Those of you familiar with our lineup of gaming headsets might have noticed an obvious gap in the range. We’ve got wired, wireless, surround sound, stereo, etc. All the usual suspects, however, what we’ve never had is an open-back headset. So, all you audiophiles can rejoice as we’ve finally fixed that with the release of the CORSAIR VIRTUOSO PRO, a wired, open-back gaming headset. You’ll find the specs below, then we’ll get into the best features.
The main selling point here is the open-back design, so let’s talk about that. When we say open-back, we’re referring to the outside of the earcups. If air can escape through there, they’re open, if not, they’re closed.
While it sounds like a purely stylistic choice, it really does create a different type of sound. With open-back designs audio has a more natural effect, more closely resembling real sound, as it feels like it’s coming from a real source, instead of an artificial one right next to your ears. As you might imagine, this helps create a greater sense of immersion, particularly useful for single-player story-driven games.
Another benefit is that you can hear your own voice more clearly with an open-back design. This means you no longer need to use sidetones. We’ve written a whole article about the differences between closed-back and open-back headphones you can read for more info, if you’re curious.
Another feature we’re particularly excited about is the graphene drivers we've used here. Graphene is a single-atom layer of carbon. Using this material instead of the traditional plastic-based options for the dynamic driver provides a couple of distinct advantages.
The first and most influential is weight. As graphene is quite literally 1 atom thick, it’s got an incredibly low mass. This means that it’s super easy to drive so you don’t need to use a lot of power. The low weight also means that the diaphragm can move more quickly, creating a better depth of sound. If you’re curious about graphene drivers, we’ve written a separate article explaining them in more depth.
Anyone familiar with streamers will have realized that they have a specific set of needs when it comes to audio, which are the primary force behind the design of the Virtuoso Pro. Let’s take a look at these needs and how the Virtuoso Pro fills them.
Firstly, the Virtuoso Pro is a wired headset. No dongle, no drivers, just pure plug and play. It uses a 3.5mm jack. One of the most common interfaces, meaning that it can connect to pretty much anything. From top-tier mixers like the Elgato Wave XLR to the back of a PS5 controller, the Virtuoso Pro is at home anywhere you want.
Additionally, the 3.5mm connection allows for multiple configurations. So, if you just fancy a wired open-back headset, then you can use the cable with the unidirectional microphone attached. If you’re a discerning gamer or streamer who likes a more extensive setup with a dedicated mic, you can swap this cable out for the included regular cable, removing the extraneous microphone. There’s also a Y-Splitter included, and you can get a 4.4mm balanced cable (Sold separately).
It should be noted that the cables that come with the VIRTUOSO PRO are keyed. The connectors that plug into the left earcup are squared-off, whereas the connectors that plug into the right earcup are round. This is the same for the cable with a mic, and the cable without. This means that you can only plug them in one way, and the mic must be on the left side of the headset. Additionally, the earcups and the cables are labelled L and R for left and right, respectively.
However, the other end of both cables, the end that plugs into your PC, PS5, or Nintendo Switch etc, is a completely standard universal 3.5mm cable, so there are no limitations for the devices you can use the VIRTUOSO PRO with.
Another common priority for streamers is the ability to fine-tune audio settings. To provide this, we recommend using the Elgato Wave Link software. This will allow you to take advantage of NVIDIA Broadcast and VSTs, too.
Streamers also regularly stream for very long periods. We’re talking anywhere from eight hours to multiple days. This means that comfort is paramount, and the new design of the Virtuoso has been tailored with this in mind. The open-back design creates more airflow around the ears as compared to a closed-back headset. In addition to airflow, the open back design also reduces weight, making the Virtuoso Pro 44g (1.5oz) lighter compared to the Virtuoso RGB WIRELESS XT, further increasing comfort. We’ve also upholstered the earcups in breathable material, making this the comfiest and least sweaty headset in our current lineup.
If this sounds like your next gaming headset, you can get the CORSAIR Virtuoso Pro right now over at our main website.
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