Introduction

Corsair's top-of-the-line gaming headset lineup is dubbed Virtuoso. Even though the company is very active when it comes to releasing new headsets, up until today the Virtuoso lineup consisted of only three products, all of them wireless. The first two, the Virtuoso RGB Wireless (reviewed here), and the Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE (reviewed here), launched in 2019, and the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT brought some updates in 2021, mainly focusing on adding Bluetooth connectivity, while keeping everything else pretty much the same.

With the release of the Virtuoso Pro, that finally changed. The Virtuoso Pro shares some of its design language with its wireless brethren, but it's a different beast altogether. Corsair set out to create a gaming headset that would be ideal for streamers. The logic here is that streamers would get a better experience from an open-back headset instead of a more traditional closed-back one. Not only in terms of sound quality but also wearing comfort over an extended period, as open-back headphones inherently offer better ventilation, as warm air can easily escape through the ear cups, instead of accumulating between the speaker drivers and your ears. There's one other fact to consider, too: when you're using a microphone with open-back headphones on your head, your own voice won't sound muted or muffled to you, so you won't be inclined to talk louder than necessary.



The Virtuoso Pro is an analog gaming headset, meaning it has to be plugged into a device with a 3.5-mm audio port(s). This is another streamer-oriented feature, as Corsair counts on its future owners using a preferred audio interface, such as the company's own Elgato Wave XLR, which pairs with the Virtuoso Pro beautifully. The Virtuoso Pro comes with a detachable microphone, but also includes a regular audio cable so that you don't have to have its microphone in the way if you're using a more advanced external XLR or USB microphone – as streamers regularly do. Of course, you don't have to be a professional streamer to get the Virtuoso Pro. Corsair will gladly sell it to anyone looking for a higher-end open-back gaming headset.

Personally, I don't need much convincing that open-back headsets are the way to go. My go-to choice for gaming and Teams calls is the open-back Drop+Sennheiser PC38X (reviewed here, now known as Drop+EPOS PC38X), so I'm quite aware of various benefits offered by such headsets. I'm also aware of their biggest drawback – they're all but unusable in noisy environments, or basically any room where you have someone sitting close to you. Due to their build, they leak sound in both directions, so having a dedicated gaming room is an absolute must.

As far as I'm concerned, the Drop+Sennheiser PC38X is the headset Corsair is going up against with the Virtuoso Pro, simply because it's one of only a few open-back headsets available on the market, but also a nearly unbeatable choice at $169. The Corsair Virtuoso Pro has a slightly higher asking price of $199, so let's examine if it's worth the extra cost.

Specifications

• Drivers: 50-mm custom graphene
• Impedance: 32 Ω @ 1 kHz
• Sensitivity: 117 dB
• Frequency Response (specified by the manufacturer): 20–40,000 Hz
• Design: Open-back, over-ear
• Microphone: Unidirectional, detachable
• Connectivity: 3.5 mm analog, optional 4.4 mm balanced (cable sold separately)
• Supplied cables: 3.5 mm to dual 3.5 mm with microphone (braided), 3.5 mm to dual 3.5 mm (braided), 3.5 mm TRS to dual 3.5 mm TRRS splitter cable (braided)
• Extras: Removable speaker tags, ear pads, and headband cushion, hardshell carrying case
• Platform support: PC, Mac, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, mobile with 3.5 mm port
• Weight: 338 g

The Package

The high-end feel of the Corsair Virtuoso Pro starts with its box, which is impressively sturdy and very nice to look at. The box depicts the headset from several angles and goes over its key features and specifications. Corsair sent me the white variant of the product, but the Virtuoso Pro is also available in black.


After opening the box, we're greeted by a sleek hardshell carrying case. Undoing the zipper and opening it reveals the Virtuoso Pro headset and a perforated inside pocket, which holds the supplied cables.


The headset is shipped with two braided audio cables, one with and one without the microphone. The idea is to allow you to use the Virtuoso Pro as regular headphones if you already own an external USB or XLR microphone. You'll also get a Y splitter cable with a separate microphone and headphone plug, which you'll need if you want to use the microphone on a device with a separate headphone output and microphone input, such as most PC sound cards and various audio interfaces.