At first we would like to thank Razer for offering us their Blackshark V2 Pro 2023 Edition 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."

FOR THE PRO

If esports is your calling, answer it with the ultimate wireless headset for competitive play, designed in collaboration with top esports pros. Engineered for pure performance, get the complete package of crystal-clear audio, advanced noise isolation, and all-day comfort with the multi-award-winning Razer BlackShark V2 Pro.

 

RAZER HYPERCLEAR SUPER WIDEBAND MIC - High-Definition, Pro-Level Voice Quality

By covering a wider frequency range of sound, this next-gen detachable mic captures and transmits a tremendous amount of detail in your voice, so that every shotcall to your team sounds clear, rich, and natural.

 

RAZER TRIFORCE TITANIUM 50 MM DRIVERS- Clear, Powerful Sound

With titanium-coated diaphragms for added clarity, our cutting-edge patented design divides the driver into 3 parts for the individual tuning of highs, mids, and lows—bringing your in-game audio to incredible levels of clarity.

 

LIGHTWEIGHT. COMFORTABLE. DURABLE.

ULTRA-SOFT FLOWKNIT MEMORY FOAM CUSHIONS

Breathable weave that helps you stay cool and comfortable.

STEEL-REINFORCED HEADBAND AND SLIDER

Greater robustness and flexibility.

OPTIMIZED PROFILE AND CLAMPING FORCE

Improved seal and noise isolation for absolute focus.

 

POWERED TO PERFORM

RAZER HYPERSPEED WIRELESS

Industry-leading 2.4 GHz connection for ultra-low latency gaming.

70 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE WITH TYPE C CHARGING

Get 6 hours of play with just 15 minutes of charging.

THX SPATIAL AUDIO

Advanced 7.1 surround sound with superior positional accuracy.

 

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

Get up to 2 years of warranty and access reliable tech support. Purchase directly from RazerStore and get 14 days risk?free returns.

 

FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 12 Hz – 28 kHz

IMPEDANCE: 32 Ohm

SENSITIVITY: 100 dBSPL / mW @ 1 kHz by HATS

DRIVER SPECIFICATIONS: 50 mm

DRIVER TYPE: Razer TriForce Titanium

EARCUPS: Oval Ear Cushions

INNER EARCUP DIAMETER: 62 mm x 42 mm / 2.44 x 1.65 in

EARPADS MATERIAL: Pressure-Relieving Memory Foam

NOISE CANCELLING: Advanced Passive Noise Isolation

CONNECTION TYPE: Type A Wireless (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 5.2

APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: Approx. 320 g / 0.71 lbs

MICROPHONE STYLE: Detachable Super Wideband

PICK-UP PATTERN: Unidirectional

MICROPHONE FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 100 Hz – 10 kHz

MICROPHONE SENSITIVITY (@1KHZ): -42 ± 3 dBV / PA, 1 kHz

VIRTUAL SURROUND ENCODING: THX Spatial Audio

VOLUME CONTROL: Volume up and down

OTHER CONTROLS:

2.4 GHz Wireless and Bluetooth Toggle (SmartSwitch)

Volume up and down: Mic mute on/off toggle

Audio profiles switcher

BATTERY LIFE: Up to 70 hours

COMPATIBILITY:

PC (Type A 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 5.2)

PlayStation (Type A 2.4 GHz)

Mobile Devices (Supporting Type A or Bluetooth 5.2)

Android & iOS

 

The Blackshark V2 Pro headset from Razer has been revised with a 2023 model, without stepping further to a potential V3 model. While the model does share a lot of the design elements of its older sibling, we do receive a significant upgrade in battery life, Bluetooth connectivity but also a new microphone which sounds good! Razer saw fit to remove the analog connectivity options, present on the older model. The micro-USB port has been changed to USB-C, which is another welcome addition.

 

The headset is shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard box, featuring the regular Razer box art; you will be able to easily identify the new version by checking out the dual wireless connectivity option logos on the top cover:

 

 

 

On the side, we will note logos of the e-sports teams endorsed by Razer:

 

 

 

The bottom area of the box does show the contents, requirements, technical specifications but also the battery life expectancy:

 

 

 

The main product highlights are shown on the back:

 

 

 

The headset, along with its bundle is well protected inside a thick foam material:

 

 

 

The cabling is additionally wrapped inside separate plastic bags:

 

 

 

We will also receive some documentation:

 

 

 

The leaflet thanks us for the choice we have made by purchasing the Blackshark V2 Pro, but we will also receive some links for accessing online resources:

 

 

 

 

The manual is written in multiple languages and describes the interfaces, along with the usage modes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new microphone has a “detachable super wideband” style, an unidirectional pick-up pattern, a frequency response between 100 Hz and 10 kHz, while the sensitivity at 1 kHz is -42 +/- 3 dBV / PA:

 

 

 

The windscreen foam cover can be removed to take a closer look at the chassis. Unlike microphones from other brands, the chassis is larger, protected by a black grill on the inside, while plastic can be found on the outside layer:

 

 

 

The microphone interfaces with the headset with a jack plug, which is gold-plated for optimal contact:

 

 

 

The USB-A to USB-A cable extender can be used for keeping the USB dongle as far as possible from the sound source, for avoiding interference, which keeps the range high. The braiding is also appreciated, for increasing the durability of the cable:

 

 

 

The end connectors come with the usual, signature Razer colors:

 

 

 

The USB charging cable is USB-A on the source side and USB-C on the headset side; braiding is applied here, and the headset can be well used while charging:

 

 

 

 

The 2.4 GHz dongle resembles the old one, only the logo has been changed:

 

 

 

 

On the back, Razer has noted the name of the product, the code name but also the supported standards:

 

 

 

The set of nice Razer stickers is not missing from the box:

 

 

 

Blackshark V2 Pro 2023 does retain the comfortable shape of its predecessor, with large cups and a sturdy design of the frame. Large pressure-relieving memory foam pads are used for both earpads and headband:

 

 

 

On the exterior of the left cup, we will note a large Volume knob, but also a subtle Razer logo:

 

 

 

On the side, we will note the Microphone mute and the Power buttons, which have swapped position versus the previous 2020 design. The Power button is multi-functional, for audio play/pause, track skip/move to previous track but can also activate BT pairing mode; this headset also allows you to take calls, so the button will be used for answering and ending calls, but also for swapping calls and rejecting calls:

 

 

 

The microphone jack port does come with a custom shape, for permitting installation only in the correct position; the USB-C port is right nearby:

 

 

 

The Razer SmartSwitch button on the right cup does allow EQ preset cycling, we can move between 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth, but can also activate pairing mode if held for no less than seven seconds:

 

 

 

The oval earpads are wrapped in fabric, so these will wear out much less than leatherette. The internal drivers do come with a frequency response between 12 Hz and 28 kHz, have an impedance of 32 Ohm, a sensitivity of 100 dBSPL/ mW @ 1 kHz, while the diameter is 50 mm. These are TriForce Titanium, meaning we are dealing with titanium-coated diaphragms for added clarity in terms of high frequencies, a material mostly found with tweeters. The drivers do also feature dedicated tuning ports and are able to focus separately on bass, midrange and treble:

 

 

 

The cup does also include a sticker with the internal code name and serial number:

 

 

 

The headband is padded on the inside with a thick layer of memory foam, for attaining maximum comfort:

 

 

 

On the interior area of the frame, Razer has noted the name of the Stereo channels:

 

 

 

On the top area of the headband, we will find leatherette of very good quality (our 2020 model is still going strong), while the Razer logo is printed in the middle:

 

 

 

The microphone can be attached to the headset in just a few seconds; it has a shorter body versus the previous model and is very flexible:

 

 

 

Depending on the operating mode, the status LED near the USB-C port will light up differently:

 

 

 

 

Right after plugging in the WiFi dongle in a spare USB port of the test computer, Synapse 3 installer was prompted to go ahead and install the application:

 

 

 

Next, we can choose the modules which should be installed along Synapse; additionally, we have selected the THX module:

 

 

 

After the installation has been successfully completed, we will be prompted to log in with the Razer account, create a new one or go ahead as a guest user; in the case of Guest mode, no setting will be saved!

 

 

 

The headset was immediately detected by the utility and a firmware update was prompted; this task will be conducted by a separate software, downloadable via a separate software:

 

 

 

Via the Sound tab, we can work with different profiles, navigate between regular Stereo and THX Spatial Audio mode, choose between lots of Standard and e-sports EQ presets. The Custom EQ can be also enabled, where we can use our own settings;

 

 

 

 

 

Moving on, we can allocate a separate EQ for the favorite apps, modify the volume level or open Windows Sound Properties:

 

 

 

The Enhancement area allows us to enable Do Not Disturb mode, but also enable and work with filters such as Bass Boost, Sound Normalization and Voice Clarity:

 

 

 

The Microphone settings are available in a separate tab; we can adjust the volume, apply different filters such as Volume Normalization, Vocal Clarity and Mic Noise Cancellation, but we can also adjust the 10-band EQ!

Of course, Sidetone is also available:

 

 

 

From the Power area, we can configure the Power Saving mode:

 

 

 

A THX demo on the last tab will show the user the spatialization effects when switching between the two modes:

 

 

 

The 2023 upgrade of the Blackshark V2 Pro headset is worth it when considering more than double battery life, but also the upgraded microphone, which now sounds great, matching the high-end models from Corsair and making you think that the person you are talking with is right next to you! While checking out Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Need For Speed Unbound, Diablo IV and Horizon Zero Dawn, we were happy with the overall sound signature, with deep bass accompanied by loud and clear voices while in cutscenes. THX Spatial Audio is nice when utilized while watching different video clips, TV Shows and movies, but can be a hit and miss in games, some of which are implementing its own type of spatialization techniques.

 

Blackshark V2 Pro is made from good quality materials and remains very comfortable thanks to the manageable weight and thick memory foam, on both ear pads and headband. The microphone can be removed/installed quickly, and the buttons can be accessed with ease. In case of Bluetooth utilization with our favorite sound source, we have Bluetooth 5.2 compatibility, with the AAC and SBC codecs so do not expect a stellar quality due to lower bitrate, but for the mainstream crowd it should be fine, including taking calls.

 

Synapse 3 does allow a good level of control over both audio playback and the microphone, with separate EQs and extra filters. The power management helps as well to maintain a good battery life, by turning off the headset automatically, when not in use, after a specified period. With the new version, the Volume knob is linked directly to the Windows Volume controls, while the voice prompts are really useful.

 

The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro can be found online for about 170 Euros, a decent price for the features we are getting.

 

 Razer Blackshark V2 Pro 2023 Edition Gaming Headset is Recommended for:

 

 

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