Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Atmos with Bluetooth
Xbox Wireless Headset
Pros
- Bluetooth capabilities
- Great Xbox sound mixing
- More affordable
- Dolby Atmos licensed
- Good battery life
Cons
- Audio experience is not the best
- Can't detach mic
The Xbox Wireless Headset is the first gaming-oriented wireless option from Microsoft. The headset packs in some great features for its price, with a lightweight design and a comfortable profile. Where the Xbox Wireless Headset falters is in the overall sound experience, owing to a muddy soundscape and a subpar undetachable microphone.
Audio king
Corsair HS75 XB
Pros
- Robust metal construction
- Supremely good sound experience
- Dolby Atmos licensed
- Great battery life
Cons
- More expensive
- No Bluetooth or 3.5mm
- No extra features like sound mixing
The Corsair HS75 XB is the first dedicated Xbox headset from Corsair, and this debut has proven to be an impressive one. Boasting big balanced audio, robust construction, and great battery life, this is a great headset. However, it's a very "no-frills" approach that lacks Bluetooth and 3.5mm, preventing you from taking this headset anywhere beyond your game space.
Xbox Wireless Headset vs. Corsair HS75 XB: What you need to know
This showdown is ultimately between what you personally need. Both headsets are Dolby Atmos licensed, meaning they are detected by Dolby Atmos' software on the Xbox platform, enabling what is arguably the best virtual surround algorithm for headsets on the market right now. The Xbox Wireless Headset was designed for Microsoft's futuristic vision of Xbox, the one where we take our games from our consoles, to our tablets and phones, using one headset across multiple devices. However, falters on the audio side of things in general, but the soundscape is totally passable and competitive among its $99 peers. It also punches above its weight in features, owing to a nifty auto-mute function, and Bluetooth sound mixing.
The Corsair HS75 XB, by comparison, is a very pure headset, lacking in extraneous features in favor of big, bold audio that is as pleasant as it is balanced. Dollar for dollar, the Corsair HS75 XB might be the best Xbox headset on the market for raw audio quality, but you're sacrificing Bluetooth mixing and other features typical of some of the other best wireless Xbox headsets that the HS75 XB competes with.
| Xbox Wireless Headset | Corsair HS75 XB | |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency Response | 20Hz – 20kHz | 20Hz – 20kHz |
| Speaker Size | 40mm | 50mm |
| Speaker fabric | Synthetic leather | Synthetic leather |
| Compatibility | Xbox Wireless, Bluetooth | Xbox Wireless |
| Battery Life | 15 hours, USB-C charging | 20 hours, USB-C charging |
| Extra Features | Auto-mute mic feature, Dolby Atmos built-in |
Dolby Atmos built-in |
| Price | $99 | $164 |
Xbox Wireless Headset vs. Corsair HS75 XB: Soundscape
Xbox Wireless Headset (Left) vs. Corsair HS75 XB (right)
It's perhaps a bit unfair to compare the audio quality in a $99 headset against a $164~ headset, but hey, that's what we're here for. As you might expect, the Corsair HS75 XB beats the Xbox Wireless Headset in the sound department, with both a better quality microphone and a more balanced, spacious soundscape.
Both headsets are Dolby Atmos licensed, meaning that the Xbox app detects and automatically gives you access to Dolby Atmos surround sound while using them. Overall, the HS75 XB outperforms in terms of tactical surround, with superior separation and detailing for pinpointing enemy movements, along with a more balanced frequency profile. The HS75 XB is no slouch in the bass department either, but it isn't quite as overpowering as the bass on the Xbox Wireless Headset, which I find unnaturally aggressive even with its bass boost turned completely off.
Still, preferences in this area tend to be a bit subjective, and the Xbox Wireless Headset has a powerful app that lets you fine-tune EQ across the board. The Corsair HS75 XB headset doesn't have any EQ tuning that I could find, unfortunately, save for a few presets via the Dolby Atmos app. The Atmos app lets you prioritize tactical sound processing, or balance the soundscape for more naturalistic tones or a warmer sound. The Xbox Accessories app lets you go a fair bit deeper in terms of tuning, which is definitely a point to Microsoft.
Given that you're paying an additional $65 dollars for the Corsair headset, you'd have to hope that it delivers the goods in the sound department. Thankfully, it does, but things get a little more interesting when you dive a bit deeper into both products' feature sets.
Xbox Wireless Headset vs. Corsair HS75 XB: Design and Features
Xbox Wireless Headset (Left) vs. Corsair HS75 XB (right)
Microsoft is all about shifting gameplay between devices these days. With free cloud saves, cloud gaming, cross-progression, and platform-agnostic Xbox games, gamers in the Xbox ecosystem can platform shift quite easily. I can jump from State of Decay 2 on PC, to Xbox, and then to my smartphone seamlessly and to that end, Microsoft wanted a headset that could do the same.
Bluetooth isn't the best radio signal on the planet but it's currently the best cross-platform solution we have. To that end, Microsoft's Xbox Wireless Headset bakes in Bluetooth and Xbox Wireless, so that you can take your sound experience from your TV, to your laptop, and then your mobile device, no matter where you are. You can even mix two sound sources together, taking a call off your phone while mixing in sound from your Xbox Wireless signal to your console, or a PC with an Xbox Wireless USB adapter. On the flip side, the Corsair HS75 XB has no Bluetooth connectivity, or even 3.5mm connectivity. It's a pure Xbox-only experience. Ultimately, if you wanted Bluetooth capabilities, you'd probably want to go with the Xbox Wireless Headset.
Beyond Bluetooth, the Xbox Wireless Headset has a better app experience, which gives you a large amount of control over the headset's features. You can adjust the volume of the sidetone mic monitoring, add in an auto-mute feature that blocks background sound from entering your mic, and adjust EQ presets as noted. Corsair's HS75 XB has no such app or software, leaving you with very quiet sidetone mic monitoring that cannot be adjusted, and EQ presets that depend on Dolby Atmos' app access.
Design-wise, both headsets sport a modern subtle profile that feels great to wear across long sessions. Both have leather-style cushions, which feel great against the skin, with metal reinforcements across the headband. The HS75 XB has proven itself to survive a fair amount of abuse while being in my office. I haven't had the Xbox Wireless Headset long enough yet to make assumptions about its longevity, but I have suspicions, especially given the notorious fragility of the Surface Headphones. Finally, the Corsair HS75 XB edges the Xbox Wireless Headset on battery life, but both will last you an entire day of use.
Xbox Wireless Headset vs. Corsair HS75 XB: Which should you buy?
Ultimately, your choice will hinge on three things: Bluetooth, sound quality, and price. If you want Bluetooth capabilities, the Xbox Wireless Headset is arguably the best-value Xbox headset with Bluetooth on the entire market. While I am fairly critical of the audio profile, it's by no means terrible, and more than gets the job done, competing easily with similar headsets in its category.
The Corsair HS75 XB has a very pleasant soundscape and isn't shy about its lack of frills. This is a no-nonsense headset that focuses entirely on Xbox audio, ditching extraneous features. Despite 3.5mm waning in popularity, it would've added some much-needed versatility, especially considering the HS75 XB is competing with other headsets around that price that do include cross-platform capabilities, like the SteelSeries 9X. If you don't need Bluetooth, though, the Corsair HS75 XB represents some of the best value for pure audio on the market, if you're willing to stomach the added price tag.
Bluetooth on a budget
Xbox Wireless Headset
Platform shifting
While the Xbox Wireless Headset's audio quality won't blow you away, it's competitive in this price tier and backed by a huge array of powerful future-facing features.
Best-in-class audio
Corsair HS75 XB
For audio lovers
The Corsair HS75 XB lacks versatility and features, but it makes up for it with powerful and detailed audio that simply won't disappoint.
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