CORSAIR’S FIRST CRACK at the Virtuoso was bold—a new flagship headset that tried to bridge the gap between gaming headsets and audiophile headphones. The original Virtuoso SE was released in 2019, and it was a well-loved product with one main criticism: a brutally high price. The Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is the latest in the line, a slick update to a good design. How much has changed since 2019? Well, in Corsair’s world, not much.
The XT is immediately familiar to anyone who had a set of the older Virtuoso cans, from the soft black leatherette cushioning on the headband to the muted gunmetal exterior of each earpiece. A diminutive Corsair logo sits in the center of each earcup, behind which glows subtle, understated RGB lighting. This isn’t your average gaming headset, it says. This is something more.
Indeed, on paper, the Virtuoso XT sits at the top of its game. A broad frequency response range, surround sound, and Dolby Atmos audio (the software for which has to be installed separately, but is free) mean the XT should offer stellar sound quality straight out of the box.
We’re pleased to report that it does, with incredible clarity in games that allows you to hear higher-pitched sounds such as bullet casings hitting the ground even through the clamor of gunshots and bassy explosions. AptX HD audio results in near-lossless sound, making these a solid choice for listening to music as well (although they won’t compete with audiophile cans in the $500-plus price bracket). TV and movies sound amazing here, too, although you’ll want to use one of the lower-latency connection options.