It’s been nearly two years since Corsair released its HS80 RGB Wireless headset, and 2023’s HS80 Max Wireless revision takes what was already a good headset and adds some necessary features such as Bluetooth audio capability, significantly increased battery life, and better audio quality over wireless. However, despite its many improvements, it also comes with a higher price tag that pushes it firmly into premium headset territory.
Corsair HS80 Max – Design and Features
The Corsair HS80 Max Wireless headset features support for PC, Mac, PS5, and PS4 over a 2.4GHz wireless connection using the included USB adapter, but can also be paired to Nintendo Switch and standard mobile devices over Bluetooth. The 2.4GHz connection sounds great, and remains crystal clear up to 50 feet away, allowing you to effectively walk to another room without dropping audio. It also supports 24bit/96kHz studio-quality sound over the 2.4GHz wireless connection – double that of normal gaming headsets and something that was previously only available over the wired mode on the HS80 RGB Wireless headset. It also supports Dolby Atmos on PC, as well as the PS5’s Tempest 3D Audio spec out of the box.
However, while it supports both wireless and Bluetooth connections, only one connection can be active at any given time. So, no listening to music or a podcast on your phone while still being able to hear the game audio from your PS5, unfortunately. While simultaneous dual-stream audio isn’t quite the standard yet for all gaming headsets, I expected it would make an appearance here as the HS80 Max Wireless is certainly a premium headset.
Arguably the best new feature of the HS80 Max Wireless headset is the significant improvements made to its overall battery life. While utilizing the 2.4GHz wireless mode, you can expect to get around 65 hours of battery life (or around 24 hours if you’re taking advantage of the limited RGB on the outside of each earcup). But, over on the Bluetooth side of things, you can get up to a whopping 130 hours of overall listening time. This is by far and away the best battery life I’ve seen in any headset I’ve reviewed, and if one of the most important things you look for in a gaming headset (or any wireless headset, for that matter) is battery life – then the HS80 Max should definitely be considered.
Not much has changed in the design from the original HS80 RGB Wireless as the HS80 Max Wireless features a sturdy, yet flexible, frame and a minimalist aesthetic with very few buttons. On the left side of the headset, you’ll find a power button and volume dial, which also doubles as a customizable button that cycles through EQ presets by default. There’s also a USB-C port on the bottom of the left earcup that supports USB-C quick charge. On the exterior of the opposite earcup you’ll find a multifunction Bluetooth button that allows you to pair to mobile devices, as well as control multimedia playback with single, double, and triple presses.
The omnidirectional microphone on the left side of the headset can be bent slightly toward your mouth to allow for better vocal pickup, and just as easily flipped upwards to mute when not in use. It also supports the Nvidia Broadcast technology on PC that utilizes AI to reduce unwanted external audio, while also amplifying your voice. This feature requires an RTX 2060 graphics card or later.
The HS80 Max Wireless is all about comfort, and features rotating memory foam earcups wrapped in a soft, breathable fabric to ensure your ears don’t get too hot while playing or listening to music. Additionally, it features a floating headband design that reduces pressure on the top of your head during extended gaming sessions. The headband’s height can be easily adjusted via velcro straps on the inside of the headset frame.
Corsair HS80 Max – Software
As with most of Corsair’s PC peripherals and accessories, you’ll be able to customize some of the settings within its iCUE software. While not as extensive as some of its RGB-heavy PC parts, you’ll still be able to tweak things such as EQ presets, enable the Nvidia Broadcast feature for the microphone, update device firmware, adjust the RGB lighting on the outside of the earcups, and more.
Additionally, the HS80 Max Wireless headset also supports SoundID, a tailored approach to audio that aims to give you a personalized listening experience. While I wasn’t very impressed with its offerings when I looked at the Corsair HS65 Wireless headset, unfortunately not much has changed.
To take advantage of SoundID, you’ll first be required to take a short hearing test that measures the audio sensitivity of your left and right ears. Afterward, you’ll choose an endlessly looping generic music track that suits your taste from a handful of different genres and be presented with a number of clips slightly altering the sound, of which you’ll need to select which one sounds better between the two samples. Once this portion is complete, you’ll have a custom EQ preset that can be toggled on or off as you desire.
While I believe SoundID takes a step in an interesting direction that allows users to really customize audio to their ears, it still feels pointless 99% of the time outside of listening to the very specific genre of music you originally based its results on as the audio frequencies, sound effects, and music vary significantly from game to game. That being said, I opted not to use SoundID while testing this headset as it made everything sound much worse than the default settings.
Corsair HS80 Max – Gaming
As you’d expect with most modern gaming headsets, the Corsair HS80 Max Wireless offers a plug-and-play experience right out of the box for PC and PS5. After plugging in the USB adapter, the headset was automatically recognized and ready to go.
During the many hours I tested this headset, not once did I experience any discomfort around my ears or the top of my head. The earcups are very breathable and the plush memory foam didn’t press into my head or glasses frames.
I spent most of my time on PC hopping between Destiny 2, Diablo IV, and Final Fantasy XIV. The default audio sounded great across each game, but the inclusion of Dolby Atmos on PC definitely pushed everything over the edge to create an even more immersive experience. While you can purchase a Dolby Atmos license on PC to use with any of your existing headphones, the HS80 Max Wireless includes a license, so you don’t even have to purchase anything extra to take advantage of the increased audio fidelity.
While the HS80 Max Wireless headset sounds great for gaming, it’s no slouch in the music department, either. Whether playing audio over the 2.4GHz wireless connection or Bluetooth, I was pleased with the overall sound quality across a variety of genres. From crisp highs to punchy bass, this headset can handle just about anything with ease.
Controlling audio playback is straightforward, too, as the Bluetooth button doubles as a multifunction button that can play and pause media with a single press, skip to the next track with a double press, and return to the previous track with a triple press. You can also customize the volume dial’s secondary button feature in iCUE, but I found the actual button itself to be difficult to activate reliably.
Lastly, as you can probably expect, the battery life on this headset is phenomenal. After many, many hours of testing the headset is still well above an 80% charge. If you’re looking to maximize battery life, I do recommend disabling the RGB lighting on the side of the headset as it more than doubles your expected battery. Plus, the RGB-ified Corsair logo on the outside of each earcup is so minimal that it’s hardly even noticeable when it’s illuminated.
