The HS80 gaming headset is designed to communicate important gaming information clearly and ensure your teammates can hear you, but with some compromises.
The Corsair HS80 is a wireless gaming headset with RGB and spatial sound at an MSRP of $149.99 / £139.99 – not as high-end as the Corsair Virtuoso XT, but far from a budget option.
Without a doubt, the HS80 specializes in gaming. Designed to deliver the most accurate surround sound with Dolby Atmos, the 50mm headset drivers handle a respectable 20Hz-40kHz frequency response. At first glance, this will help you identify every goblin/shooter/jelly blob that fights around your perimeter and avoid getting shot in the head, or at least determine where you got shot from.
However, the HS80 is not a station wagon. There are a few issues to consider, including the HS80′s audio configuration and limited connectivity. The HS80 only offers two connection methods: 24-bit 96 kHz wired USB connection and 24-bit 48 kHz wireless connection via USB dongle. Wireless range is advertised as 60 feet, but appears to be unobstructed; in my small apartment it started to disappear when I left the room and walked down the hallway. It’s decent, but nothing spectacular. There is no Bluetooth, so it won’t work with your phone, although the HS80 is compatible with game consoles and Macs.
At the moment, my least favorite thing about the HS80 is its sound profile. Out of the box, without any customizable sound profiles or EQ, it sounds frustratingly muddy, with an excess of bass and mids – it feels like I’m listening to music in the next room. In contrast, switching to my custom EQ preset was like opening a door and entering a room. The differences were so noticeable that on several occasions the Corsair iCUE software reverted to the default profile at startup, causing some confusion before I realized my settings were out of place.
To be fair, the native settings are no doubt designed to prioritize audio clarity during gaming rather than balancing profiles when listening to music – of course, the “Games” preset was applied in Dolby Access (and “Performance Mode” turned on). I can easily identify directional sound. Granted, this is a review of a gaming headset for gaming sites, so docking the HS80 isn’t exactly a crime, but in particular it’s balanced in terms of utility so you can hear your enemies sneaking around. Get the most out of your game soundtrack. , closer to you, not for aesthetics.
Fortunately, the aforementioned equalizer tools can correct the balance if desired. iCUE comes with a ten-band equalizer; The default presets aren’t great, but the EQ is easy to change as it clearly shows the +-dB of each band and you can hear the results right away. Alas, you need to install the Dolby Access software in order to use Atmos.
With Atmos applied, you won’t be able to use the iCUE equalizer, you’ll have to use Access – its default presets are worse for music, and the equalizer doesn’t adjust audio in real time, requiring you to tweak it and hit apply, reloading the audio renderer each time. It’s a bit of a nightmare when fine-tuning the sound because you don’t get instant feedback to help you figure out where the levels should be.
This makes it easier to find out the equalizer settings in iCUE, and then copy them into Access. As a starting point, we recommend cutting the low mids by about 3-4dB at 250Hz and 500Hz, boosting the highs by about 1-2dB starting at 2kHz, and then adding extra bass and treble to taste. Equalizers are largely a matter of personal preference and can be tricky to use if you’re new to it, so getting the best possible sound from the HS80 is unfortunately critical.
The iCUE software also includes options to turn off the headset’s voice prompts (which annoy me a little but might be helpful to others), set an auto-off timer, and adjust the RGB. The lighting on the HS80 consists of illuminated logos on each side, so the overall effect is minimal and discreet. You can also disable RGB completely, which I decided to do to improve battery life on the HS80.
My experience with the HS80 cordless battery has been mixed. Ads post at 8pm, and sometimes they hang in less than 10 hours with RGB enabled, which is disappointing – and since I have voice prompts disabled, it took me a while to figure out what I was thinking about my Discord call. the only peace of mind is that I can’t hear anything through the dead headphones.
The HS80 does not charge quickly, but it can be used while charging by connecting it via USB. Switching between wired and wireless is a little tedious. You will need to turn off the headset, then plug it in and turn it back on, which can cause damage in the middle of a game. Wireless sound quality is excellent, almost indistinguishable from wired. The quality of the wired mic is excellent, with many compliments, and while (understandably) not as clear wirelessly, it’s still the best wireless mic I’ve ever used and rivals a desktop gaming mic.
The microphone is non-removable, but the HS80 is not a headset that you can take with you (which will be difficult anyway due to the limited connectivity of the HS80). You can mute the mic by raising your hand, and when the mic is down and active, a useful indicator at the end changes color from red to white; the combination of these two functions means that it is almost impossible to accidentally announce yourself at the wrong moment. Thank you pirate ship.
You can bend the mic arm to lean towards your face, a feature I didn’t really notice for weeks (listen, I don’t have a habit of twisting my technique much), but thanks a lot for letting you get out of your way. ideal place as close to the mouth as possible.
Sidetone is an option in iCUE if you want to hear yourself through the mic, but in my experience it’s not necessary because the HS80 doesn’t have good isolation – you can still hear everything going on in the room. You and everyone nearby can hear the leak. It’s not a problem for me, but definitely a matter of personal preference.
Expect no insulation, as instead of wrapping tightly around your ears, the HS80 softly cushions them with large, plush fabric-covered memory foam pads. This means that the earphones in general feel a little bulky and roomy, but they will surely be comfortable to wear for hours without discomfort (at least in winter). The “floating” headband design provides a flexible yet snug fit, and I’m happy to report that it hasn’t fallen off my head (yet).
It’s worth noting that the first test device I received ran into a problem – after some use in wireless mode, the connection began to intermittently drop out and eventually stopped working completely. It could be a hardware issue, as our stock earbuds worked fine without any hiccups.
So if you’re looking for a wireless headset for competitive gaming sessions via voice chat, the HS80 will suit you, with a few caveats. Either it’s all work or it’s all fun, since you won’t get a full day from either, you can’t get too far away from your gaming PC given that the headset’s signal doesn’t get stretched, and also the competition if you interested in music If this bothers you, you need to adjust the equalizer settings for a smooth sound. But after that, the HS80 sounds great, is comfortable to wear, and most importantly, it makes your voice clear.
Standard audio needs tweaking, which isn’t great for the average user, but with a little effort, the HS80′s rich spatial audio and excellent microphone set it apart from the competition.
When Jen isn’t dominating Dota 2, she’s looking for clues about the new Genshin Impact character, working towards her goals in Valorant, or brandishing a sword in an MMO tavern like New World. Previously our Associate Guide Editor, she can now be found on IGN.
Post time: Oct-27-2022