Razer BlackShark V2 Pro Xbox Licensed Wireless Headset - White

I'm editing my previous review of 4 stars and dropping it down to 1 (consider it 0 if you're reading this, but i can't leave a 0 star review).A quick note before i get to the rest of this headset review - I bought this headset as soon as it was released because i was in the market for a new one and this seemed to check all the boxes - great mic, long batter life, comfortable, wireless. I was initially happy with the headset, and a few months later i bought the brand new Basilisk V3 Pro mouse that they just released also and that mouse was a nightmare - I had to get it RMA'd 4 times before i got one that worked properly. I also picked up their new Razer Atlas mousepad when it dropped because I was going into full Razer mode.But just like some of the other reviews ... MoreI'm editing my previous review of 4 stars and dropping it down to 1 (consider it 0 if you're reading this, but i can't leave a 0 star review).A quick note before i get to the rest of this headset review - I bought this headset as soon as it was released because i was in the market for a new one and this seemed to check all the boxes - great mic, long batter life, comfortable, wireless. I was initially happy with the headset, and a few months later i bought the brand new Basilisk V3 Pro mouse that they just released also and that mouse was a nightmare - I had to get it RMA'd 4 times before i got one that worked properly. I also picked up their new Razer Atlas mousepad when it dropped because I was going into full Razer mode.But just like some of the other reviews you're seeing here in regard to build quality of this headset, mine broke in the EXACT same spot at the plastic piece between the headband and ear cup. I'm always super careful with my electronics, especially when i'm spending over $300 on a pair of plastic headphones (WHICH I EXPECT TO LAST LONGER THAN 10 MONTHS), and i have never dropped or smacked these into anything. The other day i was just taking it off my head and the force of simply separating the ear cups off of my head sent plastic bits flying.The only positive i can tell you about this headset is the battery life, and that's IT. It was not comfortable to wear for extended periods, always left my ears hurting because the cups are poorly designed. It also has wireless connectivity issues, it'll turn off without any notice on me for multiple times in a session, and sometimes the audio is will be working fine 1 second and the next it's all crackly and distorted, forcing you to turn it off and on again to have it work properly, which is not ideal at all when I’ve had it happen in critical points within a game. Also the buttons on the headset are very poorly thought out in terms of design and their functions.Razer is a company that continues to live off initial reviews of their products, the ones that don’t have enough time with them to understand the horrible build quality that they offer. This is absolutely the last Razer product i buy in my life.

These are definitely a step up as far as comfort, sound quality, and mic quality are concerned when compared to other Razer headsets. Note that the following review was typed out with the PC platform in mind, this headset will function wirelessly and via 3.5mm cable without THX audio support on PS4/PS5 but still takes advantage of 7.1 surround sound. As far as I can tell, these will not function via the wireless dongle on Xbox consoles but can still be used wired.Comfort: Easily the most comfortable headset I've ever worn, the earcups are breathable and the headset itself feels very lightweight with no noticeable amount of pressure on my head. Haven't noticed any sliding issues with the thin metal bars that allow for fit adjustment, they seem surprisingly sturdy ... MoreThese are definitely a step up as far as comfort, sound quality, and mic quality are concerned when compared to other Razer headsets. Note that the following review was typed out with the PC platform in mind, this headset will function wirelessly and via 3.5mm cable without THX audio support on PS4/PS5 but still takes advantage of 7.1 surround sound. As far as I can tell, these will not function via the wireless dongle on Xbox consoles but can still be used wired.Comfort: Easily the most comfortable headset I've ever worn, the earcups are breathable and the headset itself feels very lightweight with no noticeable amount of pressure on my head. Haven't noticed any sliding issues with the thin metal bars that allow for fit adjustment, they seem surprisingly sturdy given how precariously delicate they appear to be. For a Razer product, it's surprising to see no obvious problems with build quality.Sound Quality: Needs a bit of adjustment of the box via the Razer Synapse app. It took about five minutes to calibrate THX audio settings to my liking, but beyond that, everything sounds great! No complaints with bass, mids, and lows while listening to music or on Twitch/Youtube, the headset itself gets very loud on max volume with very little perceptible distortion. No in-game complaints so far either, the 7.1 surround sound seems to be properly calibrated for picking up low sounds such as footsteps and other audio prompts. To me, they sound almost as good as my Astro A50 Gen 4 headset for nearly half the price.Mic: Very good for a wireless headset microphone after adjusting ambient noise and voice clarity settings,, haven't had any complaints from friends and randoms on Discord. I do have a couple of issues with it though:- Mic sidetone is very quiet even at full volume. Not a deal breaker for me personally, but it could be for those who prefer a more audible sidetone.- Placement within the headset can be a bit cumbersome upon insertion; can be finicky and will not function unless placed and spun counterclockwise. Takes a bit of trial and error but will stay in place once properly fitted.Noise cancellation: Passive only, will not filter out loud noises at same level as most closed back headphones. This seems to be the trade off for having such a comfortable fit. However, neither myself nor my partner have noticed any audio bleed or speaker audio being picked up by the mic.Miscellaneous: note that the earcups are not removable or replaceable, which is a strange omission given that the Blackshark V2 wired variant has that option. Go with those instead if you don't mind the wires and are looking to customize or properly maintain the earcups. The Pro variant also charges via an included Micro USB, which may be a turnoff for those who have already fully converted over to USB Type C.

If you’re thinking you might have a weird form of déjà vu seeing a product that looks very familiar but costs significantly more then no worries. It’s not your mind playing tricks on you, it’s that Razer re-used the excellent base design of their previous Blackshark V2 design, they just removed the wires (among other very nice upgrades). It’s a smart choice, since I used the original set for at least a year and found the design to be very comfortable for prolonged gaming sessions!If you’re unfamiliar with the previous design, Razer has made a very sturdy, but light and comfortable headset with breathable fabric and memory foam pads. They are extremely flexible, but don’t get ‘loose’ with extended use.With the increased price tag comes significant improvements in ... MoreIf you’re thinking you might have a weird form of déjà vu seeing a product that looks very familiar but costs significantly more then no worries. It’s not your mind playing tricks on you, it’s that Razer re-used the excellent base design of their previous Blackshark V2 design, they just removed the wires (among other very nice upgrades). It’s a smart choice, since I used the original set for at least a year and found the design to be very comfortable for prolonged gaming sessions!If you’re unfamiliar with the previous design, Razer has made a very sturdy, but light and comfortable headset with breathable fabric and memory foam pads. They are extremely flexible, but don’t get ‘loose’ with extended use.With the increased price tag comes significant improvements in other areas—name sound and mic quality. The speakers are a slight improvement over the previous model and sound very crisp and clear, with 7.1 THX supported for ‘directional gaming’ sounds (though, like most headsets, the low end bass sounds aren’t great—more a limitation of headsets in general, as these sound terrific otherwise). It’s pretty cool in practice, since it really sounds like there are things behind you, beside you, etc, and it’s fairly easy to pinpoint where a sound is coming from in shooters, etc (hugely important for gaming).These are true wireless, Bluetooth headphones that work very well with no noticeable delay between picture and sound. The PS5 doesn’t support Bluetooth (somehow) so a dongle is provided for use with the system. Even across the room from the system there was no noticeable delay between picture and sound.The mic is probably the biggest improvement over the old model. In my playback tests my voice was clear and easily understood even at low levels. My test calls received the same response from the people I called—I even had one friend mention he would have no idea I was on a headset if I hadn’t told him.If you’re already part of the ‘Razer-verse’ then you likely already have the Razer Synapse program installed on your gaming rig. If you don’t, it’s a nice program designed to make all of the Razer products you own ‘sync’ with each other. It also has controls for individual items such as color selection to ‘sync’ the colors on each product (even including their RAM if your PC has a ‘window’), mouse button assignments and much, much more. For the headset it has equalizer adjustments and settings—best thing about this is you can ‘save’ your favorite to the headset! It will carry over if you connect to PS5, and also means you don’t automatically have to open Synapse each time you want to change your EQ settings (and can still be switched to other settings via the headset controls). If you don’t want to bother with a new program on your computer then the good news is that it is not necessary in order to use the headphones.Overall this is a fantastic high-end headset for gaming. If you are in the market for a product like this I highly recommend them—If you’re already in the ‘Razer-verse’ then this is another stellar product that will sync nicely with your other Razer devices.