Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS  Headphones Review

Reviewed Sep 23, 2021 at 11:11am
Writing modified Sep 28, 2023 at 03:16pm
Tested using Methodology v1.5 
Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS

Track

0.0
Neutral Sound 
0.0
Commute/Travel 
0.0
Sports/Fitness 
0.0
Office 
0.0
Wireless Gaming 
0.0
Wired Gaming 
0.0
Phone Calls 

Track

 0

The Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS are wireless gaming headphones compatible with PCs and PlayStation consoles. They're very well-built, with a comfortable elastic headband and cloth-covered ear cup padding. The flip-up boom mic has an impressive recording quality and does a good job separating your voice from background noise. Their latency via wireless or wired USB connection is low enough for gaming as well. Unfortunately, they don't isolate you from very much noise, and their roughly 13 hours of continuous battery life is quite a bit less than the advertised 20 hours.

Our Verdict

0.0
Neutral Sound 

The Corsair HS80 are satisfactory for neutral sound. They have a warm default sound profile, with overemphasis in the high-bass range that adds some extra warmth and boom. However, they lack thump and rumble, while vocals and lead instruments are missing detail and clarity. Fortunately, you can customize it with a graphic EQ and presets in the companion app. They're also prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery, so you may want to spend some time adjusting their fit and positioning on your head to experience the same sound each time.

Pros
  • Graphic EQ and presets available.
Cons
  • Default sound profile lacks low bass.
0.0
Commute/Travel 

The Corsair HS80 are poor for commute and travel. They have a comfortable fit but don't support Bluetooth, so you need to connect them to a laptop if you want to use them when you're on the go. Also, they don't isolate you from the low rumble of bus and plane engines. Like most over-ear headphones, their bulky size makes them not very portable, and they don't fold into a more compact shape or come with a bag or pouch. Their onboard controls are also gaming-oriented and don't include a way to skip tracks or play/pause audio if you're listening to music on the bus.

Pros
  • Well-built and comfortable.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
  • No case or pouch included.
0.0
Sports/Fitness 

The Corsair HS80 are sub-par for sports and fitness. While they're very well-built and have a comfortable fit, they aren't intended for sports use and aren't stable enough to stay in place during workouts. They trap some heat against your ears, so they may also make you sweat more if you use them for exercise. They also lack an IP rating for dust and water resistance, which is typical for gaming headphones.

Pros
  • Well-built and comfortable.
Cons
  • Not very stable.
  • No call or music controls.
0.0
Office 

The Corsair HS80 are alright for office use. Their cloth-covered earcups and ski-band headband should be comfortable for most people. The flip-up boom mic makes your voice sound clear and natural, even in moderately noisy environments. Their battery life of roughly 13 hours should easily last through a 9-5 workday as well. Unfortunately, they don't block out very much ambient noise and leak quite a bit, so if you're listening to music at high volumes at the office, it may bother people nearby.

Pros
  • Mic has a great recording quality and good noise handling.
  • Well-built and comfortable.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
  • No call or music controls.
0.0
Wireless Gaming 

The Corsair HS80 are decent for wireless gaming. They have a comfortable fit, with well-padded ear cups and an adjustable ski-band headband. Their wireless USB dongle provides a fairly low latency wireless connection with PCs and PlayStation consoles. The boom mic does a great job of making your voice sound clear and full, even in moderately noisy settings. It's not detachable, but it's easy to mute and unmute by flipping up or down. They have a warm default sound profile, and if you prefer a different sound, you can customize it with a graphic EQ and presets in the app. The app also has settings for mic volume and side tone.

Pros
  • Mic has a great recording quality and good noise handling.
  • Low wireless latency.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
  • Default sound profile lacks low bass.
0.0
Wired Gaming 

The Corsair HS80 are decent for wired gaming. When you use their USB-C cable to USB-A cable to connect them to your PC, their latency is low enough to be suitable for gaming. However, you can't connect to Xbox or PlayStation consoles this way. They're also very well-built, comfortable enough for long gaming sessions, and have a very good overall mic performance.

Pros
  • Mic has a great recording quality and good noise handling.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
0.0
Phone Calls 

The Corsair HS80 are adequate for phone calls. Their boom mic makes your voice sound clear and full-bodied, even in moderately noisy environments. It's also easy to mute and unmute by flipping up and down. Unfortunately, they don't have onboard controls for answering or ending a call. They also don't isolate you from very much noise, meaning that if you use them to talk on the phone in a noisy setting, it may be hard for you to hear the call.

Pros
  • Mic has a great recording quality and good noise handling.
  • Well-built and comfortable.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
  • No call or music controls.
  • 0.0
    Neutral Sound
  • 0.0
    Commute/Travel
  • 0.0
    Sports/Fitness
  • 0.0
    Office
  • 0.0
    Wireless Gaming
  • 0.0
    Wired Gaming
  • 0.0
    Phone Calls
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Sep 28, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS in Bluetooth.
    2.  Updated Sep 26, 2023: We've remeasured the 'Length', 'Width', and 'Height' in Portability with the ear cups laying flat on the table, and the scoring has changed.
    3.  Updated Sep 23, 2021: Review published.
    4.  Updated Sep 16, 2021: Early access published.

    Check Price

    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    There's only one variant of the Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS, which has an all-black 'Carbon' color scheme. You can see the label for the unit we tested here.

    If you come across another variant, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

    Popular Headphones Comparisons

    The Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS are gaming headphones for PC and PlayStation. Their boom mic's recording quality is much better than the Corsair HS70 Wireless' and rivals more expensive headsets from this manufacturer, like the Corsair VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless XT. Unlike most other Corsair headsets that we've tested, though, the mic isn't detachable. Another difference is their adjustable ski-band headband, which gives them a similar design to headsets like the SteelSeries Arctis 9X Wireless or the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless.

    If you're looking for other options, check out the best wireless gaming headsets, the best headsets for PS5, and the best gaming headsets.

    Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS

    Track

    The Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS are a step up from the Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS. While both headphones look and perform very similarly, there are a couple of key differences. The MAX support Bluetooth, which is nice if you want to game on your Nintendo Switch or smartphone. They also have a longer continuous battery life. However, only the RGB model supports audio and mic over USB.

    Logitech G733 LIGHTSPEED Wireless

    Track

    The Logitech G733 LIGHTSPEED Wireless are better gaming headphones than the Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS. The Logitech have longer continuous battery life, and lower latency, ensuring your audio and visuals stay in sync while gaming. Their default sound profile is more neutral, which some may prefer, and their companion software offers more features, including surround sound support and button mapping. That said, the Corsair have a significantly better build quality, and a much better overall mic performance. You can use them wired with PCs too.

    Corsair VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless XT

    Track

    The Corsair VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless XT and the Corsair HS80 RGB WIRELESS have different strengths, and you may prefer either. The VIRTUOSO's boom mic is detachable and has a somewhat better overall performance. They also offer a longer continuous battery life, Bluetooth compatibility, and work with Xbox via analog connection, unlike the HS80. However, the HS80 are less prone to inconsistent bass and treble delivery and have a much more comfortable design.

    Corsair HS70 Wireless

    Track

    The Corsair HS70 Wireless and the Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless are gaming headsets with different strengths, and you may prefer either. The HS80 RGB's boom mic has a significantly better recording quality. They have customizable RGB lighting on their ear cups and a stretchy headband design, which some may prefer. They're also a bit more versatile, since you can use them wired with PCs. On the other hand, some users may prefer the HS70's more neutral default sound profile. They also have detachable boom mic and longer continuous battery life.

    Show more 
    How We Test Headphones: Over 800 And Counting!
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    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    TypeLockedOver-ear
    EnclosureLockedClosed-Back
    WirelessLockedYes
    TransducerLockedDynamic

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    0.0
    Comfort
    WeightLockedLock lbs
    Clamping Force
    LockedLock lbs

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    0.0
    Controls
    OS Compatibility
    LockedLocked
    Ease Of UseLockedLocked
    FeedbackLockedLocked
    Call/Music ControlLockedLocked
    Volume ControlLockedLocked
    Microphone ControlLockedLocked
    Channel Mixing
    LockedLocked
    Noise Cancelling ControlLockedLocked
    Talk-Through
    LockedLocked
    Additional ControlsLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Breathability
    Avg.Temp.DifferenceLockedLock °C

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    0.0
    Portability
    LLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    WLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    HLockedLock" (Lock cm)
    VolumeLockedLock in³ (Lock cm³)
    Transmitter RequiredLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Case
    TypeLockedLocked
    LLockedN/A
    WLockedN/A
    HLockedN/A
    VolumeLockedN/A
    0.0
    Build Quality

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    0.0
    Stability

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    Headshots 1
    Headshots 2
    Top
    In The Box

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    Sound
    Sound Profile
    Bass Amount
    LockedLock dB
    Treble Amount
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Frequency Response Consistency
    Avg. Std. Deviation
    LockedLock dB

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    Raw Frequency Response
    0.0
    Bass Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    LockedLock Hz
    Low-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    High-Bass
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Mid Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    High-Mid
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Treble Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    High-Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Peaks/Dips
    Peaks
    LockedLock dB
    Dips
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Imaging
    Weighted Group Delay
    LockedLock
    Weighted Phase Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Frequency Mismatch
    LockedLock

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    0.0
    Passive Soundstage
    PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
    LockedLock dB
    PRTF Size (Avg.)
    LockedLock dB
    PRTF Distance
    LockedLock dB
    Openness
    Locked
    0.0
    Acoustic Space Excitation
    Locked
    0.0

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    0.0
    Virtual Soundstage
    Head Modeling
    LockedLocked
    Speaker Modeling
    LockedLocked
    Room Ambience
    LockedLocked
    Head Tracking
    LockedLocked
    Virtual Surround
    LockedLocked

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    0.0
    Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    WHD @ 90
    LockedLock
    WHD @ 100
    LockedLock

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    Test Settings
    Firmware
    LockedLocked
    Power
    LockedLocked
    Connection
    LockedLocked
    Codec
    LockedLocked
    EQ
    LockedLocked
    ANC
    LockedLocked
    Tip/Pad
    LockedLocked
    Microphone
    LockedLocked

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    Isolation
    0.0
    Noise Isolation
    Isolation Audio
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    Overall Attenuation
    LockedLock dB
    Noise CancellingLockedNo
    Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Leakage
    Leakage Audio
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    Overall Leakage @ 1ft
    LockedLock dB

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    Microphone
    Microphone Style
    Integrated
    LockedLocked
    In-Line
    LockedLocked
    Boom
    LockedLocked
    Detachable Boom
    LockedLocked
    MicLockedYes
    0.0
    Recording Quality
    Recorded Speech
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    LFE
    LockedLock Hz
    FR Std. Dev.
    LockedLock dB
    HFE
    LockedLock Hz
    Weighted THD
    LockedLock
    Gain
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Noise Handling
    SpNR
    LockedLock dB
    Noise Gate
    LockedLocked
    Speech + Pink Noise Handling
    Locked
    0.0
    Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
    JOIN NOWto hear audio samples
    Speech + Subway Noise Handling
    Locked
    0.0
    Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
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    Active Features
    0.0
    Battery
    Battery Type
    LockedLocked
    Continuous Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Additional Charges
    LockedLock
    Total Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Charge Time
    LockedLock hrs
    Power-Saving Feature
    LockedLocked
    Audio While Charging
    LockedLocked
    Passive Playback
    LockedLocked
    Charging PortLockedLocked

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    0.0
    App Support
    App NameLockedLocked
    iOSLockedLocked
    AndroidLockedLocked
    macOSLockedLocked
    WindowsLockedLocked
    Equalizer
    LockedLocked
    ANC Control
    LockedLocked
    Mic ControlLockedLocked
    Room Effects
    LockedLocked
    Playback Control
    LockedLocked
    Button MappingLockedLocked
    Surround Support
    LockedLocked

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    Connectivity
    0.0
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth Version
    LockedLocked
    Multi-Device Pairing
    LockedLocked
    NFC Pairing
    LockedLocked
    Line Of Sight Range
    LockedN/A
    PC Latency (SBC)
    LockedN/A
    PC Latency (aptX)
    LockedN/A
    PC Latency (aptX HD)
    LockedN/A
    PC Latency (aptX-LL)
    LockedN/A
    iOS Latency
    LockedN/A
    Android Latency
    LockedN/A

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    0.0
    Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
    LockedLock ft (Lock m)
    Non-BT Latency
    LockedLock ms

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    0.0
    Wired
    Analog Audio
    LockedLocked
    USB Audio
    LockedLocked
    DetachableLockedLocked
    LengthLockedLock ft (Lock m)
    Connection
    LockedLocked
    Analog/USB Audio Latency
    LockedLock ms

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    PC Compatibility
    Analog
    LockedLocked
    Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked

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    PlayStation Compatibility
    PS4 Analog
    LockedLocked
    PS4 Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    PS4 Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    PS5 Analog
    LockedLocked
    PS5 Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    PS5 Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked

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    Xbox Compatibility
    Xbox One Analog
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Series X|S Analog
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    0.0
    Base/Dock
    Type
    LockedLocked
    USB Input
    LockedLocked
    Line In
    LockedLocked
    Line Out
    LockedLocked
    Optical Input
    LockedLocked
    RCA Input
    LockedLocked
    Dock Charging
    LockedLocked
    Power Supply
    LockedLocked

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