Corsair Corsair Virtuoso MAX Wireless Gaming Headset

I have probably too many pairs of headphones. I am a big fan of the over the ear headphones. These have a good quality build, but the foam is a little stiff. They are on the heavy side. It is comfortable around the ears, but the stiff headband is uncomfortable over long stretches. I have short hair so there isn’t any cushion, and I have to adjust it occasionally or add cushion. The design is sturdier than others. I have several different brands that have broken at the connection between the cup and band. This has a strong metal Y-shaped bracket holding the cups, which is not prone to the same issues. The sound is great. The sound stage is immersive and give a 3 dimensional feel. I have several headphones in this price range and this is my favorite for movies and gaming. With the strong bass it is a fun pair to listen to music. One downside I have noticed is that sometimes with the usb receiver I get a crackle in the background, which I am not sure if this is from the battery getting low or signal interference. I use the microphone sparingly but tried it for the review. It provided clear voice that felt present rather than a distant sound that some headphones produce. This felt more than sufficient for gaming and would work well for conference calls. The case is larger but also sturdy. I like the dual connection option with the usb receiver and Bluetooth. The noise cancellation feels seamless probably because the cups have good isolation by themselves so you don’t have that sudden drop you get in other headphones when it becomes active. I also haven’t experienced drops in the ANC, which I have experienced in other headphones. Overall these are one of my favorite pairs of headphones, which I will keep using well after the review.

I really cannot find any fault with these wireless overhead headphones perhaps except their initial hefty feel. But even that, once on your head the weight balance along with the quality band and headphone makes them very comfortable and you soon forget they are there short of the great sound coming in your ears. The features set on the PC software, with the iCue which I happen to have installed, give access to a nice set of options, controls and tuning. The overall built and the material quality for the frame, ear pieces, head band, buttons, microphone and connectors can really be resume in one word: excellent.

First, they can be used in Bluetooth mode and in that mode, they work in HD quality mode and the microphone is top notch for phone calls. In fact, the call quality is so great you would think your callers voices are awesome. Interestingly you can use the headphone in Bluetooth and still be connected to the dongle mode and thus have full function, on PC for my part, and both audios will mix. If connected to both, then the ring volume on each side control the individual signal, one for Bluetooth and one for native mode. Everything is well though out and with the sound quality it is still easy to distinguish both sources.

Then you can make these headphones really shine by using the software and tuning them, called SoundID, to your specific ears. That is done by having you hear different sound frequency and confirming until you now longer hear them. For each ear so that can be tune to your own audible band and then you select your favorite music style loop and do A-B testing, a bit like eye test, telling the software which one you prefer. After a bit of those they are tune to you and you do not need an equalizer to try to adjust manually. For many other I have seen it is gimmicking, but here I immediately heard the difference and felt the music was richer, more balanced and heard subtlety only heard on top wired sets before.

With those headphones you also get access to Dolby Atmos headphones, license included, by downloading on PC the corresponding software. In that mode, all movies with 5.1+ and of course Atmos output sound amazing. There are options to adjust for music or gaming, among a few others, and that do elevate (pun intended) the sound position when the source is well done. Truly working fine and comparing to my 7.2 calibrated home theater it is near exact, in fact for most indistinguishable.

Final set of features come with the microphone that can easily be installed or remove, the plug is USB-S like but with a key to ensure proper direction. The mute button is right on it. The headphones do have a feature button by default on/off for active noise cancellation, a play/pause button that is also a toggle for forward/back. USB-C port for charging with clear indication with the light. Both ear pieces have a rolling metal rim for the volumes which is amazingly smooth to operate. On/Off/Bluetooth mode toggle. Clear indication of left/right inside each side. Mic with a color light for mute/unmute along with an audible on changes. Then with the software you can set and rotate light effect or sync with some games, if you are into that there is quite a lot of effects or you can make your own. If you do not use SoundID, you can set traditional equalizer, integrate Nvidia Broadcast if you have that brand video card and use the software to reassign the custom key to other functions, keyboard, mouse or whatever actions you like for the headphones, software, or PC.

Corsair iCue software is nothing but a problem. I expected a lot from Corsairs flagship headset. It’s a very disappointing product. The design looks great. That is the only upside to this headset. It doesn’t sound all that good. It’s not very comfortable. Sidetone is non-existent. I have returned this headset for refund. I might go back to the much cheaper, more comfortable, and great sounding Void Pro. Not sure I will continue supporting Corsair with all the issues I have had with the iCue software that is required to control the Corwair hardware.

When I first got this headset for review, it had some serious issues – it disconnected pretty frequently even if I walked ten feet from my PC, and every time it would drop signal and reconnect it would reset the volume to what seemed like 100% (or was very loud, at any rate – the headphones can push a lot of air and I definitely do not listen to them at max volume.) After a couple of weeks, Corsair released a firmware update for both the 2.4GHz transmitter and the headset itself, and those problems seem to have vanished completely – I actively tried to make it disconnect by standing next to the microwave or putting my head in the refrigerator and it powered right through it (broke up a fair bit next to the microwave, but that’s entirely expected) instead of disconnecting entirely.

This headset seems like a direct competitor to the Steelseries Nova Pro, which is my daily driver headset, but the Virtuoso MAX gives it a run for its money.

Both headsets can do both bluetooth and 2.4GHz audio streams at the same time, a feature I didn’t know I needed until I had it (I can listen to podcasts or music on my phone while gaming, and the headset drowns out the world but the phone can alert me if I’ve got a call or text. The Virtuoso MAX has two separate dials on each speaker, with the default for those dials being the 2.4GHz volume and the Bluetooth volume, which can both be separately controlled – something my other headset doesn’t do (though I can adjust the volume on my phone to balance it).

The Corsair is a bit heavier, so it’s a little more fatiguing to wear if you’ve got it on for hours, but I really do have to wear it for hours before my neck feels like it needs a break. I do prefer the Steelseries headband to the Corsair’s headband, which is well padded but feels like it presses more firmly instead of kind of “floating” on my head.

Sound quality is great for both gaming and music (and at this price point, it had better be!) and the controls take a little getting used to but are pretty robust without needing to open the iCue software to do anything. You can use the iCue software to change all sorts of stuff with the headset and wireless dongle beyond what can be done with the buttons and dials on the headset itself.

The earpads are pretty large and roomy compared to Steelseries’s flagship headset (which has a noise cancellation microphone protruding into your ear from the center of the headphone speakers that takes some getting used to). They don’t feel hot or get sweaty with prolonged use, which is often a concern with closed-back headphones like this.

There’s one single thing that I wish this had: The Steelseries headset uses hot-swappable batteries that charge in a base station, so you never need to worry about plugging the headset in. You just swap the battery for the charged one, and plug the dead one into the base station. The Corsair headset is a more typical USB-C rechargeable headset, like every other wireless headset I’ve ever used. Hot-swap batteries are a super nice feature that I wish was more common, and if this headset had that I would definitely switch to using this one as my main pair, as my other headset is starting to show its age and needs new pads.

I’m not a huge fan of the iCue software in general, but it works fine with these and is not necessary for the headset to function, only to update it and configure things like EQ and lighting preferences. I already had it installed for other peripherals anyway, so it wasn’t a heavy lift to get me to use it for this as well.

At any rate, this is a high tier headset. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with it if the price point fits your budget.

I’ve been really impressed with this headset, especially after taking the time to adjust the settings properly. The sound quality is outstanding, but it does require some setup to get the most out of it. To really unlock its potential, you need to configure the EQ using dolby atmos (which comes included) or through Corsair’s iCUE software. Once dialed in, the audio becomes incredibly immersive, with clear highs, deep bass, and a balanced overall profile. Without that setup, the default sound might feel a bit underwhelming for such a high-end option.

The active noise cancelling works well enough to block out distractions without feeling too heavy-handed, which I appreciate for longer gaming sessions or even just casual music listening. The Bluetooth and wireless connections are seamless, and being able to switch between them is a game-changer for multitasking or taking calls mid-session.

Build quality is solid, and the headset is comfortable to wear for extended periods, though it can feel a bit snug at first. It’s clear that the premium design is meant to last, and I’ve had no issues with connectivity or battery life. Just keep in mind that setting up the software and EQ adjustments is a must if you want to experience everything this headset can deliver. Once that’s done, it truly shines.