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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.8 update for Headphones! Read the R&D Article to learn more about our new direction. As we ramp up and retest products, expect delays in testing new and updating preexisting reviews. Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience!

Corsair VOID ELITE Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Aug 14, 2020 at 08:56 am
Latest change: Retest Feb 17, 2022 at 10:55 am
Corsair VOID ELITE Picture
7.2
Neutral Sound
4.3
Commute/Travel
5.1
Sports/Fitness
5.6
Office
5.5
Wireless Gaming
7.5
Wired Gaming
6.6
Phone Calls

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are a decent pair of wired gaming headphones. While they can only be used with a USB-A audio cable, which makes them incompatible with Xbox One consoles, they're a solid pick for PC and PS4 gamers who want a distinctive design, solid build quality, and a companion app with a relatively broad range of configuration options. Unfortunately, their bulky construction, poor noise isolation, and sub-par audio leakage performance make them best suited for use in a dedicated gaming room.

Our Verdict

7.2 Neutral Sound

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are satisfactory for neutral sound. Out-of-the-box, their sound profile is a little boomy, but mids and treble are quite well reproduced. Unfortunately, they provide a somewhat inconsistent bass response every time you wear them. You can further customize your listening experience through a graphic EQ in the headphones’ dedicated Corsair iCUE companion app.

Pros
  • Solid build quality.
  • Decently feature-rich companion app with graphic EQ.
Cons
  • Boomy default sound profile.
4.3 Commute/Travel

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are bad for commuters and travelers. They rely on USB audio, so they can't connect to your phone without a specialized adapter, they do almost nothing to block out the noise of bus and plane engines, and they aren’t especially portable. However, since they use a wired connection, you won't have to worry about running out of battery on the way home.

Pros
  • Solid build quality.
Cons
  • Lack of call/music controls.
  • No analog audio support.
  • Poor noise isolation and audio leakage performance.
  • Bulky design.
5.1 Sports/Fitness

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are inadequate for sports and fitness. They can't connect to your phone due to their reliance on a USB-A connection for audio, and their non-detachable audio cable represents a serious snagging hazard. They’re also quite bulky and don’t clamp the head very tightly, meaning that they’ll slip off your ears during even very light exercise. Furthermore, they lack any sort of track skipping controls to let you make an adjustment to your music while you’re out on a run.

Pros
  • Solid build quality.
Cons
  • Lack of call/music controls.
  • No analog audio support.
  • Bulky design.
5.6 Office

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are a poor choice for office work. While they’re decently comfortable, they barely isolate you from background chatter from nearby coworkers and leak quite a bit of audio, which may disturb them if you listen to your music at even moderate volume levels. Also, they use a non-detachable USB-A audio cable, which seriously limits their ability to connect to different devices.

Pros
  • Solid build quality.
Cons
  • Lack of call/music controls.
  • No analog audio support.
  • Poor noise isolation and audio leakage performance.
5.5 Wireless Gaming

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are wired-only gaming headphones and aren’t compatible with wireless connections.

7.5 Wired Gaming

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are a decent pick for wired gaming, so long as you game on PC or PS4 due to their USB-only connection. They feature low-latency wired audio, feel reasonably comfortable, and deliver a fairly immersive listening experience. Compatibility with the Corsair iCUE companion app grants you access to a graphic EQ as well as microphone sidetone adjustment, which is helpful for when you want to make sure your teammates can hear you clearly.

Pros
  • Solid build quality.
  • Decently feature-rich companion app with graphic EQ.
  • Low-latency USB audio.
Cons
  • Boom microphone does have some distortion.
6.6 Phone Calls

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are middling for phone calls. Their boom microphone should do a decent job of making your voice sound full-bodied and natural, but there’s a fair bit of distortion present. On the upside, it's able to capture your voice clearly, even in moderately noisy environments. While they can't be used to make calls through your phone due to their USB-A audio connection, they're compatible with PCs and can be used with digital calling services like Skype.

Pros
  • Solid build quality.
Cons
  • Lack of call/music controls.
  • Boom microphone does have some distortion.
  • 7.2 Neutral Sound
  • 4.3 Commute/Travel
  • 5.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 5.6 Office
  • 5.5 Wireless Gaming
  • 7.5 Wired Gaming
  • 6.6 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Feb 17, 2022: Retested 'App Support'. Updated the result for 'macOS' from 'No' to 'Yes'.
  2. Updated Nov 11, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  3. Updated Aug 14, 2020: Review published.
  4. Updated Aug 07, 2020: Early access published.
  5. Updated Jul 29, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Jul 24, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Jul 16, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

There are three variants of the Corsair VOID Elite, which differ in terms of audio connector and inclusion of RGB lighting. We tested the Corsair VOID RGB Elite, which utilizes a USB-A connector for audio and features RGB lighting on the side plates.

Model Audio Connector RGB Lighting
VOID RGB Elite  USB-A  Yes
VOID RGB Elite Wireless 2.4 GHz Wireless  Yes
VOID Elite 3.5mm TRRS No

If someone does come across a Corsair VOID Elite model that's differently equipped, please let us know in the discussion section so we can update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are a decent pair of wired gaming headphones. They look distinctive, feel quite solid, and a decently feature-packed companion app. Unfortunately, their poor noise isolation capabilities, bulky design, and reliance on a non-detachable USB-A cable for wired audio make them less versatile than options like the SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless. They perform similarly to the Corsair Void PRO RGB Wireless, though the RGB Wireless obviously employ a wireless connection and have a better boom microphone. For more options, check out our list of recommendations for the best gaming headsets, the best gaming headsets under $100, and the best gaming headsets under $50 if you're on a tighter budget.

Corsair HS70 Wireless

The Corsair HS70 Wireless are better for most use cases than the Corsair VOID ELITE. The HS70 are wireless gaming headphones that communicate with a USB-A dongle for low-latency audio. They’re more comfortable, better-built, and provide a more consistent listening experience. They also have a detachable boom mic that reduces their overall size and gives them a more casual look. On the other hand, the VOID have a wired connection that eliminates the worry of running out of battery and a marginally more comprehensive control scheme.

HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II

The HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II are the better choice for wired gaming over the Corsair VOID ELITE. The HyperX are comfier and have a sturdier feeling, better noise isolation capabilities, and a better boom mic. They also feature an analog to USB control box with onboard controls for live channel mixing and microphone volume adjustment. The Corsair, meanwhile, offer a slightly broader range of configuration options thanks to their Corsair iCUE companion app, which features audio presets, a graphic EQ, microphone sidetone adjustment, and RGB lighting customization.

Corsair HS60 PRO SURROUND

The Corsair HS60 PRO SURROUND and Corsair VOID ELITE are both wired gaming headphones with different advantages. The HS60 are more comfortable, better-built, and more versatile courtesy of their detachable boom microphone and 1/8” TRRS audio cable. They also come with an analog to USB-A adapter for systems that don’t have an aux port. Meanwhile, the VOID deliver a more consistent listening experience, a more well-balanced default sound profile, and lower latency USB-A audio.

Corsair HS60

The Corsair HS60 are better wired gaming headphones than the Corsair VOID ELITE. The HS60 are more comfortable, better-built, and have a detachable boom microphone with superior noise handling capability. They can also be used on a wider variety of systems thanks to their 1/8" TRRS port and included analog-to-USB connector. That said, the VOID provide a slightly more consistent listening experience and flashier looks, with a customizable RGB lighting scheme, if that's your preference.

Corsair HS60 HAPTIC

The Corsair HS60 HAPTIC are better for wired gaming than the Corsair VOID ELITE. The HAPTIC are better built, more comfortable, and more stable. Their microphone's recording quality and noise handling performances are better, too. Fans of a bass-heavy sound may appreciate the HAPTIC's haptic bass slider, although if you're using it on a somewhat high setting, it can bleed into the mic. However, the VOID ELITE have a better frequency response consistency.

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017

The Steelseries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017 are better for mixed usage than the Corsair VOID ELITE. The SteelSeries are better built, have a more comprehensive companion app, and are easier to carry around, courtesy of a retractable boom microphone, which also provides better recording quality than that of the Corsair. The SteelSeries are also more versatile, with full wireless and wired compatibility, the latter via an included 1/8” TRRS audio cable. Conversely, the Corsair provide a more consistent, marginally more spacious listening experience.

HyperX Cloud Flight

The HyperX Cloud Flight are better for most use cases than the Corsair VOID ELITE. The HyperX block out more ambient noise, are less fatiguing to wear throughout extended gaming sessions, and have a higher-quality detachable boom microphone. The HyperX are wireless gaming headphones but can be used with the included 1/8" TRS cable for passive audio playback. However, the Corsair provide a more consistent listening experience, have a more feature-rich companion app, and offer wired audio and microphone support without worrying about running out of battery, so long as you're using a system that supports USB audio.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are a pair of gaming headphones with highly unconventional looks. They’re essentially a wired version of the similar Corsair Void PRO RGB Wireless gaming headphones and, as such, they share the same swept-back ear cups and glossy over matte plastic construction. Gamers who want to color-coordinate their gaming peripherals with their current setup will be happy to note that these headphones feature an RGB lighting scheme on the side plates that can be adjusted in the Corsair iCUE companion app. Due to their non-detachable mic, however, they'll be easily recognized as gaming headphones.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.8 lbs
Clamping Force
0.7 lbs

The Corsair VOID Elite are decently comfortable headphones. They have a pretty loose fit and aren’t too heavy, so they should be comfortable enough to wear during shorter gaming sessions. Unfortunately, their unusually-shaped ear cups might not suit everybody and can cause a bit of fatigue if you intend on wearing them for extended periods. For more comfortable gaming headphones, check out the Corsair HS60 HAPTIC.

5.7
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control No
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
No
Additional Controls Presets + Surround Sound

The Corsair VOID Elite have an easy-to-use gamer-centric control scheme. Aside from a dedicated mic-muting button, all other functions are handled via the multi-function wheel. Pivoting it left and right changes the volume while an upward press from the middle cycles through your current EQ preset. A longer press activates the surround sound feature. Mic muting is activated via a dedicated button or by flipping the mic itself upwards. Apart from changes in volume, all other inputs come with voice prompts to let you know that you’ve made an adjustment.

5.3
Design
Portability
L 9.9" (25.1 cm)
W 8.6" (21.8 cm)
H 2.7" (6.9 cm)
Volume 230.00 in³ (3,769.01 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

These headphones aren't especially portable, which isn’t unusual for a dedicated gaming headset. Their ear cups swivel flat but are quite bulky. Their headband doesn’t fold, and while their boom microphone folds inward, it isn’t detachable, which creates a potential snagging hazard if you throw them in a bag.

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

These headphones don’t have a case or pouch.

7.0
Design
Build Quality

These headphones have satisfactory build quality. They’re primarily made of fairly dense plastic but feature a flexible metal headband. The ear cups feel decently sturdy and are lined with a soft cloth-like material. That said, the boom microphone is a little fragile-looking and can't be detached, presenting a potential snagging hazard. The swept-back ear cup hinges also don’t feel especially tight, while their audio cable can't be removed, so you'll have to replace the entire unit if you damage the wire.

5.5
Design
Stability

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite’s stability is inadequate for anything other than gaming and listening to music while sitting still. Their loose clamping force means that even minor movement may cause them to slip off your ears. Meanwhile, their non-detachable audio cable can snag on something and pull the headphones off your ears.

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

  • Corsair VOID RGB Elite headphones
  • Foam microphone wind sock
  • Manuals

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
-1.78 dB
Treble Amount
-4.07 dB

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite have a somewhat boomy and muddy default sound profile, in no small part due to their uneven bass. That said, that boominess can serve to amplify the intensity of sound effects in your favorite action-heavy games. However, their somewhat inconsistent bass response means that your own listening experience may vary. If their out-of-the-box sound profile isn’t to your liking, you can customize it via a graphic EQ or presets in the Corsair iCUE companion app.

6.9
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.65 dB

The frequency response consistency of the Corsair VOID Elite is okay. You may experience significant deviation in terms of bass reproduction, especially if you wear glasses or have long hair. That said, treble should be heard relatively consistently.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
6.9
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.53 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
47.57 Hz
Low-Bass
-5.45 dB
Mid-Bass
1.9 dB
High-Bass
6.48 dB

The bass accuracy of the Corsair VOID Elite is adequate. It’s underemphasized in the low-bass region, which might rob in-game sound effects of thump and rumble. That’s followed by an overemphasized high-bass, which generates boominess and muddiness in some tracks. That said, these headphones’ bass reproduction is heavily dependent on their fit and positioning, so your own experience may vary significantly.

7.6
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.21 dB
Low-Mid
3.38 dB
Mid-Mid
-3.05 dB
High-Mid
-0.33 dB

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite have good mid accuracy. Vocals, dialogue, and lead instruments should sound pretty clear, but a bump in the low-mid range causes some mixes to sound cluttered and muddy while a dip in the mid-mids pushes instruments and vocals slightly towards the back of the mix.

8.7
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.03 dB
Low-Treble
-2.05 dB
Mid-Treble
-0.71 dB
High-Treble
-14.49 dB

These headphones have amazing treble accuracy. Vocals, dialogue, lead instruments, and cymbals should have appropriate levels of detail and clarity without being harsh or piercing. However, this is representative of the average response and your experience may vary.

6.5
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.51 dB
Dips
1.45 dB

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite’s peaks and dips performance is fair. A bump in the high-bass range causes some boominess, pushing vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix in the mid-mids. An uneven spike in the mid-treble range, meanwhile, causes some notes to sound overly bright and piercing.

6.2
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.29
Weighted Phase Mismatch
28.15
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
1.94
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
3.78

The stereo imaging performance of these headphones is mediocre. Their weighted group delay falls mostly beneath the audibility threshold, which should ensure fairly tight bass and transparent treble. Unfortunately, the L/R drivers aren’t especially well-matched in regards to amplitude, frequency and phase response, which has an impact on their capability to accurately reproduce the placement of objects in the stereo image and consequently generate an immersive listening experience. That said, these results are only valid for our test unit and yours may perform differently.

6.5
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
3.35 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
5.54 dB
PRTF Distance
11.27 dB
Openness
6.5
Acoustic Space Excitation
4.9

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite have an adequate passive soundstage. There is some interaction with the outer ear, which provides an acceptably spacious and natural soundstage, but not nearly to the same degree as open-back gaming headphones like the Astro A40 TR Headset + MixAmp Pro 2019.

2.0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
On/Off
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
Yes

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite have a 7.1 virtual surround sound feature, but we don’t currently test its performance.

6.8
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.768
WHD @ 100
0.254

The weighted harmonic distribution performance of these headphones is okay. There’s a fair bit of distortion present in the low-bass and most of the treble range at moderate volume levels, but the rest of the frequency spectrum falls within decent limits, particularly from the high-bass to mid-mid ranges.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
0.01
Power
USB
Connection
USB
Codec
PCM, 24-bit, 48kHz
EQ
Default
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Default
Microphone
Boom

These are the settings used to test the Corsair VOID RGB Elite. The results we obtained are only valid when using the headphones in this configuration.

Isolation
3.1
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-8.65 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
0.55 dB
Mid
-4.46 dB
Treble
-22.31 dB

These headphones do a poor job of blocking out ambient noise. They do nothing to reduce the volume of background noise in the bass range, so you can hear quite a bit of rumbling from bus or plane engines if you decide to travel with them. Quite a bit of ambient speech also leaks through too, so they aren’t the best choice for use in a crowded environment.

5.8
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
46.16 dB

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite’s noise leakage performance is inadequate for any environment other than a dedicated gaming room. Listening to your music at high volumes results in a fair bit of audio leakage, which may annoy coworkers in your office and fellow commuters on the bus or train.

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

These headphones have a boom microphone.

8.1
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
148.86 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
1.43 dB
HFE
9,805.86 Hz
Weighted THD
0.438
Gain
-11.4 dB

The recording quality of this headset’s boom microphone is alright. Your voice should sound clear, full-bodied, and natural. Quite a bit of distortion is present, but it may not be noticeable for some listeners.

7.5
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
18.97 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

Update 11/15/2021: These headphones have been updated to test bench 1.5. In this update, we made changes to the way we test noise handling. We now use a subjective evaluation of our audio clips. This new method has resulted in different results than what we had reported in our previous test bench. As a result, the scoring of this box has changed, and we have updated our results.

The noise handling performance of the Corsair VOID RGB Elite’s boom microphone is good. People on the other end of the line should be able to hear you clearly if you're talking in a moderately noisy environment, although the volume of your voice is lowered a bit. If you're looking for a pair of wired gaming headphones with even better microphone noise handling, check out the JBL Quantum 400.

Active Features
0
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
No Battery
Continuous Battery Life
N/A
Additional Charges
N/A
Total Battery Life
N/A
Charge Time
N/A
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
No
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port None

These headphones are wired-only and don’t require a battery.

7.0
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

Update 02/17/2022: It was originally reported that the Corsair iCUE software isn't compatible with macOS. Ηowever, this has been retested, and the software does work with macOS and Windows. The results have been updated with the correct information.

These headphones are compatible with the Corsair iCUE companion software. It grants users access to a graphic EQ, audio presets, microphone sidetone adjustment, virtual surround sound activation, and a menu to customize their RGB lighting scheme. Unfortunately, it’s not compatible with macOS systems and doesn’t provide more in-depth features like room effects and button remapping.

Connectivity
0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
No Bluetooth
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
PC Latency (SBC)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
N/A
Android Latency
N/A

The Corsair VOID RGB Elite are wired-only and aren’t Bluetooth-compatible.

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

The Corsair VOID Elite are wired-only gaming headphones.

8.5
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
USB Type A
Detachable No
Length 6.80 ft (2.07 m)
Connection
USB
Analog/USB Audio Latency
19 ms

These headphones come with a nearly 7 ft-long USB-A audio cable that offers very low audio latency. Unfortunately, they don’t come with a 1/8” TRRS audio cable, so they can't be used in more casual scenarios, like listening to music on your phone.

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

These headphones aren’t compatible with Xbox One consoles, as they aren't compatible with analog audio connections.

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 have a dock.