Corsair Void Pro RGB Wireless

Millions of customizable colors, but it’s the red battery indicator you’ll see most often

THERE’S A RENEWED push toward wireless from peripheral manufacturers lately, evidenced by SteelSeries’s great Arctis range, and more pertinently by Corsair’s cable-free Void Pro RGB Wireless. As consumers are responding to the word with fewer negative preconceptions, there’s a gap in the market to be occupied by the headset that gets it all right, at the most inviting price. But let’s be direct: That headset isn’t the Void Pro RGB Wireless.

That’s not to say it’s an outright bad product. There’s plenty to like, much of it what we liked about the last round of Void headsets: decent, affordable sound, driven by 50mm drivers that don’t distort at higher volumes, sensible controls, and a comfortable, adjustable fit. Notable upgrades in this new model of Void are an improved microphone and memory foam pads. Starting with the mic, it sounds about the same as it does in the old model to our ears: a bit quieter than most and lacking low-end, but featuring strong and precise noise-canceling, which can kill the sound of mechanical keys tap-tapping away without clipping your voice.

Instead, the improvements lie in the mic arm. It’s a more flexible rubberized design this time, which can be positioned to fit, and there’s a mute switch built in, so that pushing the mic into the upward position mutes it. We like the red light on the mic, which indicates it’s muted, too, though we’re not sure why there’s also a separate mic mute button on the left earcup. It made sense to put it there in the old model, but now with the hinge mute and a power button positioned precariously above the old mute button, it seems unnecessary. The memory foam pads are an unreserved improvement, though. Although neither this nor the previous Void feel luxurious in their construction materials, this softer padding around the earcups and under the headband goes some way to addressing that. It certainly helps in lengthy wear sessions, although lasting comfort has long been a virtue of this series. LIGHT SENSITIVE Back to the wireless, though. We’d heard reports that running the RGB lights severely impacted the 12-hour battery life Corsair states in its specs, and found that, sure enough, we got under five hours of life when running a lighting pattern through them (customizable via the CUE software). Turning lighting off completely actually extended the battery life marginally over 12 hours, so it’s clear lighting is a huge drain on battery life. More annoying still, the headset doesn’t turn itself off after you shut your PC down, so it’s very likely you’ll return in the morning to some dead cans.

Putting those bizarre issues behind us, it has plenty else to offer. If you’re a virtual surround hater, these cans won’t convert you, but for everyone else, the laudable Dolby Headphone 7.1 digital surround is well implemented. We still prefer to run them in stereo, though, for the improved precision to the mids and low-end frequencies, and that’s easily achieved by hitting a single button in CUE. As with all other headsets in Corsair’s fleet, there’s a range of EQ presets to cycle through in there, and although we’re stick-in-themuds who always favor a flat response, it’s nice to have the option. The wireless range extended across our entire apartment, including through walls, so there are no problems there. It’s worth knowing that the supplied charge cable is just that, though—you always need the USB wireless receiver to use these cans. Moreover, mobile device cables such as those offered by SteelSeries’s Arctis models are absent here, and we feel that lack keenly.

Totting up all the pros and cons, it’s another competent offering from Corsair, but it doesn’t really deliver on its central idea: wireless RGB sound. If you don’t care about lights, opt for an Arctis. If you do, choose a wired headset. –PHIL IWANIUK