Razer on Thursday introduced the subsequent model of its venerable BlackShark gaming headset, the BlackShark V2, leveraging a partnership with THX to supply spatial-audio profiles for gaming utilizing positional sound.
The $100 wired headset can be utilized as a “standalone” wired headset by way of its 3.5mm jack. But the V2 additionally ships with a USB soundcard that the headset can plug into, which provides further filtering capabilities to the headset’s built-in mic. A second, $60 funds possibility, the Razer BlackShark V2 X, does away with the sound card however offers the same driver and the identical mic because the costlier model.
Both headsets ship as we speak, although Razer gained’t be capable to present the THX spatial-audio profiles till August 6, the corporate stated. On that day, you’ll be capable to obtain particular profiles for eighteen video games, comparable to Valorant, Apex Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and extra.
As you would possibly anticipate, controls for a lot of the headset’s capabilities could be adjusted utilizing the Razer Synapse utility software program. A brand new model of Synapse will add the THX gaming profiles, Razer stated.
For competing units, take a look at our roundup of the best gaming headsets.
Razer’s BlackShark V2, seen with its USB sound card indifferent
Hands on with the Razer BlackShark V2
Razer offered a overview pattern of each headsets to PCWorld. While we’re not prepared to supply a full overview, we’ve tried it out sufficient to supply our early impressions. (Keep in thoughts that whereas the BlackShark V2’s 3.5mm jack permits it for use with telephones, Xbox controllers, and extra, the pluggable USB soundcard is designed for Windows PCs solely.)
Here are the BlackShark V2’s fundamental specs:
- Frequency response: 12 Hz – 28 okayHz
- Impedance: 32 Ω @ 1 okayHz
- Sensitivity (@1 okayHz): 100dBSPL/mW,1KHz
- Drivers: Customized Dynamic 50mm Driver
- Inner ear cup diameter: 65 x 40 mm / 2.56in x 1.57 in
- Connection kind: 3.5mm with USB sound card
- Mic frequency response: 100Hz-10OkayHz
- Mic Signal-to-noise ratio: 60dB (unidirectional)
- Cable size: 8m / 5.91 toes
- Weight: 262g / 0.6 kilos
My first ideas when the cans hit my ears have been: comfortable…and gentle.
Both headsets are constructed round what Razer calls a wholly new 50mm TriForce Titanium audio driver, enclosed by what the corporate additionally calls a complicated passive noise-cancelling design. In the actual world, all meaning is that the BlackShark V2 gives a considerable quantity of padding to surround and cradle your ear whereas blocking out ambient sounds. And it did so, filtering out a number of the ambient noise from my workplace followers, and a number of the shrieks as my two younger boys rampaged by means of the home.
A {hardware} quantity knob button are mounted on the ear cup itself.
My go-to headset is an HP Omen-branded headset manufactured by Steelseries, which isn’t fairly as cozy and gives none of Razer’s audio tips. Razer’s BlackShark V2 weighs in at 262g (0.6 pound), about half the burden of my present headset. I’ve by no means skilled headset fatigue from extended use, however lighter weight usually interprets into higher consolation. Like most headsets, the BlackShark V2’s mic isn’t retractable and easily must be pushed out of the way in which when not in use.
It took far too lengthy to tune the BlackShark V2 to my preferences, although I used to be proud of the end result. Part of that is merely Razer’s Synapse software program, which permits synchronizing the headset with different Razer merchandise; I truly personal each a (left-handed!) DeathAdder mouse in addition to a BlackWidow keyboard, and I’ve completely no want to sync all three. The Synapse software program has 4 separate audio tabs: Sound, Mixer, Enhancement, and Mic, with a number of choices at every step.
Razer’s Synapse software program controls the positional sound and different capabilities.
Even worse, the “master” quantity on the sound tab is outwardly unbiased of the overall Windows quantity possibility in addition to a devoted {hardware} dial on the headset itself. This is just value mentioning as a result of I used to be satisfied that the BlackShark V2 was underpowered till I discovered and adjusted all three controls. Did we point out that there are Windows controls for the “Razer USB Sound Card” and the THX Spatial Audio audio system?
How did they find yourself sounding? Very good, ultimately. It’s all the time rewarding to play Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” and uncover that sure, John McVie’s bass line does seem within the track. My old-school rock ears lit up when the thudding bass of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” hit my ears, too. Not surprisingly, there’s a graphics equalizer hidden away throughout the Synapse software program, with a “music” preset. I’ll not have an ideal ear, however the BlackShark delivered good tonality up and down the dimensions.
I’m nonetheless not an enormous fan of the THX enhancement software program, although, because the music preset appears to garble all of it collectively greater than it helps. That’s not true of its THX Spatial Audio capabilities, nonetheless, because the algorithm and the headset mixed appear to place the sound fairly properly. (My ears heard the THX “helicopter” circling “above” my head, although, which can be deliberate.) I didn’t particularly take a look at the positional audio utilizing an analysis copy of the up to date Synapse software program in opposition to the precise video games Razer offered, however it did an honest job of positioning the audio with different video games already on my system. Eventually, these profiles will embody THX Environmental Mode for lifelike sound, or THX Competitive Mode, with extra emphasis on spatial consciousness and directional cues.
I’m not as impressed with the BlackShark V2’s mic. I don’t normally put on a headset and even earbuds throughout Zoom calls, as a result of the far-field mics on the Microsoft Surface Book 3 2-in-1 appear to seize my voice properly. In a quiet workplace, Microsoft’s mics warmly seize my voice. (I used Windows’ personal Voice Recorder to generate take a look at information.)
Razer offers quite a few choices for tuning the BlackShark V2’s mic.
The BlackShark V2 can’t fairly handle it. Even taking part in with the quite a few choices the sound card allows, from quantity normalization to a “vocal clarity” setting that enhances the frequencies your voice makes use of, I used to be by no means in a position to fairly reproduce what the Book 3 or the SteelSeries headset delivered. There’s even a mic equalizer, although (with “broadcast” and “conferencing” presets), so some extra fine-tuning might have been vital.
The V2, although, does a wonderful job of filtering out undesirable noise. Even throughout fundamental exams, comparable to inserting a sensible speaker round to the facet and behind me, I used to be in a position to converse and be heard fairly clearly, with simply faint background noise. I don’t have many different headsets to match it to, however I used to be greater than happy with the BlackShark V2 on this regard.
Does the BlackShark V2 provide avid gamers “an unfair advantage,” enabling them to listen to their enemies coming from miles away? I can’t say for sure. In the run-and-gun surroundings of Apex Legends, audio cues is probably not as vital as, say, Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds. My early impressions inform me that you could be need to lean towards the V2X as an alternative.