Hey thanks for doing an actual review of these headphones - crucial information nearly all reviewers are missing out - the friggin sound! The EQ and compression information was excellent, especially when comparing the curves against other headsets - thanks!!
I've had this headset for over a year now. My 2 cents. - I've owned the Blackshark V2 Pro's, EPOS H3Pro Hybrid, Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm headphones, and now the HS80. Just so you know what I'm comparing these too and where I'm coming from. - The mic sounds amazing. It's clear and works quite well with Discord's noise suppression. There was an issue people had with the mic being super duper quiet but that was fixed recently with a firmware update and software update to iCue. - The audio is good for a wireless headset and I'd put it about 8/10. I have a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm headphones and those have really good detail. The HS80's are not far behind in audio quality. The sound stage and positional audio is really good. In BF2042 and Counterstrike I can hear people all around me and with really good accuracy too. I listen to a decent range of music from Metallic, Anberlin, Muse, Green Day, Fallout Boys, A Day to Remember, Four Year Strong, Story of the Year, to electronic music and chillstep. These sound great for all types of music. They sound tremendous for movies and shows too. - Battery life without RGB for me is all freaking day. I played WoW and BF2042 10am to about 1am and didn't have to charge them. - The wireless range is ok. I live in a 625sqft apartment and these don't cut out. The walls in my apartment are all block btw. Old apartment buildings. - I wear glasses. Not thick framed glasses. I have a large head and big ol dumbo ears. This headset is, by far, the most comfortable headset out of the box without swapping aftermarket ear cushions. The drivers are angled to match the angle of your ears so your ears will not touch the driver wall. My ears feel like they are just in a void of sound waves and not touching anything. The cushions are really nice and soft enough for comfort but not too soft that they just compress completely. - 2 things leave me wanting more though: Bluetooth capability and longer battery life to around 30 hours without RGB turned on. For the price, this headset is unbeatable in the wireless category. Hands down.
@@joaoalves8486 Wired headphones will always have better sound quality because they aren't limited by the 2.4Ghz wireless bandwidth. I doubt I would be able to hear an audio quality difference between wired and wireless versions of the HS80.
Man, your video just dropped here and I actually didn't see it. I just applied your EQ Tuning and now the sound is WAY better. Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!
WOw! Thanks for the detailed review, especially the EQ part and measurements. It's so hard to find measurements for gaming headsets, let alone compare them with EQ and looking for the best EQ settings with actual measurements for backing up the perceived improvements.
Thanks! I measure everything but don’t always release the info because I don’t think it’s a deal maker/breaker with some models depending on what else they have to offer.
Just wanted to thank you for the recommendation! I was tired of having a terrible mic and bought these since they are amazing. Right out of the box, the hs80 was already great and I was satisfied with my purchase. However once I watched your video I worked my way through Dolby Amos and made some similar adjustments. I was amazed how much range they gained. Thank you!
Picked these up today and I have to say I was disappointed with the sound coming from the Blackshark V2 Pro. That was until I used the equalizer you shared in this video and it's a MASSIVE improvement from stock at least for music. Thank you so much!
Got these on sale under 100 bucks. Your review was among the ones I took a look at beforehand, and yours was arguably the most useful one. I have not been disappointed with these so far, although the bass was indeed non-existent without tinkering.
@@GadgetryTechI own it in Black and I occasionally have issues with the headset or Mic connecting, though I can easily fix that. My other issue is that it needs me to sign in to update it.
This review helped my decision on a new headset. I bought them after watching and after a few days of using them I can say I'm really impressed. Thank you! For the price point they are great value for money.
Dude thank you so much. I got these headphones overnighted to me and out of the box I wasn't thrilled w the quality. Thank you or the EQ tuning! These things are awesome!
@@androkazenn6242 my only gripe with them is I can’t get headband adjustment thing right. They still hurt my ears a bit- but only after like 3+ hours of wearing them. Maybe I have a weird shaped head. Sound and mic quality are really solid. I’d definitely recommend these.
Great review, as usual. I have had them for two months, and I agree with what you say, construction quality + sound for that price... non rival. The only downside that I find is that, like the Virtuoso, you can't make a custom eq or change between existing ones outside the pc... let's see if Corsair dares to put onboard memory on his headsets...
How is the noise cancellation? I'm sick of seeing every headsets saying they have noise cancelling function when they have little to no noise cancellation after I purchased.
I think Corsair is doing something right with these 50mm drivers. I own the HS80 now but I noticed the exact same thing with my HS50's, they sounded a little strange out of the box, but with EQ software they came alive. They went from mild disappointment to the complete opposite, they sound UNREAL with proper EQ
@@PunzL yes. I would use something else though, icue EQ is so bad. You only need icue for changing the lights, other than that its just a frustrating, laggy useless app
Excellent thorough review. I tried the Arctis 7+ for a few days but the low clamping force and materials didn't work with my head and my hair. They would literally slide straight forward off my head constantly, unusable regardless of strap adjustment so I had to return. I picked up HS80 and I think they are cheaper only because of material choice, not because of sound quality or build quality. The SteelSeries do feel more premium but only because of material choice. Regarding sound, the 7+ was punchier out of the box in the mid range, footsteps and gun sounds were tuned pretty good to actually hear surroundings clearly in games like Valorant. The HS80 has the better mic out of the box hands down, and probably requires some EQ tuning to get it on the same competitive sound quality level as the 7+. That being said, I am sticking with the HS80 because I much prefer the flip-to-mute mic feature on a daily driver and also the fit for my head is perfect. The HS80 get MUCH louder in terms of volume than 7+ if you're into that. After tuning in iCue (I have not tried Dolby Atmos but I will) I brought the bass and highs up a bit and it makes everything feel more alive and punchier again similar to the 7+ in game. Musically the HS80 are far superior to the 7+ which I found lacked bass extension and presence, and did not get very loud at all. I feel the Arctis product is a little better out of the box requires less fiddling and adjustments to get it working.. but the HS80 with some tweaks becomes superior very quickly for me. My only gripe with HS80 is the poor battery life with RGB on. Even at 33% brightness which is the lowest setting, the battery was reaching "Critical level" for me in around 6-8 hours. You hear an audible beep and then the RGB will shut off until it gets a charge. It can remain on Critical Battery with RGB off for several hours, so you still might get a full day out of it but it's close. With RGB off, this thing never reaches critical battery even after a 14-16 hour day of use. You cannot kill it in one day unless you're going for a marathon stream or something. I just hate that RGB forces 2-3x the power usage for 2 little tiny lights on the side.
I really wish they had buffed the battery life more and it would be perfect. I end up not using RGB and have been happy with it. It's my favorite conference call headset! I find I can use them for calls, get some compliments on voice quality, then enjoy listening to music in between meetings. Truly a great headset. Thanks for sharing your first hand experiences between both!
@@GadgetryTech Yep agree and I use mine for work voice calls all the time (Teams, VOIP, Google Meeting, etc). It works great for Discord of course too. Music is solid in it, can't complain. About on par with the quality of my DT770 Pro's but with superior directional sound from the Dolby Atmos app.
I've read that to turn the RGB off you have to choose black in color selection and then lower the brightness to the lowest setting. Is there really not a dedicated OFF switch in a software? Also does the setting transfer to console ( PS5 specifically in my case )?
@@emeresbestres1 If you are talking about HS80 you just choose brightness 0% and that is considered "off" all the way. I didn't need to choose black. I think brightness settings actually do save because I just shut down the software and it saved.
I really wish Xbox would allow standard PC wireless headsets to work. Thanks for the detailed reviews and appreciate the thorough work you produce on products.
Thanks Joe. You always have the most in depth headset reviews out there. The Corsair mics have been best in class, arguably better than they need to be for a gaming headset. Being eyeing these for a while now and I'm into the white colorway, along with the H6Pro's. Happy with my PC38X's, but still curious if there's something better that won't break the bank.
Thanks Rory! Yeah they are very nice looking in white. Just the right blend of materials, angles, etc. PC38X is a benchmark gaming headset and its tough to beat. You are paying less for this model which is wireless and has all kinds of parts in it. With the PC38X being analog, you are essentially paying for pure sound quality.
Agreed on the reviews. They are awesome. I’m in the same boat. I’ve got the PC38X and while it’s great, I hate the cheap feeling and creaky sounding build quality. It’s tough for me to go closed back now that I have open. It’s nice to hear myself and my surroundings. I’m not sure what to do.
Thanks for the review mate. I was initially sitting on the fence between this and the Arctis 1 but now I am more certain which one to go for. Great video. Straight to the point.
@@MrCrackowacko Well I tried both and honestly unless you want a slightly better mic, I'd go for the hyper x cloud 2's. They have much better sound in comparison
@@MrCrackowacko I tried the wireless for all three. The Arctis, HS80, and the hyper x cloud 2's. Hyper X had the better sound whilst the HS80 had the slightly better mic but I prefer better sound than anything.
As someone who mixes products (Razer / Corsair) THANK GOD, i don't have to download IQ to change EQ. I can do it only DOLBY!!! that was the only thing hold me back from buying these, i was going to get the Black shark V2, thank you so much!
@@aliahmedov4674 Yo Ailah! Actually I haven't really used them much and will be returning them. Perhaps I was unlucky but my copy has a constant high-pitched noise in the right ear cup which is very annoying (goes away when using with cable so it's some kind of wireless interference). With that being said, After some EQ I was actually pretty pleased with the sound and the mic is great. Personally the comfort wasn't great tho and after 2-3 hours of gaming my right ear started to hurt after touching the inner ear cup. Your mileage may vary of course. I actually have a Razer BlackShark V2 Pro 2023 coming tomorrow, really hoping it'll work out before I give up on wireless headsets lol. Good luck!
Thank you man, not too many honest youtubers left, i did buy them, after having terrible experience with JBL810, heavy(had headaches), left one start making terrible sound, volume very quiet one, software very bad, so i said lets see this HS80, out of the box, bad sound, mic is wonderful for a wireless headset, after 5-8h of gaming, i have left ear discomfort, i got glasses, i need to buy different earpads. thank you for the amazing video, you did help me giving me ideas about the sound, much appreciated!
Just picked these up from Corsairs refurbished section. I was looking for good EQ settings and your video came up and appreciate it! Ive been a purely speaker gamer but wanted to get into wireless headsets to please wife and kid lol. Looking forward to a possible good choice. I currently have the Void Elite wired and messed with EQ on those and got them where they are good but will be giving those to my kid when we build his pc.
absolutely love your videos man. Keep it up all the way from Australia. Hope you’re doing well. Just a quick question. Absolutely love these headsets and the max version but I was a little bit disappointed when i take the ear cups off. You can actually feel glue around the edges of the driver. Is that normal?
Thanks for voicing a comparison between Corsair and SteelSeries hinge designs. The metal hinge in my Arctis 9X cracked the brittle plastic around the volume wheel. SteelSeries seriously dropped the ball on that design. Wish companies would get away from these single attachment point hinges. I want headsets designed by engineers, not architects.
Hello! Explendid review btw! If I dont care about wireless, should I Go with the USB version? The frequency response is the same or it is probably better?
Are you sure 15 minutes of charging will provide one night of gaming? Some reddit users have been reporting that the battery drains even when the headset is completely turned off and it takes over 5 hours to charge it to full. By the way. I really enjoy your unbiased reviews, straight to the point and honest approach. Keep'em coming.
allot of people should learn from this guy. Shows the USB thingy that goes into the pc fast and easy. Thats how its done review people. Dont forget to show the plugin!
Great review. I use a Sennheiser HD58X with a topping L30 and d10s amp/dac stack but I hated using a boom arm for a mic so I was looking for a good headset that was more neutral. Will try your EQ with my HS80’s. Will be using my sennheiser’s for single player games now 😊
@@edbennett6579just saw this lmao. The headset can replace a full audio set up like mine. You could always have both on your desk and just use the headset for multiplayer and the headphones for single player games
Hey thanks so much! The Dolby Atmos app does not allow you to download or import audio presets unfortunately. Best advice I can give is to pause the video where I show my settings graph. I added lines to help make it easier to ballpark where to set it. It should get you close and you can tweak it from there!
I am using the Astro a50 gen 4 but am looking for something new. They are comfy, but get a bit heavy. What would you suggest? Love your work man! Keep it up!
Great review, Joe! I'm still trying to decide wich headset would be better for me between this one, the Logitech G733 or the G Pro X Wireless. Here in Argentina, all of them are in the same price category, so I just wanna buy the best of the three. By now, the HS80 is my favourite because of the sound, mic quality and dolby atmos, but I've heard that the battery life is poor (wich is a big problem, as I spend 8 hours working and I would want to have some extra hours of battery to play videogames after work) and the wireless range is not that big, things that are fantastic in the two Logitech headsets, but sacrificing the quality of the microphone, wich is VERY important to me (and maybe the most important thing). What do you think? Wich one of the three headsets would you recommend me?
That's a tough one! To me it's between the G Pro X or these. I purchased both and would likely use the HS80 over the Pro X. I loved the comfort, feel, and how good everything works. It's super reliable and easy to use every day. Battery life is tough though! I do wish they lasted longer but it's tolerable enough for me. Luckily you can charge and use them at the same time. They actually work as a USB-C headset which even allows a higher sample rate. You could always use them that way during the day if you don't want to worry about battery life.
@@GadgetryTech thanks for answering!!! And did you have any connectivity issue with the Corsair? Some reviews says that when you move a few meters far from the computer, you lose connection.
Mine never had an issue even walking around the room or using the bathroom next door (let's face it we all do this haha). I'm not saying you won't have any issues, but mine had no problems at all.
@@GadgetryTech of course we all do it, that was the main reason I asked that hahahahaha. Thanks man! I think I'll go with these because as you say, I can use them wired when they run out of battery, I prefer that than struggling with the Logitech mic, wich I don't like at all. Keep it going with your reviews, they are great!!! Greetings from Argentina 😄
Mine only lasted 1 year before the charging port broke and the headset is useless now. Bought a used pair off Ebay and I know what you are talking about now with a tight charging port. The ones that broke the connection was not nearly as snug as this pair. Probably all QC issues. Hopefully these newer ones last longer then a year. Honestly love the sound of these with your EQ and Dolby Atmos. Can really hear very good in game with them.
Just picked this up yesterday, was working fine until I tried to hop on discord with a friend and I realized my mic wasn’t working. Updated the firm where and it fixed my mic problem but then I could no longer hear anything. Messed with all the settings and I couldn’t get anything to work properly.
Pros and Cons are what it comes down to, and a design preference. Nova pro sidetone and battery life might be a little better but that's about it for the nova pro. As for battery life and side tone for the hs80, its not bad all but exceptional. Hs80 uses memory foam cotton earcups designed in corduroy which is a plus because synthetic leather seems to peel over time which makes you never want to go back to a regular headset. The hs80 build quality is over all phenomenal. Hands down the Corsair hs80 is the best wireless headset I ever had, and you can get them for $110 instead of paying $350 for the nova pros.
Got these as an upgrade from Turtle Beach Ear Force 450s. Thank you for the much-needed info here. You referenced your mic above you, which mic are you using?
Hey man thanks for your dedication and your informative videos! I am dying to find out a new high end wireless gaming headset, but I have a question for you, which one do you think I should go for out of these 3 and pay attention I am used to virtual surround 7.1: Corsair HS80 RGB, SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro X Wireless, or Audeze Maxwell, please let me know what you think or if you have any better recommendations!
My son likes these white headsets, he says its great to wear when you have sunlight in room and it does not absorbed heat like the darker headsets, but that's just him.
@GagetryTech your reviews are awesome. Very helpful! How would you stack HS80's sound quality in comparison to Steelseries Arctis Nova 7X? I can't find anything on youtube that compares these 2 & I think they deserve a comparison for ppl looking at a comparable price range with only sound & mic quality in mind for a wireless headset. Thoughts appreciated!
I just bought the HS80 RGB Wireless Corsair headset for $87.00 New on eBay. I am glad your review made this decision for me because I then will experiment with your EQ settings you have discovered. I am a competitive gamer so if any changes or recommendations come about within the future means. I would love to hear them for my competitive nature in gaming with this newly selected headgear for FPS games. Thanks @GadgetryTech very appreciative.
This is fantastic, your EQ recommendation in Dolby Atmos totally transforms the headset. Just a quick question, can someone give me a quick explanation of what the ‘surround virtualizer’ and ‘volume leveler’ options do? Thanks in advance.
a really nice review. I didn't understand one thing though, that is, if the profile with dolby atmos you showed is good for both music and gaming, or if you need a different equalization
It’s a general EQ that works well for both. You may want to customize further once you start using it so it better fits what you enjoy more. Even different genres of music or different games may require different EQs.
Hey bro, I'm looking to buy the white one, it's cheaper here in Brazil than the black one. Could you tell me if your headset has discolored over the years?
just bought it after saw your review. great headset but for comfort wise i prefer steel series band because it feel more loose. anyway your eq custom profile is awesome but i prefer to turn on surround virtualization because why not? and also sound leveling, because it make the sound a bit louder
Hello! I just bought the HS80 for the virtual surround sound. How did you turned it on? My headset can do at max only 2-channel audio, stereo. My previous headset the corsair Void Pro can do 8-channel, virtual surround sound. Thanks!
Thank you for this review. Is it possible to switch off this annoying red flashing on the microphone? It is terrible because I can see it periferical when I don't use the mike - and normally I don't. I have visited a couple of forums - switching off the mike flashing lite is not possible by them. How silly thing it is? If you have glasses the light mirrors on the glass. It is very frustrating that they ruin with this pity thing a basically very good headset. I'll return it.
@@Grobyck I record albums with AirPods. I can hear the world around me. My ears don’t overheat. The speakers fit in my pocket. I get 20 hours of battery. Yes it’s a real question, simpleton.
Have the HS80, sounds amazing and great confort too. But was considering get an Astro A50gen4 do you think the sound quality is outdated? or still holds it against the HS80 for example 🤔
If you're looking to drop $300 on a new wireless headset I would go straight for the Nova Pro Wireless instead. There's a chance it will go on sale for less than the A50 again.
@@GadgetryTech Thank you! But to be honest im between the A50gen4 vs Barracuda Pro vs Arctis Nova7x. The nova Pro are out of my range here in Brasil hehe 😁
@GadgetryTech - just bought them and EQ'd them to your specification and I love them (coming from the old Razer Blackshark V2 pro). One question if you possibly know - I'm thinking of replacing the earcups to a cooling gel solution that I see in Amazon. I'm probably spoiled but I want better material and better noise isolation than what these currently offer (surprisingly enough, the Blackshark had amazing noise isolation). Do you have any idea if your EQ setting will need to be change if I change the earcups? Would love to hear your opinion. Thanks for the amazing work!!!
How is the noise cancellation? I'm sick of seeing every headsets saying they have noise cancelling function when they have little to no noise cancellation after I purchased.
Hey thanks for doing an actual review of these headphones - crucial information nearly all reviewers are missing out - the friggin sound! The EQ and compression information was excellent, especially when comparing the curves against other headsets - thanks!!
I've had this headset for over a year now. My 2 cents.
- I've owned the Blackshark V2 Pro's, EPOS H3Pro Hybrid, Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm headphones, and now the HS80. Just so you know what I'm comparing these too and where I'm coming from.
- The mic sounds amazing. It's clear and works quite well with Discord's noise suppression. There was an issue people had with the mic being super duper quiet but that was fixed recently with a firmware update and software update to iCue.
- The audio is good for a wireless headset and I'd put it about 8/10. I have a pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm headphones and those have really good detail. The HS80's are not far behind in audio quality. The sound stage and positional audio is really good. In BF2042 and Counterstrike I can hear people all around me and with really good accuracy too.
I listen to a decent range of music from Metallic, Anberlin, Muse, Green Day, Fallout Boys, A Day to Remember, Four Year Strong, Story of the Year, to electronic music and chillstep. These sound great for all types of music. They sound tremendous for movies and shows too.
- Battery life without RGB for me is all freaking day. I played WoW and BF2042 10am to about 1am and didn't have to charge them.
- The wireless range is ok. I live in a 625sqft apartment and these don't cut out. The walls in my apartment are all block btw. Old apartment buildings.
- I wear glasses. Not thick framed glasses. I have a large head and big ol dumbo ears. This headset is, by far, the most comfortable headset out of the box without swapping aftermarket ear cushions. The drivers are angled to match the angle of your ears so your ears will not touch the driver wall. My ears feel like they are just in a void of sound waves and not touching anything. The cushions are really nice and soft enough for comfort but not too soft that they just compress completely.
- 2 things leave me wanting more though: Bluetooth capability and longer battery life to around 30 hours without RGB turned on.
For the price, this headset is unbeatable in the wireless category. Hands down.
Thank you so much for your answer!! Im inclined for the USB version of these headphones, and I wanted to know if the sound quality is good too...
@@joaoalves8486 Wired headphones will always have better sound quality because they aren't limited by the 2.4Ghz wireless bandwidth. I doubt I would be able to hear an audio quality difference between wired and wireless versions of the HS80.
@@Drewsterman777 and can you use the wireless version with the cable? Should I choose the wireless version then?
@@joaoalves8486 Yep. You can use the headset either wired or wireless which means it also works while charging.
@@Drewsterman777 thank you so much for your honest answer!!! :)
Man, your video just dropped here and I actually didn't see it. I just applied your EQ Tuning and now the sound is WAY better.
Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!
WOw! Thanks for the detailed review, especially the EQ part and measurements. It's so hard to find measurements for gaming headsets, let alone compare them with EQ and looking for the best EQ settings with actual measurements for backing up the perceived improvements.
Thanks! I measure everything but don’t always release the info because I don’t think it’s a deal maker/breaker with some models depending on what else they have to offer.
@@GadgetryTech I have the headset in Black and I found out that if the Mic is facing upward, it's off so it won't pick anything up
thank you so much dude, the EQ sounds so good!!!
Just wanted to thank you for the recommendation! I was tired of having a terrible mic and bought these since they are amazing. Right out of the box, the hs80 was already great and I was satisfied with my purchase. However once I watched your video I worked my way through Dolby Amos and made some similar adjustments. I was amazed how much range they gained. Thank you!
man no one else gets into all the details like you do, thankyou.
Picked these up today and I have to say I was disappointed with the sound coming from the Blackshark V2 Pro. That was until I used the equalizer you shared in this video and it's a MASSIVE improvement from stock at least for music. Thank you so much!
How good are the bass sounds for music?
Got these on sale under 100 bucks. Your review was among the ones I took a look at beforehand, and yours was arguably the most useful one. I have not been disappointed with these so far, although the bass was indeed non-existent without tinkering.
would you tell me where the sale was and if its still on
@@Danierou Done and over. Nordic webstore.
@@Danieroutheyre 100 rn on the official store
@@goofygorilla39 yo thanks I'll get it soon I love the mic
How is the audio right now, a month later? Getting these but really worried about the sound. I'm not expecting amazing but I worry it's shit.
Eyeballing the EQ in Dolby Atmos:
+6, +3, 0, -3, -1, +1, +3, +5, +4, +2
Surround virtualizer off, Volume leveler off
Is the eq also good for footsteps
This is the best review of this pair of headphones on RUclips. Thank you.
The design really changed form the HS70 to the HS80. I like this look a lot.
To me the HS80 is the best headset for the money that Corsair has every made.
@@GadgetryTechI own it in Black and I occasionally have issues with the headset or Mic connecting, though I can easily fix that. My other issue is that it needs me to sign in to update it.
This review helped my decision on a new headset. I bought them after watching and after a few days of using them I can say I'm really impressed. Thank you! For the price point they are great value for money.
Dude thank you so much. I got these headphones overnighted to me and out of the box I wasn't thrilled w the quality. Thank you or the EQ tuning! These things are awesome!
are they still good?
@@androkazenn6242 my only gripe with them is I can’t get headband adjustment thing right. They still hurt my ears a bit- but only after like 3+ hours of wearing them. Maybe I have a weird shaped head. Sound and mic quality are really solid. I’d definitely recommend these.
Excellent information, extremely helpful and informative! I greatly appreciate the suggested Dobly Atmos custom EQ mix!
Great review, as usual. I have had them for two months, and I agree with what you say, construction quality + sound for that price... non rival. The only downside that I find is that, like the Virtuoso, you can't make a custom eq or change between existing ones outside the pc... let's see if Corsair dares to put onboard memory on his headsets...
You put that and it would be easily a 200-250 USD headset. But maybe they should create an updated version with that added feature.
How is the noise cancellation? I'm sick of seeing every headsets saying they have noise cancelling function when they have little to no noise cancellation after I purchased.
I heard the sound quality is dogshit on these, I am afraid to get them despite LOVING the mic. What do you think after a year?
I just bought this headset, and I can't wait for it to arrive! Thanks for the awesome review!
Hey ! What's your feedback on it 4 months later ?
I think Corsair is doing something right with these 50mm drivers. I own the HS80 now but I noticed the exact same thing with my HS50's, they sounded a little strange out of the box, but with EQ software they came alive. They went from mild disappointment to the complete opposite, they sound UNREAL with proper EQ
Does the icue software need to run all the time in the background?
@@PunzL yes. I would use something else though, icue EQ is so bad. You only need icue for changing the lights, other than that its just a frustrating, laggy useless app
Can you share your EQ profile?
@@JustinhoPaolo its very similar to this video, except I boosted 8k more and reduced 1k.
@@ashvirhiralalwhich EQ software do you use then?
This review earned you a sub, thank you for your unbiased opinions
Same for me! The review did not feel like an ad like most other videos out there.
Excellent thorough review. I tried the Arctis 7+ for a few days but the low clamping force and materials didn't work with my head and my hair. They would literally slide straight forward off my head constantly, unusable regardless of strap adjustment so I had to return. I picked up HS80 and I think they are cheaper only because of material choice, not because of sound quality or build quality. The SteelSeries do feel more premium but only because of material choice. Regarding sound, the 7+ was punchier out of the box in the mid range, footsteps and gun sounds were tuned pretty good to actually hear surroundings clearly in games like Valorant. The HS80 has the better mic out of the box hands down, and probably requires some EQ tuning to get it on the same competitive sound quality level as the 7+. That being said, I am sticking with the HS80 because I much prefer the flip-to-mute mic feature on a daily driver and also the fit for my head is perfect. The HS80 get MUCH louder in terms of volume than 7+ if you're into that. After tuning in iCue (I have not tried Dolby Atmos but I will) I brought the bass and highs up a bit and it makes everything feel more alive and punchier again similar to the 7+ in game. Musically the HS80 are far superior to the 7+ which I found lacked bass extension and presence, and did not get very loud at all. I feel the Arctis product is a little better out of the box requires less fiddling and adjustments to get it working.. but the HS80 with some tweaks becomes superior very quickly for me.
My only gripe with HS80 is the poor battery life with RGB on. Even at 33% brightness which is the lowest setting, the battery was reaching "Critical level" for me in around 6-8 hours. You hear an audible beep and then the RGB will shut off until it gets a charge. It can remain on Critical Battery with RGB off for several hours, so you still might get a full day out of it but it's close. With RGB off, this thing never reaches critical battery even after a 14-16 hour day of use. You cannot kill it in one day unless you're going for a marathon stream or something. I just hate that RGB forces 2-3x the power usage for 2 little tiny lights on the side.
I really wish they had buffed the battery life more and it would be perfect. I end up not using RGB and have been happy with it. It's my favorite conference call headset! I find I can use them for calls, get some compliments on voice quality, then enjoy listening to music in between meetings. Truly a great headset. Thanks for sharing your first hand experiences between both!
@@GadgetryTech Yep agree and I use mine for work voice calls all the time (Teams, VOIP, Google Meeting, etc). It works great for Discord of course too. Music is solid in it, can't complain. About on par with the quality of my DT770 Pro's but with superior directional sound from the Dolby Atmos app.
I've read that to turn the RGB off you have to choose black in color selection and then lower the brightness to the lowest setting. Is there really not a dedicated OFF switch in a software? Also does the setting transfer to console ( PS5 specifically in my case )?
@@emeresbestres1 If you are talking about HS80 you just choose brightness 0% and that is considered "off" all the way. I didn't need to choose black. I think brightness settings actually do save because I just shut down the software and it saved.
@@drewmorg.
Would that setting transfer to PS5?
I really wish Xbox would allow standard PC wireless headsets to work. Thanks for the detailed reviews and appreciate the thorough work you produce on products.
Thanks Joe. You always have the most in depth headset reviews out there. The Corsair mics have been best in class, arguably better than they need to be for a gaming headset. Being eyeing these for a while now and I'm into the white colorway, along with the H6Pro's. Happy with my PC38X's, but still curious if there's something better that won't break the bank.
Thanks Rory! Yeah they are very nice looking in white. Just the right blend of materials, angles, etc. PC38X is a benchmark gaming headset and its tough to beat. You are paying less for this model which is wireless and has all kinds of parts in it. With the PC38X being analog, you are essentially paying for pure sound quality.
Agreed on the reviews. They are awesome. I’m in the same boat. I’ve got the PC38X and while it’s great, I hate the cheap feeling and creaky sounding build quality. It’s tough for me to go closed back now that I have open. It’s nice to hear myself and my surroundings. I’m not sure what to do.
I'd say grab a SoundblasterX G6 for your pc38x, big upgrade.
Thanks for the review mate. I was initially sitting on the fence between this and the Arctis 1 but now I am more certain which one to go for. Great video. Straight to the point.
So which one are you going for?
@@Carlit0Tit0 if I had told you, it wouldn't be fun.
@@MrCrackowacko Well I tried both and honestly unless you want a slightly better mic, I'd go for the hyper x cloud 2's. They have much better sound in comparison
@@Carlit0Tit0 noted, thanks for highlighting. Perhaps I will give it a go sometime. Is the wireless variant equally good or the wired one is better?
@@MrCrackowacko I tried the wireless for all three. The Arctis, HS80, and the hyper x cloud 2's. Hyper X had the better sound whilst the HS80 had the slightly better mic but I prefer better sound than anything.
Omg that preset you suggested is absolutely amazing
extremely helpful! i was looking for help for a sound table and this channel came thru.
As someone who mixes products (Razer / Corsair) THANK GOD, i don't have to download IQ to change EQ. I can do it only DOLBY!!! that was the only thing hold me back from buying these, i was going to get the Black shark V2, thank you so much!
My HS80 are arriving tomorrow! Thanks for an amazing review :)
how is it so far? the audio quality, games?
@@aliahmedov4674 Yo Ailah! Actually I haven't really used them much and will be returning them. Perhaps I was unlucky but my copy has a constant high-pitched noise in the right ear cup which is very annoying (goes away when using with cable so it's some kind of wireless interference). With that being said, After some EQ I was actually pretty pleased with the sound and the mic is great. Personally the comfort wasn't great tho and after 2-3 hours of gaming my right ear started to hurt after touching the inner ear cup. Your mileage may vary of course.
I actually have a Razer BlackShark V2 Pro 2023 coming tomorrow, really hoping it'll work out before I give up on wireless headsets lol. Good luck!
@@jgakpp are you happy with blackshark v2 pro?
Fantastic review! I loved when you mentioned Korn! One of my all time favorite bands
Thanks! Ya'll want a single?
Thank you man, not too many honest youtubers left, i did buy them, after having terrible experience with JBL810, heavy(had headaches), left one start making terrible sound, volume very quiet one, software very bad, so i said lets see this HS80, out of the box, bad sound, mic is wonderful for a wireless headset, after 5-8h of gaming, i have left ear discomfort, i got glasses, i need to buy different earpads. thank you for the amazing video, you did help me giving me ideas about the sound, much appreciated!
I really appreciate RUclips recommend this video for me, and thank you for the in depth review.
Thanks!
@@GadgetryTech hello, thanks for reply! Just wondering, will the headset work using a usb C to A dongle on my iPad then plug in the HS80 dongle?
Amazing review. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
My pleasure!
Man i just got this one for $40 off a guy.. and man this is the best review ive ever seen of anything def subbing.
Thanks for the custom tunning map profile! The difference in sound quality is night and day.
Damn I fk with your reviews, appreciated and subbed
Thanks. I'm getting a set of these so I am glad that it seems to me that I'm making a good purchase.
The sale price is crazy too!
Fantastic review
Thanks for the detailed review. I'm going to get me a set based on your review. Thanks. Awesome.
how do you like em?
Nice Quality content bro, I enjoyed you're review. Im subbing now
10:32 - for recording videos and tutorials? Sold.
I was going to say watch out for that ear cup mount style as theyre weak on the arctis, but you mentioned it. Thumbs up!
Great review. I even got Dolby and It's just as good as you said it was! Amazing for it's price. I will see how it ages with time. Thanks!
I would love to see an updated "use" review to see if the overall build quality has held up after two years of use.
Just picked these up from Corsairs refurbished section. I was looking for good EQ settings and your video came up and appreciate it! Ive been a purely speaker gamer but wanted to get into wireless headsets to please wife and kid lol. Looking forward to a possible good choice. I currently have the Void Elite wired and messed with EQ on those and got them where they are good but will be giving those to my kid when we build his pc.
Amazing review!! How good is the sidetone on this headset?
absolutely love your videos man. Keep it up all the way from Australia. Hope you’re doing well. Just a quick question. Absolutely love these headsets and the max version but I was a little bit disappointed when i take the ear cups off. You can actually feel glue around the edges of the driver. Is that normal?
Damn good review!
Thanks for voicing a comparison between Corsair and SteelSeries hinge designs. The metal hinge in my Arctis 9X cracked the brittle plastic around the volume wheel. SteelSeries seriously dropped the ball on that design. Wish companies would get away from these single attachment point hinges. I want headsets designed by engineers, not architects.
Hello! Explendid review btw! If I dont care about wireless, should I Go with the USB version? The frequency response is the same or it is probably better?
is the mic better on the hs80 or hyperx cloud 3 ?
Are you sure 15 minutes of charging will provide one night of gaming? Some reddit users have been reporting that the battery drains even when the headset is completely turned off and it takes over 5 hours to charge it to full.
By the way. I really enjoy your unbiased reviews, straight to the point and honest approach. Keep'em coming.
Thank you for telling me how to adjust the strap!!!! I’ve been needing help all this time lol 😂
well detailed review,
a'ight. I'm buying this. Thanks for the review!!!
allot of people should learn from this guy. Shows the USB thingy that goes into the pc fast and easy. Thats how its done review people. Dont forget to show the plugin!
Great review. I use a Sennheiser HD58X with a topping L30 and d10s amp/dac stack but I hated using a boom arm for a mic so I was looking for a good headset that was more neutral. Will try your EQ with my HS80’s. Will be using my sennheiser’s for single player games now 😊
Did you end up trying them? What did you think?
@@edbennett6579just saw this lmao. The headset can replace a full audio set up like mine. You could always have both on your desk and just use the headset for multiplayer and the headphones for single player games
I'm in the market for headphones so this was incredibly helpful!
Glad it helped!
Hey, im in love with your reviews, just the best out there! Where can i download dolby eq you showed in vid?
Hey thanks so much! The Dolby Atmos app does not allow you to download or import audio presets unfortunately. Best advice I can give is to pause the video where I show my settings graph. I added lines to help make it easier to ballpark where to set it. It should get you close and you can tweak it from there!
Thank you!!
Ty you sir! Much better then any preset Rock approved!
Picked up a pair of these for $8 and they are amazing. Great review.
That's an INSANE price! I still use the HS80 to this day for work. The mic and performance is great.
how did you get these for 8?
@@aliahmedov4674 He left off the 0 on the end. He paid $80, not $8.
"When listening to rock music like... KoRn" okay SOLD ;) they always get my first sound test, great review
Once you said Tool and Korn I knew I had to try your settings. Gonna try it out later today. 🤘
how are settings?? better than default?
@@alejandro4797 Very sharp listening experience, really nice. I personally like a little more bass but only a smig. Its worth a shot to try. :)
I am using the Astro a50 gen 4 but am looking for something new. They are comfy, but get a bit heavy. What would you suggest? Love your work man! Keep it up!
is it still holding up well?
Great review, Joe! I'm still trying to decide wich headset would be better for me between this one, the Logitech G733 or the G Pro X Wireless. Here in Argentina, all of them are in the same price category, so I just wanna buy the best of the three.
By now, the HS80 is my favourite because of the sound, mic quality and dolby atmos, but I've heard that the battery life is poor (wich is a big problem, as I spend 8 hours working and I would want to have some extra hours of battery to play videogames after work) and the wireless range is not that big, things that are fantastic in the two Logitech headsets, but sacrificing the quality of the microphone, wich is VERY important to me (and maybe the most important thing).
What do you think? Wich one of the three headsets would you recommend me?
That's a tough one! To me it's between the G Pro X or these. I purchased both and would likely use the HS80 over the Pro X. I loved the comfort, feel, and how good everything works. It's super reliable and easy to use every day. Battery life is tough though! I do wish they lasted longer but it's tolerable enough for me. Luckily you can charge and use them at the same time. They actually work as a USB-C headset which even allows a higher sample rate. You could always use them that way during the day if you don't want to worry about battery life.
@@GadgetryTech thanks for answering!!! And did you have any connectivity issue with the Corsair? Some reviews says that when you move a few meters far from the computer, you lose connection.
Mine never had an issue even walking around the room or using the bathroom next door (let's face it we all do this haha). I'm not saying you won't have any issues, but mine had no problems at all.
@@GadgetryTech of course we all do it, that was the main reason I asked that hahahahaha. Thanks man! I think I'll go with these because as you say, I can use them wired when they run out of battery, I prefer that than struggling with the Logitech mic, wich I don't like at all. Keep it going with your reviews, they are great!!! Greetings from Argentina 😄
Very good review, I copied your tune and it sound’s significantly better. Thank you.
Mine only lasted 1 year before the charging port broke and the headset is useless now. Bought a used pair off Ebay and I know what you are talking about now with a tight charging port. The ones that broke the connection was not nearly as snug as this pair. Probably all QC issues. Hopefully these newer ones last longer then a year. Honestly love the sound of these with your EQ and Dolby Atmos. Can really hear very good in game with them.
Nice review - how does this compare to the Corsair Virtuoso XT?
I have the Corsair void and love it. How does this compare ?
Any tips on improving the range on the hs80s, thanks :)
Your HS65 review mentions a toilet test, how do the HS80s hold up in that test? Are the HS80s still running well after a long period?
What would you recommend between Corsair HS80 - and EPOS H3? Price is the same and wireless is not really important for me
Helppp, HS80 or cloud III Wireless??
Just picked this up yesterday, was working fine until I tried to hop on discord with a friend and I realized my mic wasn’t working. Updated the firm where and it fixed my mic problem but then I could no longer hear anything. Messed with all the settings and I couldn’t get anything to work properly.
when these are tuned.. do you prefer these over the nova pro wireless?
Pros and Cons are what it comes down to, and a design preference. Nova pro sidetone and battery life might be a little better but that's about it for the nova pro. As for battery life and side tone for the hs80, its not bad all but exceptional. Hs80 uses memory foam cotton earcups designed in corduroy which is a plus because synthetic leather seems to peel over time which makes you never want to go back to a regular headset. The hs80 build quality is over all phenomenal. Hands down the Corsair hs80 is the best wireless headset I ever had, and you can get them for $110 instead of paying $350 for the nova pros.
Got these as an upgrade from Turtle Beach Ear Force 450s. Thank you for the much-needed info here. You referenced your mic above you, which mic are you using?
Hey man thanks for your dedication and your informative videos! I am dying to find out a new high end wireless gaming headset, but I have a question for you, which one do you think I should go for out of these 3 and pay attention I am used to virtual surround 7.1: Corsair HS80 RGB, SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro X Wireless, or Audeze Maxwell, please let me know what you think or if you have any better recommendations!
My son likes these white headsets, he says its great to wear when you have sunlight in room and it does not absorbed heat like the darker headsets, but that's just him.
@GagetryTech your reviews are awesome. Very helpful! How would you stack HS80's sound quality in comparison to Steelseries Arctis Nova 7X? I can't find anything on youtube that compares these 2 & I think they deserve a comparison for ppl looking at a comparable price range with only sound & mic quality in mind for a wireless headset. Thoughts appreciated!
Maybe I’ll try to whip up a quick video on this :). Better mix on HS80, a little better sound on the Nova 7
@@GadgetryTech that would be amazing & perhaps a unique piece because no one else has done it (surprisingly). Appreciate the quick tip! Thank you.
I just bought the HS80 RGB Wireless Corsair headset for $87.00 New on eBay. I am glad your review made this decision for me because I then will experiment with your EQ settings you have discovered. I am a competitive gamer so if any changes or recommendations come about within the future means. I would love to hear them for my competitive nature in gaming with this newly selected headgear for FPS games. Thanks @GadgetryTech very appreciative.
This is fantastic, your EQ recommendation in Dolby Atmos totally transforms the headset.
Just a quick question, can someone give me a quick explanation of what the ‘surround virtualizer’ and ‘volume leveler’ options do? Thanks in advance.
Would you say this is still the recommendation for great sound and best mic that isn't a Maxwell or Penrose?
you keep mentioning an other steel series version, which exact model r u talking about?
What is your eq settings for the blackshark v2 pro?
Great review, regards from Spain. For CSGO what would be the best equalizer setting using only stereo sound?
wearing this now, I love this headset it is so comfortable
For sure! My son said it’s like wearing a pillow! I should bring him in for some real talk on a future video haha. Glad you like them.
@@GadgetryTech is this compatible with Xbox I really need to know
@@miguelpapi4528 it is not sadly
@@GadgetryTech thank you so much
mind reviewing mpow air? i think itll compete with the mic and more.
a really nice review. I didn't understand one thing though, that is, if the profile with dolby atmos you showed is good for both music and gaming, or if you need a different equalization
It’s a general EQ that works well for both. You may want to customize further once you start using it so it better fits what you enjoy more. Even different genres of music or different games may require different EQs.
@@GadgetryTech thank you :). is there a tutorial that can tell me how to best modify the EQ? I'm not very experienced
Personaly i dont like to use the Dolby atmos app because it forces the samples from 92000hz to 48000hz even if you change it on the control panel.
I'm getting the wired version of this. Now deciding what color. I want the white one but worried about discoloring years later?
Who cares, enjoy it, one life that's it. Have a micro fiber cloth dedicated to the headset, put aside, light dish soap, water, wipe her down.
hey i wanna buy the wired version also. Can you tell me how is the headset? are you still using and how is the sound, game performance?
Hey bro,
I'm looking to buy the white one, it's cheaper here in Brazil than the black one. Could you tell me if your headset has discolored over the years?
just bought it after saw your review. great headset but for comfort wise i prefer steel series band because it feel more loose. anyway your eq custom profile is awesome but i prefer to turn on surround virtualization because why not? and also sound leveling, because it make the sound a bit louder
Hello! I just bought the HS80 for the virtual surround sound. How did you turned it on? My headset can do at max only 2-channel audio, stereo. My previous headset the corsair Void Pro can do 8-channel, virtual surround sound. Thanks!
Thank you for this review. Is it possible to switch off this annoying red flashing on the microphone? It is terrible because I can see it periferical when I don't use the mike - and normally I don't.
I have visited a couple of forums - switching off the mike flashing lite is not possible by them. How silly thing it is? If you have glasses the light mirrors on the glass. It is very frustrating that they ruin with this pity thing a basically very good headset. I'll return it.
How would you compare the mic and speaker quality with Apple Airpods?
Lol is this a real question
@@Grobyck I record albums with AirPods. I can hear the world around me. My ears don’t overheat. The speakers fit in my pocket. I get 20 hours of battery. Yes it’s a real question, simpleton.
@@StickOnHair omg that must sound awful
@@Grobyck Not as awful as you. 'Lol'
Have the HS80, sounds amazing and great confort too. But was considering get an Astro A50gen4 do you think the sound quality is outdated? or still holds it against the HS80 for example 🤔
If you're looking to drop $300 on a new wireless headset I would go straight for the Nova Pro Wireless instead. There's a chance it will go on sale for less than the A50 again.
@@GadgetryTech Thank you! But to be honest im between the A50gen4 vs Barracuda Pro vs Arctis Nova7x. The nova Pro are out of my range here in Brasil hehe 😁
@@brun0silva938 no worries! If you don’t need to use the mic much get the Barracuda Pro. Otherwise the 7X with a little tuning sounds great
@@GadgetryTech Perfect thanks! 🙏
@@GadgetryTech Got the Nova 7x and like it 👍 but have some problems with win11 settings, just posted it on reddit.
@GadgetryTech - just bought them and EQ'd them to your specification and I love them (coming from the old Razer Blackshark V2 pro). One question if you possibly know - I'm thinking of replacing the earcups to a cooling gel solution that I see in Amazon. I'm probably spoiled but I want better material and better noise isolation than what these currently offer (surprisingly enough, the Blackshark had amazing noise isolation). Do you have any idea if your EQ setting will need to be change if I change the earcups? Would love to hear your opinion. Thanks for the amazing work!!!
THX today i replaced my Logitech G Pro x after battle with win 11 and DTS. This hs 80 are rly great :D
amazing review my man ! i was looking at the wired one today, I just can’t find a white wireless one ):
How is the noise cancellation? I'm sick of seeing every headsets saying they have noise cancelling function when they have little to no noise cancellation after I purchased.
Sitting on an arctis pro wireless rn, stuck between upgrading to this or the new nova pro
If the battery is empty can you charge it while playing? thanks for the reply