Razer BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless Gaming Headset

Let me preface by stating I am reviewing the Blackshark v2 pro. Sometimes amazon combines similar item reviews, this is important and that I have owned this for over a year with consistent usage, using it multiple days a week for 1-8 hours.

This thing has a lot going for it with very few downsides that in my opinion do not outweigh the pros and if you can get this for $150 or less it is 100% worth it.

Pros

– Noise cancellation is so strong, sometimes I don’t hear my wife when she calls for me. She was the one who bought this for me lol
– Sound quality through synapse can be adjusted to your liking, and I can’t recommend it without it (kind of a con)
– Incredibly comfortable even with glasses. There is a lot of good padding on the head and ears, prior headsets this was always an issue, recently before this I owned a corsair void elite and even that wasn’t perfect, but it was close in this category.
– Battery life is actually really strong, just be sure to charge it after each usage. I’ve only ever gotten this to low battery where it beeps at me if I use it for 10-12 hours without charging it. Sometimes thats a long gaming day sometimes thats multiple days. I’m pretty good about keeping things charged, so this isn’t a pain point for me, but may be for you. That said you can charge while using it.
– Removable microphone, probably not a huge deal for most, but I use these as headphones not a headset. I use an external USB mic for better quality (I’ll get into that later).
– Ability to use this with 3.5mm port. I wouldn’t recommend this without the USB function, as the USB DAC it comes with is decent enough and having used it without it, this is where it fails, but I’m labeling the 3.5mm port as a pro in case you have a multipurpose headset in mind
– THX 7.1, now this is just virtual surround sound but in the couple games I have tried, notably monster hunter world, it performs really well, its weird to get used to but its done well enough. Not a huge selling point, you can get this elsewhere, but noted.

Cons

– Without the USB DAC and synapse you are losing a lot of potential. This thing is really good for sound quality once you configure it, but on it’s own it’s horrible, this is why I did not get the wired version of the blackshark v2 with just 3.5mm.
– Microphone quality isn’t great, its honestly worse than most and for $180 it should be a lot better, this is why I use an external mic. Unless you’re yelling, your friends will probably say you’re quiet.
– Intermittent disconnects, unsure if this is a hardware, connection or synapse issue but it happens infrequently it doesn’t bother me, but should be noted.
– Synapse, I swear I’ve had issues with every gaming software (ghub, icue, synapse) but recently synapse has been a pain. I love iCUE (or did) but hate corsair software, but if synapse continues to get worse I will look elsewhere for another headset.

Overall, if I had to buy this thing again I’d do it for $130 or so. I wouldn’t spend $180, I’d just get professional wired headphones, but this thing has a lot going on that it made it worth it to me. I recommend these headphones to anyone who is in the market for a wireless headset in this budget range who doesn’t hold grudges against razer. In that niche, I think its perfect.

I’m writing this review from the perspective of somebody who loved the Hyper X Cloud II’s, unfortunately my pair had stopped working during a gaming session one night, I had the pair for a good 5 years before this happened so I can say I definitely got my money’s worth, if it weren’t for them dying I never would have made the switch to the Blackshark v2 Pro in all honestly.

What I was looking for in a pair of headphones:

When I was shopping for a new pair I was looking for a wireless pair, the one thing the Hyper X Cloud II’s doesn’t provide. The cord on the Cloud II’s is very long, it would often get tangled in my chair which I believe ultimately ended up causing the pair to die in the long run, so with my new pair I wanted to eliminate the cord without sacrificing anything crucial.

Footsteps:

Most gamers will agree how important hearing footsteps in-game can be, that was the main thing I was worried about when I made the decision to buy this headset. The Hyper X Cloud II’s execute this perfectly, every foot step is heard and it’s crystal clear, there is no confusion of where the enemy is coming from and it’s not disorienting. Fortunately I have had no issue’s, confusion or disorientation well listening for footsteps with these headphones so far and I don’t think I’ve lost any ability to listen to enemies in game. This alone makes the purchase feel worth it for me personally.

Bass:

I’ve seen other reviewers stating that there is more emphasis and focus on bass and I do agree with this, it’s most evident when you play a game you’re very familiar with, for me that would be CS:GO. When I first loaded the game I could hear the difference just from the loading screen, at first I was slightly worried it would be overwhelming and to much bass that drowns out key elements of the game. I played a single game and can say that is not the case. It is more “bass focused” but it doesn’t drown out other elements of the game. For example, if somebody is shooting a gun you can really hear the bass in the gun shots, but when somebody runs up behind you it’s still very evident and clear where they are coming from and that they are approaching you. In terms of music and media, everything sounds good in my opinion, mids and highs don’t sound tinny. Simply just more emphasis on bass.

Sound Isolation:

Another element reviewers have been mentioning is that the sound isolation is poor, I understand where they’re coming from but I have to disagree. I think they do a great job with sound isolation with these headphones. When I first tried them on I could still hear myself typing, but the second you’re in-game, or have music playing it prevents you from hearing all the outside noise. The Hyper X Cloud II’s did a better job at sound isolation, but the difference from those headphones to the Blackshark V2’s is barely noticeable. You have to be really nit picking to notice that. In-game there is no distraction from outside sounds, listening to music I feel completely isolated, the only time I could notice a difference is well watching YouTube/Media where there is breaks in the sound, or low points where there isn’t much going on, but during a heated moment in game I can’t see myself or others getting distracted from outside noise due to “poor isolation”.

Comfort:

As for comfort I haven’t had them long enough to really determine if they keep up with the Cloud II’s in this department, but initial thoughts I think they will. I’ve used them for a few hours and there’s no soreness, or aching yet. These feel a lot more light weight than the Cloud II’s, build quality feels up to par with them as well, these feel like a solid pair of headphones that will last me many years, and many long night gaming sessions.

Overall I think they’re good headphones so far. They ticked all my box’s/needs in a pair of headphones. I will say I don’t think they’re worth $250. If you are looking to purchase these headphones I’d recommend waiting for a sale of some sort. If you’re buying on a budget don’t get these, they are not worth $250 and I would HIGHLY recommend Hyper X Cloud II’s. If you’re looking for wireless headphones that will compete with your wired headphones then I do recommend these for you. I think it really depends what you’re looking for in headphones to determine if these are worth it or not. For me, it’s worth it. For others I can see why they’re disappointed or not pleased with their purchase. Really determine what you’re looking for before purchasing, as you might be left feeling disappointed with your decision.

I bought a new monitor, which doesn’t have speakers in it (a deliberate choice) so wanted some good headphones that I could use to watch films with and play games with. Read loads of reviews and these were considered the best for the price. Very comfotable on the head and they cut out the surrounding noise amazingly (beware your partner/parent shouting you as you won’t hear them!). I use them with my PS4 and have set it up to work on everything, not just games. The quality of the sound is fantastic. I can’t fault them at all. The mic just unplugs as well, so if you don’t need it, just pop it to one side