Xboxaddict.com Article
Corsair VIRTUOSO MAX Review
by Adam Dileva
Features/Specifications
Colour: Carbon
Noise Cancelling (Active): Yes
Connection Type: Wireless
Wireless Connectivity: Bluetooth, Radio Frequency (RF - 2.4 Ghz/Low Latency)
Maximum Wireless Range: 50 feet
Carrying Case: Yes
Microphone Features: Detachable, Adjustable
Headphone Fit: Over-the-Ear
Adjustable Headband: Yes
Battery Life: 60 hours
Battery Charge Time: 1.5 hours
Battery Capacity: 1500 milliampere hours
Compatible Platform(s): Mac/Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS
Minimum Frequency Response: 20 hertz
Maximum Frequency Response: 40 kilohertz
Sensitivity: -38 decibels adjusted
Driver Size: 50 millimeters
Bluetooth Version: 5.3
Customizable Lighting: Yes
Lighting Type: RGB
Charging Accessory Included: USB Cable
Ear Cushion Material: Memory Foam
Headband Material: Memory foam
Product Height: 3.99 inches
Product Width: 7.23 inches
Product Depth: 7.89 inches
Product Weight: 0.95 pounds
Manufacturer's Warranty – Parts/Labor: 2 years
Included in the Box
Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless Headset
Detachable Omni-Directional Microphone
Wireless USB Receiver
USB Charging Cable (6ft)
Carry Case
Safety Leaflet
Warranty Card
Unboxing
I always enjoy unboxing new products, not just because I’m excited to use said new item, but to see how it’s been packaged. Generally, higher prices items will tend to have a more memorable unboxing experience given their premium nature; not always, but the ones that do always bring just that much more excitement. Given the $329.99 USD / $449.99 CAD price of the Corsair VIRTUOSO MAX, my expectations were high, not just of the product, but how it would be presented once you open the box.
Opening the box, I was surprised to see that there was a large carrying case. In most instances, headsets that do come with some sort of case generally come with just a simple cloth pouch of some sort. Not here though, Corsair went above and beyond with a hard clamshell that has a zipper across the middle and their logo faintly black on black right in the middle. Unzip the case and you’ll see the headset laying with the earcups flat. The accessories (cable, dongle, microphone) are tucked into the top near the headband. Taking the headset out of the case and you notice that there are inlays for the headset to rest in, so it won’t move when zipped up and travelling.
Something I didn’t notice until I was trying to do the initial setup, is that there’s no QuickStart guide of any kind. Taking the case out of the box has a small Warranty Card and Safety Leaflet that of course gets thrown right into the recycling, but that’s it. Upon inspection when trying to figure out what buttons do what, I noticed a small QR code printed into the bottom of the box itself. Scanning this QR will then bring you to an online version of the QuickStart guide, but I guarantee someone is going to throw away the box without noticing, then having to go online to hunt down the PDF or page. How Corsair expects anyone to keep half of the box that want to reference the guide in the future is beyond me though, quite an odd design decision.Corsair VIRTUOSO MAX
Over the years I’ve reviewed dozens of headsets from many brands, from entry level to high end premium. One brand I’ve never been able to review, or even use, is Corsair, so I was excited to see how they would compare to what I’m used to. While they’ve had PC gaming headsets before, the Corsair VIRTUOSO MAX has a version specifically for Xbox gamers (and will work on other devices). I was hoping this was going to be music to my ears and my new go-to when I sit on the couch for a number of hours playing and watching content. Was it though? Let’s find out.
A Number of Features
Simply looking at the list of features, the Corsair VIRTUOSO MAX is impressive on paper, and at this price range, it needs to make an impact from the first time you try them on and wear them. First up, the drivers. Not only are they a hefty 50mm, as to be expected in a higher end headset, they are also Graphene drivers. Essentially this means it uses incredibly thin atom-sized membranes that reduces weight and can be moved easier with lower energy. This results in lower distortion and a more precise sound that hits your ear. This of course will depend on your source, EQ settings and hearing sensitivity.
The closed-back and over-ear cans isolate some outside sounds, but the inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC) will block even more outside distractions. Great for you when you’re gaming and want to focus, maybe not so much for the spouse or partner trying to get your attention though. You can even place it into Transparency Mode if you want to have some of the outside ambiance to be discernable if required.
With the included dongle you can connect the headset to an Xbox or PC via 2.4GHz wireless, or with Bluetooth connectivity to any device that also allows. With dual connectivity, you can have your Xbox audio playing via the wireless dongle, but also connect with Bluetooth to your phone and play your music that way if you wish.
Up to 60 hours of battery life means you’ll be able to play likely all week without needing a charge. Of course, the caveat to this claim is having the RGB off and not using ANC, as those enabled does make quite a difference. I’ve got the habit of charging every day or two out much of the time, but even after a long two-day weekend session of an unhealthy amount of gaming and Netflix, I never got the low battery notification.
Design and Comfort
Sound quality is obviously paramount for a headset, especially in this price range, but for some like myself, comfort is also equally important. When I game, it’s usually for a good handful of hours at a time, so a cheaply made headset can become uncomfortable if it’s not built well or the cans make my ears sweat. I’ve had some headsets where the audio wasn’t as great as I’d have liked, but they were so comfortable I decided to stick with them. I’ve also had the opposite, where the audio was great but it simply wasn’t a long term headset due to its lack of comfort. Where does the Corsair VIRTUOSO MAX lie for audio and comfort? I was hoping it would be top notch for both qualities, but it’s somewhere in the middle. More on that shortly.
As for the design and aesthetics of the headset, let’s first begin with the included accessories. The wireless USB-A dongle is what you’d expect, though there is a nice textured ring around the base where the metal USB meets the rest of the device. The same goes for the lengthy USB-A to USB-C charging cable, as it has the same textured ring at the base of each end, and the cable feels quite premium being braided. The detachable gooseneck microphone has that same texture around the tip of the microphone and the neck itself is sturdy enough that it will stay in any position you want, yet flexible to move out of the way if you’re eating when in use.Premium Build
Weighing just under one pound, the headset certainly has a heft to it when you first take it out of the box. 50mm drivers are common, but I thought these were actually larger just due to the sheer size of the cups themselves. The aluminum build makes it feel solid and premium, and while I’ve only been using them for the last few weeks, I don’t have any concerns with its durability so far, as it feels quite sturdy, even with the rotating cans that swivel. The construction quality seems top notch, but you will start to notice the weight if you use for long sessions like myself.
A mix of blacks and dark brushed metal give the VIRTUOSO MAX a premium aesthetic, even from first glance, and while there’s RGB included, it’s subtle with a thin ring on the outside of each earcup, unnoticeable if you have it turned off. While it’s a gaming headset, it’s not flashy or gaudy and I would have no problems wearing it in public.
There’s a semingly thick amount of padding on the headband, as well as what appeared like a generous amount on each cup as well. The outside of the band at the top looks as though its pleather, and there’s some slick stitching on the headband foam that rests on the top of your head. The memory foam on each cup looks almost oversized, and being over the ear style, your ears should fit within the circular cups without issue. I’m very pleased Corsair decided on memory foam, as pleather that many companies use eventually decay and degrade overtime, causing for a flakey mess that needs replacement eventually, an issue you won’t have to worry about here.Take Control
The outside of each earcup also doubles as a volume dials. That same textured ring described above returns here so you can easily grip and rotate when needed. It’s a subtle design but works great, as you’re going to be navigating the controls of a headset by feel instead of visual, so different textures helps the quick memorization.
Many headsets tend to place all the buttons, wheels, switches and sliders on one ear cup for some reason. Not Corsair though. At the rear of the left side you can find the Wireless Mode Switch (Off, Wireless, Bluetooth), the main Volume Dial, and the Boom Mic connection port. The microphone mute button is actually on the base of the mic where it connects to the headset itself, a fantastic design option I’ve not seen before, but more on that shortly when we go over the microphone.
The right side is where you’ll find a Custom Button (toggling ANC), Action Switch (generally media playback/phone call controls, the USB-C port for charging, and the right side wheel controls the Game/Chat balance when in Xbox mode. You can see why not having a printed Quick Start guide can be confusing. There’s also different beeps, but what 1, 2, 3 or 4 means is anyone’s guess. There also seems to be no audio notification of ANC on or off, other than simply testing and listening for differences. A voice prompt is sorely lacking here.
The volume wheels on each side feel great and quite premium with the textured ring. They scroll quite smoothly but I’ve always been a fan of notches as opposed to smooth scrolling (same with my mice wheels), as I enjoy the textured feel to know it’s being adjusted. It’ll take a little time to find the ideal volume and party chat mix per game, but once you do you shouldn’t have to adjust much after that.
Short Term Comfort
Because of how long I will game or binge watch my shows for, comfort is paramount, almost equal to the audio quality itself. Simply looking at the headband and earcups, it appears there is plenty of memory foam that should make for a comfortable headset, but even after my first or second sessions, I could really notice how heavy the headset felt after a handful of hours. I’m not sure if it’s the quality or thickness of the memory foam, but looks are deceiving, as it feels as if there’s almost none after I remove it hours later.
With the ear cups looking almost comically large due to the padding, I expected this was going to be one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever used, so I was quite shocked to have almost the exact opposite reaction. The clamp force is actually quite tight, which is great when you want to isolate from any outside noise and focus on what’s coming through the drivers, but it’s on the cusp of being almost too tight, as I could feel the pressure at the bottom of my ear where it means your jawbone after a few hours. There’s certainly no chance of any noise bleeding in or it falling off your head when bending down to get something, but at the expense of slight discomfort.After a few weeks it does seem as though I’ve somewhat ‘broken them in’, but I’m not sure if that’s the case or I’ve simply gotten used to it. The premium materials are great but the headset does feel quite heavy after a few hours of constant use. My wife did try them on while wearing her glasses and noted that it did tend to press on the arms of her glasses a bit. The foam and cloth material should stand the test of time much better than other headsets that utilize the pleather padding, but it’s a shame that looks are deceiving when it comes to the comfort level of the headband and earcups over lengthy sessions.
Connectivity Options - Enough Yet Also Lacking
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the option of dual connectivity of Wireless via dongle and also Bluetooth. This means I can have my game audio coming through while also streaming some music from my phone if I wanted. The Wireless dongle simply plugs into a USB-A slot on your Xbox or PC and I had no issues with it plugged into the back of my Xbox Series X and me sitting 10 feet away or so on my gaming chair.
There’s two things lacking though when it comes to connectivity. You may have noticed that I didn’t mention a 3.5mm jack above, as there is none. This means you can’t use the headset passively if it runs out of power or connect it to a number of other devices. Also oddly enough, the included USB-A to USB-C is simply to charge your headset. There’s no USB audio mode, so if the headset dies, you can’t use it while wired. Sure, a 15 minute charge will give you 6 hours of use, but the fact remains, there’s no wired or passive use the headset unfortunately.
Houston, Do You Read Me?
Any gaming headset these days needs a microphone, and quality can greatly differ from brand to brand. Most will do an adequate job if you’re simply looking to play in a lobby or party chat with friends, but those wanting to do more and possibly stream or podcast are going to have slightly higher expectations when it comes to the microphone quality. As for the physical quality, absolutely no complaints. The boom arm is stiff enough to stay in place, yet moves out of the way if required.
I quite like the mute button being at the bottom of the base where it attaches to the headset. It’s out of the way yet accessible and in an obvious spot. Muting will make the ring at the end of the mic glow red so you can see it with your peripheral vision to know you’re not going to be heard. The actual mic broadcast quality itself seems to be quite good. The omni-directional mic has some very impressive noise filtering. With my wife playing Netflix in the background and my daughter talking to her friends on discord, my party chat members said they didn’t hear any of it, something that other headset used to pickup and I’d have to mute for to avoid annoying them.
The only real downfall to the microphone is if you like to use sidetone to hear what you sound like when speaking as well. It’s barely noticeable until more than half volume, then it got a lot of feedback and static plus a minor delay. That said, there was a recent fix for this specific issue, so it should no longer be a problem once udpated.
Audio Quality
A headset can have all the coolest features in the world, but if it doesn’t produce quality audio, then it’s a moot point. With 50MM graphene drivers, and from a brand I’ve never tried before, I was curious what its default soundstage was going to be like. I’d wager that many console gamers that are buying a headset are plugging it into their console and start playing once unboxed, rather than connecting to a PC first and seeing what can be tweaked unless mandatory.
This is where some may feel a bit confused with the equalizer settings out of the box. By default, bass is cranked way up and mids are quite low. I personally prefer bass heavy eq settings, but not at the expense of it overpowering other ranges, something I found it doing. For example, the bass of explosions and gunfire in Black Ops 6 sounded great and impactful, but I quickly realized I wasn’t noticing the footsteps as easily as I did with my previous headset. That’s not to say it sounds terrible, it’s just more heavily tweaked to the bass range than I’m used to.
I do enjoy the overall soundscape though. Music sounds more concert-like, dialogue in movies is clear, and movies in general sound quite good. With Doly Atmos Spatial Audio, you’ll have to change some settings on your Xbox to make use of it, but it takes the audio to another level if you’ve never experience games that support it. Adjusting the game/chat mix with the right dial is simplistic and easy to do on the fly when needed.
Connect to a PC and you’ll be able to tweak the EQ to your preferences with software. This is how you can really make the headset sound great if you take the time to tweak everything, especially if you use the Sonarworks SoundID program, making it simplistic to adjust and calibrate. But this is where an issue seems to have been missed. I’ve yet to find a way to save a custom EQ setting directly to the headset, so all that work I did to make the audio a bit more leveled, seems to be unable when I’m primarily using for my Xbox. Not sure how this was overlooked or omitted, or if I've not found a way to do so.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is great for those that want to not have any outside distractions, but in most cases, toggling ANC on dampens or distorts the audio slightly, which is what I expected. With ANC on I was barely able to tell a difference in the soundscape, and the ANC itself was quite impressive, not hearing a single thing my wife was trying to tell me while playing until we made eye contact. For situations like this, there’s a Transparency mode that allows some of the outside sound be pumped into the cups if you do need to know what’s going on around you, or a spouse that requires attention. The over the ear cups plus ANC on makes quite a difference with eliminating any outside noise bleeding and I couldn't hear anything outside of the headset.
iCUE
The Corsair iCUE software is where you’ll find all the settings and updates for your headset. The software is simple to use and here is where you change the RGB settings, EQ preferences, and even change functionality of some of the buttons on the headset itself. I will say that while I had no issues intially with the software, updating the latest firmware caused something with iCUE to break, causing a good hour of figuring out how to uninstall, delete folders, then do a clean reinstall. It's working just great now, but I was quite frustrated when the software decided to break for some inexplicable reason.
Final Thoughts
I’m quite torn about the Corsair VIRTUOSO MAX headset, as for every feature I do like, there seems to be another that I don’t or frustrates. I do enjoy the bass heavy EQ by default, and it has great a great overall soundstage, but the heaviness of the headset makes for some discomfort after long gaming or binging sessions with it on. If you value comfort more than any one feature, this is something to seriously consider and factor into your purchase decision. I will say, I was initially underwhelmed with the default soundstage out of the box, even as a bass lover, but once I enabled Dolby Atmos and tweaked some settings, it was night and day difference how much better the audio quality was.The headset itself looks and feels very premium, which I quite enjoy. I do wish there was some more tactile feedback with the wheels, a way to tell what certain beeps mean, or if ANC is on or off. Not being able to use the headset wired or while charging was a surprise, but worst case, a 15 minute charge will get you a good handful of hours of play. Just remember to keep that box for the QR code if you ever need a refresher on the headset controls.
**Corsair Virtuoso Max Headset was provided and reviewed on an Xbox Series X, various consoles, PC, and mobile**
Overall: 8/10
