Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset with Microphone - Carbon

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] These Corsair Gaming Headphones are another example of how Corsair is a master of their craft! To jump start, the audio quality is great on my PC (especially when Dolby Atmos kicks it)-I mean it is crazy good! On my PS5 the sounds are as differentiated in a battle but I am sure this is user error and something I need to tweak. The battery life is by far the best I have had in a while, I play 4-6 hours at a time 5-6 days a week and they maintain their performance and the mic will start to blink red when you need to charge them (neat little feature). The wireless technology is ahead of the game as well. Normally I can't go into another room to grab a drink but with these I can walk across my first floor and not lose connection so I can keep chatting with people on my team. The ear cushions are also the best i've had and at first I thought cotton would be hotter than my pleather ones on another set. They are actually cooler and my ears aren't hot. I also buzz my head so I love the head band with the flexibility to mold to my head. Unlike other headsets where it feels like my head is being squeezed which causes headaches. As far as looks, the silicone like microphone, the arm, and actual sound are great, of course tailoring the RGB lights is super fun to match my game, and the volume dial is precise and very responsive. Overall a great headphone that I can't brag on enough and definitely your choice if you're looking to cut the cord on connected headsets!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] CORSAIR HS80 RGB WIRELESS GAMING HEADSET Best Buy Tech Insider Network GOOD WIRELESS ATMOS RGB GAMING HEADSET FROM CORSAIR The CORSAIR HS80 RGB WIRELESS headset is a nice all-around wireless gaming headset. It has plenty of features and an overall good quality build and sound. It is not as heavy (~370 grams) as other headsets in a similar price range (which is a good thing), and the fact it is wireless (cordless) makes it good and comfortable for long gaming sessions. I did find a noticeable difference between using it wirelessly and wired (via the included USB direct plug). In wireless mode (PC or PS5) the sound quality was pretty good (let’s call it 7 / 10 as an example). Once I plugged it in wired mode it really jumped up in fidelity (maybe 8 / 10). By way of an analogy, this is like if you only listed to satellite radio (which is highly compressed), then suddenly switch to a lossless format like FLAC and then you realize you were missing a good amount of detail. Anyway, I recommend wired mode for the best sound detail, and wireless for untethered comfort. The CORSAIR SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS technology did a good job of keeping up with the games. The manual suggests wired mode for HD audio. The CORSAIR HS80 continues the trend of “floating” headsets, by having a secondary strap inside the main headset band that moves some of the weight from your ears to the top of your head. This makes the HS80 feel lighter than it is (again, a good thing). The adjustments for the inside strap is fabric and it is secured via Velcro like fasteners. I can see the value of a light weight fabric that is breathable where it touches your head. I welcome the fact that it can be adjusted as I have a larger head and at first it was too tight. The microphone is good quality and flips up out of the way to mute. There are pleasant audio prompts in the headset that tell you for example if your mic is muted, or the headset is charging, etc. The ear cups are a little smaller than I’ve experienced on other brands and the padding is a little firmer (not good or bad, just different). On one hand a firmer ear cup means some air movement so that your ears don’t sweat. On the other hand I found sounds leaked in a little more on the HS80, so it was not as immersive. One side note, there is not 3.5mm analog input, incase that is important to you. The battery life lasted through my 8 hours of testing. I think it is rated for up to 20 hours. SOUND QUALITY Audio is highly subjective; you have to test for yourself and work your way through speakers and headsets until you find that sweet spot for your tastes. My sweet spot is strong bass (but not muffled) and crisp high notes. I downloaded and installed the ATMOS software. I also ran several ATMOS test videos (instead of just games) to test the surround sound experience. I compared the CORSAIR HS80 to 3 other wired and wireless headsets using the same audio tracks / games, just to make sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing. Here are my subjective ratings. (10 = Best) SURROUND SEPARATION (Spatial Placement of Sound Objects) = 9/10 OVERALL SOUND CLARITY (was anything muddy sounding) = 8/10 BASS NOTES / RUMBLING / EXPLOSIONS = 6/10 CRISP HIGH NOTES = 8/10 ENVELOPING SOUND (immersive sound envelope) = 7/10 I played a little with mixer settings, but with the ATMOS software enabled it pretty much takes over all the sound settings. The HS80 has better surround separation than any other headsets I’ve tested. I did find the bass was a little lacking for my particular taste. If you disable the ATMOS controls you can get more bass, but at the cost of more spatial awareness brought by ATMOS. MICROPHONE QUALITY The microphone quality is very good, and others could hear me clearly. They also could hear some of the background noise around me as the microphone is very sensitive. I was testing in my basement and they could tell when the furnace was running. SETUP / ICUE SOFTWARE Before I plugged anything in, I made sure to download the latest ICUE Software from CORSAIR and then I plugged in the headset. It found the headset easily and updated the firmware on my HS80 and my CORSAIR keyboard. With the ICUE software, you can adjust the LED’s on the headset as you would any other Corsair device, such as keyboards or fans. The lights can be disabled to save battery life. RECOMMENDATION The CORSAIR HS80 RGB WIRELESS headset is best suited for gamers who want better spatial awareness in their game play. Of course, the games you are playing will make the biggest difference in how much value the HS80 and Dolby ATMOS add to your gaming experience. It seems to be well built, and well supported. The overall audio quality is very good, especially when wired and with ATMOS enabled content. I wish it had more bass or a bass boost mode that could be activated with ATMOS.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Here it is, yet another headset that I probably don’t need, but my headset addiction got the best of me again. This time it’s the Corsair HS80 that I’m testing and you’ll be glad to know you’re in for a treat with these. For this review I’m going to breakdown the review into a few categories to make it a little more digestible. Appearance: These headphones are beautiful, in a very minimalistic way. They are primarily made of aluminum and plastics. They look fantastic with the subtle RGB on or off and there aren’t any glossy or flashy materials present. I really do enjoy the look of these. The whole headset definitely gives off a premium vibe. Build Quality: So far these are very light, even with a battery built into it for wireless operation. The aluminum construction surely has something to do with the weight, but they feel sturdy regardless. The headband is thick and swivel cups look durable as well Comfort: This is an area that’s going to be pretty subjective to people, but I’ll comment on it regardless. This head needed to be adjusted to its largest setting via the velcro stretch band to fit my large head. At this setting they sit on my head comfortably and fully cover my ears, so I have no complaints really, except for the fact that they almost didn’t fit me. The headband itself could use a little more padding, but I’ve not experienced discomfort yet. Also, the earcups feel amazing. They are fabric, but seem to be breathable, even after extended use. Sound: These headphones are equipped with 50mm drivers and you can definitely tell. The sound is noticeably powerful, getting plenty loud and not distorting at any volume that I tested. I played a few games and listened to a few music playlists without any noticeable issues. The sound is flat, but you can adjust it via the EQ that’s built into the iCue software. You can also use the included Dolby Atmos setting in Windows 10 to activate Dolby Atmos surround sound. Dolby Atmos sounds spectacular on this headset, with music and dialogue coming in clearly and with good highs, mids and lows. Bass is fantastic, but not overpowering. I believe the Corsair HS80s could be anyone’s daily driver without complaint. The headset just does a great job with anything you throw at it. I tested the headset both wired and wirelessly, but couldn’t notice a difference between the two. The wireless was flawless when paired with the included receiver. There was no discernable latency either, which is always a concern with wireless headsets. Connectivity/Ease of Use: Plugging in the dongle and powering on the headset is all there really is to installing this headset. I did notice a firmware update available for the headset though when I acceded the iCue software, so I had to plug them into my PC via the included cable to update the headset. The firmware upgrade went without a hitch and I was back up and running in just a few minutes. The iCue software is pretty easy to understand and is where you can adjust your lighting, mic sidetone and mic volume, along with setting up the equalizer and other advanced options. Overall Impressions: I really like this headset. I couldn’t find anything to really complain about except that the volume of the voice prompts is pretty high and not adjustable. I just turned off the voice prompts to get around this, but I’m hoping that Corsair implements an update where the user can select how loud the voice prompts are. This headset is fairly comfortable, sounds fantastic compared to almost any other gaming headset out there and is reasonably priced as well. This is an excellent choice if you’re in the market for a gaming headset for PC or the PS5. The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that the headband could have definitely been designed with a little more comfort for users with bigger heads.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have used a lot of headsets and picking up the Corsair HS80 makes them my 11th gaming headset, but only my 3rd wireless setup. Over the years I’ve had headsets from HyperX, Plantronics, Turtle Beach, Astro, Alienware, and Razer. I use my headsets for Xbox and PC gaming as well as work/conference calls. My first wireless headphones are a pair of Plantronics Rig 800HD, which I have been using as my daily for 3 years now. I am very used to using a wireless setup, and I’m aware of the tradeoffs that come with a fully wireless kit. With fully wireless headsets the extra freedom usually has downsides like added weight (batteries), increased price, and compatibility. The HS80 somewhat follows this path, but at the same time breaks from this mold. Build Quality/Design The HS80 has a standard closed back design with a hinged mic and volume/EQ controls. The design is a departure from the other HS series headsets and reminds me a bit more of the Void lineup. The headset eschews the traditional headband and opts for a suspension band setup. The earcups are wrapped in a comfortable velour-ish material. Each earcup can rotate and lay flat making for easier transport/storage. The rotation point is a solidly made pivot point that should hold up to plenty of abuse. The headset has some weight to it – probably in the same weight range as my Astro A40’s. The materials used on the headset have a real premium feel to them, and the fit/finish are top notch. The left earcup holds all of the controls/ports – power, volume wheel, USB C charging port. The volume wheel is also clickable, which allows you to adjust the EQ mode in Corsairs iCUE software. Each earcup has a small Corsair logo on the outside that contains the RGB LED’s – it is subtle and looks cool. Included in the box is the USB receiver, and a USB to USB C cable. The USB cable comes with a rubber cable wrap, but it is not affixed to the cord so you have to keep track of it separately. The cord is 6ft long and has a braided wrap to protect it. The cord is used for charging or for a wired PC connection. The box also includes a quick setup guide, and an access code for Dolby Atmos for headphones. Using Dolby Atmos will preclude the use of any of the HS80’s EQ settings, so treat it as a separate system EQ. I have used it for years and I really like it for movies and some games – not so much for music. The volume control is a scroll wheel without any stops – infinite scroll in either direction. The volume wheel controls the system sound level – each indented click changes the volume 2 steps at a time. Turning on the headset requires pressing and holding the power button for a few seconds. Once powered on it will tell you if the mic is muted, sidetone status, and battery life (low, med, high). Press and hold for a few seconds will power the headset off. The mic boom is permanent but rotates nicely out of the way. When the mic is rotated up it automatically mutes itself. It has a hump in its rotation path that lets you know when you cross the mute/unmute threshold. Controlling other headset features requires using Corsairs iCUE software. I already had this software to control my ST100 headset stand, so I was familiar with it. You can control sidetone level, mic volume, auto-shutoff timing, LED color scheme, LED brightness, and custom EQ’s. Specs on the headset are pretty good. The battery life at 20 hrs is solid – you get the most if you disable the LED’s. Range for the receiver is 60 ft – I had to walk outside before I dropped connection. My Rig 800’s fully dropped just outside the house, while the HS80’s made it several more feet before completely losing connection. The earcups come loaded with 50mm drivers, which is the size I would expect at the price point of the HS80’s. The overall design is reminiscent of a couple of my other headsets. The earcup rotating pivot reminds me of my Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 – which has held up to daily use for 2 years. The earcups (material and comfort) are just like my Astro A40’s. The mic and headband are a lot like my Plantronics Rig 800’s. These features happen to be some of my favorite parts of these headsets, so I was really excited to see how they worked when put all together. Comfort I was concerned with the weight and earcup material would affect longterm comfort. As much as I love the feel of the earcups they do trap heat around your ears, which is the same issue I have with my A40’s. The headband perplexed me for longer than I care to admit. At first glance the suspension band looks fixed and wasn’t adjustable. To my credit there is nothing on the packaging or setup guide that indicates that the band was adjustable. When I first put the headset on it felt a little too tight on my head, so I pulled it down a bit and it stretched into place. This caused some discomfort over time as it was creating a pressure band across the top of my head. Looking at the band connection points on the underside of the outer band I discovered that each band end (indicated with a little plastic end piece and a green line) was held in place with Velcro. Once I adjusted the band the comfort level greatly improved. Overall the weight is a factor with wearing these for long periods of time, but the softness of the earcups and the suspension band really helps distribute that weight. Compatibility The HS80 is limited to PC and PS4/5. I tried plugging the receiver into my Xbox, but I couldn’t even get sound to play, let alone any mic support. This was 100% to be expected. The USB receiver resembles a thumb drive, so definitely consider where you plug it in. I had mine plugged into the front panel of my case, but it stuck out so much that I feared it would get hit and damaged. If you are concerned about reducing the wireless range by tucking the receiver away in the back of your case, then you might look into a USB extension cable. Sound The HS80’s, through the iCUE software, has 5 preloaded EQ’s and the ability to add custom EQ’s. The preloaded EQ’s are Pure Direct (flat EQ), Clear Chat, FPS Competition, Bass Boost, and Movie Theater. For music listening I liked the Bass Boost, but for games I preferred the Movie Theater setting. The one thing I really liked about the HS80’s was the use of 50mm drivers. Out of all my headphones only 2 others employ 50mm drivers, but these are the only ones that are wireless. The larger drivers add a little extra weight over a 40mm setup, and typically draw a bit more power. With these drawbacks comes some positives though like lower frequency range and deeper/rumbly bass. I spend most of my day listening to music or joining in conference calls while I’m working. After work is done I am able to get in some gaming between my kids bedtime and my own. For me one of the most important things was how good these were for music. I left the EQ on Bass Boost and jammed away. Lows sounded great, and didn’t shy away when the bass got low and rumbly. Mids on the Bass Boost were a little muted, and I plan to adjust that EQ into a custom setting to bring them up. Highs were well represented and sounded clear. Sound output of the speakers is more than enough. At about 65-70 for volume was enough for me to completely drown out my own inner thoughts. For conference calls I switched things over to Clear Chat. This greatly improved the clearness of those speaking on the meeting. It did have a little bit of a tendency to sharpen the audio too much if people started talking over one another. However, I prefer too sharp vs. muddy. For gaming the best EQ was entirely dependent on what I was playing. For FNF I left it on Bass Boost to really enjoy the music. I left it the same for sessions of Wreckfest because the big crashes just sound better with some extra bass. Dropping into Halo I changed things around. I tried out FPS Competition first before settling on Movie Theater. FPS made the crack of bullets easier to parse out from the surrounding noise. However, it leaves the rest of the soundstage coming off pretty flat. At this point in my life I am a casual gamer with a competitive streak, so I don’t want to take away the immersion that comes with all of the sounds of the game. For that reason I switched things over to Movie Theater, and I found a good balance. Shots were still easy to recognize, just softened a bit. The rest of the sounds – running, footsteps, melees, grenades, etc – all sounded fuller, and more appealing. These are all my personal preferences for using headphones. I can certainly see the benefit of each EQ, so I am glad they include these options to broaden the appeal. Mic The mic is an attached, flip-to-mute style with an LED status indicator on the tip. Despite not having a windscreen I found the mic to do a nice job isolating environmental noise. I have several fans blowing close by that weren’t even registered by the mic. My voice came through nice and clear, so I was pretty happy with he performance. The LED status indicator shows white for being on, and red for muted. Configurable in iCUE is the sidetone setting – a very welcome feature. Setting it is easy and sidetone worked well – no delay or any feedback from background noise. Other Thoughts I wish it had a multifunction button for controlling different things like music or call features. I’m kind of disappointed that the power button wasn’t setup for something like this. Syncing the HS80 with my ST100 in iCUE was pretty neat. I’m not sure the usefulness with a wireless setup, since when its on the stand it will be powered off. Conclusion Overall, the HS80 managed to take several of my favorite features from my other headsets, and combine them into one platform. The end result is a great headset that really doesn’t have much going against it in terms of performance, durability, and build quality. Its biggest drawbacks are the little extra weight, and the large USB receiver.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The Corsair HS80 RGB headset is a well made and versatile wireless headset. Corsair brings a sold mid-range gaming offering worth checking out. The design is simple, and the controls are easy to use. The RGB is typical of a “gaming” style headset and can be managed with the Corsair iCue software. A fold up microphone and an adjustable floating headband round out the sleek design. Overall, the sound quality was decent on both the mic and audio. Both are clear and the audio provides punch and clarity. They wont wow you but they will provide a solid gaming and music experience. The iCue software comes with an adjustable EQ and audio profiles. Where these really shine is comfort. Hands down some of the most comfortable gaming cans around! The ear cups provide solid coverage, and the material is soft and breathable. I spent a good amount of time gaming with these and managed to avoid any sweaty or cramped ears – that can’t be said about a lot of headsets out there. If you’re a fan of Corsair, use iCue and/or just want an incredibly comfortable gaming headset – the HS80 might be the set for you.