Corsair’s VOID Wireless v2 Gaming Headset is the best pair of headphones I’ve ever owned, taking the crown from… the Corsair headphones I was using before this review unit arrived.
This outcome didn’t seem likely to me, at least not at first. When I first unpacked the v2, I was frustrated that there was a bit of a learning curve. I’m not an audiophile, so headphones in roughly the same range as the v2s, which retail for $119.99, are perfectly satisfactory for my daily use. I listen to a lot of music, podcasts, and routinely watch movies or play games with headphones on, but I can’t break down specs, and until now, I’ve never expected to need to use an app to get the most out of my headphones. I mostly want something that sounds good and is convenient. At first, the v2 was testing me on the second point.
I figured I would be able to easily use the VOID v2s out of the box, but this is a pair of headphones where you need to read the instructions. Particularly, about the two free apps you’ll need to download to get the most out of them: iCUE and Dolby Access.
On The Apps
By default, the VOID v2s have LED lighting enabled, and as someone who uses my headphones to listen to music while I work, sometimes in public, I find that obnoxious. Thankfully, you may turn it off in the iCUE app. If youareinto that kind of thing, however, you can select from a variety of Murals — basically light color profiles — and make your own custom profiles, too.
Dolby Access allows you to choose between multiple audio presets or create your own custom ones. I mostly kept it on the ‘Music - Detailed’ preset, which instantly sounded better than any other headphones I’ve owned. The drums, especially, sounded crisp and loud when I tested them out with the Prince’s Dirty Mind, an album I’ve been listening to all year on my previous pair. The difference was night and day.
Needing to download two apps in order to get the most out of your headphones is an annoying extra step, but the results are worth it.
Awesome Usability
Okay, you’ve got your presets figured out, your head is lit up like a gaming laptop, and your music sounds as crisp as the first apple of the autumn harvest. The good news is that you’re able to keep the experience going long-term thanks to the VOID v2’s terrific battery life. Per the provided review guide, they can go for 70 hours without a charge. I never managed to deplete them completely, and the times I did charge them was just habit kicking in.
Battery life is the kind of thing that you don’t want to notice. If it’s good, you forget about it. But I actively noticed how helpful the VOID v2’s ability to effortlessly switch between channels is. When playing a game on my PS5 or listening to music on my PC, I used the included wireless dongle. With the press of a button, I could instantly switch to a Bluetooth connection and listen to a podcast on my phone. Switching back was just as easy. Compared to the process with my previous headphones — turn off Bluetooth on one device, turn off the headphones, turn on Bluetooth on another device, turn the headphones back on — this was a breeze.
My previous Corsair headphones also had an issue where they would frequently disconnect after a few minutes of usage, then stay connected after I reconnected them - something the VOID v2s have not replicated.
Form Factor
If there’s one area where the VOID v2s have room for improvement, it’s comfort. I don’t love the feel of the fabric that covers the earphones, and definitely prefer the pleather blend of my last pair. This is tolerable in short bursts, but I tend to wear headphones for most of my work day, and the shape and texture of the ear muffs became mildly uncomfortable toward the end of longer sessions.
I don’t do a ton of online gaming, so I was happy with the unintrusive mic; When it was folded up against the left muff, I never noticed it. I did test out the audio quality by recording voice clips on Audacity, and while you wouldn’t want to use it to record a podcast, it goes above and beyond the crispness and clarity you would need for gaming.
The Corsair VOID v2 Gaming Headset is easily the best headset I’ve ever owned, and I hope to use it for a long time. Needing to download multiple apps activated my inner Boomer, but the convenient long-term experience was worth a little hassle up front and mild discomfort in longer sessions. At $119.99, it’s top-tier value for a mid-tier price.
