Hello guys!
Today, in episode #2 of "Look at..." I am grilling Corsair's VOID Pro Wireless RGB 7.1 headset.
What do you expect from the headset? Great sound quality of course! Nice design? Is the sound really that great? Is it worth of spending more than 100 Euro on it? Today I will give you the answers to those questions.
Click "Read more" in the right corner to read full article.
Today, in episode #2 of "Look at..." I am grilling Corsair's VOID Pro Wireless RGB 7.1 headset.
What do you expect from the headset? Great sound quality of course! Nice design? Is the sound really that great? Is it worth of spending more than 100 Euro on it? Today I will give you the answers to those questions.
Click "Read more" in the right corner to read full article.
From Author:
It's for me obvious that there are already some reviews of this product, made in professional way, including HQ videos and pictures, benchmarks made with some specialist equipment, etc.
However, this review is written with a perspective of ordinary user, a person who will use this hardware mainly for flight simulation, gaming communication (FPS, Racing, RTS), typical VOID and in near feature video/audio editing.
Be aware that you may find my complains as going to far in my reviews but that is me, paying attention to the details so yes, I can be a pain in the... but generally I can also express my satisfaction.
I tested this headset in different environments for almost two months so it should be enough to give you my opinion on it.
Due to the fact I do not have at this moment any camera worth of using or room to make high quality photos, those come from Corsair's website.
Introduction:
VOID Pro RGB family came to the market last Summer as a successor of the VOID RGB series and it's available in 3 different versions:
1. VOID Pro Surround
2. VOID Pro RGB USB
3. VOID Pro RGB Wireless (+ Special Edition)
It's for me obvious that there are already some reviews of this product, made in professional way, including HQ videos and pictures, benchmarks made with some specialist equipment, etc.
However, this review is written with a perspective of ordinary user, a person who will use this hardware mainly for flight simulation, gaming communication (FPS, Racing, RTS), typical VOID and in near feature video/audio editing.
Be aware that you may find my complains as going to far in my reviews but that is me, paying attention to the details so yes, I can be a pain in the... but generally I can also express my satisfaction.
I tested this headset in different environments for almost two months so it should be enough to give you my opinion on it.
Due to the fact I do not have at this moment any camera worth of using or room to make high quality photos, those come from Corsair's website.
Introduction:
VOID Pro RGB family came to the market last Summer as a successor of the VOID RGB series and it's available in 3 different versions:
1. VOID Pro Surround
2. VOID Pro RGB USB
3. VOID Pro RGB Wireless (+ Special Edition)
I got the VOID Pro RGB Wireless so I will focus on this set.
The price back in the November was around 110-120 Euro and as I checked in few German stores just now, it didn't change.
There are three different color editions - Black (called Carbon), White and Yellow (SE).
The SE edition is most expensive, but in package we get extra dock station.
I chosen black one since I prefer to have everything on my desk in this particular color and the only exception for that is the lighting.
The box contains:
- Headset
- USB radio transmitter
- USB Type A cable charger
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
And here came first surprise, unfortunately not the nice one. Both - USB receiver and USB cable are not completely black.
Both of them have yellow accents (like the Special Edition).
First I thought OK, maybe I have a bad luck and it was a mistake when all elements were putted into the box. I was wrong, I looked at some other reviews and found out that it is a standard.
OK, you can say it should be not a problem because I can plug them both in rear I/O panel in my PC so I will not see it anyway. Well, no I can't. First of all, all my USB ports in rear I/O panel are occupied already. The other reason I want both of them connected in other place (which in this case is monitor) is how my desk is organized and for comfort where I can hide the charger cable when not used. Besides of that, the other and of the cable has also this yellow accent.
In case of USB receiver, for higher distance of the signal (which I will explain later).
The reason why I really can't understand this mishmash is the fact that in the package with white edition, you will find a black-white cable, not a black-yellow.
A fear came to my mind that it was just the beginning and I started to expect even worse things I will have to deal with.
Headset is made really solid and designed aesthetically with a modern shapes and both - mate and glossy finish of the plastic.
Yes, plastic here is everywhere but nice in touch, without any no weird rugged elements. The only metal part that you will find is the rail (is this a good word to describe it?) hidden in the arch but it is visible only when you turn the headphones upside down.
VOID Pro's design is different from the rounded shapes we see on most products on the market. For sure you can't just walk next to it without noticing their existence.
Speaker cups are closed and big. On the outer side where a glossy part is you will find Corsair's logo with RGB backlight.
Left ear cup contains two big buttons, the first one responsible for the power and the second one for turning microphone on or off. Underneath you will see a micro-USB port for charging cable and a dial which let you adjust the volume or switch between EQ profiles. Next to the USB port you will find a very tiny LED indicator informing you about charging status.
The ear cushions are covered with soft and very comfortable fabric mesh and after spending 8-10 hours with them on my head, my ears weren't tired at all. One of my concerns when I had to choose headphones was how good they will be on suppressing the noise coming from the street, situated around 30m from my windows. The noise level here might be really annoying, especially in peak hours.
Well, those ear pads do they jobs really good, I can hardly hear anything even with many cars on the road.
Worth to mention is the fact that ear cups can be turned around (90 degrees) which will prevent the covers from scratching if you don't have any headset stand on the desk and you want to lay them down.
What about the weight? The whole headset is quiet heavy which is not a surprise - don't forget that it's wireless so it contains a battery inside. But this is the reason why after few hours I can't forget I am wearing them. It isn't a big deal however so I can't mark it as something disadvantageous or blame Corsair for that. The other important factor for me was the size of the headset. Due to the fact that I am a tall person (~192cm)and my head doesn't belong to S-size category, it's hard for me to find the one that will fit my head and still will be comfortable, especially under the headband. Here the arch is covered underneath with the same kind of fabric and memory foam as ear cushions so again it do its job very well.
There is one minus I need to mention - the set is quiet loose and gives me a feeling that they will fall down when turning my head.
The microphone attached to the set is inseparable but flexible letting you bow it to the shape you need.
Next to the black mesh filter you will notice tiny white line going around. It houses red LED indicator, informing you if the microphone is turned on or off. Also, moving a microphone 90 degrees up will turn the microphone off. Personally I found this method better than pressing a button on the cover, especially when I have to turn it quickly off during the conversation.
But it's good to have to different option.
Audio and wireless signal quality
From the well known company like a Corsair I expected not only high quality design but also the top-notch sound and to say it frankly, they didn't disappoint me. I'm not an audiophile but also I'm not a deaf person who will not see any difference in the quality between a headphones for 10 and 100 or 1000 Euro. VOID Pro as the name says and Corsair advertises is made for gaming and void purposes. And you know what? It does its job damn good. I heard opinions that the sound quality might be poor because of the wireless transmission and there might be some high latency. No, there is no any noticeable one and the quality is high.
After installing Corsair Utility Engine (CUE) and pairing quickly the headset with the system, I tested it in different environments - Prepar3D (incl. IVAO comm), FPS and RTS games as well as communication via game built-in systems, Teamspeak, Discord and ending with Skype.
The speakers have wide spectrum they operate within, it reflects sounds naturally starting in high and ending in low level sounds. It was a pleasure to use it in Prepar3D. It added a great immersion when listened to the engines of coming cargo loaders, fuel trucks, etc. When I started APU and engines later, it was even better. The noise coming out from the 747's APU was so nice that I listened to it for several minutes, just switching camera position to enjoy the different pitch and intensity of the sound.
I really couldn't find any negatives, until I powered up Foobar 2000 with some various FLAC tracks, starting with a Classic music and going through oldschool Rock to Jazz and ended with Psychodelic Trance. My first reaction was - what the hell is this? The sound was flat, distorted, quality far behind from what I heard with my 10 years old Creative Fat1ality without playing much around equalizer. Fortunately, Corsair's community forum helped. I found one EQ preset there which partially fulfilled the gap and makes music playable. Of course each type of music requires different preset but this particular one is a nice consensus so far and can be used as a start point for any adjustments for future EQ presets. They can be also recognized and switched automatically as soon as you bring any specific software to the top of all windows.
Audio recorded with microphone didn't have any distortions, was clear and noise reduction worked really good.
The signal received from transmitter is strong and it actually cover 10m of range as advertised by Corsair.
I do use VOID Pro for my work as well and from time to time I need to go from my let's call it office room to the another one, separated with one thin wall, where I keep some binders in the closet. The distance between the receiver and closet is around 11-12m and headset still has a connection. It looses the signal only when I go to the kitchen to grab some coffee but in this case even with the smaller distance (7-8m) there are two walls standing on the way.
Do you remember when I told you there is no way that I will connect this transmitter into rear I/O panel in PC case?
It's because I want to keep the conversation with the customers alive when I have to check some docs in the other room so to keep the signal disturbed on the lowest possible level, I placed it in monitor's USB hub. When connected to rear I/O panel, the signal gets some distortions. I'm not sure what causes it, might be the walls (PC placed in the corner of desk) or the case interfere the signal, I really don't know.
The big minus of having wireless headset I found so far is the fact you can't simply sent the same audio to two separate outputs like I did with the wired (mini-Jack) headset. I just muted speakers or headset by pressing one button, that's it. Generally it would be not a problem at all if I would use it during a day only. But since I work at night as well, listening to the music on speakers is no option for me.
I also found that from time to time some titles like Prepar3D, GSX or even CS:GO forget that all sounds should be sent to the headset and reset it to the speakers which is my main output in my system and I'm not willing to change it. It was annoying to go through the application settings every time it happened, that's why I searched for any extra solution and found very small and simple software called CheVolume. It's a pay-ware and it costs at this moment 20 USD (on sale). This very simple piece of software let you send separate signals from almost every single application to different outputs so even if GSX will reset its settings and play the sounds on speakers, you can quickly bring it back to headphones. The only application it didn't work with was FS2Crew RAAS Pro where it was necessary to switch the audio output inside the config panel. CheVolume didn't see it as a separate signal.
If any of you know a solution for playing the same signal on two separate output lines, let me know in the comments section.
In case I find it first, I will update this review with appropriate information.
The price back in the November was around 110-120 Euro and as I checked in few German stores just now, it didn't change.
There are three different color editions - Black (called Carbon), White and Yellow (SE).
The SE edition is most expensive, but in package we get extra dock station.
I chosen black one since I prefer to have everything on my desk in this particular color and the only exception for that is the lighting.
The box contains:
- Headset
- USB radio transmitter
- USB Type A cable charger
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
And here came first surprise, unfortunately not the nice one. Both - USB receiver and USB cable are not completely black.
Both of them have yellow accents (like the Special Edition).
First I thought OK, maybe I have a bad luck and it was a mistake when all elements were putted into the box. I was wrong, I looked at some other reviews and found out that it is a standard.
OK, you can say it should be not a problem because I can plug them both in rear I/O panel in my PC so I will not see it anyway. Well, no I can't. First of all, all my USB ports in rear I/O panel are occupied already. The other reason I want both of them connected in other place (which in this case is monitor) is how my desk is organized and for comfort where I can hide the charger cable when not used. Besides of that, the other and of the cable has also this yellow accent.
In case of USB receiver, for higher distance of the signal (which I will explain later).
The reason why I really can't understand this mishmash is the fact that in the package with white edition, you will find a black-white cable, not a black-yellow.
A fear came to my mind that it was just the beginning and I started to expect even worse things I will have to deal with.
Headset is made really solid and designed aesthetically with a modern shapes and both - mate and glossy finish of the plastic.
Yes, plastic here is everywhere but nice in touch, without any no weird rugged elements. The only metal part that you will find is the rail (is this a good word to describe it?) hidden in the arch but it is visible only when you turn the headphones upside down.
VOID Pro's design is different from the rounded shapes we see on most products on the market. For sure you can't just walk next to it without noticing their existence.
Speaker cups are closed and big. On the outer side where a glossy part is you will find Corsair's logo with RGB backlight.
Left ear cup contains two big buttons, the first one responsible for the power and the second one for turning microphone on or off. Underneath you will see a micro-USB port for charging cable and a dial which let you adjust the volume or switch between EQ profiles. Next to the USB port you will find a very tiny LED indicator informing you about charging status.
The ear cushions are covered with soft and very comfortable fabric mesh and after spending 8-10 hours with them on my head, my ears weren't tired at all. One of my concerns when I had to choose headphones was how good they will be on suppressing the noise coming from the street, situated around 30m from my windows. The noise level here might be really annoying, especially in peak hours.
Well, those ear pads do they jobs really good, I can hardly hear anything even with many cars on the road.
Worth to mention is the fact that ear cups can be turned around (90 degrees) which will prevent the covers from scratching if you don't have any headset stand on the desk and you want to lay them down.
What about the weight? The whole headset is quiet heavy which is not a surprise - don't forget that it's wireless so it contains a battery inside. But this is the reason why after few hours I can't forget I am wearing them. It isn't a big deal however so I can't mark it as something disadvantageous or blame Corsair for that. The other important factor for me was the size of the headset. Due to the fact that I am a tall person (~192cm)and my head doesn't belong to S-size category, it's hard for me to find the one that will fit my head and still will be comfortable, especially under the headband. Here the arch is covered underneath with the same kind of fabric and memory foam as ear cushions so again it do its job very well.
There is one minus I need to mention - the set is quiet loose and gives me a feeling that they will fall down when turning my head.
The microphone attached to the set is inseparable but flexible letting you bow it to the shape you need.
Next to the black mesh filter you will notice tiny white line going around. It houses red LED indicator, informing you if the microphone is turned on or off. Also, moving a microphone 90 degrees up will turn the microphone off. Personally I found this method better than pressing a button on the cover, especially when I have to turn it quickly off during the conversation.
But it's good to have to different option.
Audio and wireless signal quality
From the well known company like a Corsair I expected not only high quality design but also the top-notch sound and to say it frankly, they didn't disappoint me. I'm not an audiophile but also I'm not a deaf person who will not see any difference in the quality between a headphones for 10 and 100 or 1000 Euro. VOID Pro as the name says and Corsair advertises is made for gaming and void purposes. And you know what? It does its job damn good. I heard opinions that the sound quality might be poor because of the wireless transmission and there might be some high latency. No, there is no any noticeable one and the quality is high.
After installing Corsair Utility Engine (CUE) and pairing quickly the headset with the system, I tested it in different environments - Prepar3D (incl. IVAO comm), FPS and RTS games as well as communication via game built-in systems, Teamspeak, Discord and ending with Skype.
The speakers have wide spectrum they operate within, it reflects sounds naturally starting in high and ending in low level sounds. It was a pleasure to use it in Prepar3D. It added a great immersion when listened to the engines of coming cargo loaders, fuel trucks, etc. When I started APU and engines later, it was even better. The noise coming out from the 747's APU was so nice that I listened to it for several minutes, just switching camera position to enjoy the different pitch and intensity of the sound.
I really couldn't find any negatives, until I powered up Foobar 2000 with some various FLAC tracks, starting with a Classic music and going through oldschool Rock to Jazz and ended with Psychodelic Trance. My first reaction was - what the hell is this? The sound was flat, distorted, quality far behind from what I heard with my 10 years old Creative Fat1ality without playing much around equalizer. Fortunately, Corsair's community forum helped. I found one EQ preset there which partially fulfilled the gap and makes music playable. Of course each type of music requires different preset but this particular one is a nice consensus so far and can be used as a start point for any adjustments for future EQ presets. They can be also recognized and switched automatically as soon as you bring any specific software to the top of all windows.
Audio recorded with microphone didn't have any distortions, was clear and noise reduction worked really good.
The signal received from transmitter is strong and it actually cover 10m of range as advertised by Corsair.
I do use VOID Pro for my work as well and from time to time I need to go from my let's call it office room to the another one, separated with one thin wall, where I keep some binders in the closet. The distance between the receiver and closet is around 11-12m and headset still has a connection. It looses the signal only when I go to the kitchen to grab some coffee but in this case even with the smaller distance (7-8m) there are two walls standing on the way.
Do you remember when I told you there is no way that I will connect this transmitter into rear I/O panel in PC case?
It's because I want to keep the conversation with the customers alive when I have to check some docs in the other room so to keep the signal disturbed on the lowest possible level, I placed it in monitor's USB hub. When connected to rear I/O panel, the signal gets some distortions. I'm not sure what causes it, might be the walls (PC placed in the corner of desk) or the case interfere the signal, I really don't know.
The big minus of having wireless headset I found so far is the fact you can't simply sent the same audio to two separate outputs like I did with the wired (mini-Jack) headset. I just muted speakers or headset by pressing one button, that's it. Generally it would be not a problem at all if I would use it during a day only. But since I work at night as well, listening to the music on speakers is no option for me.
I also found that from time to time some titles like Prepar3D, GSX or even CS:GO forget that all sounds should be sent to the headset and reset it to the speakers which is my main output in my system and I'm not willing to change it. It was annoying to go through the application settings every time it happened, that's why I searched for any extra solution and found very small and simple software called CheVolume. It's a pay-ware and it costs at this moment 20 USD (on sale). This very simple piece of software let you send separate signals from almost every single application to different outputs so even if GSX will reset its settings and play the sounds on speakers, you can quickly bring it back to headphones. The only application it didn't work with was FS2Crew RAAS Pro where it was necessary to switch the audio output inside the config panel. CheVolume didn't see it as a separate signal.
If any of you know a solution for playing the same signal on two separate output lines, let me know in the comments section.
In case I find it first, I will update this review with appropriate information.
RGB Lighting and Battery
To said it frankly, I wasn't a fan of the RGB till the moment when producers gave us opportunity to set different colors for separate keys, not the zones or whole keyboard only. Since the brain notices visual differences very quickly, it helps me to focus on specific spot much easier. Backlights makes also life easier when you work at night with lights dimmed or completely turned off. Unfortunately I do not own myself any keyboard with such of backlighting so can't review it. If I could get one now, Corsair's K55 pr K70 would be my choice probably. Not sure if it's possible to set colors per key.
RGB can also be a nice accent for your desk, entire room, etc. Personally I found nothing wrong about.
But what about the RGB in VOID Pro? You can control the lighting same as the audio presets, with CUE software.
There are plenty of option you can choose from.
Of course you can bind all your Corsair's equipment and let the effects go through all of them as one.
I will skip the details here and send you to YouTube where you will find many very informative videos about it.
But what do I think about RGB here?
To be honest, on headset there could be no RGB for me. I would be fully satisfied with a simple white backlight for Corsair's logo giving me indication that headset is turned on. You know why? Because it is not a keyboard or mouse, not even a headset stand or the lighting in PC case on the desk I can see all the time. You will have your headset on your head when these lights are on so you can't see them anyway.
We all know that RGB is on the wave, it has its "5 minutes" now.
Motherboards, keyboards, mouses, headsets and dedicated stands for it, PC cases, controllers, monitors, speakers. Even sound cards have it already so in one word, RGB is everywhere and I expect that this year will bring more and more products with it. Wait, is there any sort of hardware that doesn't have it yet?
To said it frankly, I wasn't a fan of the RGB till the moment when producers gave us opportunity to set different colors for separate keys, not the zones or whole keyboard only. Since the brain notices visual differences very quickly, it helps me to focus on specific spot much easier. Backlights makes also life easier when you work at night with lights dimmed or completely turned off. Unfortunately I do not own myself any keyboard with such of backlighting so can't review it. If I could get one now, Corsair's K55 pr K70 would be my choice probably. Not sure if it's possible to set colors per key.
RGB can also be a nice accent for your desk, entire room, etc. Personally I found nothing wrong about.
But what about the RGB in VOID Pro? You can control the lighting same as the audio presets, with CUE software.
There are plenty of option you can choose from.
Of course you can bind all your Corsair's equipment and let the effects go through all of them as one.
I will skip the details here and send you to YouTube where you will find many very informative videos about it.
But what do I think about RGB here?
To be honest, on headset there could be no RGB for me. I would be fully satisfied with a simple white backlight for Corsair's logo giving me indication that headset is turned on. You know why? Because it is not a keyboard or mouse, not even a headset stand or the lighting in PC case on the desk I can see all the time. You will have your headset on your head when these lights are on so you can't see them anyway.
We all know that RGB is on the wave, it has its "5 minutes" now.
Motherboards, keyboards, mouses, headsets and dedicated stands for it, PC cases, controllers, monitors, speakers. Even sound cards have it already so in one word, RGB is everywhere and I expect that this year will bring more and more products with it. Wait, is there any sort of hardware that doesn't have it yet?
There is one more thing I didn't describe yet - Battery
I made just two tests with mixed effects depends on application launched - Stable and Breath - but this should be enough to give you some information. Corsair says that without charging the battery you should be able to use it up to 16 hours and it is the true. With the 100% of light, stable and breath effects I used it in games for ~14,5 hours. However, when I dimmed the light to ~20%, with the same mixed effects I was able to reach almost 17 hours till the battery was fully discharged.
The question is how it will work in the long run, let say after one, two or even more years? How long it will take to reach the point when replacement of the battery will be necessary? Well, time will give us the answer.
Closing thoughts:
Corsair is a well-known brand, since many years on the market. Their products were always ranked in top of the lists for top-notch quality they offer. In case of VOID Pro RGB Wireless, there is no difference. You get the product where quality meets nice design and functionality. Their portfolio of the products is really wide, what you can see on the picture below.
I made just two tests with mixed effects depends on application launched - Stable and Breath - but this should be enough to give you some information. Corsair says that without charging the battery you should be able to use it up to 16 hours and it is the true. With the 100% of light, stable and breath effects I used it in games for ~14,5 hours. However, when I dimmed the light to ~20%, with the same mixed effects I was able to reach almost 17 hours till the battery was fully discharged.
The question is how it will work in the long run, let say after one, two or even more years? How long it will take to reach the point when replacement of the battery will be necessary? Well, time will give us the answer.
Closing thoughts:
Corsair is a well-known brand, since many years on the market. Their products were always ranked in top of the lists for top-notch quality they offer. In case of VOID Pro RGB Wireless, there is no difference. You get the product where quality meets nice design and functionality. Their portfolio of the products is really wide, what you can see on the picture below.
VOID Pro RGB Wireless is not the first Corsair's piece of hardware I got.
I used their power supplies when built custom rigs for other people, RAM sticks, water cooling and some storage devices. The only unit that dies on my eyes was PSU frying my PC I mentioned in Episode #1. But after so many (~9-10) years of usage, years beyond the warranty period, it had right to do it.
Initially I planned to get more stuff from Corsair, including Vengeance RGB RAM sticks which would give a beautiful color accent behind the tempered glass but overall RAM prices on the market are ridiculously high at this moment and for me there was no go for paying over 500 Euro just for memory.
Would I recommend VOID Pro RGB WIreless? Yes, I do because it is a valuable product.
Even with the price tag of ~110 Euro which might be a barrier price you can't go through and the fact that you need to pay extra 65 Euro for dedicated headset stand, it is still a very good price for wireless device.
There are wireless headsets from other brands in wide price spectrum, starting at ~70-80 and ending at 300 Euro so 110 Euro is a quiet fair price for what we get here. Even with some those small issues I described above and this luckless yellow color on the transmitter and cable.
This is it.
I hope that you will find this review helpful and even if it will help just one single person, it was still worth of spending several hours to write down my thoughts.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask in comments section below.
If you have already have this product, share your point of view with the community.
Cheers
Mark
I used their power supplies when built custom rigs for other people, RAM sticks, water cooling and some storage devices. The only unit that dies on my eyes was PSU frying my PC I mentioned in Episode #1. But after so many (~9-10) years of usage, years beyond the warranty period, it had right to do it.
Initially I planned to get more stuff from Corsair, including Vengeance RGB RAM sticks which would give a beautiful color accent behind the tempered glass but overall RAM prices on the market are ridiculously high at this moment and for me there was no go for paying over 500 Euro just for memory.
Would I recommend VOID Pro RGB WIreless? Yes, I do because it is a valuable product.
Even with the price tag of ~110 Euro which might be a barrier price you can't go through and the fact that you need to pay extra 65 Euro for dedicated headset stand, it is still a very good price for wireless device.
There are wireless headsets from other brands in wide price spectrum, starting at ~70-80 and ending at 300 Euro so 110 Euro is a quiet fair price for what we get here. Even with some those small issues I described above and this luckless yellow color on the transmitter and cable.
This is it.
I hope that you will find this review helpful and even if it will help just one single person, it was still worth of spending several hours to write down my thoughts.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask in comments section below.
If you have already have this product, share your point of view with the community.
Cheers
Mark
