Corsair virtuoso rgb wireless se eq settings: Corsair Virtuoso RGB SE Reference Equalizer Settings (and a bit of review) : Corsair

1 ноября, 2022

Corsair Virtuoso RGB SE Reference Equalizer Settings (and a bit of review) : Corsair

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to share my EQ settings for my Corsair Virtuoso (Have the SE one). The way i EQ’ed this is via actual calibration via REW (Room EQ Wizard) using an Audio Interface(Focusrite) and an RTA Microphone

Before I do share, let me give a short review on the headphones, as an sound technician.

1> Functionality wise, this headset is very flexible. It’s basically has a mini DAC built-in to it, that allows you up to 96KHz sample rate and supports up to 8 audio channels(make sense since it supports 7.1 sorround sound). The great thing about this headset is its convenience: (1) I can be very mobile, (2)that removable microphone (2) ability to be wireless, digital(USB connected) analog(3.5mm jack).

DISCLAIMER: I did see reviews that the microphone was bad, the non-SE was even better as they say, and personally heared. Though in my unit, i dont see this problem. My unit could be a new hardware revision since it sounds fine. Note I bought this 2 months ago.

2> Sound wise, by default (note this is my experience and what I’ve found out during the calibration)

PS: All values are estimates, never bothered trying to accurately measure it

  • Bass boosted (as expected and the usual «sin» of gaming headsets (120-ish Hz below boosted about 6dB

  • Around 250Hz, it gets cut -4dB

  • A very weird -4 dB cut around the 6KHz range. If your using only iCUE software to tune the headset, you’re gonna have a hard time fixing this due to the next problem and how the iCUE software only a 10

  • band EQ-A large cut from 8KHz and up, of about -8 to -9 dB

-For the sound: the FLAT audio response is bad. The way they tuned the headset is all over the place. The default profiles that Corsair provided also sucks. Dont listen to music using the flat response, you’re gonna have a bad time.

-Overall however, I still love this headset. I do which they tuned the freq. response better, but from the way I see it. This is quite a common «sin» that gaming headsets do. The reason why I got this headset in the first place is: convinience, mobility and playing/gaming.

ANYWAY, here are my findings. Of course, using the iCUE software.

To review, here’s my calibration setup:

  • USB Audio interface using Focusrite Gen 2-Room EQ Wizard (REW). Calibrated as well with my equipment.

  • RTA Microphone(wont mention the brand)

  • Calibration was done MANUALLY (not via a sweep). Basically constant pink noise and manually tweaking the iCUE EQ

On yeah, unfortunately, I wasnt able to screenshot my REW RTA results. My bad, did it on a whim, and didnt bother to take screencaps.

Lastly, actual results may vary, we may have the same headset, but no two speakers (the actual speakers on your ears) are created identically, especially if Corsair has gone through a hardware revision. Regardless, I do hope it will help as a reference point for your EQ needs.

-Calibrated settings:

6KHz is really hard to address btw

-Calibrated, but added +3dB to get as much loudness as I can

+3dB for more SPL

-Lastly, adding my own personal tweaks. This is what I always have active when using the headset. This is based on the Calibrated +3dB. Cloned profile and adjust it from there.

Tweak as you desire

Very very happy with the outcome after this 🙂

Also, messing the %AppData% files, I was able to remove the default profiles. To keep the iCUE GUI clean.

TIP: If you want your profile page to be clean (without the default profiles, they suck anyway), like this one:

  1. You can go to %AppData% — Corsair — CUE4 — profiles.

  2. Copy/Save to another folder to serve as a backup and edit the file with the .cueprofiledata settings

  3. Look for the default profiles and delete entries between <value(some-number)> and </value(some-number)>. Do this multiple times for each of the default profiles

  4. Re-launch iCUE

RTA Measurement(original response), This is the «un-EQued» RTA response of my Corsair Virtuoso RGB SE. 1/48 smoothing applied

6KHz-ish giving us the drop

Thanks to u/nolimits59 for sharing this as well: https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-5/graph#1624/7903 . Measured response time of the same unit. As we can see, its quite different, especially on the 80 to 500Hz range. This is a great example of what I said about no headphone/speakers are exactly alike. Reason could be hardware revision. Bought my unit way back Sept 2021, while the test done by rtings.com could have been done just weeks after the device release. Regardless, I do hope it will help as a reference point for your EQ needs.

REVISIONS:

Best Equalizer Settings — What’s the perfect setup?

Have you ever asked yourself “what are the best equalizer settings?” after diving deep into the audio settings of your favorite music device trying to understand how it works or trying to discover if there’s a magical configuration that gives you the best sound for your money no matter what speakers you’re rocking?

Well, you’re not alone.

In this article, we’ll help you understand a few things to help you find the perfect setup for your speakers and genres of music. Because no, there isn’t a perfect equalizer setting for everybody no matter what other people think. The best settings depend on your hearing capabilities, the quality of your speakers, and even the type of music your listening to.

But first of all, let’s go over the basics as you will need to know this information to keep up with the rest of the article.

What’s an Equalizer (EQ)?

An equalizer is a processor that allows you to boost or decrease certain frequency ranges to modify or enhance the sound quality. It usually works with frequencies between 20 Hz up to 20,000 Hz, which are theoretically the frequencies humans can hear, although in reality our range could be decreased by age and other factors.

Decades ago, equalizers were managed via a physical console were you could tune up and down levers to adjust your settings, but since most audio is consumed in a digital way nowadays, equalizers have been implemented in most devices such as computers, smartphones, etc. to allow you to adjust your audio settings and get the most out of your speakers.

You can also find equalizers in most stereo sound systems, Blu Rays, Smart TVs, Car stereos, etc. An example of a digital equalizer is shown below:

What are frequency ranges?

Frequency in “audio” terms is the number of times a wave repeats itself in a lapse of time. To put it simply, if you have a low-frequency sound, you’ll hear waves in the bass or sub-bass range. Low-frequency sounds require more power and bigger speakers, while higher frequency sounds require less power and smaller speakers.

That’s why you always see small speakers around your surround sound but a huge bass speaker to give some punch.

Here is a breakdown of the frequencies:

  • 20 Hz – 60 Hz: Super low frequencies on the EQ. Only sub-bass and kick drums reproduce these frequencies and you need a subwoofer to hear them, or a good pair of headphones.
  • 60 Hz to 200 Hz: Low frequencies requiring a bass or lower drums to be reproduced.
  • 200 Hz to 600 Hz: Low mid-range frequencies. If you play the lower end of many musical instruments such as guitars or a piano you’ll hear this range of frequencies.
  • 600 Hz – 3,000 Hz: Mid-range frequencies. This is the range we are used to hearing and also vocal sounds are located in this range. Most instruments such as guitars and pianos are played in this range.
  • 3,000 Hz – 8,000 Hz: Upper mid-range frequencies. This is played in the upper range of instruments such as guitars or violins. It’s a spectrum where you can enjoy the music if done well, but many times it can be very annoying too.
  • 8,000 Hz and above: Theoretically we can hear up to 20,000 Hz, yet most humans have limited hearing capabilities due to age and other factors. We need trebles to reproduce these high-frequency sounds.

Now that you understand the frequency ranges you’ll be able to see an equalizer and understand how it works and test some settings yourself.

It’s important to understand that usually, equalizers are set flat so you can hear the sound as it was originally recorded. However, you can always improve your audio experience by tweaking the settings according to the genres of music you’re listening at the moment and also according to your speaker’s capabilities.

Here are some examples of the best settings according to some popular music genres:

Best Equalizer settings for Acoustic music

If you love hearing acoustic versions or just enjoy the love of instruments without tons of bass or digitally modified sounds, this is a good way to set up your equalizer:

You’re going to be pumping just a bit the bass frequencies and also the mid and higher mid frequencies, which works perfectly to boost people’s voices and also the sound of most acoustic instruments without going overboard.

Best equalizer settings for Electronic music

If you love electronic music you know the bass is super important, and since many times it doesn’t focus on vocals you want to get the most out of digital sounds in the high ranges, which is why you can test a setting like this one and tweak it to your needs:

Best equalizer settings for Latin music

Latin music is all about bass and trebles, with strong vocals that normally don’t require to be boosted more. Check out this configuration and test if you like it:

Best equalizer settings for Piano and Classical music

If you love to hear Chopin, Beethoven, and other classic music authors, most of the sounds come from instruments such as piano, violins, acoustic guitars, or a full orchestra. Try these EQ settings to get the most out of it:

Best equalizer settings for Pop music

Pop is mostly about vocals and mid-range sounds. We’re going to boost the mid-range frequencies more than anything else and also a boost a bit the low-mid and high-mid frequencies as shown in this image:

Best equalizer settings for Rock music

Rock is one of the top genres and it focuses a lot on low-frequency sounds as well as high-frequency sounds made by electric guitars, etc. Test these EQ settings (classical Rock curve) that pretty much elevate everything besides the mid frequencies and enjoy your Rock songs like there’s no tomorrow:

Best equalizer settings for bass

Bass isn’t a music genre, yet a ton of people are looking for this as they just want to max out the punch sound of their bass. If you understand the frequency ranges correctly, you’ll end up with something like this:

Basically, you’re maxing out the lower frequencies up to 500 Hz and then leaving everything else flat. While I recommend using some of the other settings according to the genre, some people just want to maximize their bass and this is what works.

Keep in mind though, for this or any other settings to work and actually increase the bass of your music, you’ll need a decent woofer or subwoofer to reproduce the sound.

Conclusions

There you go. There are many other settings you can try to get better sound out of your music device. In general, you can get started with any of those presets and then tweak it accordingly.

Make sure you reproduce some music while tuning your equalizer as you will immediately see the difference when you apply the changes. From there, you can tweak up and down each frequency range and see what sounds better for you, because as we’ve said before, music is personal and what sounds best for you might not be the best for your friends.

Also, keep in mind your speakers are a very important part of this. You need a good speaker set up like a soundbar or a surround sound setup, or at least a decent pair of headphones to be able to make the most out of an equalizer. If you try to boost some frequencies in a cheap laptop with integrated speakers you’ll only get cracks and audio distortion.

Once you learn what works better for your setup and your ears, you’ll discover more sounds in your songs that perhaps you never heard before, and you’ll enjoy your music even more with the best equalizer settings for your favorite genres.

6 kHz). 3.5mm analog connection ensures compatibility with most mobile devices. This mode is also used to turn off the headset when not charging or connecting wirelessly.
WIRELESS
PC
Move the wireless/wired operation selector to Wireless to enable wireless mode. Connect the wireless USB transmitter to any USB port (type A) on your PC. The headset is designed to operate up to 60 feet (18. 2 m) from the transmitter, but other wireless devices, electronics, and obstructions such as walls may affect performance. If the headset is set to this mode and is not being used, it will automatically enter sleep mode after 10 minutes to conserve battery power. When raised again, it will automatically wake up.
IMPORTANT : The first time you use the CORSAIR VIRTUOSO RGB WIRELESS Headset transmitter on your PC, the operating system will automatically install the device driver. After downloading the device driver, it is recommended that you restart your computer before use.

IUEC

Go to corsair.com/support/downloads to download the CORSAIR Utility Engine («iCUE») software. Using the iCUE software will allow you to use the full functionality of your headset.
Warning : If the headset is used without software, some features will be disabled.
> Install the iCUE software on a PC running Windows 7, Windows 8. 1, Windows 10 or later.
> After installation is complete, restart your computer and start iCUE.
The iCUE software can be used for:
> Select your preferred RGB LED color.
> Select and adjust the audio equalizer (EQ) settings.
> Adjust microphone input volume and microphone side tone.
> Turn 7.1 surround sound on or off.
The embedded software documentation explains in more detail how to use the headset features.

WIRELESS MODE (PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 4 PRO)
With the wireless/wired mode switch set to Wireless, connect the wireless USB transmitter to any USB port on the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 PRO console. Use the PlayStation UI to balance game and chat volume: Settings > Devices > Audio Devices. Note. 7.1 surround sound is not supported on PlayStation consoles.
The CORSAIR VIRTUOSO RGB WIRELESS headset must be fully charged before using it for the first time.
> Connect the USB charging cable to any working USB port (type A) on your PC and the other end to the USB charging port (type-C) on the headset.
The battery of the CORSAIR VIRTUOSO RGB WIRELESS headset has no «memory effect» so you don’t need to fully discharge it before recharging. Please note that the USB charging cable requires a high power port (USB 2.0 or higher).
LED INDICATORS FOR BATTERY STATUS (ON HEADSET)

The LED will blink while charging and stay green when fully charged. When not charging, the LED will flash depending on the power levels above.

WIRELESS STATUS INDICATORS (ON USB WIRELESS TRANSMITTER)
> When the transmitter is connected to the headset and working properly, the indicator will be solid white.
> If the transmitter cannot connect to the headset, the LED will flash red quickly.
> If the headset is on and the transmitter is on and the LED is still flashing red, use the iCUE software to re-pair the transmitter with the headset.
Go to corsair.com/support/downloads to download the latest CORSAIR Utility Engine («iCUE») software.

MICROPHONE CONTROL
> A short press (0.1-1 second) of the microphone mute button toggles between mute (mic status indicator turns RED) and off.
> Long press (2-8 seconds) of the microphone mute button toggles self-monitoring on and off.
NOTE : The iCUE software can also be used to control these functions.

FOR OPTIMUM WIRELESS OPERATION
> Locate the wireless adapter in an open, unobstructed area.
> Before first use, make sure the battery is fully charged.
> Do not leave the battery completely discharged for a long time. Battery life is extended by keeping the battery in a partially charged state.
> If RGB lighting effects are not important to you, you can turn them off using iCUE to save battery life.
> Store the headset at room temperature (20-30°C or 68-86°F).
NOTE : Listening at high volume for extended periods of time may damage your hearing. Take breaks between sessions and always start at the lowest possible volume level before turning it up.

WIRELESS VIRTUOSO RGB

WEB: corsair.com
PHONE: (888) 222-4346
SUPPORT: support.corsair.com

BLOG: corsair.com/blog
FORUM: forum.corsair.com
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© 2019 CORSAIR MEMORY, Inc. All rights reserved. CORSAIR and the sails logo are registered trademarks in the US and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The product may differ slightly from that shown in the photo. 4

Retailing for $269.99 — I know, just breathe — the Virtuoso XT is Corsair’s new flagship device. This is a headset that boasts just about every feature a high-end PC gaming headset has to offer. But is it really the one that guarantees such a high value, or are there better options for your money?

Higher quality at a higher price?

For the price you have to pay to get this headset, you should expect the build quality of the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT to be top notch. Luckily, that’s exactly what you get from Corsair. Everything about this headset feels premium. Whether you’re holding it in your hands or wearing it on your head, you know it’s got to be a top-tier gaming device.

In terms of comfort, the Virtuoso XT feels lighter than it really is. At 382 grams (0.84 pounds), it feels about half the size. I don’t know if it was the lightweight aluminum used in the construction or the way it sits on your head, but there are times when you can forget you’re wearing it. Even for someone with slightly larger ears, the thicker and larger padding of the ear cup, combined with less pressure on the head, makes it more comfortable to wear, especially during long sessions.

Not only the headset itself demonstrates the high quality offered by Corsair. The Virtuoso XT comes with a braided USB-C cable that acts as a charging and connection cable, a braided 3.5mm audio cable with built-in controls that allows you to connect to Xbox or PlayStation controllers, and a 2. 4GHz adapter. for wireless connection to a PC.

Finally, as with the previous Virtuoso SE, Corsair offers you a sewn-in fabric carrying case with magnetic closure for secure storage and travel. Seriously, I don’t even have a laptop in a nice case like the one you get from Corsair.

Heavy function with matching sound

Corsair’s battery statement states that you can use the Virtuoso XT non-stop for up to 15 hours at a time. While I didn’t have a direct 15-hour gaming session with it — having two small children would limit that — battery life claims were legitimate. At least if you connect to only one device. If you choose to use a Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connection, the battery life will be reduced. Trying this, I got about 11 hours max before I had to let it charge. It’s not the best, meaning you may need to charge it every day or night when you’re not using it.

The best part about dual connection is that each connection has its own volume control. You can set your Bluetooth connection to a specific volume level while your computer or other device is set to something completely different. It’s great for those who want to use it as a headset for their phone and PC at the same time.

The omnidirectional microphone connects to the headset via Mini-USB, which may come as a surprise to some users. However, this does not change the sound quality and is a more stable option for such detachable accessories.

Out of the box, the quality of the microphone is quite clear. In fact, you’ll be able to get out of trouble with your audio settings before using it as a microphone for content creation. I just wouldn’t recommend using it for singing… it won’t end well.

The default sound settings are set by the Corsair iCUE software. By making sure you’re on version 4.0 — without it the headset won’t be detected — you can manage all the settings the device offers. From EQ to the moment your headset goes to sleep, iCUE is your best friend. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only sound option.

Corsair has implemented Dolby Atmos spatial audio for a more realistic sound experience. This feature, available only to Windows 10 users, brings the sound to life, which is quite difficult to implement. The software instantly detects the headset and has quick and easy presets to enhance your headphone sound. If you don’t like any of the presets, you can quickly adjust the equalizer to what you need.

Personally, I use Dolby Atmos more than iCUE for sound processing when I play games or watch movies. It just sounds better overall. Obviously this is completely subjective and everyone will have their own preferences.

RGB control is also handled by iCUE and works exactly as you would expect. You can customize the color of the subtle logos on the earbuds to suit your preferences. There’s also an LED indicator on the end of the microphone to let you know if you’re muted. If white or green light and the end of the microphone bother you, iCUE allows you to turn it off when it is active.

The Virtuoso XT range can also be a little disappointing for some. I’m someone who walks a lot when I’m in meetings and other calls. I usually end up in my driveway, backyard, or anywhere else in my house, which means I need a quality assortment. For the most part, Corsair’s Slipstream Wireless technology works and keeps my headset connected, but it does turn on and off more often when I’m on different floors of my house. Unfortunately, this is a stark contrast to my Logitech Pro X Wireless, which allows me to seamlessly change laundry in the basement while I’m talking on my PC upstairs.

However, most people are not as weird as me and run endlessly. If you want to be able to walk into another room from time to time, but keep listening, you’ll be fine.

From a more picky standpoint, I’d like to have an attached microphone on either side of the headset. But due to the various controls and ports on the headphones, it’s understandable why it’s not available.

Real Virtuoso (XT) in the gaming headset market

Whether it’s quality or price, the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT headset doesn’t come cheap.