Arms on with the THX-powered Razer BlackShark V2 gaming headset

Razer on Thursday launched the next version of its passe BlackShark gaming headset, the BlackShark V2, leveraging a partnership with THX to compose spatial-audio profiles for gaming utilizing positional sound.

The $100 wired headset could well even be broken-down as a “standalone” wired headset by task of its 3.5mm jack. Nonetheless the V2 additionally ships with a USB soundcard that the headset can rush into, which provides extra filtering capabilities to the headset’s constructed-in mic. A second, $60 finances option, the Razer BlackShark V2 X, does away with the sound card but presents a identical driver and the linked mic because the more pricey version.

Every headsets ship this day, despite the truth that Razer obtained’t be ready to compose the THX spatial-audio profiles till August 6, the company acknowledged. On that day, you’ll be ready to procure sigh profiles for eighteen video games, such as Valorant, Apex Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and more. 

As you should to per chance well per chance presumably seek recordsdata from, controls for reasonably about a the headset’s functions could well even be adjusted utilizing the Razer Synapse utility software. A recent version of Synapse will add the THX gaming profiles, Razer acknowledged.

For competing gadgets, review out our roundup of the handiest gaming headsets.

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Arms on with the Razer BlackShark V2

Razer provided a review sample of every and each headsets to PCWorld. Whereas we’re no longer ready to compose a stout review, we’ve tried it out sufficient to compose our early impressions. (Judge that while the BlackShark V2’s 3.5mm jack permits it to be broken-down with telephones, Xbox controllers, and more, the pluggable USB soundcard is designed for House windows PCs easiest.)

Listed below are the BlackShark V2’s smartly-liked specs:

• Frequency response: 12 Hz – 28 kHz
• Impedance: 32 Ω @ 1 kHz
• Sensitivity (@1 kHz): 100dBSPL/mW,1KHz
• Drivers: Customized Dynamic 50mm Driver
• Interior ear cup diameter: 65 x 40 mm / 2.56in x 1.57 in
• Connection form: 3.5mm with USB sound card
• Mic frequency response: 100Hz-10KHz
• Mic Signal-to-noise ratio: 60dB (unidirectional)
• Cable size: 8m / 5.91 feet
• Weight: 262g / 0.6 kilos

My first concepts when the cans hit my ears had been: refined…and gentle. 

Every headsets are constructed spherical what Razer calls an fully recent 50mm TriForce Titanium audio driver, enclosed by what the company additionally calls an developed passive noise-cancelling create. Within the actual world, all that way is that the BlackShark V2 presents a grand amount of padding to enclose and cradle your ear while blocking off out ambient sounds. And it did so, filtering out a few of the ambient noise from my relate of job fans, and a few of the shrieks as my two younger boys rampaged during the home.

Designate Hachman / IDG

My go-to headset is an HP Omen-branded headset manufactured by Steelseries, which isn’t reasonably as at ease and presents none of Razer’s audio tricks. Razer’s BlackShark V2 weighs in at 262g (0.6 pound), about half the weight of my sleek headset. I’ve by no way skilled headset fatigue from prolonged utilize, but lighter weight in general interprets into bigger consolation. Adore most headsets, the BlackShark V2’s mic isn’t retractable and merely desires to be pushed out of the style when no longer in utilize.

It took far too prolonged to tune the BlackShark V2 to my preferences, despite the truth that I used to be jubilant with the consequence. Phase of right here’s merely Razer’s Synapse software, which permits synchronizing the headset with other Razer products; I surely indulge in each and each a (left-handed!) DeathAdder mouse as effectively as a BlackWidow keyboard, and I have confidence fully no favor to sync all three. The Synapse software has four separate audio tabs: Sound, Mixer, Enhancement, and Mic, with more than one alternate concepts at every step.

Designate Hachman / IDG

Even worse, the “master” quantity on the sound tab is outwardly independent of the smartly-liked House windows quantity option as effectively as a actual hardware dial on the headset itself. Right here is easiest value mentioning because of I used to be ecstatic that the BlackShark V2 used to be underpowered till I learned and adjusted all three controls. Did we mention that there are House windows controls for the “Razer USB Sound Card” and the THX Spatial Audio speakers?

How did they turn out sounding? Very moral, within the tip. It’s continuously rewarding to play Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” and eye that yes, John McVie’s bass line does appear within the tune. My broken-down-college rock ears lit up when the thudding bass of Queen’s “One more One Bites the Mud” hit my ears, too. Now not surprisingly, there’s a graphics equalizer hidden away within the Synapse software, with a “tune” preset. I’d no longer have confidence a supreme ear, however the BlackShark delivered moral tonality up and down the scale.

I’m serene no longer a expansive fan of the THX enhancement software, despite the truth that, because the tune preset appears to be like to be to garble all of it together bigger than it helps. That’s no longer moral of its THX Spatial Audio capabilities, on the opposite hand, because the algorithm and the headset blended appear to relate the sound moderately effectively. (My ears heard the THX “helicopter” circling “above” my head, despite the truth that, which can very effectively be deliberate.) I didn’t particularly take a look at the positional audio utilizing an review copy of the up to this point Synapse software against the sigh video games Razer provided, on the opposite hand it did a first price job of positioning the audio with other video games already on my system. At final, those profiles will embody THX Environmental Mode for reasonable sound, or THX Competitive Mode, with more emphasis on spatial consciousness and directional cues.

I’m no longer as impressed with the BlackShark V2’s mic. I don’t most frequently wear a headset or even earbuds for the length of Zoom calls, due to far-self-discipline mics on the Microsoft Surface Book 3 2-in-1 appear to bewitch my sigh effectively. In a silent relate of job, Microsoft’s mics warmly bewitch my sigh. (I broken-down House windows’ indulge in Negate Recorder to generate take a look at recordsdata.)

Designate Hachman / IDG

The BlackShark V2 can’t reasonably relate up it. Even playing with the reasonably about a alternate concepts the sound card enables, from quantity normalization to a “vocal clarity” environment that enhances the frequencies your sigh makes utilize of, I used to be by no way ready to reasonably reproduce what the Book 3 or the SteelSeries headset delivered. There’s even a mic equalizer, despite the truth that (with “broadcast” and “conferencing” presets), so some more fine-tuning could well have confidence been indispensable.

The V2, despite the truth that, does an gleaming job of filtering out unwanted noise. Even for the length of smartly-liked tests, such as placing a natty speaker spherical to the side and gradual me, I used to be ready to issue and be heard reasonably clearly, with gleaming faint background noise. I don’t have confidence many other headsets to compare it to, but I used to be bigger than relaxed with the BlackShark V2 on this regard.

Does the BlackShark V2 provide players “an unfair advantage,” enabling them to listen to their enemies coming from miles away? I’m able to’t reveal for particular. Within the dart-and-gun environment of Apex Legends, audio cues could well no longer be as serious as, reveal, Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds. My early impressions boom me that you just should to per chance well per chance presumably are searching to lean against the V2X as a substitute.

As PCWorld’s senior editor, Designate makes a speciality of Microsoft news and chip technology, among other beats.