Corsair HS80 Max Wireless: Two-minute review

The Corsair HS80 Max is a gaming headset that leads not with its audio quality but with its feature set. On sound quality alone, it’s capable but not necessarily the most appealing option out there in its price range. 

That isn’t to say it isn’t a good sounding entry. And of course, the comfort and battery life are very good as well, with it outlasting many of the best wireless gaming headsets with its RGB lighting still on.

But it’s the extras that really sell it: there’s a customizable button for on-the-fly controls, a relatively powerful EQ, and a way to create a completely customized sound profile. There are a couple omissions, most notably multipoint connectivity, but the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to its feature set is more than enough to recommend it. And if it were to be considered among the best gaming headsets available right now, it would probably be because of those extras. 

In terms of its design, it doesn’t stray from Corsair’s previous HS80 gaming headset, with that version’s almost boxy ear cups, suspended headband, flip-to-mute mic copied and pasted into this updated version. It comes in either black or white / gray colorways for a slightly muted look. The RGB zones on either ear cup and the LED ring on the end of the mic provide the only shock of color.

While the majority of the Corsair HS80 Max seems to be made of hard and admittedly durable plastic, the headband is reinforced with lightweight aluminum. The yolks attached to the ear cups are also made of aluminum, ensuring that one of the most fragile elements of a headset will endure whatever wear and tear you’re putting it through.

The comfort is spot on as well. The headband does have a bit  more clamping force than I would like, but that’s easily remedied. By using a suspended headband design, Corsair made it easy to adjust the tightness of the fit. Just unfasten the end of the fabric band held in place by velcro, adjust to taste, and refasten. That means you can unfasten the fabric to loosen it almost like shoe laces.

Cushy ear pads covered in a soft fabric round out  that comfortable fit, allowing hours of wear without issue. At 352 grams, it’s not the lightest headsetI’ve experienced, but it’s light enough. The only real issue that could possibly get in the way of comfort is the fact that hard headband can’t actually be extended. So, if you have a particularly big head, this might not be the headset for you.

Physical controls are pretty minimal. There’s just a power button and volume wheel behind the left ear cup while a Bluetooth button sits behind the right. The only control for the mic is its ability to mute when flipped up.

That volume wheel contains a secret function, though. When pressed, it opens the iCue app (more on that later) that gives you access to a host of commands from changing EQ profiles – or alternately, performs non-headset commands like launching a program or simulating a button press on a mouse or key press on a keyboard.

Before I get too into the sound quality, I do want to add a quick caveat that I can be a harsh critic in this department. After all, it’s the core function of every headset and pair of headphones, and I tend to prefer more neutral sounding sound signatures. And, if there’s one thing the Corsair HS80 Max is not, it’s neutral.

That’s not to say this is a bad sounding headset. In fact, it sounds good. But, it’s got a boost in the low-mids with the highs slightly rolled for a sound that is best described as warm. The downside to that is it’s not the most detailed sounding headset out there, even in its price range. However, it is pleasant to listen to and actually performs better with games than with music (video streaming sits somewhere in between) as that low-mid boost helps approximate some rumble and gives body to any sound details, whether it’s the sound of running footsteps or explosions in Far Cry 6 or the thud of hitting against a shield in Gotham Knights.

Just as important as the actual sound quality is the soundstage and imaging. While the Corsair HS80 Max is not incredibly wide, it offers a good amount of space and delivers precise placement of sound elements. For this specifically, I spent some time running in Hogwarts Legacy, in which I could easily place voices and sound events as they approached or passed by.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the spatial audio. The Corsair HS80 Max supports Dolby Atmos, accessible through the Dolby Access app, for that three dimensional sound. It verges on subtle but does give a little more space to game audio without washing it out the way some spatial audio can. It’s a nice feature that I personally wouldn’t rely on too much, but it can give a little more depth to those who need it.

As I’ve mentioned before, it’s the features that I think are what make this headset special. The aforementioned ability to map the Scroll Press to a whole set of functions is one of them. It also has both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect it to a ton of different platforms, though sadly it doesn’t have multipoint connectivity. The rest  of its features, which are worth exploring, are found on the iCue app.

There’s a ten-band EQ, which is much more powerful than what I see available in a lot of companion apps, along with some EQ presets. Taking it a step further there’s also a way to create a personalized EQ or sound profile via the Sonarworks SoundID personalization. Instead of manually setting different EQ sliders, you essentially go through a five-minute test that analyzes what you can actually hear and adjusts accordingly. While I’ve generally found this kind of personalization feature to apply drastic changes to the EQ settings (which I didn’t like), I appreciated that the feature implemented here created a very usable and more subtle personalized sound signature.

iCue also lets you play with the RGB and create different profiles to adjust mic settings. You can also install Nvidia Broadcast (if you have a compatible GPU)  for any deep adjustments to the mic, but it’s not necessary. I typically don’t care about EQing or throwing effects on my voice. And, since the mic here sounds pretty clear with limited background noise retention, the volume and sidetone adjustments available in iCue are more than enough for me. 

The last thing I want to mention is the battery life. The only reason I’m not singing its praises as much as the feature set is the fact that most current gaming headsets have pretty good battery life, and if you regularly charge when not in use, you probably won’t notice the difference as much. If you use the 2.4GHz wireless connection with RGB on, the Corsair HS80 Max will give 24 hours of use. However, turn the RGB off, and you can get up to 65, and that’s where it starts to get impressive. Through Bluetooth, you might be able to get up to 130 hours.

Corsair HS80 Max Wireless: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $179.99 / £169.99 / AU$299
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

At $179.99 / £169.99 / AU$299, the Corsair HS80 Max is the epitome of mid-range. It’s not going to make your eyes water like the Audeze Maxwell just by looking at the price tag, but it won’t quite feel like a deal like the Corsair HS65 Surround. After having spent some time with the HS80 Max, I’d say that price tag is well-earned as it offers an appropriate amount of performance, comfort, and features for what Corsair is asking.

Of course, competition is stiff at this price point. The Alienware AW720H offers crisp, Hi-Res audio and that could-have-been-designed-at-Pixar look that sets it apart, though the mic and battery life here is better.

If that almost $180 / £170 price point is too steep, Corsair does offer some good alternatives. The Corsair HS65 Surround, mentioned above, goes for just $79 / £79 / AU$119 and offers good surround sound and a comfortable fit, though you will have to forgo that wireless connectivity. 

•  Price: 4 / 5

Corsair HS80 Max Wireless: Specs

Should you buy the Corsair HS80 Max Wireless?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Corsair HS80 Max Wireless: Also consider

How I tested the Corsair HS80 Max Wireless

• Used regularly for three days
• Tested with all sorts of games as well as music and streaming video
• Tested all included features

I used the Corsair HS80 Max Wireless Gaming Headset regularly for three days. While wearing it for hours at a time, I used it with a number of games including Gotham Knights, Control, Far Cry 6, and Hogwarts Legacy. I also listened to all sorts of genres of music and did a little video streaming as well.

While using the headset, I tested all the settings in the iCue software, toggling the various EQ settings as well as Dolby Atmos audio and other features such as the SoundID Personalization, comparing the results to get a better understanding of the headset.

Since I’ve reviewed audio equipment from speakers to headsets and headphones for the last few years, I’ve been able to build and use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical ear, to any audio product I test.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2023

Lenovo Legion Y32P-30: Two-minute review

Let’s get one thing out of the way – the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30 is expensive. There’s really not much to complain about this monitor, unless you need a much higher refresh rate, a larger screen, or a more impressive HDR. This model makes for a great gaming monitor and is just as great for productivity. But, you have to pay quite a bit to get it.

Many, but not all, of the best 4K monitors are at least a couple hundred dollars/pounds cheaper. You don’t have to drop that kind of money to get one of the best gaming monitors. That said, getting a 32-inch 4K monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate right now is not a cheap proposition. For example, the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144, which shares a lot of the same specs including decent but not great HDR as well as size, resolution, and refresh rate, almost hits that painful $1,000 / £1,000 mark.

So, if you can swallow the fact that you’ll be dropping quite a bit of hard-earned cash on a display like this, then you’re in for a visual treat. Just be aware that you’ll want to spend a little more for your audio, whether that’s investing in a headset or some external computer speakers, as the built-in speakers are mediocre at best.

Luckily, there’s much more happening with the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30 gaming monitor than the fact that it comes with speakers. To start, it comes with a fairly compact base that doesn’t require a lot of desk space. And, though rudimentary, the stand has built-in cable management to keep a clean-looking desk.

More interestingly, the panel is pretty thin with similarly tiny “near edgeless” bezels. There’s also a decent amount of articulation available, particularly the ability to swivel 30 degrees in either direction, tilt down 5 and up 22 degrees, and adjust the height by a total of 5.3 inches.

For just a little bit of flair, the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30 comes with some RGB lighting. Unlike what I’ve seen on other monitors, it’s more than decoration. Billed as “smart” RGB lighting, it will do things like pulse when a source is turned on or off and change color when switching inputs.

While that’s a nice feature and adds some nice ambiance during use, what I appreciate much more is the port selection. Next-gen console users will especially appreciate the two HDMI 2.1 ports that let you play your Playstation 5 in 4K at 120Hz as well as take advantage of HDR. Likewise, any Ultrabook user looking to also get some work done will love the fact that the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30 comes with a USB-C port complete with up to 75W power delivery, more than enough to keep my 2020 MacBook Pro charged.

There are some features hardcore gamers may not care about but multi-source users like me will, specifically the inclusion of PiP / PBP and KVM via the included USB hub. PiP (Picture-in-Picture) and PBP (Picture-by-Picture) work as expected and are great if you need to see two sources at the same time.

However, the KVM is more important. You can plug a keyboard and mouse into the USB hub and use it with both your USB-C source and one other source. Unfortunately, since you have to connect the single USB upstream port to whichever other HDMI or DisplayPort source you want to use, you can only use KVM between two sources. And, one of them has to be connected via USB-C. So, if you plan on going between two sources, you’ll probably need a standalone KVM switch.

With or without the KVM, the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30 is a pleasure to use. Its 31.5-inch IPS panel affords you plenty of screen real estate, particularly when running it at its native 4K resolution. Images are crisp, whether gaming, watching a movie, or just doing some work, thanks to its almost 140 PPI pixel density. In fact, it’s almost too much screen. Any bigger and I would need some curvature to see the whole thing.

Add in a speedy refresh rate of 144Hz and 0.2ms response time, and anything you’re doing is going to look very smooth. Not quite the level of those super-fast refresh rate monitors we’ve reviewed recently, but fast enough to where you won’t notice any ghosting or latency. Only the most competitive gamers might have an issue here. As I’ve noticed with high-refresh rate monitors like the Alienware AW2524H, beyond a certain point, you feel the difference more than you see it.

For me at least, this is more than fast enough. My gaming experience is just as immersive as displays with faster refresh rates, regardless of whether I’m running around the maintenance sector of Control or avoiding getting killed (again) by a tank in Battlefield 2042. 

Add to that the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30’s color coverage and accuracy as well as HDR and gaming sessions come alive with vibrancy. Specifically, this monitor covers 112% sRGB and 90% DCI-P3 with a 10-bit color depth. It also comes pre-calibrated from the factory with a delta E<2.

As far as HDR goes, you’re getting Vesa Certified HDR400. This is leagues better than the monitors that purport HDR support or HDR10 as you don’t get that washed-out look when turning HDR on. But, it’s the most entry-level option of the Vesa Certified options, meaning that you’ll get some better contrast, especially in dark areas of the screen. However, turning it on is not going to blow you away.

Lastly, a quick note about the speakers. I would rather they not be included and have the price be $50 / £50 lower as they’re incredibly thin sounding and not really worth including. Now, they’re nice to have if you’re setting up and don’t have speakers on hand. But, get yourself a pair of speakers or a decent headset as soon as you recover from the hole the Lenovo Legion y32P-30 has left in your wallet.

Lenovo Legion Y32P-30: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $749.99 / £799.99 / about AU$1147.34
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

First off, readers in Oceania will have to wait or go for something else as the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30 isn’t available there. For those in the US and UK, while this display is available to you, you will have to drop a cool $749.99 / £799.99 / about AU$1147.34 to get it. That’s not cheap.

Of course, what you get, it’s not a surprising price tag. For instance, the Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 will set you back an even higher $999 / about £900 / AU$1,450 for a similarly sized monitor with the same refresh rate, resolution, and ports with its only real advantage is a slightly better HDR.

If you can sacrifice either the higher refresh rate or resolution, you can save yourself a lot of money. For example, the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q might be a little long in the tooth these days, but it still comes with a sharp 4K resolution. You just have to live with a 60Hz refresh rate, which is still great for anyone not doing competitive gaming. And, it will cost you just $329 (about £250, AU$460) to get one.

Or, if you care more about the refresh rate, the AOC CU34G2X might be the way to go. For just $315 / around £280 / AU$500, you get a 144Hz refresh rate and a still sharp 1440p resolution.

• Price: 3.5 / 5

Lenovo Legion Y32P-30: Specs

Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Lenovo Legion Y32P-30: Also consider

How I tested the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30

• Tested over a week
• Tested with different and different kinds of games
• All included features were explored

To test the Lenovo Legion Y32P-30 Gaming Monitor, I spent a week with it, playing all sorts of games from fast-paced titles like Battlefield 2042 to more graphically intense single-player titles like Control and Far Cry 6.

While testing, I spent plenty of time checking for ghosting, screen-tearing, and latency while also toggling HDR to see what effect it had. I also checked out the various features included to see how they worked, particularly the KVM feature. For this review, I used two computers. One had an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 while the other had an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060.

Having spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation. And, I’ve spent even longer playing computer games so I have an understanding of what gamers look for to get the most out of their titles.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2023

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023): Two-minute review

The short version of what makes the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) so great is its excellent balance of competitive-level performance and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feature set with a small but not tiny TKL form factor.

Unless you have certain specific demands such as a dedicated number pad or macro keys, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) can go toe-to-toe with any of the best gaming keyboards out there to satisfy your typing needs. That’s doubly so if you’ve been considering the best mini keyboard.

Of course, like most models at the top of a company’s product line, the Apex Pro TKL Wireless comes with a pretty substantial price tag. It’s not more expensive than other premium options from other brands, but it is significant. And, if price is a big factor, you can probably get away with spending less than half for a still excellent keyboard.

That said, if you want everything packed inside this small keyboard, it’s worth it no matter if you’re looking for gaming performance or the best mechanical keyboard.

At first glance, this keyboard looks much like most models from the big-name manufacturers. You’re not getting funky keycaps or colorways. Instead, this all-matte black affair keeps things mostly traditional. Any color you’ll experience comes from the fairly bright RGB lighting.

Where the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) differentiates itself from many other robust but functional keyboards is the OLED display and accompanying control wheel and button. Through the display, it’s easy to make on-the-fly adjustments like changing profiles, adjusting brightness and actuation distance, and even creating macros without having to open the app.

Since this keyboard is made with competitive gamers in mind, it comes with SteelSeries’ own speedy OmniPoint 2.0 switches with up to a 0.2mm actuation. In fact, one of the marquee features of this keyboard is the inclusion of dual actuation, something I think is only possible with having switches that are this fast.

That dual actuation is a welcome addition here. While macro users will delight in setting up all sorts of shortcuts for using spells, I found it to be incredibly useful for every game where you have to hold down the shift key to go from walking to running in-game. Instead of pressing shift, I set the initial actuation at a very quick setting, around 1mm, and then the dual actuation binding at a deeper point, around 2.7mm, freeing up my pinky. Any time I want to run in a game, all I have to do is bottom the key out. 

Lastly, it comes with triple connectivity (Wired, 2.4GHz Wireless, Bluetooth 5.0) making it ideal for those with a multiple computer setup like myself. Instead of moving a dongle from one computer to the next, I can just flip a switch on the back of the keyboard to go from wireless to Bluetooth for when I want to go from my gaming computer to my MacBook Pro. Just be aware that Bluetooth, though lag-free, has a polling rate of 125Hz instead of the 1K rate of the other connectivities.

With that 1,000Hz polling rate and up to 0.2mm actuation, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) can keep up with the pickiest of competitive gamers. I tested this keyboard with a number of games including CS:GO, Battlefield 2042, Rocket League, as well as a number of single-player games. No matter what was required of me, I had no issues with missed presses, latency, or any performance problems.

Additionally, I’m able to set the Apex Pro TKL Wireless for a much quicker actuation. That way, I can get an even faster reaction from the games I play with just a light press. On top of that, having dual actuation available opens up a lot of options for shortcuts so that I don’t have to do any dancing around the keyboard to trigger things like throwing grenades or activating spells.

Adjusting the dual actuation requires the use of SteelSeries’ GG Engine. The app, where you can control all the usual keyboard-related features, such as adjusting RGB lighting and remapping keys (this keyboard is fully remappable), is not the most intuitive when it comes to setting up that dual actuation. That’s because there’s one page where you adjust the initial actuation of the keyboard or individual key, another where you set the dual actuation, and then a third page where you map out what the dual actuation does. Since it’s not streamlined, it took me a little bit to figure out how to properly set up the dual bindings that I wanted. 

However, once you understand it, it’s easy to set up and has all the options you get with general remapping such as macros, alphanumeric values, and media functions among many others.

The battery life, though good, is not quite as impressive as the other aspects of this keyboard. Rated at 37 and a half hours on wireless mode and 45 hours on Bluetooth, it actually goes pretty quickly for me as I use it for both work and play. That means that I have to charge it about once a week. Backlighting and speedy features require energy so if battery life is more of a priority than gaming performance, this might not be the keyboard for you. That’s especially true as I have found that it takes a few hours to charge back up from 0 to 100.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023): Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $249.99 / £229 / AU$289.99 
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

As fully featured as the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023) is, and as good as its gaming performance may be, its accompanying price tag of $249.99 / £229 / AU$289.99 is a bit hard to stomach. In fact, the biggest issue with this keyboard, in my opinion, is the size of the hole it will leave in your wallet. 

That’s not to say it’s not worth it. After all, many of the best wireless keyboards sit in the same range. The Asus Rog Azoth is a similar size, also delivers excellent performance, and goes for the same price (unless you live in Australia) of $249.99 / £269.99 / AU$399. While it has much deeper customization options than the Apex Pro TKL Wireless reviewed here like being able to change out keycaps and switches, it doesn’t have that dual actuation.

If you’re hoping for something less expensive, consider forgoing wireless connectivity. Dell’s new Alienware keyboard, the Alienware AW420K, not only provides stellar gaming performance but stunning RGB as well. And, it goes for a much more accessible $149.99 / £145 / AU$238.70.  

•  Price: 4 / 5 

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023): Specs

Should you buy the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL WIreless (2023): Also consider

How I tested the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023)

• Tested over a month
• Tested with different and different kinds of games
• All included features were explored

To test the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (2023), I spent a month with it, playing all sorts of titles including fast-paced games like Battefield 2042 and CS:GO as well as single-player adventures like Far Cry 6 and Cyberpunk 2077. I also typed quite a bit on it including some of the recently published articles I’ve written. 

While testing, I spent plenty of time seeing if it could keep up with even the most fast-paced action as well as how well the features were implemented, not to mention checking how useful they really are.

Having spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation. And, I’ve spent even longer playing computer games so I have an understanding of what gamers look for to get the most out of their titles.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed May 2023