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Updated: 2026-09-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a lightweight wireless gaming headset that brings Dolby 7.1 surround to PC and Mac, choose Corsair HS55; if you need a TV-first home theater headphone with 3D surround and a 60-hour battery for movie nights, choose Avantree.
Both are over-ear wireless headphones with dynamic drivers and a "surround sound" claim, but they are built for completely different rooms. The Corsair HS55 is a gaming headset that happens to do surround on PC and Mac. The Avantree Crescendo 3D is a TV audio product that happens to use Bluetooth. Knowing which room you're sitting in decides this for you.
• Corsair HS55's biggest strength: Dolby Audio 7.1 surround on PC and Mac, plus Tempest 3D on PS5, in a 266g frame with a flip-to-mute mic and 50mm neodymium drivers.
• Corsair HS55's biggest trade-off: It's a headset, not a home theater device — there's no HDMI passthrough, no replaceable battery, and no multi-listener mode.
• Avantree's biggest strength: Bongiovi V3D surround with Clear Dialogue, HDMI ARC passthrough to a soundbar, and up to 60 hours per charge with a replaceable battery.
• Avantree's biggest trade-off: It's designed around a TV transmitter and dock, so it's not the pick for competitive PC gaming or voice chat.
• Choose Corsair HS55 if you game on PC, PS5, PS4, Switch or mobile and want surround plus a boom mic in one lightweight package.
• Choose Avantree if you watch TV and movies, use a soundbar, or want several people listening at once with separate volume control.
The HS55's surround story is specific: Dolby Audio 7.1 works on PC and Mac, and PS5 owners get Tempest 3D audio support. That's the whole point of this headset. You plug into a platform that can render multi-channel audio, and the 50mm neodymium drivers — rated 20Hz to 20,000Hz, 32 ohm, 114dB sensitivity — do the rest. In practice that means directional cues in a shooter, or the sense of space in a single-player game where the mix is doing the storytelling.
Comfort and connectivity are the other two pillars. At 9.44 ounces (266g) with leatherette memory foam ear pads and an adjustable headband, this is a headset built for long sessions rather than short bursts. You get low-latency 2.4GHz wireless or Bluetooth 5, with a stated range up to 50 feet, and the mic is omni-directional with a flip-to-mute function — flip it up and you're muted, no software dive required. It also ships with a cable and carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty.
Avantree: Who It's For
The Crescendo 3D is a different animal entirely, and its feature list reads like it was written by someone who has argued about TV volume. Bongiovi V3D creates a wider soundstage for movies, and Clear Dialogue pulls voices forward so you can actually follow what's being said — which is the exact problem most people have with TV audio. The drivers are dynamic, 32 ohm, 20Hz to 20,000Hz, and the enclosure is fabric with a Sandstorm Beige finish.
The really interesting part is the plumbing. HDMI ARC handles newer TVs with no optical or AUX output, while optical and AUX cover older sets. HDMI passthrough lets the headphones and an HDMI ARC soundbar play at the same time, with headphone and soundbar volumes controlled independently — so one person can listen late at night while the room stays as loud as it wants. You can also connect additional Crescendo 3D headphones to a single transmitter and let each listener set their own volume. That's a genuinely useful trick for couples and families.
Battery life is the headline number: up to 60 hours per charge, with a 2.5-hour charge time and a replaceable battery so the product isn't disposable when the cell eventually fades. Controls are push-button, and the box includes the headphones, an optical and 3.5mm audio cable, a power cable for the transmitter, the transmitter and charging dock, and a USB adapter. It's Bluetooth 5.3 and carries a 24-month warranty with product registration.
Who should buy it: movie lovers, soundbar households, and anyone who watches TV with someone else and wants independent volume. Who should skip it: competitive gamers. There's no boom mic, no low-latency 2.4GHz gaming mode described, and the whole system is anchored to a TV transmitter and dock rather than a PC.
• Best for PC and PS5 surround gaming → Corsair HS55. Dolby Audio 7.1 on PC and Mac, Tempest 3D on PS5, and a flip-to-mute mic.
• Best for TV and movie surround → Avantree. Bongiovi V3D and Clear Dialogue are aimed squarely at film dialogue and soundstage.
• Best for battery life → Avantree. Up to 60 hours per charge versus the HS55's up-to-24-hour figure, and Avantree's battery is replaceable.
• Best for long sessions in one sitting → Corsair HS55. 266g, leatherette memory foam pads, adjustable headband, 50-foot wireless range.
• Best for sharing with a second listener → Avantree. Multiple headphones on one transmitter, each with its own volume.
• Best for soundbar owners → Avantree. HDMI passthrough runs headphones and soundbar together with separate volume control.
• Best for voice chat and calls → Corsair HS55. The omni-directional mic is the differentiator; Avantree has no mic at all.
• Best for a mixed house of gamers and movie watchers → buy both. Honestly, these two barely overlap. If your budget allows one, buy the one that matches the screen you sit in front of most.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd take the Corsair HS55 — but only because my surround listening happens at a desk, on a PC, with a mic in front of my face. Dolby 7.1 on PC and Mac plus Tempest 3D on PS5, in a 266g frame, is the combination I'd actually use daily.
If your surround listening happens on a couch, in front of a TV, possibly next to a soundbar and another person, I'd recommend the Avantree Crescendo 3D instead. The HDMI passthrough, the multi-listener mode and the 60-hour replaceable battery solve problems the HS55 doesn't even try to solve.
In my opinion these aren't really competitors so much as two answers to two different questions. Pick the question you're actually asking.
how to get surround sound headphones
Surround sound isn't something headphones create on their own — the source and the connection have to support it. The Corsair HS55 gets Dolby Audio 7.1 on PC and Mac, plus Tempest 3D on PS5, when connected to those platforms. The Avantree Crescendo 3D generates its 3D effect through Bongiovi V3D processing fed by HDMI ARC, optical or AUX from your TV.
how to make surround sound headphones
Start with a source that outputs a multi-channel signal, then pick headphones built to interpret it. On the Corsair side that means a PC or Mac running Dolby Audio 7.1, or a PS5 using Tempest 3D. On the Avantree side it means feeding the transmitter from an HDMI ARC, optical or AUX output and letting Bongiovi V3D widen the stage. Neither will produce surround from a plain stereo phone jack.
how to test surround sound headphones
Use content with deliberate directional cues and listen for placement rather than volume. In a game, spin in place and check that sounds move around you instead of just left-to-right. In a movie, pick a scene with off-screen dialogue or effects and see whether they land where they should. If the effect collapses into flat stereo, the source is likely sending a stereo signal.
how to fix surround sound headphones
Check the chain in order: source output setting, cable or connection type, then the headphone's own mode. On PC, confirm the surround format is enabled for that output; on a TV, confirm you're on HDMI ARC, optical or AUX as the Avantree requires. If you're getting audio but no surround, the format is usually falling back to stereo somewhere upstream. For hardware faults, both brands offer manufacturer warranty coverage.
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