Corsair CA-9011180 Virtuoso Wireless Virtual 7.1 RGB SE Gaming Headset

These were my main headphones for a while.

The sound quality and software are decent. I never used the mic as I have an external mic but from the little bit I did use it, the mic is decent too.
However, the build quality of the earcups is ABSYMAL. I take good care of my tech, but after about a year of use, the seams of the earcups started splitting, revealing the foam underneath, alongside that, the tiny plastic "clips" that attach the cups to the headphones themselves started breaking, to the point that the only thing holding the earcups on was the pressure of the headphones against my head. The battery also degraded quite quickly after about a year or so but that's less of an issue to me.

I reached out to Wootware as the headphones were still under warranty, and I need to give kudos to Wootware where it's deserved.
They informed me that the Corsair representative refused to believe that the earcups broke on their own and that it had to have been customer-induced damage.
I genuinely could not believe what I had read. I informed Wootware that I understand that they are not in control of how Corsair handles the situation, and asked if there was any way I could BUY a new pair of earcups for the headphones.

Wootware managed to get a pair and ship it to me free of charge, absolute legends.

Fast forward another year and the new earcups break in the same way, just like the last.
They're now sitting in a cupboard, unused.

I will not be buying another pair of headphones from Corsair ever again, that's for sure.
If you have the means to 3D print or acquire third-party earcups elsewhere, these headphones are decent. If not, steer clear.

Bought the SE Black on 7 September 2020.

For the price, I cannot recommend this headset, as it only lasted about 15 months.

From my experience, anything with pleather should be avoided like the plague (not that people are very good at avoiding an actual plague).

The material on the cups and headband has completely deteriorated from the date of purchase.

The battery has also deteriorated as expected, however still getting acceptable battery life for now.

Unfortunately, the batteries and ear cups are not replaceable.

I have had cheaper headsets that lasted much longer (years).

I didn't have any issues with sound quality or connection issues (ICUE does have it's fair share if issues), however the build quality is not the best at this price range.

After 1 year of use the seams on the ear cups started tearing and is showing the internal yellow foam.

I would recommend 3D printing the inner connections (available online) and buying some proper ear cups from a 3rd party.

One last important thing to keep in mind is the ear cup depth. The first couple of days was extremely uncomfortable with the inner part touching your ears.
But in all honesty after 2 - 3 days you don't notice it any more,

I bought these and sold them after a weekend. The mic mute button sporadically stops working, the headband is rock hard and the audio quality is exceptionally poor.
If you want to be plagued with discomfort, static audio and financial regrets, this is the option for you.

Otherwise, spend your money on virtually anything else for a better return on investment.

Just buy it. You will not be sorry! Wi-Fi is amazing. Sound is amazing. Yes, there has been a lot said about the earpads. My ears are just a little too big so it just fits in without any hassle. In the meantime I have purchased softer earpads online and it will be a wait and see... but will not change my mind. This pair of headphones is supreme!

I bought these as a replacement for my 8 year old Vengance 1500. Everything is great except for the depth of the ear cups. I have a smaller head and ears but they still rest on the inner part and after a couple of hours they do start to hurt. I will definitely invest in some custom deeper ear cups since they are easily replaceable but Corsair aren't supplying any replacements.
I ended up wrapping my old, much bigger and deeper, cups over this one and now they are close to perfect.
The default EQ isn't great but luckily changing it in iQUE was quite easy.

If you're anything like me, you've probably spent countless hours (or even days) researching wireless headsets up until the point where your brain is feeling like a wet sponge. At this price point there are quite a few other headsets to consider after all. Following all the reviews that I had read or watched; I had some concerns. I'm glad to report that I haven't been disappointed in the slightest.

I was concerned about the size and comfort of the over-ear padding. I have a massive head and I tend to get sweaty with very little effort. I was worried it might be uncomfortable over my ears and that I would sweat profusely with the plush material. This has not been the case, quite the contrary. I've had these on for 4+ hours without even noticing them.

Aesthetically, I personally find these to be one of the best looking headsets on the market. Here it absolutely does not disappoint. I spent the extra money on the SE purely for this reason and I'd highly recommend it. The build quality is exceptional and it's just an absolute treat to handle and look at on your headset stand. It's definitely a premium quality product.

In terms of sound it also hasn't disappointed. I'm by no means a "sound expert" but I do use these for music, gaming and taking meetings day in and day out. For these I've found both the sound and mic quality to be excellent. I especially enjoy the sidetone feature where you can hear some of your own sound input from the mic. This is adjustable to a level suitable for you. It helps to not sound like you're having a meeting under water.

You can also create different sound profiles. This is not really my cup of tea and I've found that the presets work just fine for me. I enjoy the voice feedback for when the battery is low or when the mic is on or off. I know some reviewers didn't like this feature. If you don't, you can switch it off. I also enjoy the fact that the mic has lights indicating the on/off status and that it is removable. I've had flip-up mics and I prefer to be able to remove it completely. Especially when traveling.

Battery life is great as well. They say it lasts about 20 hours on a full charge and this has definitely been my experience. I can go two full days (+-8 hours a day) without having to charge. I'm not sure how RGB would affect the battery life but I'm assuming quite badly. I'm not a fan of RGB lighting so mine is set to be a solid colour. The RGB lighting effects are infinitely adjustable by the way. I'm not sure how long it takes to charge fully but I just leave mine in overnight.

I have two main negative comments. Firstly, the Corsair software used to monitor the headset (iCUE). It's clunky, especially on Macs (which I use for work). It's also the only way to see the battery life, which is not a train smash but quite annoying. I've opted to leave it running all the time so that I can keep an eye on battery status, updates and switch between presets if necessary. Not the best experience.

Secondly, the wireless range. I knew when buying the headset that the range is pretty bad. I just didn't expect it to be this bad. I live in an average size 2 bedroom apartment (roughly 70 square meters). If I leave my desk and walk into a different room, I still get sound but the mic cuts out. Sometimes it doesn't but I suspect this might be because there was still a direct view between myself and the receiver. It's quite disappointing but it hasn't really bothered me, as I'm rarely roaming around my apartment while listening to something.

This is my first wireless headset I've ever owned, and like me you might still be asking yourself - is wireless really necessary? The answer is yes, yes and absolutely yes. Well, I suppose it's not "really" necessary but it's an absolute treat to be able to get up and make coffee while taking meetings or just carrying on with your current playlist while popping out to the loo. The convenience is so worth it.

These are fantastic headphones. Good sound, build quality and good software. I'm not sure the microphone justifies the price but hey.

My biggest grip is they don't sit comfortable on my head. The round cup is nice if you prefer that shape but my ears are elongated and tend to rest on the inner speaker. There is no padding here and it hurts my ears after a few hours.

Definitely for bigger heads as I think that will take the pressure off the ear and put it above the ear instead. Otherwise good headset just a little pricey.