Reviews by Topic
Our analysis shows how reviewers feel about different topics. Please note these are not full reviews.
Comfort
Corsair HS80
I think the earpads are a downgrade from the wired version, but aside from that it's been like my ideal headset. It's still comfy, but not as comfy as the wired Alphas. Replaceable earpads like Wicked cushions worked and fit for me and are a big improvement over the default. The headband extension is about the same as the wired Alphas
Sony WH-1000XM4
Sony has made some subtle design tweaks; they’re just the kind you can’t see. The head cushion at the top has been slimmed down; the ear pads now have 10 percent greater surface area for more contact with your head; and the curve of the headband has been “fine tuned.” I’m not some masochist who likes wearing over-ear headphones outside in the sweltering summer heat, but I’ve found the 1000XM4s to be plush and comfortable when worn for several hours around my apartment. Thanks to a new sensor inside the left ear cup, the headphones can now detect when you remove them from your ears and will pause audio until you put them back on
Battery Life
Corsair HS80
The battery icon changes based on integer percentages (90%, but no 90.1%). The 300 hour battery claim seems to be accurate so far. Also the power button on the headset that tells the battery only updates every 10%, so it'll only tell 100%, 90%, 80%, and so on
Fit
Corsair HS80
Replaceable earpads like Wicked cushions worked and fit for me and are a big improvement over the default. The headband extension is about the same as the wired Alphas.
Sony WH-1000XM4
” I’m not some masochist who likes wearing over-ear headphones outside in the sweltering summer heat, but I’ve found the 1000XM4s to be plush and comfortable when worn for several hours around my apartment. Thanks to a new sensor inside the left ear cup, the headphones can now detect when you remove them from your ears and will pause audio until you put them back on.
Sound Quality
Corsair HS80
Corsair impressed me last year with its $150 HS75 XB Wireless, an Xbox-exclusive wireless headset that looked and felt more like a high-end set of headphones than a gaming accessory. They also had great sound quality and an easy-to-learn button layout with the right amount of features. It wasn’t necessarily a flaw that they only worked with Xbox consoles, but no one likes to be excluded. The company has now released the HS80 RGB Wireless for the same $150 price with PlayStation compatibility, but these aren’t quite the successor that I was expecting or hoping for
Sony WH-1000XM4
(Sony has assured me that the 1000XM4s will perform reliably in cold weather after it was found that the M3s had significant touch sensor problems in winter.) And aside from a few tweaks Sony made to how it upscales music, the 1000XM4s sound just like their predecessors — a very good thing, trust me.
Durability
Corsair HS80
I love my Razer Nari for it and I detest Razer devices (especially mice) and software. Honestly I'm bouncing between a few old ones seeing which feels the best. As for which: Astro A40TR (as I recently found my old pair and they still work 5 years later), Razer Nari (for the flex band and earcups), and the Virtuoso for it's connectivity to my RGB setup. Two of those are wireless because I prefer that, however I like the mixamp from Astro enough to forego that
Sony WH-1000XM4
I bought one pair of these headphones and they were defective out of the box. I returned them and the replacement was even WORSE than the first one. If two out of two of the same product are broken out-of-the-box, you have failed as a company. Sony doesn't even care either! My replacement order was shipped to me in a box just as slim as the box the headphones come in and only slightly longer with absolutely NO packing protection
Bluetooth Connectivity
Corsair HS80
What an odd niche to try and fill. UPDATE - So I have been back and forth with Corsair since purchasing this headset (great support, btw - 10 out of 10 for this) - they never led on that the mic would not work across Bluetooth, but everything we tried had no effect. Today I installed a new Logitech mouse on my system - previously had a Corsair unit with their software installed. After uninstalling the Corsair mouse software, the mic started working across Bluetooth
Sony WH-1000XM4
For a lot of the ones I tested, it becomes an exercise in patience and frustration. There were even some that refused to pair with more than one device at a time at all, meaning that every time you switch a device, you have to do the whole pairing process again. And that wasn't 10 years ago, i tested this less than 2 years ago.And even the whole pairing process is annoying
Noise Cancellation
Sony WH-1000XM4
This feature-packed pair significantly reduces the noise of voices around you and can sound fantastic. But these headphones are pricey and require a good deal of setup.
Price Point
Corsair HS80
I really wanted to like them, but for $150, I personally don’t think it’s worth it with all the downsides. If it was priced around $100, I might have kept them.
Sony WH-1000XM4
The price is a bit higher than I would have preferred, but didn’t find better choices at a cheaper price.On the other hand I can’t see myself ever spending this much on headphones. I know there are people who can and will, but to me there’s nothing in that product to justify the price.It also feels like any product Apple releases gets bonus review points (which I think is just confirmation bias), just because Apple made it