How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wired, plug-and-play 7.1 surround headset for streaming with a retractable boom mic and no charging to think about, choose Lenovo Legion H500; if you need wireless freedom, a wider frequency range and customizable RGB for your stream setup, choose CORSAIR Void RGB Elite.
Both of these are 50mm over-ear gaming headsets built around 7.1 surround sound, and that's the whole reason they end up on the same shortlist. If you're building a streaming setup — talking to chat, mixing game audio, listening back to your own recordings — surround processing matters more than raw volume. Neither one is a pair of best open ear earbuds for streaming, and neither is a best noise cancelling head phones for streaming in the true ANC sense, so let's be honest about what each actually delivers.
• Lenovo Legion H500 — biggest strength: wired 7.1 surround with USB 2.0 or a single 3.5mm jack, a retractable noise-cancelling mic, on-headset surround/equalizer/mic-mute/volume controls, and a stainless steel self-adjusting suspension headband.
• Lenovo Legion H500 — biggest trade-off: it's wired only, uses passive noise cancellation rather than active, and its frequency response tops out at 20kHz.
• CORSAIR Void RGB Elite — biggest strength: low-latency 2.4GHz wireless with up to 40ft range, 20Hz–30,000Hz drivers, iCUE software control, and customizable RGB on each ear cup.
• CORSAIR Void RGB Elite — biggest trade-off: it runs on battery, and its broadest platform support is PC and PlayStation rather than the wider console list Lenovo covers.
• Pick Lenovo Legion H500 if you stream from a desk, want zero charging downtime, and like physical switches for mic mute and surround.
• Pick CORSAIR Void RGB Elite if you stream untethered, want deeper software tuning and lighting that matches your on-camera setup.
The Legion H500 Pro is a wired 7.1 headset aimed at people who want surround processing without babysitting a battery. It connects either through USB 2.0 or a single 3.5mm connector, and it's listed as compatible with Windows 10, 8.1, 8 and 7, Mac OS X 10.5.x or later, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. That's an unusually wide net for a surround headset — you can move it between a PC and a console without swapping gear.
For streaming, the appeal is simple. You plug in, you flip surround on, you mute the mic with a physical control when you cough, and you never stop mid-sentence because a charge ran out. The passive noise cancellation won't silence a loud room the way an active system would, but it does cut some ambient noise. If you stream from a fixed desk with a PC or console within cable reach, this is the more predictable of the two. If you need to walk around, or you want your lighting to change color on camera, skip it — that's not what it's built for.
CORSAIR Void RGB Elite: Who It's For
The CORSAIR Void RGB Elite is the wireless answer to the same brief. It pairs over low-latency 2.4GHz with the included USB adapter, and CORSAIR lists a range of up to 40ft plus up to 16 hours of battery life from a 16-hour charge cycle. Platform support is PC, Mac, PS5 and PS4 — a narrower list than Lenovo's, and worth checking against your setup before you commit.
Where it pulls ahead on paper is audio headroom and software. Its 50mm high-density neodymium drivers run 20Hz–30,000Hz, which is a noticeably wider top end than the Lenovo's 20kHz ceiling. Both are 32 ohm dynamic drivers, so neither is hard to drive. The microphone is an omnidirectional boom with a flip-up mute and a built-in LED mute indicator — you can see at a glance whether you're live, which is a genuinely useful thing when you're streaming and can't hear yourself.
Comfort comes from breathable microfiber mesh and plush memory foam pads, wrapped in a build that uses aluminum yokes for durability. Each ear cup has fully customizable RGB lighting, and iCUE software lets you control the equalizer, the 7.1 surround setting and the lighting from one place. It also lists active noise cancellation, which is a step up from the passive approach on the Lenovo.
The catch is the battery. Sixteen hours is fine for most sessions, but wireless means charging, and charging means a cable eventually. If you stream long marathons or you simply hate remembering to plug things in, that's the honest trade-off. For a cable-free desk, RGB on camera and deeper tuning through software, this is the one to look at.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for wireless freedom → CORSAIR Void RGB Elite. 2.4GHz low-latency connection with up to 40ft of range.
• Best platform flexibility → Lenovo Legion H500. Listed for Windows, Mac, Xbox One, PS4 and Switch.
• Best audio headroom → CORSAIR Void RGB Elite. 20Hz–30,000Hz versus the Lenovo's 20Hz–20kHz.
• Best for on-stream lighting → CORSAIR Void RGB Elite. Fully customizable RGB on each ear cup via iCUE.
• Best for quick on-headset control → Lenovo Legion H500. Dedicated surround switch, EQ presets, mic mute and volume on the headset.
• Best for long sessions without charging → Lenovo Legion H500. Wired power, with 12 hours of listed average battery life as a fallback figure.
• Best for comfort materials → CORSAIR Void RGB Elite. Breathable microfiber mesh and memory foam pads; the Lenovo uses PU leather and memory foam.
For streaming specifically, I'd buy the CORSAIR Void RGB Elite. The wider 20Hz–30,000Hz range, the active noise cancellation, the flip-up mute with its LED indicator and the iCUE control over EQ, surround and lighting all point to a headset that's easier to live with on camera. In my opinion, 16 hours of battery is enough for a normal streaming day, and the wireless range means you're not chained to the desk.
That said, I'd recommend the Lenovo Legion H500 to anyone who streams from a fixed setup and values never thinking about a charge — the physical controls and the wider console compatibility are real advantages. If you want a wired headset you plug in and forget, that's your pick. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you decide, since that's the one variable this comparison can't cover.
how to get surround sound headphones
Surround sound on both of these headsets is enabled through their own controls, not through your headphones alone. On the Lenovo Legion H500 you flip the dedicated 7.1 surround switch on the headset and pick a preset equalizer profile; on the CORSAIR Void RGB Elite you enable 7.1 surround in iCUE software. Your source device also needs to output a surround signal for the effect to do anything.
how to test surround sound headphones
Play a source with clear directional audio — a game with footsteps or a film with panning effects — and listen for whether sounds move around you rather than sitting flat in front of you. Toggle surround on and off on the headset or in software and compare. Testing with a known stereo track first gives you a baseline, since surround processing should widen the image, not just make it louder.
how to fix surround sound headphones
Start with the connection: the Lenovo Legion H500 can run over USB 2.0 or a single 3.5mm jack, so make sure you're using the connection that supports surround on your platform. The CORSAIR Void RGB Elite needs its 2.4GHz USB adapter seated properly and iCUE installed for 7.1 to appear. Check your operating system's audio output settings next, and confirm you haven't muted the headset with its own mic-mute or volume control.
how to make surround sound headphones
You can't make a stereo headset produce true surround, but both of these already include 7.1 processing. On the Lenovo Legion H500 the surround switch and EQ presets are built in, and on the CORSAIR Void RGB Elite the processing runs through iCUE. If surround isn't showing up, the usual cause is the wrong connection type or a missing software layer rather than the headset itself.
If you're also comparing smaller options for a secondary streaming setup, note that neither of these is an ipx7 waterproof true wireless earbuds pick — they're over-ear headsets, and both should be kept away from water.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: Soveign Waterproof Headphones vs BETAHEAR Bone Conduction Headphones, our HAWSON A1932 vs Gsangoo USB C Headphones pick, Toeasor Replacement Audio Cable vs Asobilor QC45, Sephia SP3060 or Ucaca 2: which is better