Wireless Performance

The included wireless dongle uses Corsair's Slipstream Wireless technology, establishing a 2.4 GHz radio connection with the headset. It employs Intelligent Frequency Shift to detect and dynamically switch to the cleanest available channels. The total wireless range is about 15 meters (50 feet). In my tests, the connection was flawless - rock-solid stability with no lag in sound or microphone performance. The wireless dongle also features a built-in status LED that blinks red when it's waiting to connect and glows white when the connection is active.

I didn't experience any issues with the Bluetooth connection to my Android smartphone either, or when using the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections simultaneously. When turned on, which is done via the switch on the left ear cup, the headset first connects to the Wi-Fi dongle. Then, to establish a Bluetooth connection to the previously paired source, you simply have to pull the switch one more time. That gives you a very intuitive way to decide if you want to use a single or both wireless connections.

Battery Life

Corsair claims that the Virtuoso MAX Wireless offers up to 60 hours of battery life in wireless mode - an estimate that aligns with my own measurements, provided that RGB lighting and active noise-canceling (ANC) are turned off. I strongly recommend disabling the RGB LEDs anyway, as lighting on headsets serves no practical purpose. A voice prompt notifies you when the battery level reaches a critical point, though there's no need to worry - more than an hour of battery life remains at that stage. The headset can be used while charging; however, unlike its predecessors, the Virtuoso RGB Wireless and Virtuoso Wireless RGB SE, it cannot be used in wired (USB) mode.

Quick charging is supported, giving us around six hours of usage after charging the headset for a mere 15 minutes. To charge the headset fully, it takes around an hour and a half.

Corsair has retained the handy Sleep Mode feature, first introduced with the original Virtuoso wireless headsets. It automatically puts the headset to sleep after a set period of inactivity. Interestingly, instead of relying on audio input, it uses a built-in accelerometer to detect movement. This means the headset will turn off even if you leave a YouTube video playing in an open tab but place it on a stand – a very useful feature. The accelerometer also wakes the headset as soon as it detects movement, powering it on when you pick it up. It's an elegant and clever solution that I'd love to see adopted by other manufacturers.