The Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT headset is the perfect headset for people looking for high-fidelity sound from both the headphones and the attached mic. Additionally, it is one of the most comfortable headsets I have ever used, and it’s designed for durability and long-term use. Add in the cool RGB effects, which can be changed using Corsair’s iCue software, and you have an exceptional wireless experience that can stand on equal footing with other wired headsets and headphones in the same price range.
Specifications
- Price: $269.99
- Weight: 399g (with mic)
- Battery Life: Up to 15 hours
- Wireless range: 60 ft
- Headset:
- Ear Coupling: Over Ear
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 40kHz
- Sensitivity: 109dB (+/-3dB)
- Impedance: 32 Ohms @ 2.5 kHz
- Drivers: 50mm neodymium
- Microphone:
- Type: Omnidirectional
- Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10kHz
- Sensitivity: -42dB (+/-2dB)
- Impedance: 2.2k Ohms
Comfort and Durability
From the moment I opened the box containing the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT headset, I could tell they were designed to be a bit tougher than most headsets. Part of the reason they are on the heavier side of things is that this set incorporates a lot of metal on the earcups and the headband. The incorporation of metal rather than a lot of plastic helped the headset sustain without damage even after multiple drops and one unfortunate cat-related flying fall from my kitchen counter. Not only did these incidents not produce any reduction in sound quality or comfort, they also didn’t cause any issue with the RGB lighting either.
With the heavier weight, I expected the Virtuoso XT might become uncomfortable after prolonged use, but that wasn’t the case at all. Even after wearing them through a full day of work, I had no discomfort at all. Both the earcups and headband have ample padding that prevented pain of any sort, even while wearing glasses. They are also perfectly balanced, so no matter what I was doing with them, I didn’t even really notice them at all after wearing them for a little bit.
Like many other headsets, the earcups rotate to be laid flat on a table or desk. Normally the earcups will only turn in one direction, which is frustrating for me because sooner or later, I always absent-mindedly try to rotate them in the wrong direction. The Virtuoso XT’s are unique in that they turn in both directions. They do not rotate a full 360o (not sure why that would ever be a thing), but they do rotate 180o in each direction. Also, they hold whatever position I put them in really well. I appreciated this aspect because it also enabled the earcups to conform to my head much more naturally.
I only have one real complaint about the comfort, and that is while wearing them, my ears would sometimes get hot. This is an issue I’ve never really experienced with a headset before, so it caught me off guard a bit. I think the reason for this is since the cups are free to turn and accommodate my head shape, I’m actually getting a better fit than with the other headsets I’ve used. For the most part, this wasn’t too much of an issue; it was just something I happened to notice. The one exception is I did notice my ears were uncomfortably hot while I was wearing them and listening to a show while cooking. That’s more of an issue with wearing a headset while cooking than an issue with the headset itself, though.
Sound Quality
I went through three stages of use with this headset. The first one is I used it how it was straight out of the box with no adjustments made. The second stage was I use the equalizer settings on iCue to change things up and see how everything sounded after that. In the final stage, I paired the headset up on Dolby Atmos and used their equalizer to see if it made a difference. In the first two stages, the sound quality was quite good. I could hear everything clearly, and overall, it was decent quality and balance. Adding in Dolby Atomos made a world of difference, though.
Dolby Atmos was easy to set up and use, although slightly counterintuitive because I had to download Dolby Access to use it rather than downloading Dolby Atmos directly. Nonetheless, the software picked up my headset immediately and worked right away. There are four different modes Game, Movie, Music, and Voice, and then there are also three custom setups where I could adjust an equalizer how I wanted it to be. My only real complaint about the software is that you have to hit “apply” or “enable” every time an adjustment was made, which complicates finding the perfect mix for those of us who like to do that ourselves.
The quality of sound was incredible, even when just using the presets. I was impressed with how clearly and beautifully the bass lines would come through, but it wasn’t overpowering or “boomy” at all. It was just clear, tight bass, which is how things should sound. The mids were also very clear and well defined, but the highs are honestly where this headset shined. The higher frequencies positively shimmered, and as a music listening experience, it was as perfect as being at a concert in person. Playing games was also a pure delight, and I had no issues balancing between coms and game sounds.
The detachable mic that came with this headset is quite good and has some excellent features. First, no, it isn’t as good as my stand-alone mic on a stand, but that isn’t a fair comparison anyway. However, the Virtuoso XT’s mic is one of the best headset mics I have used. It is very clear, and even if you don’t mess with input settings at all, everyone will undoubtedly be able to hear you well. It didn’t sound at all tinny, and despite it being an omnidirectional mic, I also didn’t have an issue with background noise intruding. There’s also a button on it to mute it (which turns the mic LED to red) and turn the mic monitoring on and off.
Quality of Life
In addition to the headset and mic, the Virtuoso XT also comes with a USB wireless transmitter, a USB charging cable, a 3.5mm stereo cable with an inline controller, and a storage pouch. The inline controller on the 3.5mm cable worked well and was how I connected the headset to my Switch. As with most headsets that have multiple ways to connect to devices, multiple can be connected simultaneously. For example, I often was connected to my computer through the USB transmitter and to my headset through Bluetooth. I could also hear the signal from both devices clearly and could control volume for each source independently. I could also easily connect to my PS5 with the USB transmitter.
When it comes to Bluetooth, I do miss having controls on the earcup itself. Instead of tapping an earcup to control Bluetooth, the Virtuoso XT has a multifunction button and a + and – button next to it to control everything. For example, to play or pause a track, I could press the MFB once, skip forward press the button twice, and skip backward press it three times. All of this worked well, but it is less intuitive than just tapping different parts of the earcup. I almost feel like there needed to be more buttons, though that probably would have made the system more frustrating to use.
According to the specs, the range on this headset is up to 60 ft, but as far as I can tell, that is just for when it is on Bluetooth because that easily reaches across my apartment and out onto our balconies. However, I start to lose signal using the USB transmitter as soon as I leave the room where my computer is. This was disappointing because some of my other wireless headsets can also make it across my apartment with their USB transmitters.
I also really appreciate that the headband adjustment not only clicks into place but is numbered as well. This is particularly useful because sometimes, the way I pick things up, I am unsure if I moved the cups closer to the band or not. Or after lending them to someone else, I can quickly see how much they adjusted it, so I can then set it back right for me before ever putting it on. It is a small thing, but it does make using these even better.
The battery life is a bit on the shorter side of things, but it lasts through most average game sessions. It just needs to be plugged in to charge every night; otherwise, it’d run out of juice while I was playing the next day. Thankfully, the headset can be used while charging and the USB cable that comes with it is long enough that it didn’t get in the way while playing. One feature I love is the headset will turn itself off after a certain amount of non-use, the exact amount of time can be set in iCue, or I could flip the switch to wired mode, and it’d turn off automatically with no cable attached. Additionally, if it timed out sitting on my desk when I picked it back up and put it on, it would automatically turn on again.
Final Thoughts
The Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT headset is a real treat to use. The sound quality of both the audio and mic are top-notch, even if you don’t use Dolby Atmos with them. Though I highly recommend you do. Plus, the excellent build and durability of this headset make it well worth the price point. The main drawbacks are a battery life of 10 – 15 hours and a relatively short USB Transmitter range. Even considering those two things, I will be quite happily using these for a long time.
