Over the previous few years, the best gaming headsets have gone premium. Gone are the times of gaudy headphones loaded with RGB lights and angular designs that stick out like a sore thumb. These days, the foremost audio gamers are extra excited about creating high-quality headsets that you just wouldn’t be embarrassed to put on in public. The catch, although, is that these typically come at a excessive price ticket since these gadgets are being marketed extra as way of life merchandise than gaming ones.
That makes Black Friday such an important second for gaming audiophiles. This weekend is your probability to get a premium headset for an inexpensive value. If you need assistance determining which one to choose, I’d advocate Corsair’s Virtuoso Max Wireless Headset, which is on sale at numerous retailers for $290 (down from $330). I really feel snug recommending that even when it has its fair proportion of issues, as a result of it’s grow to be my go-to headset over the previous few months.
So what makes the Virtuoso Max so particular? The indisputable fact that it’s not very particular in any respect. Rather than loading it up with back-of-the-box gimmicks, Corsair centered on making a clear, purposeful pair of cans that work throughout a variety of gadgets. While there’s a separate pair you should purchase for Xbox particularly, the core headset helps PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch, cellular and extra because of its 2.4 GHz wi-fi and Bluetooth help.
As far as audio high quality goes, the Virtuoso Max checks quite a lot of bins because of its clear 50mm Graphene drivers. You’ll need to mess with the EQ settings, as this is your typical bass-heavy gaming headset, however the audio shines when you get it tweaked to the correct spot. Most notable is that the Virtuoso Max can get fairly loud with out distorting the audio. If I max them out, I don’t get a dreaded hiss. That’s best for somebody like me who likes blasting music. That clear audio profile pairs properly with efficient active noise cancellation that does a terrific job of blocking out sound.
More than something, although, it’s the design that attracts me in. Rather than attempting to look “cool” by an outdated gamer definition, the Virtuoso Max encompasses a refined, light-weight aluminum design that I can put on out in public. I personally have the silver mannequin, which has a clear look that’s not too shiny. The solely further lighting touches are skinny rings across the earcups that add a light-weight glow. Those earcups rotate too, performing as a management wheel that can be utilized to regulate quantity. That means I don’t must fiddle round its underside looking for a quantity wheel. It’s all intuitive.
As for consolation, that’s going to vary from individual to individual. These have a decent, agency grip on my head, which helps them block out any outdoors audio. The reminiscence foam earcups and headband present sufficient cushion, however they aren’t as delicate as one thing like Turtle Beach’s pillow-like Atlas Air. If you’re planning to put on them for lengthy durations of time — and you’ll be able to with as much as 60 hours of battery life — simply remember that it is perhaps a little bit of a squeeze.
The Virtuoso Max aren’t excellent by any means. I’ve seen loads of great critiques from audiophiles who really feel a bit burned by a few of its shortcomings, like audio bugs and missing preset EQ. Those are largely nitpicks became larger issues due to the headset’s hefty $330 price ticket. I agree with these assessments; a premium headset must be held to a distinct customary than a pair of $100 cans. But with the value tag now underneath $300 for Black Friday, I really feel way more snug recommending the Virtuoso Max for the value tag. Even with points, the extremely clear sound high quality, lack of distortion, and nice noise cancellation make them an nice alternative for aggressive video games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
