The Razer Barracuda Pro combines great sound quality and a sexy design to create an appealing product for those wanting a lifestyle focused headset.
The Razer Barracuda Pro is part of a trio of Razer releases this year, with three new headsets aimed at a more casual “lifestyle” audience rather than the hardcore gamer: the Razer Barracuda X, the Razer Barracuda, and the Razer Barracuda Pro. Each one targets a different segment of the market, mostly on price and features, with the X priced the lowest and the Pro being the premium option at a very lofty price of $249 (£249, about AU$350).
Though thethe Barracuda Pro is not a dedicated gaming headset, meaning it won’t outperform many (if any) of the best PC gaming headsets at this price point in terms of pure solid clarity and depth, but that’s not what the Barracuda Pro is about, and as a hybrid device, it performs incredibly well.
The Barracuda Pro adapts to any type of sound or music from whichever device it’s currently connected to, with some pretty solid bass reproduction. And because it’s not particularly oversized for a headset nor features clunky attachments like a large mic (instead opting for a built-in mic that can be toggled on via a button click), you can actually go outside and not look foolish.
The biggest selling point of the Razer Barracuda Pro is the ability to switch between two paired devices which can be any combination of PC, phone, and gaming device through its dual Wireless (2.4GHz) and Bluetooth support. Though it comes with a USB Type-A dongle, which allows you to connect to non-Bluetooth enabled devices that have the port, this headset is meant for Bluetooth as the main features only really work with it.
This is both convenient and headache inducing, as any Bluetooth device owner can tell you, since sometimes the tech can be a bit spotty including the dedicated button for connecting to and switching between paired devices.
The second biggest selling point is its active noise-cancelling capabilities which comes in three flavors: Off, On, and Ambient. The difference between each mode is staggering in the best way, with the Ambient mode perfectly balancing which sounds are filtered. This setting and tons of others can be controlled through the Audio app.
On balance, it’s tough to call this one of the best wireless gaming headsets around because it not quite that, but also much more than that, and as a first real step into the Lifestyle market, it succeeds far more than it should for a first attempt. If you’re the kind of person who is looking for this kind of device, the Razer Barracuda Pro is about as good as it gets.
The Razer Barracuda Pro will run you $249 / £249 / AU$439 for a pair, which comes with a handy carrying case that includes a little section for the USB dongle and charging cord but does not come with a base station, which is disappointing considering the price of the headset.
