Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT (Black)
By Corsair · Gaming Headsets · Audio & Electronics
- 50mm neodymium drivers
- 20Hz-40kHz frequency response
- Up to 15 hours battery
- 2.4GHz Slipstream Wireless + Bluetooth + USB wired + 3.5mm
- Dolby Atmos spatial audio
Lowest price seen
~$279.99 (approx.)
from $279.99 at Amazon
- Amazon ~$279.99 (approx.)View at Amazon
- CorsairView at Corsair
- eBay (used) eBay: used, open-box, refurbishedView at eBay (used)
- eBayView at eBay
- NeweggView at Newegg
- B&H PhotoView at B&H Photo
Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.
Summary
A premium metal wireless gaming headset with 50mm drivers, a broadcast-grade detachable mic and four connection types, including simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth. Check the battery before you commit: owners report units that will not charge or that fall well short of the 15-hour claim.
Strengths
- Sound quality competes with dedicated music headsets, with a warm, detailed profile.
- The 9.5mm detachable mic is among the best on any gaming headset.
- Four connection types, and it can hold a 2.4GHz and a Bluetooth link at the same time.
- Reduced clamping force and memory foam make it comfortable for long sessions.
- The aluminum chassis feels premium and survives drops.
- Corsair sells exact-model spare parts, so a lost dongle or worn pad is fixable.
Weaknesses
- Battery life is the main complaint: owner reports range from a few hours to full claims.
- Some units will not charge, or drop to “Battery Critical” soon after purchase.
- A 2.4GHz range rated at 60ft but reviews found it cut out just rooms away.
- No fast charging; a full charge takes about 3 hours.
- Shallow ear cups let some owners’ ears touch the drivers, causing fatigue.
- The leatherette headband and pads can peel, a known issue in the Virtuoso line.
Verified specifications
| Model | CA-9011188-NA (Slate). |
|---|---|
| Drivers | 50mm high-density neodymium, matched pair. |
| Frequency response | 20Hz–40,000Hz. |
| Impedance | 32 Ohms @ 2.5kHz. |
| Sensitivity | 109dB (±3dB). |
| Microphone | 9.5mm omni-directional, detachable, high-bandwidth; 100Hz–10kHz, -42dB (±2dB), 2.0k Ohms. |
| Battery life | up to 15 hours on dual-wireless; about 20 hours on a single connection. |
| Wireless | 2.4GHz Slipstream, rated up to 60ft (18.3m). |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 with SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX HD. |
| Wired audio | USB at 24-bit/96kHz, plus 3.5mm analog. |
| Spatial audio | Dolby Atmos on PC, plus Windows Sonic and PS5 3D Audio. |
| Weight | 382g (0.8 lb). |
| Materials | machined aluminum earcups, yokes and headband; leatherette memory foam pads; 10 headband adjustment levels. |
| Lighting | one RGB zone on the Corsair logo, controlled in iCUE. |
| In the box | headset, USB wireless transmitter, 1.8m charging cable, 3.5mm cable with inline controller, detachable mic, and a padded storage pouch. |
| Warranty | 2 years. The refurbished Revival Series carries 90 days. |
Full research notes and sources
Connection options and dual-wireless
This is the XT’s reason to exist. It takes a 2.4GHz Slipstream dongle to a PC or PlayStation and a Bluetooth 5.0 link to a phone at the same time, each with its own volume control, so you can game and still take a call. It also does USB wired audio at 24-bit/96kHz and plain 3.5mm analog, which covers most platforms. Xbox Series X/S and Switch are wired-only: the 2.4GHz dongle does not work with them.
The XT replaced the older SE’s Corsair 7.1 virtual surround with Dolby Atmos, Windows Sonic and PS5 3D Audio, and a Dolby Atmos license is included on PC.
Battery life, charging and range
Corsair rates 15 hours with dual-wireless and about 20 hours on a single connection; SoundGuys measured 22h27min at 75dB in their test. Owner reports are less kind, ranging from 2–4 hours to 20-plus hours, and at least one owner saw runtime fall after an iCUE firmware update. Units that will not charge at all are reported in Corsair forum and Reddit threads across several years. These are anecdotal signals, not defect rates. There is no fast charging, and a full charge takes roughly 3 hours.
Range is the second catch. The 60ft figure is the rated maximum; Tom’s Hardware found audio cut out about three rooms from the PC, TechRadar said it barely made it to the kitchen, and MMORPG.com reported the transmitter losing signal in another room.
Comfort, build and repairs
The chassis is aluminum on the earcups, yokes and headband, and the reduced clamp force versus the SE is what reviewers credit for all-day comfort. The earcups rotate both ways and lay flat. The trade-offs are the shallow pads, which some owners find touch their ears, and the leatherette covering, which can peel over time.
Long-term ownership is helped by parts. Corsair sells exact-model replacement ear pads ($19.99), a mic boom ($24.99), a wireless USB dongle ($24.99) and a 3.5mm inline controller ($19.99) as of 2026, so a lost or damaged accessory does not scrap the headset. The battery is not user-replaceable per Corsair, which recommends its own charging troubleshooting instead. Warranty is 2 years.
Is it worth it?
Corsair lists the Slate colorway at $279.99 (Corsair, 2026-10-10), and a refurbished Revival Series unit at $124.99. Launch MSRP was $269.99 in May 2021, and SoundGuys noted $229 in April 2022. Around $125–150 it is a strong buy: you get the metal build, the mic and the dual-wireless trick that cheaper headsets lack. From $150–200 it is competitive but the battery weakness bites. Above $270 it is a luxury purchase, worth it only if you specifically want simultaneous PC and phone audio and a broadcast-grade mic. The 40kHz frequency response is a marketing number; the real differentiators are the dual-wireless, the 9.5mm detachable mic and the aluminum build.
Which model this is
This page covers the 2021 Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT, model CA-9011188-NA, sold in the US in Slate. The Amazon listing for the black variant is ASIN B09BXZKNDB. Do not confuse it with the older Virtuoso RGB Wireless or SE, which have no Bluetooth, or the newer Virtuoso Max, which uses a different headband and graphene drivers.
Sources
Manufacturer:
- VIRTUOSO RGB WIRELESS XT High-Fidelity Gaming Headset — Slate (Corsair)
- Corsair launches VIRTUOSO RGB Wireless XT (Corsair Newsroom)
- Headset: battery related issues (Corsair Help)
Independent reviews:
- Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT review (Tom’s Hardware)
- Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT review (TechRadar)
- Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT review (SoundGuys)
- Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT review (IGN)
- Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT review (Android Central)
- Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT review (MMORPG.com)
- Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT headphones review (RTINGS.com)
- Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless and SE headset review (PC Perspective)
Owner reports:
- Corsair Virtuoso XT not charging (Corsair Community forum)
- Virtuoso battery life after update (Corsair Community forum)
- Battery life problem (r/Corsair)
- Battery life is appalling (r/Corsair)
- Virtuoso XT not charging and 98% dead (r/Corsair)
- Thoughts on Virtuoso XT (Corsair Community forum)
- A breaking headband in Virtuoso Max Wireless (Corsair Community forum)
- Fix for a peeling headband (r/Corsair)
Parts and stores: