Corsair HS80 RGB USB Wired Gaming Headset Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The Corsair HS80 RGB USB Premium Gaming Headset is available right now from Amazon for just £109.99 for either the white or the black version, albeit it’s more of a cream/silver and grey/carbon colour theme. Beyond that, you could punt a little extra cash at the wireless version, which is just £139.99 MSRP but currently £129.99 for the black or white version, which seems like great value for money compared to the wired model.

Overview

Corsair continues to deliver truly fantastic performance, and their latest headset is certainly one of their best. Unfortunately, this is the first Corsair peripheral I’ve tested that had a minor issue. The fact it’s hard-wired seems really strange to me, given a removable cable seems to be regarded as a premium feature, and at a little over £100, I’d say this is a premium headset… That being said, there’s NOTHING wrong with the quality here, the cable is really nice, and I’m sure it’ll be fine, but I think detachable would be even better.

The drivers are fantastic, and given this is a headset, it certainly makes sense that they’re the stand-out feature here. The clarity they offer with their extended frequency range and the high-res processing really help take things to the next level. Actually, the overall quality is punching way above most of the competition here, with the only similar specification headset I can think of being the Arctis Pro but Corsair has them whipped when it comes to microphone quality on this one.

I like having the processing all built into my USB headsets, but Corsair put a lot of their features into the desktop software. I’d normally moan about that, but iCUE is about one of the only decent software suites out there. Of course, it works with all your Corsair hardware, but with the HS80 you’ll find pre-tuned audio profiles, a competent EQ system, side tine controls, and the RGB customisation. I really like the sidetone too, being able to hear some ambient noise while gaming can be really helpful, hearing my daughter behind me saying “daaaaaaaaaad, can I have a snack” sound so much clearer with it enabled.

For movies and gaming, the Dolby 7.1 surround is seriously on point. I’m a big fan of virtual surround formats and use Dolby Atmos Headphone, DTS Headphone:X and Creative SXFI quite a lot. Corsair’s processing can hold its head up high against any of them. Overall though, the quality of the drivers and processing are just sublime anyway.

Should I Buy One?

Well, I’m REALLY, really torn on this one. This is one of the best sounding headsets you’ll find for near enough £100, the only ones that come really close are the Arctis Pro and the Creative Air Gamer C. However, Corsair has slightly better specifications on their drivers and the best quality microphone of the three. However, for just £20 more on Amazon or just £10 from Corsair, you can get the wireless version of this headset, which to me seems like even better value for money. As it too offers the same 24-bit 96 kHz performance via USB but also a 48 kHz wireless mode, as well as PlayStation support, giving you more freedom. Overall though, I can’t fault this headset, it’s a gorgeous looking headset, sounds amazing, and while the price isn’t cheap, it’s certainly competitive with similarly equipped headsets. But still, I’d get the wireless one!