The Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless is the PC component and accessory company’s flagship wireless headset. It offers top-tier audio quality, some key features that help it stand out, and a design that, while a bit rigid, can be comfortable and stylish. Corsair has not designed the Virtuoso Max Wireless with any gimmicks, but instead ensured that the crucial elements of the headset, from its sound quality to its feature set, meet or exceed the highest-end products on the market. There’s no question this is one of the best PC headsets around and will rival any of its competitors in the space.
Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless Design: A Great Look But Questionable Comfort
Right out of the box, the clean metallic look of the Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless is striking but not ostentatious. There is a small RGB ring that circles each earcup and is fully customizable with different colors and patterns. Outside of that, though, the headset looks like the other members of the Virtuoso line. It’s a great look for a headset and certainly is eye-catching, but I appreciate that it looks professional with just a touch of that gamer flair.
The one questionable element on the headset is the choice of material for the ear cup pads and the headband. It’s much firmer than you would expect, especially on the ear cups. While that allows for a tighter seal over the ears, it also means that the headset is pretty rigid on your head, and larger heads are likely to feel some discomfort from the clamping force. It’s surprising how little give there is on the cushioned parts of the headset and like the headset’s one major misstep overall.
Outside of the cushions, everything else on the headset is well-thought-out, like the dials surrounding the ear cups that control volume with just a turn. Buttons like an ANC toggle, Bluetooth pairing, and a programmable multi-function button are all within reach, easy to press, but not crowded. There’s an economy to the headset that makes its aesthetics functional without standing out too much.
Sound Quality and Equalizer Customization
The Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless features 50mm Graphene Drivers, which sound incredible. Right out of the box, I was impressed with the audio quality whether I was playing Black Ops 6, listening to music, or watching a movie. The detail that the Graphene Drivers can deliver is top tier and it elevates any gaming experience in all the right ways. Music booms as you pick out each instrument, footsteps and gunfire sound distinct and clear, and dialogue comes through as if they are projecting right into your ear.
At $329, you would expect the Corsair Virtuoso Max to sound good; that’s practically a given. To me, the headset makes its case through features and support, starting with Dolby Atmos Spatial audio support. On PC, you can download the Dolby Access app to take advantage of Dolby Atmos, choosing from one of its preset EQ settings or customize each channel yourself. While I was plenty impressed with the headset right out of the box, gaming on PC with Dolby Atmos (where supported) pushes it over the top.
Corsair offers its own EQ customization through an app called SoundID. Through a series of sound “tests,” you will set up an EQ that works best for the sound you prefer and your hearing. If you like things a little bass-y, for example, SoundID should help you land on an EQ that favors the low end.
Standout Features of the Corsair Virtuoso Max
For me, a headset instantly gains points with multi-point connectivity. The Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless comes with a slipstream dongle for wireless, latency-free audio, but it also supports simultaneous Bluetooth. Being able to jump into a call on my phone, or listen to a podcast while grinding bounties in Destiny 2, or just have the headset ready to go on two devices is a huge boon. I know that’s a unique circumstance, but it’s a plus for me and will be for a lot of gamers. The implementation is also thoughtful too, with that right earcup controlling Bluetooth volume independent from game volume.
While in those calls or game chat, the Corsair Virtuoso Max has a solid omnidirectional microphone. Usually, the mic gets the short end of the stick on high-end headsets, but I found the Virtuoso Max’s to be really good. My voice came in clear for my friends in party chat and I could take calls with no issue. The microphone is also completely removable should you prefer to focus just on game audio.
The final major box that the Corsair Virtuoso Max ticks is Active Noise Cancellation. ANC isn’t often seen in gaming headsets, but its ability to immerse the user makes it practically essential for high-end options. Corsair’s implementation is exceptional and easy to toggle on or off. Just a press of the custom button (by default) will switch between ANC and transparency mode.
Even with features like ANC, the Corsair Virtuoso Max supports up to 60 hours of battery life. I got around 50 before considering a charge, but I also played around with the RGB customization quite a bit during my testing. Either way, nearly 60 hours of battery life on a gaming headset gives the Virtuoso Max the edge over a lot of high-end options.
As an added bonus, the Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless comes with a traveling case that is flat instead of rounded on the top. Because a headset case can be rather big and cumbersome for storage, giving it a flat top allows for easier stacking. It’s one of the many ways that you can see that Corsair thought about the design of every aspect of the product.
The Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless is available in Carbon or Silver and has an Xbox model as well.
Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless Review: Final Thoughts
Corsair has put a premium price tag on the Virtuoso Max Wireless but ensured that the headset exceeds expectations almost across the board. I never had any issues with comfort but the choice of the rigid, less cushy material for the headband and earcups is a head-scratcher. If you have a bigger head, the Virtuoso Max is likely to be uncomfortable, and that’s disappointing.
The rest of the package, though, is strong enough to make it well worth consideration. Sound quality and EQ customization are essential for any high-quality headset and the device clears both marks, but it’s the addition of multi-point connectivity, ANC, and how good the microphone sounds that round everything out. This is easily one of the best gaming headsets on the market.
The Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless Headset is available now for $329.99 at Corsair’s Official Site. Game Rant was provided a unit for this review.