My go-to gaming headset is on sale for Black Friday, and it’s worth it now

In recent years, the best gaming headsets have become premium. Gone are the days of flashy headphones full of RGB lighting and angular designs that stick out like a sore thumb. These days, the major audio players are more interested in making high-quality headsets that you wouldn’t be ashamed to wear in public. The catch, however, is that this often comes with a high price tag, because these devices are marketed more as lifestyle products than as gaming products.

That’s what makes Black Friday such a pivotal time for gaming audiophiles. This weekend is your chance to get your hands on a premium headset for a reasonable price. If you need help figuring out which one to choose, I recommend Corsair’s Virtuoso Max Wireless Headset, available at several retailers for $290 (under $330). I feel comfortable recommending that even though it has its fair share of issues, as it has become my favorite headset in recent months.

What makes the Virtuoso Max so special? The fact that it is not that special at all. Instead of filling it with off-the-shelf gimmicks, Corsair focused on making a clean, functional pair of cans that work on a range of devices. While you can buy a separate pair specifically for Xbox, the core headset supports PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch, mobile and more thanks to 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth support.

In terms of audio quality, the Virtuoso Max ticks many boxes thanks to its clear 50mm graphene drivers. You’ll want to mess around with the EQ settings, as this is your typical bass-heavy gaming headset, but the audio shines once you adjust it in the right place. Most notably, the Virtuoso Max can get quite loud without distorting the audio. When I use them to the max, I don’t hear the dreaded hissing. That’s ideal for someone like me who likes banging music. That clean audio profile goes well with effective active noise cancellation that does an excellent job of blocking out noise.

But above all, it is the design that attracts me. Rather than trying to look “cool” according to an outdated gamer definition, the Virtuoso Max has a subtle, lightweight aluminum design that I can wear in public. Personally, I have the silver model, which has a sleek look and is not too shiny. The only additional lighting accents are thin rings around the earcups that add a slight glow. Those ear cups also rotate and act as a control wheel to adjust the volume. That means I don’t have to fiddle around at the bottom to find a volume wheel. It’s all intuitive.

As for comfort, that will vary from person to person. These have a firm, firm grip on my head, blocking out all external audio. The memory foam earcups and headband provide plenty of cushion, but they’re not as soft as Turtle Beach’s cushiony Atlas Air. If you plan to wear them for extended periods of time (and you can with up to 60 hours of battery life), keep in mind that this may be a bit inconvenient.

The Virtuoso Max is not perfect by any means. I’ve seen enough major criticism from audiophiles who feel a little burned by some shortcomings, such as audio bugs and the lack of preset EQ. Those are largely nitpicks that turned into bigger issues due to the headset’s hefty $330 price tag. I agree with these reviews; a premium headset should be held to a different standard than a pair of $100 cans. But now that the Black Friday price tag is under $300, I feel much more comfortable recommending the Virtuoso Max for the price tag. Even with issues, the incredibly clear sound quality, lack of distortion, and great noise cancellation make them an excellent choice for competitive games like Call of Duty: Black Ops6.