Corsair lacked a mid-range wireless model with an HS70 Wireless at entry-level around $100, and a Virtuoso XT displayed at more than $250. Displayed at the price of 149$, the new Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless fills this gap and allows the manufacturer to now meet most budgets.
The headset features an all-new design and works wirelessly via a 2.4 GHz Corsair SlipStream connection. It is compatible with PC, PS4, and PS5 and comes with Corsair iCUE software to adjust its various sound settings and its RGB lighting.
The HS80 RGB Wireless headphones includes:
- A USB-A dongle for 2.4 GHz wireless transmission
- A USB-C to USB-A cable for charging and wired use
- A user guide
At around $150, it competes with the SteelSeries Arctis 7, the Logitech G733, or the HyperX Cloud II Wireless.
Corsair offers headsets that combine simplicity and efficiency with its HS range while remaining affordable. After a successful HS50 model, the manufacturer is now unveiling a wireless version with the arrival of the new Corsair HS70 Wireless.
Taking up the main characteristics of its wired cousin, it promises wireless and latency-free gaming on PC / PS4 and is displayed at around 110$. Enough to position it as one of the cheapest references in the gaming headset sector. In addition, the model offers virtual 7.1 surround sound on PC and promises a battery life of up to 16 hours.
Is that enough to overshadow big names like the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless, the Razer Thresher, or the HyperX Cloud Flight? Response after ten days at his side.
The Corsair HS70 Wireless headset includes:
- A USB dongle for the wireless connection
- A Micro-USB cable for charging
- A detachable microphone
- A user manual and a warranty booklet
Pros and Cons
| Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless | Corsair HS70 Wireless |
| Comfortable and durable build | Impressive 7.1 surround sound |
| Good general comfort | Comfortable and durable build |
| Awesome microphone performance | Awesome microphone performance |
| USB-C connector | 16 hours of battery life |
| Average battery life | Surround sound is PC Only |
| Unnecessary RGB lights | Non-removable ear cups |
| iCue software for windows only | iCue software for windows only |
Design
With the Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless, the brand moves away from the previous designs of the HS60 and HS70 models and offers a completely revised design. For the first time, the manufacturer is moving towards a suspended hoop system, like certain models from SteelSeries or Logitech.
The headset is mainly made of plastic, but the whole has good finishes and seems rather solid at first sight. With 367g on the scale, it inspires confidence and does not crack in all directions when you shake it or mistreat its structure a little. It’s difficult to say for the long term, but the quality seems to be there.
The headset is only offered in black tones and has a rather imposing size in terms of the general look. It is not necessarily the most discreet model on the market, but we will see a little lower comfort. We will now note the presence of RGB lighting on each headset, the usefulness of which leaves us as often very perplexed. We can understand the craze linked to RGB on a keyboard or a mouse, but what interest a headset, especially on a wireless model where the battery plays an essential role in the comfort of use.
If we now go a little more into the details of the headset , we find a new suspended hoop system. The elastic headband comes comfortably to the shape of the skull and can be adjusted via a rather well-thought-out scratch system. It will take a little trial and error to find the right setting during the first uses, but logically, you no longer need to touch it once in place. Note, however, that the maximum gap is not particularly wide and that we will not necessarily recommend the headset for larger heads.
The earpieces are mounted on hinges, allowing them to rotate 90° to press them firmly against the head and facilitate their transport in a bag. In this position, you also feel a little less muffled when wearing the headphones around your neck, although in the headphones of the HS80, the gap remains relatively narrow.
This new Corsair HS70 Wireless is broadly similar in construction to its little brothers HS50 and HS60. We, therefore, remain on a model displaying a look as sober as classic, and it is not to displease us.
Far from the eccentricities of the Void range, this new reference displays a much more elegant style and offers players the choice between an entirely black model or with white accents as on the version presented today.
From the first grip, the headset inspires a natural feeling of confidence. The set is built with an aluminum headband and large ear cups that combine soft-touch coating and metal grilles; the headset exudes quality despite its attractive price.
The finishes also live up to our expectations, with neat seams and moving areas without playing or creaking. The pickiest may regret the presence of assembly screws remaining visible on the internal part of the hinges.
A little more in detail, we start precisely with this Corsair HS70 Wireless headband. Using a standard format displays a certain rigidity and is less flexible than some of its competitors. The outer headband is badged with the brand logo, while there is generous padding embellished with a few topstitching on the inside.
Place in the earphones. Here, the first point to emphasize concerns the relative rigidity of the whole. As on a HyperX Cloud Alpha, it is not possible to fold them flat but only rotate them a few degrees to adjust to different morphologies. If this construction limits the risk of breakage, it does not necessarily facilitate the transport of the helmet or the wearing around the neck.
The auricles themselves have an oval shape that completely encompasses the ears. There is a large metal grid badged with the brand logo in its center on the outside. Note that this is primarily an aesthetic detail and that the HS70 Wireless remains a closed design headset.
At the front, a rubber cover protects a 3.5 mm connector where you will insert the Corsair HS70 Wireless microphone. Mounted on a flexible pole, you can very easily position it in front of your mouth or, on the contrary, twist it to the side if you don’t want to have it in your field of vision. Voice announcements indicate whether the microphone is activated or not once the iCUE software is installed.
Controls
On the side of the controls, the headset goes to the essentials. There is a notched wheel to adjust the sound volume and a button to turn the headphones on or off. It is also possible to press the wheel to navigate between its different equalizers, but it is unfortunately difficult to really know the setting in use without any sound indication.
The left atrium also includes the microphone of the HS80 RGB Wireless, here mounted on a pole that can be raised along with the headset. The pole itself is honestly a bit “cheap” and lacks the flexibility to remember its position. If we appreciate its automatic cut-off and the presence of a light indicator, its design is not worthy of a 150$ headset.
Corsair HS70-Â The model designed to operate only wirelessly, all of its controls are positioned on the edge of the ear cups. We thus find on the left side a wheel to manage the sound volume, a button to cut the capture of the microphone, and a micro-USB port to come and recharge the internal battery of the headphones.
Comfort
Finally, there are large pads with memory foam and velvet covering on the inner side of the ear cups. No problem on our side to ideally encompass our ears without them touching the inner wall of the headphones.
Surprisingly, these pads are not removable! Again, for a headset offered at such a price, it’s instead a lousy surprise because it will not be possible to replace them if they were to be damaged over time.
We finally end with the general comfort of the headphones, and here the Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless is doing better than the manufacturer’s previous models. Despite being a heavyweight, the suspended headband works well and helps limit fatigue during the most extended gaming sessions. The pads are also comfortable over time, although we will still note some pressure that can be shown a little annoying during the first hours of use.
Corsair HS70 – The fit is also very classic, with a sliding system to adjust the height of the ear cups. The notches are well marked and do not move a bit when playing. In addition, numbered markers allow you to find your favorite setting in the blink of an eye.
Inside the ear cups, there are pads with memory foam and imitation leather covering rather pleasant to the touch. The padding isn’t as ample as on a Razer Thresher or the newer Asus ROG Strix Fusion 700, but overall it’s enough to balance the headset’s weight when placed on your head. The ear cups are not removable and therefore cannot be replaced. Rather unfortunate!
In use, the set displays decent comfort and can be used for long gaming sessions. Beware, however, of the feeling of heat that can quickly be felt and the small bump inside the ear cups, which may bother players with more oversized ears.
Sound
Once in play, the HS80 offers pretty decent performance and benefits from a suitable reserve of power for players wishing to remain attentive to the slightest sound details. Good point for these players; the headset does not derail when you push the volume and retains a precise rendering without distortion.
Unlike many competitors, the headphones do not make the mistake of over-emphasizing the low frequencies, and we benefit from an overall homogeneous and natural rendering. Users fond of huge roar may feel a little aggrieved, but those looking for a more neutral reproduction will appreciate it. One of the main reasons for this slightly lower bass is actually in the very design of the headphones, with velour pads not providing the same insulation as non-leather models like on its cousin, the Corsair Virtuoso.
For the rest, the 50 mm speakers provide good immersion in the game, and you can take full advantage of your favorite titles. On competitive FPS and, in particular, on Valorant, it is easy to spot the direction of the steps or shots of your opponents.Â
Microphone-Â If we saw a little higher than the design of the microphone boom left something to be desired, the quality of a capture is on its side much more convincing. Among the various wireless models have passed through our hands, the HS80 RGB Wireless is one of the headsets that has done the best on this point.
Corsair HS70 Wireless presents a pleasant and correctly balanced sound reproduction by default. The headset incorporates 50 mm, neodymium drivers for powerful and detailed sound suitable for most games.
On titles such as PUBG or Fortnite, we enjoy a rich sound that gives pride to explosions and other bullets that fly. The beautiful width of the scene brings an excellent spatialization to the whole, and the effect is all the more marked when you activate the 7.1 modes on PC. We can easily spot our opponents, particularly the players trying to ambush us discreetly.
On PS4, if we remain limited to a stereo mode, the whole is also very correct. On God of War or Uncharted: Lost Legacy, we take full advantage of the many soundscapes of these two excellent games while benefiting from the comfort provided by wireless.
However, all are imperfect, and the pickiest users may regret a reproduction that sometimes lacks clarity. This weakness is felt mainly in the busiest scenes or music, where the rendering sometimes appears messy. We remain a notch below the excellent SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless, even if the gap is not up to the price difference between these two wireless models.
Microphone-Â There are no real miracles for this HS70 Wireless on the microphone side. If we have an accurate capture to exchange punctually with the other players, the rendering remains nasal, not necessarily highlighting the voice. If you want to stream, we recommend an external solution instead.
Connectivity
The headset connects wirelessly via a USB-A dongle and offers PC, Mac, PS4, and PS5 compatibility. We might have liked to find a USB-C dongle, in particular, to offer more easily compatibility with the Nintendo Switch or Android smartphones.
The connection is made automatically, and Corsair announces a range of up to 18 meters. It isn’t easy to reach this value in use since the signal begins to jump from about ten meters.
It is now possible to connect up to 3 wireless Corsair devices on a single dongle. A feature that we had recently discovered on the side of Razer with the Blackwidow V3 Mini HyperSpeed keyboard and the Orochi V2 mouse.
The Corsair HS70 Wireless only works wirelessly, on PC and PS4, via a 2.4 GHz connection. Getting started is done in the blink of an eye since all you have to do is connect a USB dongle to your machine or console and then press the Power button on the headset.
The headset remains compatible with the Corsair iCUE software. From this, you can control most of the brand’s recent peripherals, but also specific RGB-compatible components, such as RAM bars or Corsair AIO Watercooling kits.
The iCUE software does not allow you to adjust RGB lighting but specific essential sound parameters. In particular, we can switch between several equalizers, activate the virtual 7.1 Surround mode, or even adjust the microphone’s volume.
Battery
Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless- The brand announces up to 20 hours on the battery side with the RGB lights deactivated. As for the range, this seems a bit exaggerated to us, and it will instead take about ten hours of wireless use. We have already seen better, especially for a helmet offered around 150$.
Corsair HS70 Wireless- Corsair announces up to 16 hours per charge, and our tests seem to confirm the manufacturer’s statements. The listening volume may cause this value to varying by a few hours.
Conclusion!
Offered below $150, the new Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless finishes or functionalities are a little less complete; we prefer this new model in terms of comfort, and its sound performance is quite similar. The microphone also offers better rendering and allows you to interact with other players in excellent conditions. However, everything is not perfect. We may regret a microphone that is not removable, the absence of a Bluetooth connection and a range not necessarily at the level of the best current wireless models.
Despite these few flaws, for $150, the Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless remains an interesting candidate for players looking for a wireless gaming headset. It should probably find a place between the Hyper Cloud II Wireless, Logitech G Pro X Wireless, or even SteelSeries Arctis 7.
Available around 110$, the Corsair HS70 Wireless offers one of the best quality/price ratios if you are looking for a wireless headset on a PC or PS4.
With its robust construction and good comfort, you can fully enjoy your favorite games while enjoying more than adequate immersion, both in stereo and in 7.1. If everything is not perfect, particularly by the absence of a wired connection or a perfectible microphone, we can only recommend it if you have a limited budget.
