MSI Unveils Maestro 500 Wireless ANC Gaming Headset With 90-Hour Battery
MSI is expanding its small but growing lineup of audio gear with the Maestro 500 Wireless, a wireless (duh!) gaming headset that the company claims is also suitable for work and other non-gaming activities, such as watching movies and listening to music. Regardless of use, MSI is also promising "exceptional" battery life, with a 1,000mAh battery rated to deliver up to 90 hours of playback.
That is indeed exceptional in the headset space, provided the real-life battery life comes anywhere close to MSI's rating. For some context, the Fractal Design Scape headset we reviewed is rated to deliver between 40-50 hours of playback with RGB lighting turned off, or around 20 hours with RGB lighting enabled.
The Maestro Wireless does not feature RGB lighting, though one thing it has that the Scape lacks is support for active noise cancellation (ANC). As is becoming more common these days, the ANC implementation on MSI's newest headset offers a Transparency mode to amplify surrounding noise—handy for those times when you need better situational awareness without having to remove the headset or lift the earcups.
MSI's headset is powered by high-resolution 40mm drivers with a frequency response of up to 40kHz. It also features a flip-to-mute microphone with beamforming support, swiveling earcups that fold inward for easier transportation and storage, custom tuning (including EQ controls) through the Nahmic software, 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless support, and an affordable price:
The headset also sports a 3.5mm jack for wired connections. Between the various wireless and wired options, it supports a wide range of platforms, including PC, Mac, PS4/PS5, Xbox, Switch, Android, and iOS devices.
MSI's Maestro 500 Wireless is available now (see above links) and backed by a 1-year warranty.
