I’ve all the time considered wi-fi earbuds because the audio choice you utilize for comfort’s sake. Once I’m out and about listening to music or podcasts, a good set of earbuds will do the trick and be quite a bit much less cumbersome than shifting in public in a pair of headphones. And typically wired earbuds plugged into my PlayStation or Xbox controller are simply adequate. There are definitely high-end earbuds on the market, however wi-fi choices are sometimes beholden to Bluetooth connectivity and within the context of gaming, the latency is definitely a deal-breaker. However one of many few pairs of earbuds that bridges the gap–the Razer Hammerheads (the Professional Hyperspeed mannequin, particularly)–offers each nice audio high quality and low-latency connectivity.
But when the query is can earbuds–the Razer Hammerheads on this case–replace a gaming headset, the brief reply could be: sure, however with some notable caveats. Whereas they shine with daring sound and strong bass, the battery life is the principle downside, particularly relating to lengthy gaming classes. The Hammerheads have helpful options besides, like lively noise canceling (ANC), ambient listening mode, and a low-latency wi-fi mode along with the two.4GHz dongle that provides even decrease latency. This provides them a stage of versatility not often seen in different gaming-centric audio gadgets, simply count on to be popping these into the charging case typically. And count on to drop a whopping $200 USD for them.
Sound High quality
I’ve used the Razer Hammerhead earbuds for a few week, changing my commonplace Apple AirPods for listening to music and podcasts from my cellphone and the varied headsets I’ve for my a number of gaming setups. This features a Nintendo Change, PlayStation 5, Asus ROG Ally handheld, and gaming PC, all of which let me expertise how the Hammerheads carry out in diverse contexts.
Throughout the board on the default sound profile (denoted as “THX” within the Razer Audio app), the punchy lows shined with out overpowering different frequencies, whether or not it was the various instrumentation heard within the J-Pop and Latin music at present in my playlist, or the bass-heavy hip-hop that is often in my common rotation. With ANC on, I might hear conversations in podcasts nicely sufficient whereas using the outdated noisy BART trains right here within the Bay Space. The Hammerheads’ ANC would not provide full sound isolation (and I usually want to not use ANC to concentrate on my environment), but it surely’s a good perk for sure conditions.
When it got here to gaming, I used to be impressed with how they dealt with the daring orchestrations in Remaining Fantasy XVI enjoying over chaotic battles stuffed with skills firing off and sound results clashing with one another. It may be audibly overwhelming and decrease high quality setups make all these components sound like they mush collectively, however the Hammerheads gave a nice listening expertise. On the PS5, I had to make use of the super-fast 2.4GHz wi-fi dongle, however on the Change and Asus ROG Ally, I switched to the low-latency Bluetooth “gaming” mode. For Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Diablo 4, respectively, I used to be fairly thrilled to be getting headset-level high quality from earbuds with out having to worry about gameplay and audio being out of sync.
By nature of being earbuds, the Hammerheads do not present as vast of a soundstage of the open-back Sennheiser HD 599 headphones I take advantage of on the regular–not that I anticipated them to. However the positional audio is sort of spectacular, which I bought to expertise when enjoying a couple of rounds of Valorant and working dungeons in Remaining Fantasy XIV. Whereas I might have used the Bluetooth gaming mode with my PC for these video games, I went again to the two.4GHz wi-fi dongle to attenuate latency as a lot as potential, and the responsiveness was just like different wi-fi gaming headsets I’ve used, so I did not really feel at an obstacle when enjoying Valorant (ability points apart).
Options and Performance
It is good listening to how Razer hasn’t skimped on sound high quality relating to their high-end audio gear–and for $200, I would not count on something much less. On prime of that, a handful of options give the Hammerheads nice versatility. As talked about above, you get the two.4GHz USB-C dongle packaged with the Hammerhead Professional Hyperspeed for headset-grade wi-fi response time. My gripe with this, nonetheless, is the form of the dongle itself–the “L” form makes it tough to plug into the again of my PC and blocks different ports round it. It is a minor grievance that may be labored round, however when you plan to make use of these on a PC, I hope your USB-C ports do not have vital inputs round them.
Customary Bluetooth connectivity for music and podcasts labored nicely on my iPhone 12 Professional, though it was a ache getting my cellphone to recollect the Hammerheads each time I might take them out of the case or take them out of my ears. Most instances, auto-pairing labored as you’d count on, however often having to manually pair them at seemingly random instances was lower than perfect. There are some bizarre quirks relating to computerized play/pause when taking out and placing on an earbud. A frequent instance could be once I’m listening to a YouTube video; taking off an earbud would pause the video however autoplay music on Spotify. These aren’t deal-breakers, however slightly inconveniences to account for.
And as talked about above, the Bluetooth gaming mode is an important function that permits for holding audio and gameplay synced whereas having the perks of Bluetooth connectivity. It is rated at round 60ms response time, and could be activated with a triple-tap-and-hold gesture on an earbud itself. And that is adequate for the forms of video games I am enjoying on a handheld anyway. ANC is first rate sufficient to drown out outdoors annoyances or mitigate harsher noises, although it isn’t fairly as potent as different high-end earbuds. Alternatively, ambient mode barely amplifies outdoors sounds for many who nonetheless need to concentrate on their environment, which I all the time use when going outdoor.
Via the Razer Audio app (solely out there by way of iOS and Android), you too can remap the varied gestures, similar to ANC or ambient on/off, media controls, switching between Bluetooth and a couple of.4GHz, and activating Bluetooth gaming mode–this makes swapping between options straightforward, along with the handbook controls on the app. Though I discovered the default “THX” profile adequate, there are a number of sound profiles to select from, and 10 frequency bands to tinker with your self.
All these options are fairly candy, however one thing has to present (apart from the “-$200” in your financial institution assertion), which leads us to battery life.
Battery Life
In relation to wi-fi earbuds, battery life is arguably as vital as sound high quality, consolation, or any of the opposite supporting options. In any case, if they do not final that lengthy off a full cost, what good are they for all these varied eventualities? Even in comparison with different earbuds I’ve used such because the Inventive Outliers or my fundamental Apple Airpods (Gen 2), the Hammerheads fall behind on battery life, although how lengthy they final relies on the options you are utilizing.
With ANC lively and at about 75% quantity stage, I’d get roughly 3.5 hours from a full cost, and barely much less when utilizing the two.4GHz connection or Bluetooth gaming mode. With out ANC and on commonplace Bluetooth, you’ll be able to squeeze about 4.5 hours. For commutes, flights, lengthy walks, or working by way of the day, I can handle with these ranges, so long as I bear in mind to place them of their case earlier than use. The case itself fees by way of USB-C, and it may possibly maintain over three full fees. As soon as the low battery indicator went off, I’d pop the Hammerheads within the case and are available again about 20 minutes later with each earbuds absolutely charged.
Comparatively nonetheless, different earbuds can get upwards of six hours or extra in these eventualities. And naturally, gaming headsets are in a very totally different realm for battery life–for instance, the Logitech G Professional X 2 that I reviewed some time again lasted a complete week from one full cost. Within the case of gaming, the place you could get deep in aggressive matches, raids, or single-player campaigns, the brief battery life can typically reduce into the momentum. I might typically simply swap again to a headset and preserve utilizing it slightly than ready for the earbuds to cost up once more. A part of this tune and dance is simply the character of wi-fi earbuds, however even in its personal class of audio gadgets, the Razer Hammerheads could be on the decrease finish.
Verdict
For all that the Razer Hammerhead Professional Hyperspeed earbuds accomplish, $200 is prone to be fairly steep for many folks–you’re approaching high-end headsets and headphones at this value level. However when firms like Apple have their premium earbuds in that value vary, Razer does give them a run for his or her cash. Between the top-notch audio high quality and set of options that make them extra versatile than most earbuds, the Hammerheads are implausible in that context. The worth relies on how you propose to make use of them–if you need one thing as each a main audio system for gaming and your on a regular basis earbuds for music and podcasts, you will positively be getting your cash’s price. The principle hurdle is managing the comparatively brief battery life, and if that is superb with you, I am snug recommending the Razer Hammerheads.
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