Once you get a reliable pair of wireless headphones, you’ll never go back. There are a lot of people that stick to wired mice and keyboards, so they don’t have to worry about charging and latency, but a pair of quality gaming headphones like the Corsair HS80 is a luxury that will transform your gaming experience overnight. The HS80 offers all of the convenience and comfort that only a wireless headset can provide without sacrificing audio quality. With Dolby Atmos, 20 hours of battery life, and a 60-foot range, these are some of the best sounding and easiest to use wireless gaming headphones I’ve ever tested.
The HS80 is the latest iteration in Corsair’s mid-range gaming headphones and an upgrade over the HS70 in practically every possible way. It has a longer battery life, range, Dolby Atmos, and perhaps most importantly, a hinge-style microphone rather than a detachable one. I’ve always disliked detachable microphones on headsets because they’re easy to misplace, hard to mute, and almost always lower quality than a built-in mic. I love the HS80’s microphone because it folds up inconspicuously and automatically mutes when not in use. The headphones make a tone when the mic comes down so you know you're unmuted, and the light on the end of the mic switches from red to white. In the heat of a game, I need to be able to mute myself without thinking about it or fiddling with buttons, and the HS80’s mic makes it very easy. The sound quality is quite clear, but it is omni-directional so expect to pick up some background noise if you aren’t using a digital filter.
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Corsair products have always had a simple, clean look that I appreciate, and the HS80 is no exception. The slim ear cups are matte black with backlit, customizable logos on either side. I like RGB, but I don’t particularly care if my headphones light up. Luckily, you can turn the lights off in the iCUE engine and it will actually improve your battery life. The HS80 uses a fairly unique floating headband design that I’ve only ever seen on SteelSeries headsets. Below the metal headband is a padded elastic strap that automatically positions the headset on your head without the need for adjustment. In other models, I’ve often felt like the band was so tight that it lifted the headset too high, but here on the HS80, the position feels perfectly natural. It’s a nice feature, particularly if you're sharing the headphones or frequently tossing them in a backpack, because you can just slide them on and expect to have a perfect fit.
These headphones start out a little tight, but it didn’t take long to wear them in. The fit is nice and snug and the cups provide some nice noise isolation. They’re lightweight and comfortable for all-day use and you should have no problem keeping a charge for a couple of days.
The wireless adapter is a two-inch USB dongle with another backlit Corsair logo, which makes it easy to remember what it's for if you have multiple adapters. I’m always afraid of sticking these long USB sticks into my PC or PlayStation because I'm nervous they’re going to get broken off, but it seems like it's necessary for the sake of range. I always prefer a dock for wireless connecting and charging, like the Astro A50, but this adapter is reliable and easy to travel with. I actually get better range with the HS80 than I do with my A50s, which cost more than three times as much.
I can’t overstate how much Dolby Atmos has improved my headphone experience. You can buy a license to use the software with other headsets (which you absolutely should) but the HS80 headset includes Dolby Atmos, and presumably, better integration and support than just any old pair of headphones. The customization options are easy and there’s plenty of presets if you don’t like to mess with the EQ too much. Mine defaulted to the gaming mode, but I actually found they provided much better sound with just a little bit of tweaking. At the very least, cycle through the presets and see if you can find something you like better than the default.
The $149.99 price tag was shocking to me because I’ve tested way more expensive headsets that didn’t have nearly the same audio quality and durability as the HS80. My issues with it are fairly nitpicky. I wish they went to sleep rather than turning off when they go idle, I wish there was a game-voice balance built into the cups, and I’d prefer they came with a dock because I have enough stuff to keep plugged in already. None of those concerns have significantly impacted my experience though. Unless you’re prepared to pay 2-3 times the price for something like the Audeze Mobius, Astro A50, or Corsair’s premium Virtuoso series, I don’t think you’re going to find a better value for wireless headphones. The feel is great, they look slick, and they’re definitely built to last. Most importantly, they sound incredible, thanks to Dolby Atmos. If someone asked me to recommend a wireless headset under $200, it’s going to be the Corsair HS80 every time.
A Corsair HS80 headset was provided to TheGamer for this review. Learn more about the HS80 on Corsair’s website.
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