At first we would like to thank Razer for offering us their Nari Wired/Wireless Gaming Headset for testing and reviewing.

 

About Razer:

"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."

Product Features:

 

SUPREME WIRELESS IMMERSION

 

When it comes to gaming immersion, sound plays a critical role. It engages your sense of hearing to determine the atmosphere and mood, creating a lifelike experience that lets you truly embody your game character. Standing by this philosophy, we’ve built a headset with THX Spatial Audio to bring you 360° positional sound, giving you greater spatial awareness. We’ve also added ergonomic design features to make this one of the most comfortable daily drivers for gaming. This is the Razer Nari.

 

COMPLEMENTED BY COMFORT

 

The Razer Nari is designed so that its immersive technology is complemented by comfortable features, letting you escape into game worlds for hours without strain.

 

Cooling Gel-Infused Cushions

 

Reduces heat build-up during intense gaming sessions

 

Auto-Adjusting Headband

 

Maximum adjustability to fit seamlessly onto any head size

 

Swiveling Earcups

 

Adapting to the shape and position of your ears

 

OTHER FEATURES

 

Game/Chat Balance

 

Fine-tune between game and chat volume for the perfect mix that lets you enjoy immersive sound without interrupting team communication.

 

2.4GHz Wireless Audio

 

Get lag-free, high-fidelity gaming audio with a wireless range of up to 12 meters smoothly without disconnection.

 

Wired Mode

 

Get seamless cross-platform compatibility via a 3.5 mm audio jack in wired mode. Enjoy high quality stereo sound whether you’re playing on PC, consoles or mobile.

 

THX SPATIAL AUDIO

 

THX Spatial Audio goes beyond traditional surround sound by simulating sound in a 360° sphere around you. With the Nari Ultimate, you can now react to any in-game movement, even if it’s coming from above or beneath you, giving you heightened senses during your game. Unleash your predatory instincts with sound as a weapon.

 

RAZER NARI ULTIMATE vs RAZER NARI vs RAZER NARI ESSENTIAL

 

Feel the impact of every battle via HyperSense with the Razer Nari Ultimate, or simply enjoy incredible gaming sessions with the comfortable ergonomics of the Razer Nari. If you’re looking for a gaming headset that’s just as comfortable and can run wirelessly for long hours, then we’ve also got the Razer Nari Essential.

 

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

 

Get up to 2 years of warranty and access reliable tech support here.

Purchase directly from RazerStore and get 14 days risk-free returns.

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

 

Just recently we have received one of the latest Razer gaming headsets, with the “Nari” nickname; this particular model does support THX Spatial Audio, unique, cooling gel-infused cushions for added comfort, 2.4GHz wireless audio, ability to use wired mode but also large 50mm drivers with Neodymium magnets. The product is compatible with PCs, other devices with analog interfaces on wired mode but also the PS4 console. Nari is shipped inside a signature Razer box, showing the design of the product on the top cover, but we can also see the Chroma lighting system advertised:

 

 

 

One of the sides does show the Package Contents along with the System Requirements and Technical Specifications:

 

 

 

The main product components are detailed on the backside, for a better product understanding:

 

 

 

Nari is secured inside a black plastic mold, while the accessories are present under a thin cardboard layer, with the saying “For Gamers. By Gamers.”:

 

 

 

The bundle consists of two cables, but also some documentation:

 

 

 

The supplied cables are braided for additional durability; Razer does offer a jack with 4-pole for connecting with a wide range of devices on analog:

 

 

 

 

The USB charging cable does sport the signature green Razer design:

 

 

 

Regarding the written documentation, we are receiving a leaflet with additional online resources, but also a manual, that explains the usage of the Nari headset:

 

 

 

 

The new set of stickers is more interesting than before, offering four type of designs:

 

 

 

Razer Nari does feature an all-black design, large cups, while the adjustable headband area is reinforced with two metallic arcs:

 

 

 

The swiveling earcups do enable a comfortable position for each shape and position of the ears; on the outside of each cup, we can see a RGB Chroma-enabled Razer logo, but also surrounding black metallic meshes:

 

 

 

 

The leatherette cushions are infused with cooling gel, in order to prevent heat build-up during intense tournaments:

 

 

 

For this model, Razer is using large, 50mm drivers, for delivering great results on the whole frequency range:

 

 

 

The left cup does come with a dedicated Microphone mute button, easy to access; when the headset is powered on, it will be initially muted and the LED on the tip of the microphone will light up red:

 

 

 

With the Game/Chat balance wheel we can fine-tune between game and chat volume; a similar feature we have also found with high-end SteelSeries headsets; further down we will spot the status LED, that shows the user the battery charge state, but also the current operating mode:

 

 

 

 

Moving further down on the same line, we will find the Power button, the USB port for charging purposes but also the 3.5mm jack port for connecting analog sound sources:

 

 

 

In order not to overcrowd one cup, the Volume wheel is included on the right side:

 

 

 

The right cup does also act as a docking for the WiFi dongle:

 

 

 

Nari does feature a retractable unidirectional microphone that sports a frequency response between 100 and 6.5kHz, a SNR ratio > 50 dB and a sensitivity (@1kHz) of -42 ± 3 dB:

 

 

 

 

 

The 2.4Ghz WiFi dongle is compact, so it won’t obstruct nearby USB ports; this is a great deal, especially when used with laptop configurations while on-the-go:

 

 

 

On the back side, we will be able to check its model code name and serial number:

 

 

 

The headband adjusts automatically and is soft to the touch:

 

 

 

 

On the top area of the headband we can spot a harder surface, with a debossed Razer logo:

 

 

 

Right after plugging in the wireless dongle into a spare USB port, the Razer Synapse installer will pop up:

 

 

 

We can customize the installation options and can add optional modules along with Synapse (HUE from Phillips, Chroma, Macro or Razer Cortex):

 

 

 

The needed components will start downloading and will install automatically afterwards:

 

 

 

In order to use the application, we will have to log into our Razer account or create a new one; previously saved profiles will be brought back from the Cloud saves:

 

 

 

The application will also ask if we would like to receive marketing emails (GDPR requirement):

 

 

 

The new Synapse is still in Beta stage, but we haven’t had any crashes or issues while operating it. The main Dashboard area will show the configuration for the detected hardware, but also some optional modules that we have installed earlier:

 

 

 

The Sound tab of the Audio menu does instruct the user on how to set up the headset volume levels for the first time, in order to accommodate our preferences:

 

 

 

THX Spatial Audio can be configured from the next tab and we can configure which applications should use the effect:

 

 

 

We have two options to choose as output:

 

 

 

We can also calibrate the effect from the dedicated section:

 

 

 

Certain filters can be used for enhancing the audio quality, such as Sound Normalization, Voice Clarity, but we can also enable “Bass Boost”:

 

 

 

The EQ section does contain multiple presets, but we can customize it with our preferences as well:

 

 

 

 

The Microphone output can be fine-tuned as well, with options such as Mic Volume, Sensitivity, Sidetone, but also Enhancements such as Volume Normalization, Ambient Noise Reduction or Vocal Clarity:

 

 

 

The Lighting area does allow us to configure the Brightness setting, set Quick Effects (presets) or enable Advanced Efffects; we can also switch off the headset lighting while the display is turned off:

 

 

 

Here are the available Quick Presets:

 

 

 

For more advanced lighting, we can visit Chroma Studio:

 

 

 

Chroma Studio opens up in a different section of the Synapse and from here we can add multiple effects:

 

 

 

Depending on the selected effect, we will get different configuration options:

 

Static

Wave

 

Starlight

Fire

Breathing

Spectrum Cycling

 

We can choose different effects for the apps we are using, or we can use Chroma workshop to check out compatible applications or games:

 

 

 

 

 

Power Saving options are available as well:

 

 

 

The Profiles section is placed in a separate menu and here we can link profiles to games as well:

 

 

 

 

If we do have HUE devices available, we can connect to it from the interface:

 

 

 

A Macro section is also presented as a separate module:

 

 

 

After using the Nari headset for quite a bit in different scenarios such as gaming, listening to music but also watching TV shows and movies, we can really say that the large 50mm drivers really pack a punch and should please the majority of gamers, mainstream computer or laptop users. The surround feature of Razer headsets was great and now with the added THX it is even better and easy customizable via Synapse software. This is easy one of the most comfortable headsets we have tried so far and the gel-infused cushions are not a marketing gimmick: the headset can be easily used for long periods of time, doing the activities you enjoy.

 

The adjustable headband does also improve the comfort aspect quite a bit and this is complemented by the swiveling earcups, that adapt the Nari headset for each and every head shape or size. The microphone position can be adjusted as necessary and when the headset is first initialized, it will be muted at first, in order to avoid accidental broadcasts.

 

The Nari headset was designed to run the latest Synapse version, that sports a reworked design and can be easily operated; there we can work with the THX Spatial Audio settings (for each individual application), enable audio filters, fine tune the microphone output, work with the Equalizer, customize the Chroma lighting with our preferences and more.

 

The only issue we have experienced is that sometimes the headset did not connect properly to its dongle or the operating range was very low; this got fixed every time by power cycling the headset. We suspect that this will be fixed in a future firmware update.

 

Nari can be currently bought online for about 150 Euros.

 

Razer Nari Wired/Wireless Gaming Headset is Recommended for:

 

 

 

We would like to thank again to Razer for making this review possible!