We tested exclusively for Spain the new Razer headsets that allow us to connect to the X Series and the PC / mobile at the same time, with high quality sound and a clear microphone.
Xbox Series X and S arrive next week in Spain. We have already talked at length about the benefits of the new Microsoft consoles, their command or the optimization of top-of-the-line games. But the green party of the Redmond company is now joined by another company that is going green: Razer. Specialists in controls and accessories for consoles and PC, their first bet for the new generation is high: Razer Kaira Pro. The first next gen headsets with very powerful functions. We analyze them exclusively for Spain after days and hours with them.
The nature of Razer’s new wireless headsets is to follow the path set by the Xbox ecosystem. This means that if with our account we can play the console, then make the leap to mobile devices with xCloud (currently Android) and then continue on PC, the helmets have to maintain this function. And that intention, that of being transversal as are Xbox services such as Game Pass, is what predominates in the Razer Kaira Pro. A system that wants to be able to connect and be connected at the same time to all the devices with which we can play .
In fact, before going into specifications, we surely highlight the key point of the device: the ability to be connected to both Xbox Series X and another system, be it a PC or our mobile phone. Anyone that allows you to connect thanks to Bluetooth 5.0. We are talking, therefore, of helmets that are cross-plattform, and that allow to have two open channels: the one from the console and the one that arrives via Bluetooth. This makes things easier if we change the game device, or if we are called on the phone while we are playing with the headphones connected to the console. A function that has surprised us, that works correctly and that is the first starting point for a product that contains other surprises.
High-flying sound
Headphones are for listening, and for listening well. Kaira Pro has Triforce Titanium technology that separates the different sound levels into three parts: high, mid and low. This, which was already in the BlackShark V2 and Pro, allows to offer a clear sound, with much more forceful bass and many more nuances. This is what the theory says, and it is what at least we have confirmed in practice. The titles sound especially good, since through Virtual Surround Sound it makes us believe that there are many more points where the sound comes from. We have tested it with several hard-hitting games, such as DOOM Eternal, Halo 5 or burning wheel in Forza Horizon 4, and all the nuances present in explosions, impacts, weapons or drifts elevate the experience.
Two microphones in one
To this is added the microphone. The Kaira Pro come with a microphone that can be attached or removed and that tries to be as clean and clear as possible. To achieve this, the design of the microphone is focused on focusing on the user’s mouth, covering up from ambient sounds and capturing the voice as the main sound input. We have done tests typing at a normal distance from the head and what we have captured is the predominant voice and hardly any sound around it. The microphone is 9.9mm long, and it is flexible to be able to adapt it and bring it closer or further away from our mouth with ease.
We said that there are two microphones in one because if we decide to put the Hyperclear Supercardioid aside, the helmets keep an internal microphone designed for use with other devices, such as mobile phones. In this case, although the sound is still being captured at a good volume despite not having it close to the lips, the general sound quality does suffer, being a not recommended option if we want to record a video or do some live streaming. In any case, to use in case of calls or chats in the chat with friends it fulfills its function.
The entire system is customizable through the Razer Headset Setup, an application available for download in the Xbox store, where we can fiddle with various elements to take into account. On the one hand, we can boost the sound of the microphone if we want it to be even more powerful, as well as try the audio equalizer that allows us to customize the frequencies and the overall tone of the sound. It has four modes that can be switched by pressing a button on the headset: the default mode, one with the predominant bass, FPS to better hear footsteps and other key effects in the competitive one, and a custom one that can be played to our liking and a Option to configure the lighting effects of the helmets.
Design and comfort
At the design level, Razer’s helmets are 56mm wide and 76mm long, with fluffy pads that fit well (they don’t have the feel and style of leather-like classics like others, such as the PS4 Platinum) and surround and fit over the ears. They have the same material in the upper part that is embedded in the head and has different shortcuts and buttons to speed up connectivity and preferences according to each case. On the left, volume control and possibility to mute the microphone, in addition to the USB-C input to charge them. On the right, the button to pair with Xbox Series X and change the listening mode, a wheel to prioritize the audio from the console or the Bluetooth (here we miss the option of being able to graduate group chat on the console or sound of the game without having to go through the menu).
The device weighs just 365 grams, the battery lasted about 15 hours more or less (according to Razer, the duration can be extended if we deactivate the Chroma RGB lights) and the distance of both the wireless connection on the console and the bluetooth on PC or mobile is in about 10 meters. Its price is 169.99 euros, and there is a Razer Kaira version with the same features, except for the fact that the microphone is fixed.
conclusion
Razer Kaira Pro is a more than outstanding option to release Xbox Series X with new helmets. The quality and cleanliness of the sound is the basis of its success: the bass sounds powerful and convincing, it makes good use of Virtual Surround to feel surrounded also at the auditory level and the nuances in many effects gain a great presence. It is not about hearing only DOOM Eternal’s chainsaw cutting a demon, but also how the enemy’s body guts itself. The microphone’s capture quality, with hardly any external noise, also maintains a high level of clarity.
But in addition to outstanding performance, Kaira Pro shines with its overall proposition. On the one hand, the removable microphone allows it to adapt to any need, since it has an internal microphone for other purposes, although here the sound quality suffers. On the other, even more interesting, the ability to connect the device to Xbox Series X and a Bluetooth-compatible device at the same time. The idea is to continue with the transversal nature of the Xbox ecosystem: if you can play on the console, PC and in xCloud, the helmets must also be able to be connected at the same time in each situation.
At the design level, it is functional, adaptable and very comfortable and has shortcuts with several buttons on the one hand and customization via app on the other that complete a very powerful offer as a launch product. It is true that we miss some function from the helmet itself, such as giving priority to group chat or gaming, and that the internal microphone lowers the general performance standard of the product, but due to the high sound quality, connection versatility, microphone clarity and comfort, this is a headset that fits perfectly into Microsoft’s Next Gen concept.
THE BEST
- High sound quality on all fronts: bass, mids …
- Microphone sounds clean and clear, with hardly any external sounds
- The possibility of connecting Xbox Series X and a Bluetooth device at the same time: mobile, PC …
- Very comfortable even if we spend several hours playing
- Personalization via app provides more options
WORST
- The internal microphone has a more limited quality
- We miss some function from the helmet itself, without going through the app
