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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Corsair HS70 Bluetooth Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Jan 20, 2021 at 08:36 am
Latest change: Writing modified Mar 16, 2023 at 03:05 pm
Corsair HS70 Bluetooth Picture
7.0
Neutral Sound
6.3
Commute/Travel
7.0
Sports/Fitness
6.6
Office
6.0
Wireless Gaming
6.8
Wired Gaming
7.3
Phone Calls

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are wired gaming headphones that support Bluetooth. Thanks to their design, you can receive separate audio from your wireless device and console at the same time. They're comfortable, have a long-lasting continuous battery life, and are compatible with Corsair's iCUE software if you like to customize their excited sound profile. The headphones don't isolate noise around you, which can be frustrating if you're gaming in a shared space. Still, they offer a good wired gaming experience that's versatile enough for casual use.

Our Verdict

7.0 Neutral Sound

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are fair for neutral sound. They have a very excited v-shaped sound profile that delivers extra boom and brightness. However, some users may find they sound muddy and piercing. They also have inconsistent bass and treble delivery. If you prefer a different sound profile, their companion software offers a graphic EQ and presets to help tweak their sound.

Pros
  • Comfortable fit.
  • iCUE companion software with graphic EQ and presets.
Cons
  • Inconsistent bass and treble delivery.
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
6.3 Commute/Travel

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are acceptable for commute and travel. They're comfortable, support Bluetooth so you can listen to audio from a smartphone, and have over 24 hours of continuous battery life. However, they're also bulky, which can make them hard to take with you on-the-go, and they really struggle to block out bass-range noise like bus or plane engines.

Pros
  • Comfortable fit.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
7.0 Sports/Fitness

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are okay for sports and fitness. While they have a comfortable fit and can be used wirelessly thanks to their Bluetooth support, they're bulky and aren't really designed for this purpose. They can move around your head during moderate physical exercise and they also don't have an IP rating for dust or water resistance, although we don't currently test for this.

Pros
  • Comfortable fit.
Cons
  • No IP rating.
6.6 Office

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are adequate for office use. They're comfortable enough to use throughout your shift and their 24-hour battery life can last for a few days before they need to be recharged again. However, they really struggle to block out noise like ambient chatter. They also leak audio, so if you're listening to music at a high volume, those around you can hear it.

Pros
  • Comfortable fit.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
6.0 Wireless Gaming

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth aren't compatible with Xbox One or PS4. While they can be used with Bluetooth-enabled PCs, their latency is likely too high to be suitable for gaming.

6.8 Wired Gaming

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are good for wired gaming. These comfortable headphones have full audio and microphone support via their 1/8" TRRS cable and wired USB connections. They also support Bluetooth so that you can teamchat via your smartphone while also receiving audio from consoles. They're compatible with iCUE software so you can customize their sound and their microphone offers a great overall performance.

Pros
  • Comfortable fit.
  • iCUE companion software with graphic EQ and presets.
Cons
  • No channel mixing controls.
7.3 Phone Calls

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are alright for phone calls. Their removable boom microphone does a great job of recording your voice, so you sound clear and intelligible. The mic also does an excellent job of separating your voice from loud environments. If you're taking calls, these headphones are best suited for quiet environments as they struggle to isolate noise around you.

Pros
  • Comfortable fit.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
  • 7.0 Neutral Sound
  • 6.3 Commute/Travel
  • 7.0 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.6 Office
  • 6.0 Wireless Gaming
  • 6.8 Wired Gaming
  • 7.3 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Mar 16, 2023: Test Bench 1.5 changed the scoring of Recording Quality from '7.0' to '8.2' and we have updated our review to reflect this change.
  2. Updated Nov 24, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  3. Updated Jun 11, 2021: Changed USB Audio and Connection results for clarity.
  4. Updated Jan 20, 2021: Review published.
  5. Updated Jan 15, 2021: Early access published.
  6. Updated Dec 24, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
  7. Updated Dec 21, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  8. Updated Nov 28, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are wired gaming headphones that support Bluetooth. They only come in the 'Black' color variant, and you can see their label here. If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are wired headphones that support Bluetooth, making them a bit more versatile than the Corsair HS70 Wireless. They're comfortable, well-built, compatible with iCUE software, and come with both a 1/8" TRRS and wired USB cable. However, they lack channel mixing controls, which some gamers may find disappointing. Check out our recommendations for the best gaming headsets, the best PS4 gaming headsets, and the best Xbox One gaming headsets.

Corsair HS70 Wireless

The Corsair HS70 Wireless and the Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have different strengths and depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. The Wireless are better for wireless gaming as they use a wireless USB dongle that has low latency. While their battery life doesn't last as long as the Bluetooth, they have an auto-off timer. However, the Bluetooth are better for wired gaming as they can be used with either their 1/8" TRRS or wired USB dongle cable. Their mic offers a better overall performance, and they support Bluetooth, which makes them a little more versatile.

HyperX Cloud Alpha

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth and the HyperX Cloud Alpha are similarly-performing gaming headphones, so depending on your preferences, you may prefer one over the other. The Corsair have a customizable sound profile thanks to a graphic EQ and presets in their companion software. They also support Bluetooth so that you can use them more casually, and their boom mic offers a better overall performance. However, the HyperX are more comfortable and have a better-balanced sound profile right out of the box.

Corsair HS60

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are more versatile than the Corsair HS60. While both headphones are comfortable and well-built, the HS70 Bluetooth have better controls, support Bluetooth, and offer 24 hours of continuous battery life. They also have a slightly better performing boom mic.

Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019

The Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019 are better for wired gaming, but the Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are more versatile. While both gaming headphones have similarly great overall boom mic performances, the Astro are more comfortable and have a mixamp that allows you to adjust their sound on-the-fly. They also have a more neutral sound profile out-of-the-box. However, the Corsair support Bluetooth and have around 24 hours of playback time.

SteelSeries Arctis 3 2019 Edition Wireless

The SteelSeries Arctis 3 2019 Edition Wireless are slightly better headphones than the Corsair HS70 Bluetooth. The SteelSeries have a more neutral sound profile right out-of-the-box, and their mic's recording quality is better too. They also offer a longer continuous battery life. However, the Corsair are better-built and are compatible with iCUE companion software which offers a graphic EQ plus presets.

Beats Solo Pro Wireless

The Beats Solo Pro Wireless and the Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have different strengths and depending on your needs, you may prefer one over the other. The Beats are better for mixed use, as they have a more neutral sound profile suitable for a variety of audio content. They also have a great active noise cancelling feature that can help block out ambient sound during your commute or workday. However, the Corsair are designed for gaming, even though their wireless design ensures that they can be used more casually too. They have a better-performing boom mic and a companion app so you can tweak their sound to your liking.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth look very similar to the Corsair HS70 Wireless but have an overall more muted and sleek look due to their all-black design. Thanks to this detailing and detachable boom microphone, they can easily transition into casual use.

7.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.8 lbs
Clamping Force
1.1 lbs

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have a comfortable fit. They don't clamp too tightly on your head and the ear cups, as well as the headband, are well-padded. They should be comfortable for long gaming sessions without becoming too fatiguing. However, the swiveling hinges don't have a wide range of motion.

7.0
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Decent
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
No
Additional Controls Bluetooth + Multi function

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have decent controls. On the left ear cup is a volume control wheel that stops at min/max volume. There's also a mic mute button that feels clicky and has a chime to let you know when it's on or off. However, there's no way to know if the mic is muted or not if you're already wearing the headset, although when you connect to a PC via USB for the first time, a voice prompt tells you its status. The right ear cup has a power button that also acts as a multi-function button. When connected to Bluetooth, a single press answers and ends calls as well as plays and pauses audio. A double-press skips the track forward and a triple-press returns to the previous track. However, you can accidentally play or pause when trying to register a double-press.

5.4
Design
Portability
L 8.2" (20.8 cm)
W 6.2" (15.7 cm)
H 3.9" (9.9 cm)
Volume 198.30 in³ (3,249.54 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth aren't very portable. They're bulky and the ear cups can't swivel to lay flat to make them more compact. Luckily, you can remove their boom microphone when you're on-the-go. They also support Bluetooth, so you can connect your smartphone to them without a cable.

0
Design
Case
Type No case
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A

These headphones don't come with a case or pouch.

8.0
Design
Build Quality

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have a great build quality. Just like the Corsair HS70 Wireless and Corsair HS75 XB WIRELESS, they're made of plastic with metal hinges and faux leather padding. Overall, they feel sturdy, although the cloth lining inside the ear cups may be vulnerable to rips or tears over time.

7.0
Design
Stability

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth are decently stable. Their fit is tight enough to stay on your head while gaming, but they can fall off during moderate physical activity. Thanks to their Bluetooth support, you can use them wirelessly to eliminate the risk of an audio cable snagging on something while you move.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Corsair HS70 Bluetooth headphones
  • Detachable boom microphone
  • Small cover for mic hole
  • USB-A to USB-C cable
  • 1/8" TRRS cable
  • USB-C charging cable
  • Manuals

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
1.8 dB
Treble Amount
-0.47 dB

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have an excited, v-shaped sound profile. They deliver punch and boom that can help bring out sound effects in action-packed video games. Their bright treble can also make vocals and lead instruments sparkle. That said, some users may find that they sound muddy and piercing. Luckily, their companion software has a graphic EQ and presets so that you can tweak their sound to your liking.

6.2
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.85 dB

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have a mediocre frequency response consistency. Both bass and treble delivery vary depending on their fit, seal, and positioning. You may particularly experience a drop in bass if you have thick hair or wear glasses.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
6.0
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
6.7 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
19.43 Hz
Low-Bass
2.48 dB
Mid-Bass
8.3 dB
High-Bass
8.56 dB

These headphones have disappointing bass accuracy. The range is overemphasized, resulting in extra thump, punch, and boom. That said, some users may find that the high-bass sounds muddy.

8.3
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.3 dB
Low-Mid
2.41 dB
Mid-Mid
0.16 dB
High-Mid
-0.65 dB

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have great mid-range accuracy. Although the left and right drivers are slightly mismatched, the low-mids are overemphasized, which sounds muddy or cluttered. However, the mid-mid and high-mid are fairly flat and balanced, which results in clear as well as present vocals and lead instruments.

6.7
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.85 dB
Low-Treble
2 dB
Mid-Treble
7.09 dB
High-Treble
-3.66 dB

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have passable treble accuracy. It's overemphasized across the range, so the upper harmonics of vocals and lead instruments sound bright and a bit harsh. Sibilants like S and T sounds are found in the mid-treble range and they have a piercing quality to them.

6.7
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.36 dB
Dips
1.37 dB

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have alright peaks and dips performance. There's a peak in the high-bass, so mixes can sound muddy and boomy. The mismatch between drivers in the mid-range thins out vocals and instruments in the right driver while nudging these same instruments to the back of the mix in the left driver. There's also a dip in the high-mids, which weakens vocals and lead instruments. The uneven low-treble gives the upper harmonics of these instruments both a bright and veiled sound. Finally, the steep peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing.

8.0
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.32
Weighted Phase Mismatch
6.15
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
1.06
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
2.53

The imaging is great. The weighted group delay falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble. The left and right drivers are also well-matched in amplitude and phase response, resulting in a stable stereo image. While there's a small amount of frequency mismatch, it's fairly minor, and the localization of objects like voices or footsteps should be accurately placed within the stereo image. That said, these results are only valid for our unit, and your experience may vary.

6.6
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
3.04 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
6.56 dB
PRTF Distance
13.69 dB
Openness
5.7
Acoustic Space Excitation
5.1

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth's passive soundstage is alright. It's perceived as wide and coming from out in front of you, rather than inside your head. However, it also seems slightly unnatural, and due to their closed-back design won't sound as spacious as open-back headphones.

2.0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
On/Off
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
Windows Sonic Spatial Audio

These headphones support Windows Sonic Spatial Audio. However, we don't currently test the performance of this feature.

7.1
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.465
WHD @ 100
0.240

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth's weighted harmonic distortion performance is decent. There's a small peak in the treble range at regular volumes. However, it can be hard to hear this with real-life content. That said, the range falls within good levels at max volume, which results in clean and pure audio reproduction.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
USB
Connection
Wired
Codec
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
EQ
Pure Direct
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Default
Microphone
Boom

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid with these test settings.

Note: As these headphones support a wired connection and can be used via Bluetooth, all sound-related tests were conducted using their wired USB cable. However, all other tests were done using their Bluetooth capabilities.

Isolation
3.6
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-11.68 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-1.08 dB
Mid
-4.12 dB
Treble
-29.77 dB

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth's noise isolation performance is poor. They don't block out almost any bass-range noise like bus or plane engines. They also struggle to cut down mid-range sounds like ambient chatter. However, they can reduce a lot of higher-pitched noise like the hum of an AC unit.

5.6
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
46.98 dB

The leakage performance is disappointing. They leak a lot of audio, so if you're listening to your music at high volumes, people around you can hear it.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
In-Line
No
Boom
Yes
Detachable Boom
Yes
Mic Yes

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have a detachable and flexible boom mic. Keep in mind that all of our microphone tests were conducted via wired USB.

8.2
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
93.77 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
1.95 dB
HFE
6,358.31 Hz
Weighted THD
0.601
Gain
34.4 dB

The recording quality of the boom microphone is great. Your voice sounds full-bodied and clear to teammates and enemies alike.

8.5
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
37.29 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
8.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
8.5
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The boom microphone does an excellent job of noise handling. It can separate your voice from ambient noise, even in loud environments.

Active Features
7.9
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
24 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
Total Battery Life
24 hrs
Charge Time
3.1 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
Yes
Charging Port USB-C

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have a very good battery performance. They're advertised to have around 30 hours of continuous playback time but we measured around 24 hours. However, battery life can vary according to usage, so your experience may differ. That said, you shouldn't have a problem while gaming, as they use a wired connection to connect to consoles. You can also receive audio while charging.

7.5
Active Features
App Support
App Name Corsair iCUE
iOS No
Android No
macOS Yes
Windows Yes
Equalizer
Graphic + Presets
ANC Control
No
Mic Control Adjustable Level
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
Yes

The Corsair iCUE software is good. To connect to this software, you need to be connected via wired USB. It has a 10-band graphic EQ and presets so that you can customize their sound profile. This software also offers a mic volume slider and a sidetone slider. When your headphones are connected to this software, it notifies you that it's compatible with Windows Spatial Sound, which is its virtual surround feature.

Connectivity
7.1
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
264.00 ft (80.47 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
231 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
82 ms
Android Latency
120 ms

The Corsair HS70 Bluetooth have decent Bluetooth connectivity. While you can't pair them with more than one device at a time and they don't support NFC pairing, they have low latency on Android and iOS, which is handy if you like to chat with teammates while you game. However, their latency on PC is much higher, so they may not be suitable for gaming or streaming videos. That said, apps and devices compensate differently for latency, so your experience may vary in the real world.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A

These headphones don't support non-Bluetooth wireless.

6.3
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
USB Type A
Detachable Yes
Length 6.30 ft (1.92 m)
Connection
1/8" TRRRS
Analog/USB Audio Latency
195 ms

Update 06/11/2021: We have changed USB Audio to 'USB Type A' to reflect the source port instead of the headphones' port. When using their USB cable, the USB-A connector can be connected to any device with a USB-A port. We have also changed Connection to '1/8" TRRRS' to prioritize the analog connection. Note that the last pole is to help the microphone's crosstalk performance. The scoring of this box hasn't changed.

These headphones come with two audio cables. There's a 1/8" TRRRS cable as well as a USB-A to USB-C cable, which both have full audio and mic compatibility.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio + Microphone
Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Wired USB
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio + Microphone
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio + Microphone
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No

These headphones are fully compatible with the Xbox One when using their 1/8" TRRS cable. You can receive audio as well as use their mic.

0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
No Base/Dock
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock

These headphones don't come with a base or dock.