It makes perfect sense why there are so many little tricks in the gaming space. At certain price points you can only expect so much from equipment. As a result, brands do very similar things, except their logo is placed on the side. I like the look, feel and sound of the Corsair Virtuoso Max, but most of its capabilities have to be compared to the competition, and that doesn’t give the Corsair the best chance of taking the top spot in the high classes. end the audio battle.
One place where Virtuoso Max definitely stands out is the microphone. Typically, the best wireless gaming headsets don’t sound fantastic to your teammates because they often prioritize rapid, right sound and battery life over the microphone.
However, the Corsair microphone sounds clear and unwavering, rarely cutting out or fading. In the time I’ve been working with it, this mic has withstood whispers from enemies under the stairs in PUBG and the inevitable scream from one of my teammates who pressed the wrong button and gave us our position.
Unfortunately, the sidetone effect – or the ability to hear yourself talking – may not suggest how nice this microphone sounds because it simply isn’t very good in the software. To hear your own voice, you practically have to shout, which is not true when playing online. This sounds like a technical glitch, but I have no idea how to fix it, other than setting the sidetone sensitivity as high as possible.
Corsair Virtuoso Max specifications
Connection: 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth
Type: Closed at the back
Frequency response: 20Hz – 40kHz
Drivers: Graphene 50mm
Microphone: Detachable, multi-directional
Characteristics: Active noise reduction, surround sound, iCUE compatibility
Libra: 431 gr
Battery life: Up to 60 hours (with RGB off)
Price: $330 | 279 pounds
Connectivity, although restricted, is very well thought out. There is a power switch on the left ear cup that can be turned to the middle position to connect to the 2.4 GHz receiver, or all the way down to connect to Bluetooth at the same time.
The volume is adjusted using a knob that takes up the entire cup, with the left one initially changing the audio sound of the receiver, and the right one changing the Bluetooth volume.
Not only is this very intuitive to apply, but it’s also perfect for that last-minute Duolingo lesson at 11:55 PM in the middle of a gaming session. While you can change which ear does what in Corsair iCUE, its own software, you can’t adjust it to adjust game volume to mic ratio, mic gain, or anything else you want to control with these knobs. It’s a pity, because a little more personalization would be useful.
The Corsair software is basically indispensable to really get the most out of this kit. It controls basic equalizer functions and lighting, but also lets you set a custom sound ID that tests your ears for the best sound volume. I found that the equalizer worked better with a slight boost to both the bass and treble while leaving the midrange more or less untouched.
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Once you’ve done this, the Corsair Virtuoso Max will sound great, with a very neutral sound profile. However, the bass is not as powerful as the other parts, and its excessive amplification in the EQ settings sounds a bit hollow. Instead of getting the punch of a bulky bottom end, it instead approximates the feeling of that rumble without sounding as distinct as I would like the bass to sound.
I’ve found this more neutral sound profile works best in fast-paced single-player games like the surprisingly brilliant Indiana Jones and Great Circle, thanks to the wide range of sounds. It’s a more immersive headset than the competition, which means it won’t really be any better than a much cheaper headset at hearing the footsteps of grunts (or, well, other people) in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
But these diminishing returns largely apply to any headset over $150. However, this audio quality is certainly evident in games that are meant to engage you rather than challenge you.
You’ll notice not only the fairly high price tag of just over $300 for the microphone and audio, but also the build quality. This set of cans is super sturdy and when stretching it or moving the band around, I never noticed an unsettling degree of elasticity. The band itself is a combination of plastic and aluminum and stretches easily. This is the type of headset that can be safely wrapped over a monitor or thrown on a sofa.
Unfortunately, this stiffness is definitely a sticking point, and while it works quite well for my (rather gigantic) skull during gaming sessions, it is firm and the cushioning on the ear cups is very shallow.
This means that by lightly touching the cushioning you can feel the stiffness of the cup itself. The same goes for the strap on the top of the headset. If you’re more sensitive to the weight of your headset or the stiffness of its strap, you may find it sore after a gaming session lasting longer than an hour or two.
With over 60 hours of battery life with RGB turned off, I only charged this headset when I got an idea, and somehow it never ran out of battery during conventional apply. RGB is a mostly superfluous but nice addition to the headset, providing LEDs on the side of the cups and microphone to indicate whether it’s muted or not. Considering my test set is all silver, it’s also quite a nice set of headphones.
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Buy if…
✅ You need a great microphone: The clear, active and easy-to-use Corsair Virtuoso Max microphone is probably the most obvious sign of this headset’s quality. It can be detached when you don’t want to have the microphone next to your mouth.
✅ Want to connect to two devices at the same time: Not only can they be connected wirelessly via 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth at the same time, but the volume knobs on both sides control both audio sources independently.
✅ You have more Corsair products: iCUE compatibility makes it a great choice if you have other Corsair devices and don’t want to download another piece of software.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You are sensitive to stiff design: While the Corsair Virtuoso Max did its job for me without pain, the cushioning here is quite compact and stiff, both on the cups and on the top of the headset.
❌ You want the absolute best sound at a reasonable price: Available at the same price as the Audeze Maxwell, these headphones sound great, but for the same amount of money you can get even better sound.
Oddly enough, the included USB-C port only works for charging, which means you can’t apply this headset wired even if you want to. There’s no Aux jack either, which means you can’t easily connect to PlayStation or Xbox with controllers.
The PC version, however, works on PlayStation by plugging in a dongle, and there is a version of the headset designed specifically for Xbox, but cross-platform connectivity with the same headset is impossible.
Once connected to a computer and phone, everything seems rather natural. You can switch between customized equalizer modes by pressing and holding a custom button on the right earcup, toggling from standard hearing through vigorous noise cancellation to transparency mode, which is designed to let outside sounds in while you play.
Unfortunately, while ANC mode naturally hides ambient sounds, Transparency mode isn’t as clear and consistent as I’d like. It’s not bad, but not quite great either.
The Corsair Virtuoso Max boasts sound quality, microphone quality, and durability, but this is both a blessing and a curse as it is quite stiff. It also comes with a high price. Without doing anything particularly wrong, but without standing above the competition, Virtuoso Max is a set of cans that I rather like, but not quite will be enough in any area except perhaps microphone quality and Bluetooth connectivity.
