Corsair's new HS80 RGB wireless gaming headset is one of the best headsets the company has ever produced and one of the best wireless headsets available. The headset takes some of the best headset features available and executes them really well: for $150, it boasts the latest and greatest latency-free Slipstream Wireless technology, high-fidelity audio, and Dolby Atmos. The microphone is outstanding, and the new design is comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, and the new HS80 mimics some of Steelseries' best headsets; Corsair has finally adopted the same floating headband design that uses adjustable straps to distribute the weight evenly over the head The HS80 is also the first headset to feature a floating headband design. Additionally, the HS80 feels bulkier on my head than any of Steelseries' headsets, but at 370 grams, it is not that heavy.

The ear cushions are made of plush, breathable fabric that wraps around your ears like a warm blanket. If you experience humid summers like I do now, your ears will stay warm.The HS80's ear cups rotate 90 degrees, each with a backlit Corsair logo.You can change the lighting with the Corsair iCUE software, but there's not much you can really do about it. There is not much you can really do about it. They are also not obnoxious like many other RGB headsets; in fact, they are very discreet.

Now let's talk sound: the HS80 uses 50mm drivers and outputs 24-bit/48kHz audio via Slipstream wireless and higher fidelity 24-bit/96kHz via USB Type-C cable. The latter requires something better than a typical Spotify to notice the difference, though. The HS80's sound, however, is excellent, with balanced bass and rich, full-bodied sound. However, the sub-bass was a bit lacking at times, and some distortion was noticeable even at low volumes. While this takes the HS80 away from true greatness, the iCUE has an EQ that allows you to fine-tune the audio to your liking.

Where the HS80 wows, however, is in spatial audio, with impressive 3D audio and precise positioning. As you might imagine, this is ideal for games such as FPS and large open-world environments. It gets even better with Dolby Atmos support, which Corsair auto-licenses to the headset; I've played a lot of Halo Infinite, which supports Dolby Atmos, and the headset sounds great.

Even in the middle of a battle with lots of gunfire, I could easily tell how close or far Banished was from me. I was also able to easily find the audio logs of hidden UNSCs by simply following their audio cues, and the sounds of roaming around Zeta Halo, the sounds of wildlife and Warthog tires making contact with various road surfaces were pure joy.I'm not going to mention the car sounds in "Forza Horizon 5" anymore. I'd rather not.

And to think that this is the sound of a wireless headset. the Slipstream Wireless protocol works flawlessly, and you can even share one dongle with other Corsair wireless products. My Corsair Sabre Pro Wireless mouse worked like a charm with the HS80. The only thing that bothered me was the operating range: beyond 5 meters, the audio would get choppy and the connection would sometimes drop out. Keeping the dongle out in the open would help a little. It doesn't bother me while I'm playing a game without moving, but not so good when I want to go to the kitchen for a snack and chat with my buddies.

That said, the HS80 microphone is very good. It has high intelligibility, a natural tone of voice, and good control over repellent sounds. It is one of the best mics I have ever used in a gaming headset, and my only complaint is that it cannot be physically removed from the headset like the new EPOS cans; like the EPOS headset, the HS80 mic is flip-to-mute, but it heals to let you know if the mic is off or on The headset is equipped with a soothing voice assistant that tells you when the microphone is off or on. There is also an LED ring light around the microphone that turns red when muted and white when active.

The battery life of the HS80 was the same as the advertised 20 hours. In my case, this meant charging the headset every two days, which translates to 10 hours of work and play each day. i did not test whether turning off the RGB lighting would make a big difference, but given the small size of the lights, i doubt it would. charging the HS80 is easy thanks to the Type-C connection, and you can even listen to music while charging.

The Corsair HS80 is a great headset, and thanks to a nice implementation of Dolby Atmos, it sounds great in games and with other media. If you chat a lot, the microphone is the best we've tested, and at $150, it's pretty hard to find fault with these headphones. What keeps them from being absolute gold is the lack of Bluetooth and 3.5mm, which makes them unusable on devices that don't support Slipstream. Regardless, I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a wireless headset.