Razer Hammerhead Duo In-ear Headset Review

Others by stefan @ 2019-05-16

After connecting the headset to our DELL Inspiron 7577 laptop combo jack, we tested the headset with different YouTube content, light gaming and some TV shows: thanks to the dual driver implementation, we are clearly seeing a better bass representation and very clear highs, which is a notable improvement over the previously tested models.

Thanks to the included silicone tips, the shape of the earpieces and the light aluminum construction, the Hammerhead Duo is very comfortable and we did not encounter situations where it would fell out of one of our ears. While lower-priced headsets of this size do distort at higher volumes, these do not have issues when cranking up the volume; however, given the in-ear type of headset, we would not recommend listening at high volumes for longer periods of time, in order not to damage your hearing.

Introduction

 


At first we would like to thank Razer for offering us their Hammerhead Duo In-ear 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

Double the immersion

 

On your daily commute, you tune out from your surroundings by tuning in to your favorite music, watching your favorite movies or playing your favorite games. Immerse yourself with Razer in-ear headphones featuring custom-tuned dual driver technology that doubles your entertainment experience on the go.

 

Dual driver technology

 

What makes dual drivers different from a single driver headphone is the ability to separate deep bass from mid and high frequencies. Dedicated dynamic and balanced armature drivers deliver rich and full range audio for superior clarity, so you’ll experience greater immersive sound with music, movies, and games, wherever you go.

 

Uncompromised feature set

 

Three Silicone Tip Sizes

Various size options let you achieve a comfortable and secure fit that effectively reduces unwanted noise.

 

Aluminum Frame & Braided Cables

Its frame is robust to meet the demands of daily use, while the braided cables ensure you don’t have to stress over tangling.

 

Inline Control & Mic

Whether it’s taking a call on the road or quickly adjusting the volume, the inline control & mic keeps things fuss-free.

 

Analog 3.5mm Jack

The Razer Hammerhead Duo is ideal across multiple platforms, so it works perfectly with your mobile devices and PC.

 

Compatible with the Nintendo Switch™

 

The Razer Hammerhead Duo also comes in a Nintendo Switch™ edition that brings dual driver technology to console gaming. Featuring braided cables for added durability, a mic with mute switch for on-the fly communication, and a dedicated carry case for convenient and portable storage.

 

Product Specifications

At a Glance

 

Dual Driver Technology

Three Silicone Tip Sizes

Aluminum Frame and Braided Cables

Inline Control and Mic

Analog 3.5 mm Jack

 

Headphones

 

Frequency response: 20 Hz-20 KHz

Impedance: 32Ω ± 15%

Sensitivity: 112 ± 3 dB (Max SPL)

Input Power: 10 mW/20 mW

Drivers: Dynamic + Balanced Armature

Connector: 3.5 mm angled jack

Cable length: 1.2 m

Approx. Weight: 17 g

 

Microphone

 

Frequency response: 100 Hz -10 kHz

Pick Up Pattern: Omni-directional

Signal to noise ratio: ≥ 58 dB

Sensitivity: -40 ± 3 dB

 

In-line remote

 

Volume controls: Volume up/Down (for Razer Hammerhead Duo only)*

Center control: Play/ Pause Accept/ End Call (for Razer Hammerhead Duo only)*

Control: Mic mute enable/disable (for Razer Hammerhead Duo – Compatible with the Nintendo Switch™ only)*

 

*Limited functionality on selected devices.

 

Compatibility

 

Devices with 3.5 mm audio jack

Devices with 3.5 mm audio + microphone combined jack

 

Compatible with

 

Smartphones, PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation® 4, and Xbox™

 

Packaging, A Closer Look

The latest set of in-ear headsets from Razer do take part of the Hammerhead series and to be more exact we are talking about the Duo. Thanks to their dedicated dynamic and balanced armature drivers, the Duo aims to provide a better separation of low frequencies from the rest, for a better experience across all types of multimedia content. Thanks to the choice of interface (3.5mm stereo jack), the Duo is compatible with all analog devices (mobile, PCs, amplifiers and more). The product is shipped inside a fully-sealed cardboard/foam enclosure:

 

 

 

Besides a photo of the Hammerhead Duo, Razer does also highlight the dual-driver technology included with this product:

 

 

 

On the back side of the packaging, we get an explanation of the main headset components, the list of package contents but also the hardware requirements and the product serial number; the Hammerhead Duo is also backed up by a two-year warranty:

 

 

 

The cardboard enclosure does open up like a book, where we will also discover a small envelope with documentation. Here, the Razer co-founder, CEO and Creative Director Min-Liang Tan does explain that the product was designed mainly for users that are frequently on the go (gamers or not) and should fit all needed purposes (games, music and everything in between). The headset is carefully secured in foam material, along with its bundle:

 

 

 

The user manual is available in multiple languages and along with it we will also receive a nice case sticker:

 

 

 

In a small re-sealable plastic bag, Razer has included two more silicon tips (of different sizes), so the Hammerhead Duo will fit all ear shapes:

 

 

 

There are two versions of Hammerhead Duo available: the regular one and also built specifically for the Nintendo Switch that differs in terms of in-line controls. The Nintendo Switch version does also come with a small carry case and features the silver Razer logo, for an easier differentiation:

 

 

 

The Hammerhead Duo comes with a premium construction and this can be seen right away by looking at the aluminum casing the drivers are housed in:

 

 

 

A Closer Look Contd.

Each earpiece does have a dynamic driver in the back and a balanced armature driver in the front; the headphones have a frequency response between 20Hz – 20KHz, an impedance of 32 ohm +/- 15%, a sensitivity of 112 +/- 3dB, while the input power is listed as 10 mW/20 mW:

 

 

 

A nice green and subtle Razer logo is present on the back of each earpiece:

 

 

 

After the removal of the silicone tips, we will get to see the black metal protective grille, which protects the inner filter in charge for delivering smoother high frequencies:

 

 

 

Near the L/R channel inscription, the acoustic chamber does also show a small hole that is the mid and low frequency tuning port:

 

 

 

The in-line controls doe also have an aluminum casing and here we have the left and right buttons for adjusting the volume; the middle button allows the user to Play/Pause or Accept/End call:

 

 

 

The back side of the console does feature a Razer logo, but also a middle microphone port:

 

 

 

The stereo cable is fully braided, but the separate cables that travel up to each earpiece are not:

 

 

 

The Hammerhead Duo comes with a combo headphone/microphone jack plug and is gold plated for optimal contact:

 

 

 

Impressions and Conclusive Thoughts

After connecting the headset to our DELL Inspiron 7577 laptop combo jack, we tested the headset with different YouTube content, light gaming and some TV shows: thanks to the dual driver implementation, we are clearly seeing a better bass representation and very clear highs, which is a notable improvement over the previously tested models.

 

Thanks to the included silicone tips, the shape of the earpieces and the light aluminum construction, the Hammerhead Duo is very comfortable and we did not encounter situations where it would fell out of one of our ears. While lower-priced headsets of this size do distort at higher volumes, these do not have issues when cranking up the volume; however, given the in-ear type of headset, we would not recommend listening at high volumes for longer periods of time, in order not to damage your hearing.

 

While this headset does tick a lot of positive boxes, we would also like to remind of some small negative aspects:

 

-the product does not come with a carry case for an unknown reason (the Nintendo Switch is shipped with one though)

-the cable is braided, but not entirely.

 

The Hammerhead Duo is available on the Razer Store for about 60 Euros, cheaper than the offering on Amazon.de.

 

Razer Hammerhead Duo In-ear Headset is Recommended for:

 

 

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

 

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