Razer BlackShark V2 Professional assessment: Top-of-the-line gaming headsets will get even higher

Razer is understood for considerably flashy and bombastic {hardware} designs. Even the corporate’s PC headsets are adorned with RGB lights, presumably for the good thing about your Twitch stream. The BlackShark line is principally the antithesis of this concept: laser-focused on e-sports efficiency, full of high-end {hardware}, and shod of all pointless adornments. No noise cancellation, no haptics, and certainly, no RGB lights. So it’s with the brand new BlackShark V2 Professional, probably the most succesful (and costliest) headset in Razer’s expansive PC gaming headset line.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Professional goals for perform over type in nearly each capability, from its gaming-focused sound profiles to its new high-quality microphone to its light-weight but long-lasting design. However the headset additionally provides some creature comforts within the type of a Bluetooth connection, which makes it suitable with every little thing from the PlayStation 5 to a 10-year-old iPhone. It’s a powerful replace to an already-good design, and although it’s on no account low cost, it’s a stable worth in comparison with related fashions from the competitors.

Additional studying: See our roundups of the most effective gaming headsets and finest wi-fi gaming headsets to find out about competing merchandise.

At a look

Skilled’s Score

Execs

• Snug
• Lengthy battery life
• Pre-loaded EQ profiles
• Nice microphone

Cons

• No notches on quantity wheel
• Aggressive battery saving

Our Verdict

The BlackShark V2 Professional (2023) is Razer’s most targeted and most expensive e-sports headset, however its much-improved microphone, battery life, and devoted EQ profiles make it price consideration.

What’s new within the Professional V2 2023?

Earlier than we go any additional, let’s deal with the title of this gadget. For those who’re performing some comparability purchasing, you would possibly discover that Razer already has a headset named the BlackShark V2 Professional. That’s the earlier mannequin, which got here out in 2020. That is the BlackShark V2 Professional (2023). Regardless of wanting nearly equivalent, the most important technical improve is the addition of Bluetooth functionality, and it’s $20 costlier with a recommended retail worth of $200.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Why isn’t this upgraded mannequin referred to as the BlackShark V3 Professional? Truthfully, I do not know. My condolences to the shop clerks who must cope with each fashions on the shelf for at the least a short while.

For the sake of comparability, listed below are the highlights of the headset’s specs, with the modifications created from the 2020 mannequin in daring:

Razer representatives have been additionally fast to spotlight strengthened metal headband sliders, although I’ll should take their phrase for it, as I haven’t used the unique mannequin. 

How does the BlackShark V2 Professional really feel to make use of? 

Pairing and utilizing the BlackShark V2 Professional for the primary time, I used to be shocked at how comfortable the earcups are. The froth cups are clad in fabric as an alternative of leather-based, bringing to thoughts cheaper designs just like the Logitech G435. However the cups are each super-comfy and breathable, for when on-line competitors will get particularly heated. And when that occurs, the detachable mic growth stays put and out of the way in which. 

Michael Crider/Foundry

Different bodily controls are equally misleading—and I imply that in a great way. The quantity wheel appears a bit cumbersome at first, but it surely’s prolonged out from the physique so your fingers can discover it instantly. (Although I might have appreciated some notches for a greater grip.) I believed this gaming-focused design lacked media controls, however in actual fact, you’ll be able to rapidly faucet the ability button for play/pause—extraordinarily helpful after I stand up from my desk to cook dinner dinner and need to maintain my podcast going. 

The aforementioned quantity and energy controls (which additionally doubles because the pair button) are on the left cup, joined by a handbook mute toggle for the microphone, in case you don’t really feel like bodily eradicating the growth. On the correct facet is a single button for switching between pre-defined equalizer profiles (extra on these later within the assessment), and a double-tap will rapidly change between your Hyperspeed USB dongle and any Bluetooth units you have got paired. These combos are a bit daunting at first, particularly in case you’re continuously adjusting the EQ, however I acquired the hold of them in a couple of days.

Michael Crider/Foundry

I discovered the headset comfortable and straightforward to put on, even on my extra-large head, although it’s about center of the pack when it comes to weight. I’ll commerce that weight for longevity, which the V2 Professional has in spades. Razer quotes 90 hours in Bluetooth mode and 70 hours in Hyperspeed mode, and since I used to be solely in a position to drain the headset as soon as in my testing, I consider it. It’s not fairly as jaw-dropping because the 300 hours of the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wi-fi, however that headset additionally lacks loads of the extra spectacular bells and whistles of the Razer various. You’ll get at the least every week’s price of use out of the V2 Professional. 

I did discover one annoying little quirk: The V2 Professional will shut itself off after 10 minutes of inactivity. I assume that is an aggressive battery-saving meter, however I’ll usually pause movies or music for that lengthy throughout a workday, and having to show the headset again on a number of instances a day acquired annoying. Sadly there doesn’t look like a software program choice to regulate the timeout interval.

How is the audio high quality on the BlackShark V2 Professional?

Sound high quality is all the time subjective, and I don’t take into account myself an audiophile. However with that qualifier out of the way in which, I discovered the V2 Professional tuned a bit closely in favor of mids and highs, which sounds odd coming from the large 50mm drivers. Little question that’s the “e-sports” focus of this set, the higher to differentiate your teammates’ comms over the web. 

Irrespective of. Just a few faucets of the EQ button can rapidly regulate to a extra mellow, full-ranged sound, higher suited to films or music. In that mode I discovered the V2 Professional greater than succesful, and in case you’re the sort of listener who desires the bass to beat your ears like a boxer, then this headset is definitely able to doing so. The dearth of energetic noise cancellation implies that it’s much less suited to, say, a protracted bus trip than a extra well-rounded, Bluetooth-only set of headphones, however that’s not some extent towards this design. It’s targeted on PC gaming, in any case. 

Razer

Talking of which, the equalizer could be custom-tuned in Razer Synapse, in fact. And you may set particular profiles to launch with particular applications or video games, with or with out digital encompass sound enabled. However there’s a extra fascinating perform to play with: pre-programmed settings for fashionable shooters, created along with huge names in e-sports. These profiles are pre-loaded into the firmware of the headset itself—no must dive into Synapse. 

Maintain down the EQ button for 3 seconds and you’ll change to those hardcoded profiles, then faucet as soon as to change between Valorant, Apex Legends, Name of Responsibility, Counter-Strike: GO, and Fortnite. These could be additional custom-made in Synapse, however because you’re paying a premium for profiles pre-set by “execs,” you would possibly as effectively strive them out first. 

Michael Crider/Foundry

I did. I’m no professional gamer, however I’ve performed sufficient Fortnite (in no construct mode, as a result of I’m a few a long time older than the common participant) to get a couple of victories in each season. And whereas the pre-made EQ setting was a bit excessive on treble for my tastes, it did let me hear and zero-in on enemy footsteps and weapon-swapping noises, notably quicker than with my very own HyperX headset. So name {that a} win, and ask somebody who is aware of find out how to depend i-frames if you would like a extra technical breakdown of the headset’s gaming deserves. 

The opposite main enchancment to the {hardware} is the microphone. “Severe” avid gamers will use a devoted USB mic for communication, however Razer desires to make a case for its headset mic as an alternative. To that finish it’s powered up with a 32KHz sampling fee. For those who’re not accustomed to audiophile specs, that’s double the same old fee of cheaper microphones and headsets, however nonetheless lower than the 48KHz of full-sized “professional” devoted mics. Razer additionally added a further “laborious” pop filter beneath the froth protecting filter that comes pre-installed.

Michael Crider/Foundry

It really works. Listeners on the opposite finish of my conferences and audio calls stated that my voice was clearer and crisper than with my common headset, and because of a hard and fast proximity to my mouth, at the least as intelligible as after I use my Blue Yeti. (Plugging within the mic growth can also be so much much less of a problem than coping with the latter, which continues to be utilizing an historical mini-USB cable.) So sure, the BlackShark V2 Professional (2023—ugh, what a mouthful) is definitely serviceable for each gaming and conferences. 

Do you have to purchase the BlackShark V2 Professional (2023)?

Razer’s asking a hefty 200 bucks for the V2 Professional. That’s hardly uncommon for Razer {hardware}, but it surely’s nonetheless the costliest PC gaming headset the corporate sells, tied with the Kraken V3 Professional and its arguably helpful head-shaking haptics. However wanting round at equally outfitted headsets from the competitors, and also you is likely to be shocked to search out that Razer is thrashing them on worth. Related 2.4GHz + Bluetooth setups from rivals like Logitech, Corsair, and HyperX are within the $230 to $270 vary. 

The closest match when it comes to {hardware} and worth is the SteelSeries Arctis 9, which options a lot of the identical specs plus a horny collapsible growth mic for $200 (round $180 on sale, on the time of writing). However Razer has this mannequin beat with greater than triple the battery life, and I’d additionally give it the sting for extra finger-friendly quantity controls, larger drivers, a barely lighter construct, and USB-C charging versus MicroUSB. 

Michael Crider/Foundry

So sure, Razer finds itself within the uncommon place of being a price proposition, if not precisely a cheap one. That takes this product from a tentative advice to a particular one. For those who’re searching for a PC gaming headset that’s nice for immersion out of the field (particularly for on-line shooters) and may deal with some gentle Bluetooth obligation for different units, the BlackShark V2 Professional (2023) ought to be on the high of your listing. 

Regardless that it actually ought to be referred to as the V3. Actually.