Corsair Virtuoso Pro Review
An excellent open-back gaming headset
Verdict
The Corsair Virtuoso Pro is a great open-back wired gaming headset. It comes with immersive, neutral audio with a great soundstage and detail, as well as being comfortable and feeling solid, too. Their lack of media controls, additional software and a thin-sounding microphone means they aren’t the most complete headset in the world, but offer a fantastic choice for purists.
Pros
- Solid construction
- Detailed and neutral audio
- Vast compatibility
Cons
- Lack of on-board media controls is a shame
- No software
- Comparably expensive
Key Features
- 50mm graphene drivers:The Virtuoso Pro features some 50mm graphene drivers to provide immersive, neutral audio
- Open back design:In the name of providing a wider soundstage, they’re also open back.
- Vast connectivity:With a 3.5mm wired connection, they also work with a wide range of devices, including PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.
Introduction
The latest addition to Corsair’s Virtuoso headset lineup, the Corsair Virtuoso Pro is a much more stripped-back affair than previous options with a minimalistic look that carries a high price tag.
Priced at £169.99/$199.99, the focus here is on audio quality first and foremost, as well as immersion, and the Virtuoso Pro seems like an interesting option. The competition is stiff at this price point with both wired and wireless options including the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless and Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense each offering intriguing feature sets which set them apart from more conventional choices.
Whether the Virtuoso Pro can do enough to set themselves apart and become one of the best gaming headsets we’ve tested remains to be seen, however. I’ve been testing them to find out.
Design and Features
- Sleek metal and plastic frame
- Solid construction with decent padding
- No media controls
Unlike other Virtuoso headsets which offer a plush and modern look to them and are usually wireless, the Corsair Virtuoso Pro – in spite of its name – offers a much simpler overall package. In saying that, however, their aluminium frame feels excellent, while the open-back design on the earcups is eye-catching.
At 338g, the Virtuoso Pro carry some solid heft to them, and justify their high price as far as construction goes. Their headband is reinforced with metal and there’s little flex present. The click-stepped adjustment is solid and their fitment is great, save for the slightly lighter clamping force.
In this regard, the Corsair Virtuoso Pro almost feels as if they’re simply resting on your head. They remind me of a pair of Grado headphones I’ve used, which are more on-ear than over-ear. To this end, the earcups aren’t necessarily that deep, and they can feel a little cramped at first.
Generally speaking though, the Virtuoso Pro is a comfortable set of cans with padding where you’ll appreciate it. The fabric around the earcups is nice and plush, while the slightly harder fabric on the headband keeps the headset on your head and is supportive, despite not being as plentiful as other headsets.
Around the bottom side, there are no media controls to speak of, and there isn’t even a line-in volume control on the additional litany of cables that Corsair provides with the Virtuoso Pro. They’re going for a much more audio-focused design as opposed to any sense of convenient features. Of course, as open backs, they also aren’t incredible in terms of their passive noise isolation, being designed with noise leakage as a ‘feature’ of sorts in the name of a wider soundstage.
On a brighter note, the packaging is made from cardboard and looks to be recyclable, while there is no plastic used to hold the Virtuoso Pro in place. They also come with an excellent hard case that’s slim enough to be chucked into a bag without much of a worry. It helps to position the Virtuoso Pro as both a headset and a set of open-back cans you can take on the go with you if you so choose.
There isn’t any additional software to necessarily speak of with the Virtuoso Pro, either. With their wired connectivity, there is no integration with the brand’s otherwise excellent iCUE software. However, if paired with Elgato Wave Link, you can fiddle with basic EQ settings and VST plugins to change how your voice sounds through the headset’s microphone. For a headset at this price, I would have expected a bit more.
With that wired connection in mind, it also means the Corsair Virtuoso Pro will work with virtually any device. I had no issue using them with my Galaxy S21 Ultra (albeit with a USB-C DAC), my MacBook Pro or my Xbox Series X. Corsair also rates them to work with Nintendo Switch and PS5, too. A low impedance of 32 ohms also means they aren’t difficult to drive at all, and can work without the need of a DAC quite happily, if you want to use them purely for music.
Audio and Microphone
- Immersive audio with a wide soundstage
- Top-end can be a little on the harsh side at times
- Microphone isn’t the richest
The Corsair Virtuoso Pro generally sounded excellent, with their open-back design affording a wide soundstage. That width and breathing space allowed for some marvellous directional audio and a sense of placement in my testing in both CS:GO 2 and the new Forza Motorsport. In the latter especially, it worked well for giving me a fantastic indication of where surrounding vehicles were when I was overtaking or being overtaken.
For a set of open-backs, they carry quite a robust low end, as was presented in both Rush’s YYZ and The Strokes’ Juicebox in testing. With this in mind, the Corsair Virtuoso Pro feel a little more refined compared to your more traditional closed-back gaming headset which is usually characterised by a more prevalent low-end than is on offer here.
Their mid-range is clear and detailed, too. Jack Johnson’s vocals and guitar in Upside Down were crisp and lovely, while the Virtuoso Pro also captured the intimacy of John Martyn’s May You Never rather well. The top-end was sharp and detailed, but at times felt a little too sharp in places. The competing percussion on Steely Dan’s Do It Again felt a little harsh, but was presented rather well nonetheless with precision.
The neutral sound profile that the Corsair Virtuoso Pro provides lends itself to performing well across games and music, and means they are suitable as the generalist device that Corsair appears to intend them to be. As open backs though, they are designed purely for use at home, given the rather high incidence of noise leaking out of the drivers into the open air around you.
Their microphone is less impressive though, with some compression and vocals sounding a tad thin. With this in mind, it’s serviceable for chatting with friends and teammates, but you will want to pickup or connect a dedicated microphone for more overall body and clarity.
Intriguingly however, the mic isn’t attached to the Corsair Virtuoso Pro by default, with it coming as an extra of sorts when bundled into one of the headset’s cables, where it then connects to the left-hand hole. For muting it, there is a very small switch at the base of the shaft, which is a little out of the way.
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Should you buy it?
You want a marvellous soundstage
The open back design of the Corsair Virtuoso Pro lends itself to offering some wonderfully immersive audio with lots of breathing room. If that’s a top priority, then these are a great set of cans.
You want additional creature comforts
They lack basic features such as software and media controls. For those wanting a more complete package, the Virtuoso Pro may not be for you.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a purely audio-first-driven headset experience, then the Corsair Virtuoso Pro is a fine choice. They ditch more conventional features such as on-board media controls, RGB or software to provide an immersive open-back listening experience that makes games and music a lot of fun.
Of course, this isn’t for everyone, but for its intended purpose, they’re a solid headset. The Virtuoso Pro is well made and comfortable, with a nice weight to them and some good padding. Their vast compatibility is especially nice to have, while their audio is immersive and wide, which worked a treat in games and for a wide variety of music.
However, it’s their lack of basic features such as on-board media controls and software which is a bit of a turn-off, given that similarly priced competitors such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless and Sony Inzone H5 offer these where Corsair’s option doesn’t. For more options though, feel free to check out our list of the best gaming headsets we’ve tested.
How we test
We use every headset we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by using it in a variety of games, as well as playing music in order to get the full experience.
We also check each headset’s software (if applicable) to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
We use every headset we test for at least a week.
Use on as many platforms as possible to test versatility.
Judge audio for both gaming and music playback.
Use with multiple games to test audio.
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FAQs
Yes and no. If you’re using it without an Elgato Wave XLR interface, then there’s no additional software, but using it with the Wave XLR provides you access to Wave Link.
Yes, the Virtuoso Pro works on PS5, as well as Xbox consoles, PC, Mac, Android, iPhone and Nintendo Switch through its 3.5mm jack.
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
