Final words and conclusion
Final words and conclusion
With the MSRP set at 179.99 USD/189.99 EUR, the HS80 Max allows gamers to get a high-quality headset solution without compromising audio or mic quality, which is very good, especially for wireless products. Wearing comfort was great; the free-floating headband design does its magic here. The sound quality is very good; you won’t hurt your ears even when listening to music (of course, if you’re not an audiophile – but I don’t think they would even consider this product). SoundID Technology also does its work here. Thanks to Dolby Atmos technology’s implementation, the HS80 Max is a great addition to the series, doing wonders with sound, even though you have only two drivers. It did sound well in games, surprisingly well, and even worthy of a recommendation. It’s a good package for the money you spend, given the two 50 mm neodymium magnets. The drivers offer a sound that’s detailed enough and has a wide spectrum. You also get the RGB here – but I don’t get the point of that for a normal user (but it’s applied as in the predecessor). Well, for streamers, maybe it makes sense because they’d be visible during the broadcast.
The wireless functionality is a great thing. The range reached 12 meters (Corsair states up to 15 meters), less than in the HS80 RGB wireless (15/20). The safe range was ~8 meters. The other thing about wireless usage is the battery life. Corsair says up to 65 hours, or 130 using Bluetooth (previously, it was 20h, so that’s a massive improvement). We got about 50 using the 2.4 GHz connection, so that’s a great result. And as you get the Slipstream connection, there are no noticeable delays. You can charge the battery using the provided USB cable.
Wearing Comfort
The HS80 Max is excellent in this respect. The simple design makes it feel very good in weight (as it’s light) and very comfortable. The ear padding is comfortable, and the headband is made solidly. Even longer sessions are not tiresome, and your ears don’t get too warm despite using closed ear cups.
Conclusion
You must spend 179.99 USD/189.99 EUR - HS80 Max is a pretty decent deal for what you get. Yeah, overall, the price is steep, but you must consider the benefits, not only the economic side. It offers a very satisfying audio quality (with Dolby Atmos support, SoundID Technology, and a very good microphone). The HS80 Max delivers a more than solid performance in music and is great in gaming, thanks to proper 50 mm drivers. You get excellent wearing comfort. The headband should be durable, as are the ear cup mounts (as I’ve used the predecessor for almost two years without an issue). The wireless functionality is implemented well; you get a 50-hour (in our scenario) battery life (65h according to the product page), range in our case was between 8 and 12 meters (not 15 as stated by Corsair). The 2-year warranty and the very good and solid build quality are also important. Implementing Bluetooth makes it possible to use with mobile devices (and achieve up to 130 h of playtime). It’s an expensive headset, but still worthy of a Recommended award.
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