By: Aaron Lai
January 19, 2024
When it comes to favorite colors, there are people who have favorite colors and people who like purple. I never really thought much about my favorite color, because it has honestly changed throughout the years. I used to be a blue person, but it did not really matter what shade or what type of blue. However, because a lot of things are tricky to find in blue, or cheaper to find in the typical shades, I generally am okay with anything else. My phone case is black, my tablet case is clear with a minty green color, and if you ask me now, I think I prefer mint green or Tiffany blue more than a dark blue shade. On the other hand, my girlfriend is a purple girl, and she will want everything she can get in purple. It is also usually a specific shade of lilac purple. I was a bit afraid, when building her computer, that she would want only purple parts. Thankfully, she was a bit forgiving, although she has since asked if we could spray paint the case in the aforementioned color. We have not done this yet, but otherwise, a lot of her clothing, accessories, and things are purple. While I may prefer a color, I think she wants purple to a maximum. When Corsair announced the HS80 Max Wireless, I did have to wonder what they meant when they included the name "Max". It likely is not an ode to the fast Oracle Red Bull driver last year, but nothing is 'stappen us from looking at it today. We have reviewed their HS80 RGB Wireless in the past, so what does the Max variant bring? Will we see maximum progress or minimal changes? Let us read on to find out!
Today's review unit of the Corsair HS80 Max Wireless arrived from Corsair's offices in Fontana, California, USA. Traveling with UPS and their Standard ground service, this box arrived to our APH Networks location here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was in excellent condition with no bumps or bruises to be concerned about. Inside, we have the HS80 Max Wireless box along with a bit of packing material to keep the box safe.
Taking a look at the retail container of the Corsair HS80 Max Wireless, you can tell this box looks pretty standard. We have the expected color palette of yellow and gray. The front is on a sleeve that shows off a scaled-up photo of the headset itself with the name right beside it. At the top, we have Corsair's logo, while the bottom has a descriptor of "Premium Wireless RGB Gaming Headset". Below this, we have the listed compatibility to show this works with PC, Mac, PS5, PS4, and mobile devices. On the bottom right, we have more identifier logos, including Bluetooth, Dolby Atmos, SoundID, and iCUE. We will see how all of these are used with the HS80 Max Wireless as we continue in this review.
Before we proceed, I have grabbed the specifications from the manufacturer's website for your reading pleasure:
Specifications
Headphone Interface: USB WIRELESS RECEIVER
Audio Compatibility: PC, Mac, PS5, PS4
Headphone Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
Headphone Battery Life: Up to: 24 hours (with RGB), 65 hours (w/o RGB), 130 hours (Bluetooth)
Headphone Sensitivity: 119dB (+/-3dB)
Headphone Wireless Range: Up to 50 ft
Headphone Type: Wireless
Headphone Drivers: 50mm
Impedance: 32k Ohms @ 1 kHz
Memory Type: USB WIRELESS RECEIVER
Microphone Type: Omni-directional
Microphone Impedance: 2.2k Ohms
Microphone Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10kHz
Audio CUE Software: Yes
Battery Type: YES
Color: STEEL GRAY 7540C
Audio: Dolby Atmos
Lighting: RGB
Platform: PC, Mac, PlayStation 4/5
Microphone Sensitivity: -38 dB (+/-3dB)
Surround Sound: Yes
Cable Length: N/A
Detachable Microphone: No
Weight: 0.717
Out of the box, we have a pretty standard set of things. The inside of this box is lined with some foam at the top to prevent any scratches or damage to the headset. Also, the HS80 Max Wireless has several sections of clear plastic tape to keep its surface free from any damage while in transit. The inside here is divided up with a cardboard tray. It holds a USB transmitter on the top, while dividing off a 1.8m braided USB Type-C to Type-A cable to charge the headset. If you want any setup information, there is a single QR code that links to Corsair's website. However, there is also some printed out material about setting up Dolby Atmos and warranty information. Corsair includes a standard two-year warranty with all of their headsets, including the HS80 Max Wireless.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
