To test the Void Pro, I used it as my daily driver for almost a week to get a good feel for how it sounds and what the comfort is like. During this time, I used it while playing games, listening to music and watching videos.
We'll start with a look at CUE, the accompanying software suite:
As you can see, there are not a lot of settings to tweak – essentially it boils down to RGB lighting and EQ presets. This is fine by me as a headset doesn't really need tons of options, like a mouse does, and overall CUE remains as easy to use as ever, so I cannot complain.
Moving on to the RGB lighting, I do like Corsair's approach here – the lighting is subtle and not too flashy. My personal opinion is that any lighting on a headset is a gimmick – for obvious reasons – but if having RGB lighting is deemed a selling point, then I would prefer a manufacturer to implement it like this. The colours look good, plus you can choose from quite a number of lighting effects in CUE, but the overall look is not very ‘in-your-face' which works well.
Now, let's move on to actually using the headset. Throughout this section I will be comparing the Void Pro to the original Void (wired, with USB connector) that we reviewed over here.
Starting with comfort, I would say the Void Pro is definitely an improvement over its predecessor in this department. For one, the ear cups are slightly larger so the cups fit over my ears a bit better, resulting in a more comfortable fit. Secondly, the Void Pro's ear cushion material is definitely softer than what was used with the original Void USB. As such, I did find the clamping pressure of the Void Pro more comfortable. Lastly, the Void Pro's headband cushioning is also softer and overall more comfortable on your skull.
That being said, I do feel that both headsets are definitely quite loose-fitting, and this means the Void Pro tends to shake about a little whenever you move your head. I'd rather the fit be too loose than too tight, but neither is ideal.
Elsewhere, build quality is similar between the two headsets and overall I don't think the Void Pro is going to win any awards here. It does have the benefit of its aluminium hinges, which attach the cups to the headband, but the cups themselves feel a bit plasticky, while the headband's frame is also made of plastic. In comparison to the Razer Kraken 7.1 V2, the Void Pro is definitely inferior.
Moving on to audio quality, for a gaming headset the Void Pro is definitely one of the better ones. Compared with the original Void USB, the overall sound is definitely a bit more bass-heavy – which gamers will like – but there is also more detail in the high-end as well. This works well for some heavy metal and rock songs, while EDM lovers will also find a lot to like here.
I would describe the Void Pro's overall sound signature as ‘v-shaped', however, as the mid-range is definitely recessed. This means the mix could do with just a bit more clarity, as vocals and speech have a tendency to sound a little bit recessed. I did have some luck by tweaking the EQ to try and bring back that clarity, but you can only do so much with EQ.
Gaming is very enjoyable with the Void Pro, however, with the improved bass response giving some real ‘oomph' to FPS games, while the overall detail is still preserved thanks to the crisp high-end. I also tried out the Dolby 7.1 virtual surround option, and this is probably one of the better implementations of virtual surround that I have heard. There is some loss of detail, and I still prefer to game in stereo mode, but for those who like virtual 7.1, the Void Pro will manage just fine.
Now, coming on to the microphone. I was interested to test out the mic on the Void Pro, as Corsair told us that the mic has been ‘totally re-worked'. To test this out, I recorded myself talking with the Void Pro, and then the Void USB, to compare to two:
Funnily enough, I think the Void Pro sounds slightly worse than the Void USB. It has a more robotic twang thanks to the noise cancelling technology, while the Void USB sounds just a fair bit clearer and more slightly natural. This is quite interesting as Corsair gave the impression that the Void Pro's mic would be miles better than its predecessor. Judging on the recording above, I wouldn't say that is the case.
Update 11/9/17 – Having reached out to Corsair with our concerns about the Void Pro's mic, and how the original Void USB has the seemingly superior mic, we were sent this response which I have copied verbatim:
‘1) Discord testing incorporates a quantitative, rigorous suite of files to test the mic performance and we passed this suite very well (mic performance is critical to their chat application so they test this piece very much)
2) On a qualitative level, users place the mic at different locations and all have different voice profiles (frequency profile and volume and breath ‘heaviness’)
On a technical level
– VOID PRO has a 50% larger microphone element, port tuning and the inclusion of a mic windscreen cover results in crystal clear voice quality
– VOID PRO has more flexible (yet still sturdy) material, which lets the user more accurately position the microphone where they need and want (VOID as you know was much harder to bend).
– And, the VOID PRO LED mute element is much easier to see
The main point is:
The VOID PRO design provides crystal clear voice quality across all consumer use cases (including the incorporation of the windscreen for users with really ‘heavy’ breath..)'
Judging from the above, I think we can conclude there are no issues with my Void Pro's mic and Corsair certainly did not seem to suggest a firmware fix was on the way, so my initial point still stands – to my ear, the original Void USB has the superior mic.
FFS i went and got the VOID RGB not long ago, same thing happened when i got the m65 RGB, pro came out a few months after as well
Loving your reviews (new RSS subscriber/follower).
Keep up the great work!
So. It’s been two weeks since it was said you would contact corsair. Any words?
Full update posted on page 3