wires that come with this are very flexible even though they are the thicker hard wearing type. The connection on the headset is USB C which is nice but the wire for the PC (used in wired mode you get higher fidelity sound) is terminated to a USB A. Would have been nice to have type C to type C for plugging directly into phones.Overall the look and feel of this headset is very good and feels like a more expensive headset. I only had one issue which may be subjective but after prolonged use the headband felt slightly uncomfortable on the top of my head. Massive improvement over the Corsair HS60 Pro which I had previously but still room for improvement. Some have also mentioned that having round earcups instead of oval sometimes irritates where it touches your ear at the top or bottom but I never had this problem. From other review I have seen I also think that the mic on the Virtuoso is actually better sound quality than the Virtuoso SE which is supposed to be better? The white just looks amazing though and even though the covers on the earcups are plastic instead of metal they look great in white. Also the holes on the Virtuoso SE that let the RGB light through are probably going to get dust ingress. These ones the RGB just shines through the translucent plastic.

3.11.2019

From the second you open the box, the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE High-Fidelity Gaming Headset reeks of quality. Nothing plastic about this headset, it’s beautifully constructed from aluminium and looks really good. The gunmetal grey colour scheme works really well. A good quality padded storage pouch is a nice feature.The good looks are not at the expense of comfort, the ear-pads and head band are covered in synthetic leather and filled with memory foam. The band is easily adjustable and getting the right, snug, fit is very easy.The detachable 9.5mm omnidirectional microphone fits clicks into place and has a useful one-click mute button.

25.11.2019

This review is for the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless (Not SE version)When you first get this headset, make sure you update the firmware as soon as possible, using Corsair ICUE.Ok so here's the good:First off the headset sounds really good. I've been a HyperX and Sennheiser user for years, so I've been accustomed to good sound. It even sounds great when using it in wireless mode. (the main reason why I bought it)The mic is also one of the best mics I've heard on a wireless gaming headset in 2019. (Check out the review on YouTube by HardwareCanucks, and hear for yourself)The headset itself is really comfortable.

28.11.2019

Overall this headset is very good (once you upgrade the firmware) but it is far from perfect as there are minor annoyances with it.Plus pointsThe sound quality is fair to ok when wireless the sound stage is well separated but it just lacks brightness to the mids and highs while the bass is a little to thin without any eq boosting. But as a party trick it can support (via settings) 96k audiophile quality (this is where it shines best) but only when connected to the USB lead which is such a shame.The looks are really nice the brushed aluminium just looks amazing it also has RGB worked into the aluminium ear cups.

15.12.2019

Fastest wireless pairing I'v ever experienced on a wireless headset which speaks a lot compared to the old Corsair Void Pro's that these replaced. The Void Pros would take upwards of 15 seconds to connect after turning on sometimes, these take less than 4 seconds. The audio quality in wireless is the best iv ever heard out of a wireless pair of headphones at this price range and the HI-FI audio really does work wonders in the audio depth. In wired mode they get even better, the audio is even clearer, bass is stronger and obviously they are wired so don't need charging.When charging these headphones, the port is USB C so its the same as all my other devices,

28.1.2020

Love the headset and the build quality is that of a tank; but I do have a couple complaints.First of all; iCUE. What should be the bread and butter of Corsair products has been a bit of a pain. Granted I've only had the one issue with it that has since fixed itself with a hard reset of my computer, but it was still a pain. For context - in the software the headset duplicated itself - so every time I muted it, it would register 2 button presses and not just the 1, so it would immediately unmute itself.Secondly - the mic quality on the SE is worse than the non SE? What's up with that Corsair?And lastly - the glossy sides of the non SE edition.

23.4.2020

Had these for around 3 weeks. A little uncomfortable for the first part however I expected this with the design of the headphones compared to my Voids. After a day or two of having these for work due to isolation, they were very comfortable to say so, especially with working 10 hours a day 5 days a week.For gaming, they've exceeded my expectations completely. With having a tight pair of headphones and the audio being very crisp, especially for shooters such as Battlefield, OW, CS:GO and etc, they were amazing to figure out where the enemies were.However, there's the downside...Today, I came to the headphones completely drained. Once plugged in, they were just blinking red.

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