Corsair HS65 WIRELESS Gaming Headset

The Corsair HS65 WIRELESS is the company's straightforward wireless gaming headset: 50 mm drivers, a 2.4 GHz USB transmitter, Bluetooth for a phone or laptop, an aluminium-reinforced frame and a claimed weight of only 275 grams. Corsair sells it in carbon and white, and the product page listed it at $119.99 when we read it. What makes it more interesting than its price suggests is SoundID, a personalised-sound feature from Sonarworks that Corsair has built into its iCUE software. This page walks through the specification, explains which features need software and which do not, and highlights a few limitations that the page states only in fine print, so that you know what you are buying.

Weight, comfort and build

Corsair says the HS65 WIRELESS is made for long-lasting comfort, reinforced with aluminium and weighing in at only 275 g. The headband is adjustable and the ear cups are breathable leatherette over memory foam. The company describes the construction as durable metal with details for a quality look and feel. For headsets, weight and clamping comfort determine whether you keep wearing it for an afternoon of calls and games, and 275 g is light enough that you should check how your head feels rather than assume. Corsair does not list clamping force or ear cup dimensions, so if you wear glasses or have large ears, look for a return policy that lets you try it. Our headset buying guide covers fit and comfort in more depth.

Sound: 50 mm drivers and Dolby Audio

The headset uses custom-tuned 50 mm neodymium drivers with a listed frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, an impedance of 32 ohms at 1 kHz and a sensitivity of 114 dB (plus or minus 3 dB). Corsair adds Dolby Audio 7.1 surround sound, with an important condition that the page states in a footnote: Dolby Audio is only available using Corsair iCUE software on a PC or Mac. In other words, if you plug the transmitter into a PlayStation, you will get the stereo sound but not the Dolby processing. If you want to know why driver size and tuning matter, our article on headset drivers and soundstage explains the terms.

SoundID: a sound profile made for your ears

SoundID from Sonarworks is the feature that most distinguishes this headset. According to Corsair, SoundID is integrated into iCUE and customises the headset's audio profile to your hearing preferences. Instead of moving complex equaliser sliders, you take a quick preference test and the software builds a sound profile. Corsair illustrates the idea with three example profiles: one listener who prefers accented vocals, one who prefers a neutral sound and one who prefers a lot of bass. The footnote again matters: SoundID is supported using iCUE on PC and Mac through the included USB adapter. That means it is a software-side feature that does not follow the headset to a phone over Bluetooth. Alongside SoundID, iCUE offers a custom audio equaliser, surround, sidetone control and NVIDIA Broadcast integration, according to the page.

Wireless: 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth

The headset connects to a PC, laptop or PlayStation through the low-latency 2.4 GHz USB transmitter with a range of up to 50 feet, and to mobile devices and others over Bluetooth. You switch between 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth with a button on the headset. Corsair lists the audio compatibility as PC, PS5 and PS4, and a separate field lists the platform as PC and PS4. These are slightly different lists, and Xbox and Nintendo Switch are not mentioned anywhere on the page we read, so if your main console is one of those, check with Corsair before buying. The interface and lighting fields show that there is no lighting on the headset.

Battery life: two numbers, one condition

Corsair gives up to 24 hours of battery life on 2.4 GHz wireless and up to 37 hours on Bluetooth. The 24 hour figure appears in large type in the wireless section and the 37 hour figure sits in the footnote, so it is easy to miss the fact that the longer time applies to Bluetooth only. Quick charging helps if you forget: 15 minutes of charging provides 6 hours of play. The charging cable is 1.8 m long. Since the headset uses a proprietary USB transmitter for 2.4 GHz, keep it with the headset when you travel.

Microphone

The microphone is omni-directional with a flip-to-mute function: flipping the boom up mutes it, and the page shows mic on and mic off positions. Corsair lists a microphone sensitivity of -41 dB (plus or minus 2 dB), an impedance of 2.2 kOhm and a frequency response of 100 Hz to 10 kHz. It says the microphone captures calls and commands with terrific clarity. A limitation in the specification: the microphone is not detachable, and the cable-length field says not applicable because the headset has no listening cable. If you take many calls, you will find our discussion of wired and wireless headsets in the headset buying guide relevant. The headset does not have a wired connection on the page we read, so a dead battery means charging rather than switching to a cable.

What is in the box

The package contains the HS65 WIRELESS gaming headset, the USB wireless transmitter, a 1.8 m USB charging cable and a warranty card. The specification field for the warranty duration is not filled in on the page, so we do not quote a period.

The numbers at a glance

To recap the specification in one place: weight 275 g; 50 mm neodymium drivers; 20 Hz to 20 kHz; 32 ohms; 114 dB sensitivity; 2.4 GHz range of up to 50 feet plus Bluetooth; up to 24 hours on 2.4 GHz and up to 37 hours on Bluetooth; 15 minutes of charging for 6 hours of play; omni-directional non-detachable microphone with flip-to-mute; no lighting; compatibility with PC, PS5 and PS4; price $119.99 at the time we read the page. Keeping these in view makes it easier to compare the headset with the others on our site.

How it compares

Corsair's line has several wireless headsets, and they differ in what they add on top of the HS65. The Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS and the Corsair VIRTUOSO RGB WIRELESS XT are on our site if you want to compare. The HyperX Cloud II Wireless is a well-known alternative from another maker. Use the fields above, such as battery life and the platforms supported, to line them up. If you want to browse the full selection, start on our headsets page.

Who should buy it

The HS65 WIRELESS suits someone who mainly uses a PC or PlayStation, wants both a low-latency dongle and Bluetooth for a phone, values a light frame and does not need RGB. SoundID is a genuine differentiator if you enjoy tuning your sound without touching sliders. It is a weaker fit for Xbox users, for anyone who wants a detachable microphone or a wired fallback, and for people who need more than a day of gaming from 2.4 GHz. At $119.99 the page presents a consistent package, once you read the footnotes, with just a couple of small discrepancies between fields.