Speakers&Amps by stefan @ 2011-02-27
The new Ferox portable speakers from Razer are ideal for both normal users that want to get a better sound out of their laptop or gamers that are mostly on the go. The sound that these speakers deliver is clear even at high volumes, but they lack a good bass reproduction. The internal rechargeable batteries allow them to be used for about 12 hours and they can be also used while recharging.
At first I would like to thank Razer for offering me a sample of their Ferox speakers for reviewing.
"Razer is more than just the world's leading brand in gaming.
We were founded in 1998 in San Diego, California by our CEO Min-Liang Tan and our President Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff in a tiny shared office with a couple other gamers. We have grown today to hundreds of employees worldwide with offices in seven cities, including San Francisco, Hamburg, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore.
Our vision from the very beginning was to be the world's greatest gaming brand and we've set out to achieve that by designing the best gaming products that any gamer has ever seen.
We believe that truly great products are based on technology, designed with extensive human factors and user ergonomic studies and then tested by the top professional gamers. In simpler terms, our own world class scientists and engineers develop cutting edge technology in-house or with partners, design phenomenal products around core technologies – and test the hell out of them in the field with our pro-gamers before we launch them.
We are the only gaming hardware company in the world with dedicated gaming user interface research and development labs, and our technology and designs are incubated in three dedicated design centers located in facilities in California, Singapore and Shenzhen. No other company boasts of technology like we do – because we're the only guys who have what it takes under the hood.
We tell it like it is: some can pretend to co-develop products with professional gamers, but gamers don't develop technology: scientists and engineers do (and ours just happen to be gamers as well).
We develop and design our products in our own labs and then put them to the test with top professional gamers who use them in pro-level tournaments and then provide us with feedback. Then we iterate on the product, refining it with the feedback – over and over and over again. That's how it's done, that's how a Razer product is built from ground up. No marketing BS and no hype.
We pioneered the eSports movement with the world's first $100K tournament back in 2000 and we have continued to give back to the community by sponsoring top eSports athletes who give back to Razer by beta-testing our products. We remain one of the largest sponsors of eSports community sponsoring top global eSports teams worldwide.
The people that work here at Razer are gamers just like you – some amateur, some ex-professional gamers, some just play for fun, just ask our CEO who will lay the smack down on you in Quake Live or our President, who has over ten level 80's on his local server. Hell, he will even take you on a raid in the middle of the work day.
We are the same gamers who are told by the suits that we need adult supervision and we need a professional CEO or management team – and we're the same gamers who tell the suits exactly where to shove it because we like doing what we do – and we do it on our own terms.
We hope our passion for gaming speaks to you like it does to us, through our products and we hope you enjoy the competitive edge we bring to your game."
360° Omni-directional Sound for all-round clarity
Unlike forward-facing speakers that only send sound in one direction, the Razer Ferox’s drivers are strategically positioned to produce a phenomenal omnidirectional soundstage that fills your surroundings in every direction evenly and completely.
Expanded Bass Resonance Chamber for powerful bass
Replicating a subwoofer’s resonance with auto-expanding resonance chambers, the Razer Ferox guarantees strong bass despite its diminutive size, while its distinctive driver construction ensures rich acoustics for an immersive sound stage.
Optimized Digital Amplification for exceptional audio quality
Experience crystal-clear audio with lower distortion levels thanks to the Razer Ferox’s digital amplification that enhances its power efficiency substantially. Enjoy loud and clear audio on the go with true-to-life quality acoustics.
Frequency Response: 150Hz-20KHz
Drivers: 30mm neodymium magnets
Up to 12 hours playback time
LED battery status indicator
Battery voltage/capacity: 470mAh
3.5mm audio jack & USB
Loudspeaker Output: 2 x 3W
Carrying case included
Approximate size: 70 mm (length) x 70mm (width) x 53 - 64 mm (height)
Audio device with 3.5mm audio jack
The portable Ferox speakers from Razer are shipped inside a small cardboard box, with the same color theme the company has used for years now; on the front we can see through the transparent plastic window how the product does really look like, along with the main feature list:
Even if the box is small, it has lots of information on the sides; for example, we get an explanation regarding the 360 degrees omnidirectional sound these speakers can deliver:
Also, we are informed on how the speakers are built, to deliver extra bass:
On the outside of the box we also get information regarding the main speaker components or hardware requirements:
The box is fully sealed for extra protection:
Inside we can find a carry pouch, the Quick Start Guide, a word from “Razer Guy”, some other product information, some nice stickers and the speakers themselves:
The nice Razer logo stickers can be put on our gaming laptop or desktop case for a nice effect:
On the same paper with the words from “Razer Guy”, we get information on how to register on the company website:
Inside the Quick Start Guide, we get guidance on how to connect the speakers to the audio source, how to charge them (before the first use, Razer instructs us to fully charge them for about 3 hours, and after that to start using them), or how to understand the LED lights behavior underside the speakers:
The carry pouch is very compact and it was designed to house the two small speakers, along with their audio/power cable:
The audio/power cable is custom made, so it would be very difficult, if not impossible to find another one from a different manufacturer, in case we lose/break it; however the cable is braided to increase its durability. On one of the sides we can find the audio jack and USB connector and on the other there are two small USB connectors, one for each speaker :
Each USB connector has its respective audio channel written on it:
The top of the speakers can be retracted inside the body and also acts as an On/Off button; here we can see again the Razer logo, more difficult to observe because it is also colored black:
Here is a lateral view of the speakers; when the resonance chamber extended (speakers on), they measure about 6cm in height and do not feature any fancy logos or insignias on the plastic body of the speakers:
The sound is delivered through the top and thanks to their design, they also succeed to deliver a 3D Surround effect:
To power off the speakers we must press on the top until it retracts completely and does a click sound; to power them on, we have to press again and the top will slowly raise by itself:
Each speaker has a rubberized bottom, to avoid slipping on the surface and on one of the speakers we can find out the product serial number, the code name and rating; here we can also find a white ring which is the zone that lights up in two different colors, depending on the charge status of the speakers:
In the back of each speaker, we can find the mini USB port; as a safety measure, the speakers turn on only if the cable is connected too:
When charging the bottom LEDs will blink slowly a nice blue light; if the charging is complete, the LEDs will stay fully lit. If the internal batteries get discharged, we will first get a warning from the bottom LEDs which will turn red:
The latest Ferox speakers from Razer have a very modern and cool design and are a great replacement to the integrated speakers in laptops, iPod/iPhones or other portable MP3/MP4 players; to carry them easier along with the audio/power cable, Razer have included a small carry pouch (this also protects the speakers from scratches during transport). The speakers are also equipped with LEDs on the bottom, that inform us when the product is fully charged, is charging or the individual rechargeable batteries are almost depleted.
When listening to music and watching movies on my ASUS laptop with the Realtek ALC888 codec, I have found out that Ferox speakers do not distort even at high volumes and the 3D Surround effect was present without setting any special filters from the codec; however, the bass effect is not too great, contrary to what Razer mention on the outside package. At first I thought that it is the integrated audio fault so I have switched to the X-Fi Titanium HD on the desktop computer; the highs and mids improved a little, but the bass remained at the same levels.
Volume control would have been a very nice feature to add to the speakers; on Ferox, it is only possible to adjust the volume though the sound source; I would suggest Razer to release a revised product version in the future, with the ability to use the top of the speakers to adjust the volume level for each speaker, in small steps.
To avoid cable clutter, Razer has designed a custom cable, but is a little short and nowhere to be found as a replacement from another company, in case we lose it. The integrated rechargeable batteries are a huge plus, which means that we do not have to keep them connected to the USB port every time we want to use them; with the 470mAh batteries, Ferox speakers can play for about 12 hours.
The Ferox speakers can be found in shops for about 60 Euros, not the cheapest we could get, but compensate with their sound quality, very modern look and internal rechargeable batteries, without the need to use an external battery, that adds a lot to their portability.
I would like to thank again to Razer for offering me one of their latest products for review!