Corsair HS80 Max Dolby Atmos Wireless Gaming Headset Review

A Closer Look & Performance

The New HS80 Max doesn’t actually look that much different than the older version, in fact, I’m struggling to see how it looks any different to the model I reviewed two years ago. With that in mind, I won’t tread over too much old ground in terms of design, as it’s pretty much what we have had from Corsair for a few years, and it’s still absolutely gorgeous.

So what really is different with the max, if not the aesthetics? Well, firstly the battery life is improved, with the old one running out of puff in little over 20 hours, those long gaming sessions would take their toll after a day or two of binge gaming. Corsair has tripled the battery life, that’s right triple! This means you can get about 65 hours on 2.4 GHz mode, it’s going to be spending less time with the Type-C cable charging it. That being said, it can be charged while you play too, so there’s little to stop the fun.

Corsair has kept the floating headband design, which generally, I don’t like too much, as they rarely accommodate my large head (I’m looking at you SteelSeries!), but thankfully, this one does, but only just. For the most part, though, the inner headband is very comfortable when seated, but if you’re walking around, it can move around a little bit.

The headset does have Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair your phone and use it for travel, but as I said, walking around, it slips about a bit, but sitting on the train listening to music? Not a problem.

Corsair has kept the same 50mm drivers of the old model though, and rightly so, they sound pretty great right out of the box. However, to get the most out of them, you absolutely should download SoundID and run the hearing test. They’re a little dull sounding at stock, but with the SoundID profile, you can tune it to suit your hearing range; handy if you’re getting a bit older and lost some of the high-end of your hearing range.

There are loads of built-in EQ profiles, but you can make your own, and again, I think this is absolutely essential to get the best out of the headset. I ended up with a profile that has more bass and pushed the treble a little harder too, and the difference was night and day. Of course, what sounds best for you is subjective, but the drivers handle some pretty aggressive EQ really well without adding distortion, so you can drive them pretty hard for a big sound if that’s what you desire, or keep the sounder flat and light, which is good for work phone calls, competitive gaming and the like.

The Dolby Atmos processing is great too, I use Dolby Atmos for Headphone and DTS Headphone:X daily while working, gaming and watching movies, and the technology works extremely well. Saying this headset supports it is a stretch, given it works on basically any headset. Still, the extended frequency range of the drivers does ensure you’re going to get better performance than you would from lesser gaming headsets. Whatever you play though, the spacial audio format works really well, and I would suggest leaving it turned on in all scenarios, much like your SoundID profile.

The microphone is pretty much the best in class for a gaming headset, Corsair say it’s broadcast quality, and it’s hard to argue with that. It’s very clear sounding, it has no distortion speaking at higher volumes (raging at your mates, most likely), and even picks up a wide frequency range, which is good given I’ve got a voice that’s simultaneously Alvin the Chipmunk and Barry White, with all the twangs of my Scottish and Yorkshire heritage thrown in… which is to say, no bugger can understand me, but they can certainly hear me clearly. It doesn’t filter out louder background noise though, so harsh mechanical keyboard, background TV, etc, will still come through too.

Another downside, sort of, is that while the headset supports both 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth, you can’t use the two simultaneously, so playing games on your PC, and listening to music from your phone is a no-go, but I do appreciate having both regardless. Between the dongle and the Bluetooth mode, I can connect to a PC, PlayStation, Mac, Mobile, and a whole host of other things easily enough, the only one not supported is Xbox devices.

The only major visual tweak to the HS80 Max can be found on the sides of the ear cups. The buttons are redesigned to make them easier to find without having to take the headset off, and they have a more tactile feel to them, making them easier to adjust and nicer to operate in general. You can control the power, profiles, and volume without having to pause your game.

There’s a multi-function Bluetooth control on this side too, perfect for pairing, pausing, answering calls, etc.

There’s a Type-C cable included in the box, but largely, it’s Type-C, so if you lose the cable or want to use your own custom one, you’re not limited by a proprietary connector or anything like that.

Overall though, this is a great-sounding headset, and it’s plenty loud too. The drivers are a closed-back design, which in theory helps lock in the sound and increase the bass. This is a good thing, but it’s balanced out by the extra soft ear cup padding and cloth covering, which are noise noise-isolating. At higher volumes, people around you will hear what you’re listening to, and likewise, you can hear those around you when you don’t have your audio too loud. This is a pro and con, and subjective too. I prefer leather pads for their isolation properties, some like the semi-passive sound of softer fabric, and the fact they’re softer on your skin and less prone to create sweaty ears on a hot day.

What, you didn’t think we’d get through a Corsair review without some RGB, did you? There’s a light-up logo on the ear cups, as well as a microphone indicator on the boom, which incidentally, can be folded up to auto-mute.