Razer Barracuda Pro headset review – Painfully close to perfection for all day use

Previous yr about this time, we received the probability to look at the Razer Barracuda X which was, whilst not the top rated conclude of city, a genuinely fantastic headset. But there were being some issues with it if you preferred to use it as an all-working day listening selection. With the launch of the new Barracuda range from Razer, we’ve observed an increase in performance that handles past criticisms making this headset painfully close to perfection for all-day use.

What is it?

The Razer Barracuda Pro is a wireless headset with multiple relationship possibilities (Bluetooth and Wi-fi USB-C Dongle) that is appropriate with Windows, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. Continuing their current pattern, Razer has released an additional machine that it’s adorned with eye-catching RGB lighting. Although this maybe lessens the gamer enchantment, it opens a significantly much larger sector for daily, all-working day consumers.

What is in the box?

Particularly as you would assume from any good quality maker, what you have to have is in the box. This consists of the headset, USB-C connection dongle, a strong and rather significant circumstance, cables to demand your headset and one to present a relationship solution to equipment that do not have USB-C.

The blend of the cables and Bluetooth connectivity selections benefits in the wide compatibility presently mentioned. It’s a actually slick-on the lookout headset that I would not have any hesitation in employing in a qualified environment, or at property for gaming. Partly for the appear and partly thanks to the enhanced technologies, there is no detachable microphone but the inbuilt microphones are quite capable of providing excellent high quality voice for phone calls and chat and decreasing the sound captured.

Style and design and Controls

When you open the box, the have situation is offered to you which (with the headset and cables in it) is quite heavy. The scenario, on the other hand, appears as nevertheless it’s heading to do a extremely superior position of protecting your headset in a bag through vacation. Opening up the have circumstance reveals the headset which looks fantastic if a very little uninteresting by Razer’s standard visual standards.

Just one of the explanations that the situation is so bodily massive is the fact that the headphones do not fold to lessen storage size. There is even now lots of adjustment for distinct buyers nevertheless, with the more than-head band obtaining the regular slider characteristic and the ear cups hinging each up and down as nicely as horizontally.

When you have acquired them on, the padding around the ears and throughout the headband immediately designs to your head and ears. This delivers a degree of convenience and physical balance that is a little something you have to encounter to fully grasp. Supplied you adjust the headband to your stage of comfort, then the other adjustments will just in a natural way take place via positioning the headset typically.

I’m personally a tactile particular person and, when touch controls are very functional, I choose physical buttons when I’m relying on contact. So for me, the controls on the Razer Barracuda Professional created a ton of sense with the correct ear having a single thrust-button for controls (ANC on, ANC off, Ambient) of the ANC method.

On the left ear, the major button is a press-in button to mute the mic which helps make it easy to know at a touch if your mic is on or off. Underneath this is a quantity roller which has a attractive come to feel to it so you can thoroughly modify the quantity of what you are listening to. Ultimately, at the
base of the controls, you are going to discover the electric power and playback/simply call regulate button.

One thing I have truly savored with the Barracuda Professional is the wise change capabilities through gaming. You can promptly and very easily change the audio stream from your Pc to your cellphone at the press of a button, eliminating the will need to just take your headset off to respond to — if you hear it — your ringing mobile phone.

All through tests, I experienced this headset on for full workdays utilising the ambient seem possibility

Sound High quality and Noise Cancelling

This is a facet of a multi-intent headset that has the possible to be outstanding or a offer-breaker. Sound stability and tuning are critical for any listening routines and improve depending on what you are undertaking.

As a typical assertion, I discovered the audio high quality of the Razer Barracuda Professional definitely clean. Even on the default equaliser, it was pretty effectively balanced but not brilliant for audio playback lacking a bit of bass.

If you want to get the most from your Barracuda Pro, then putting in the Razer Audio application is a will have to. It brings with it 1-touch accessibility to attributes like ANC controls and preset EQ options for online games, audio playback and film as well as a default (flat) and custom EQ. The pre-established choices are really excellent for most consumers, but if you want to high-quality-tune you will be hitting the tailor made selection swiftly.

If you’re functioning or participating in in a noisy environment or working with the Barracuda Professional through a commute then the sound cancelling is likely to be welcome. The capabilities are not up to the normal of Sony and does allow by voices of people bordering you, but that feels like it’s a deliberate conclusion to enhance awareness and presented the bodyweight (340 grams) of these I’m not certain I’d advocate them for air journey.

There is a pair of genuinely good reason for that bodyweight though, so don’t price reduction them due to the fact of that. The first is that the drivers are 50mm, a major contributor to the audio variety provided and a modest contributor to the weight. A lot more importantly, maybe, the THX Achromatic Audio Amplifier (THX AAA) presents significantly lessen distortion to audio and lessens electricity consumption.

In usual listening, this is not as popular as you’d assume. But for supported game titles and videos, you’ll listen to an extraordinary depth of audio that seriously improves your listening.

A year of advancement tackled pretty much every single issue

Last yr even though the Barracuda X was a excellent headset, there were some challenges with it. The absence of connectivity choices is fixed with the Bluetooth addition to the Professional. The USB dongle now has the connector found to one finish, that means laptops with two USB-C ports do not stop up with one blocked throughout use.

The scenario is seriously good and will do a fantastic career of guarding your headphones in a bag or for the duration of travel. This is also in which the essential cables and the USB dongle (in its individual focused pouch to stay away from getting rid of it) are saved so you’re often carrying what you need. The only dilemma is you’ll need a significant bag for it mainly because the headphones (like the Sony WH-1000XM5) never fold to lower storage dimensions.

The THX AAA outcomes in enough volume, so substantially so that it was unpleasant to hear at superior quantity for more than a fleeting moment or two.

Summary

It feels like past year’s Barracuda X was testing the waters, understanding from feed-back and providing something exceptional a yr afterwards. Certainly, it is a appreciably higher price tag — RRP AU$439.95 — and a higher-conclusion product but it seriously does come to feel like Razer nailed every little thing they supposed to right here.

As before outlined, the glimpse has been dialled again from some of the much more usual bright and flashy RGB setups we have come to anticipate from Razer. This although, implies its use is conducive not only to the specialized niche of gaming but to office environment and commuting use. With a battery lifestyle of around 40 hours, you are unlikely to get caught out devoid of your headphones also.

At the conclusion of the day, headphones are about audio top quality and these have sent perfectly. Properly well balanced with excellent sound response and effortlessly tuned by pre-set EQ alternatives, to your desire and what you’re listening to at the time.

Though there are many others that can do the occupation, this is the initial headset I’ve utilised that can genuinely cross conveniently in between work, enjoy, commuting and common communication wants. Even with the price staying a little bit substantial for some end users and the body weight becoming up there, I’m truly impressed with what Razer has shipped below.

If you’re eager to select up a Barracuda Professional headset, then you can examine it out on the Razer Retail store, Mwave Australia, Scorptec or Centre.com for $439.00