Since introducing the Triforce Titanium drivers, Razer has been able to churn out some really good headsets over the past few months. With the Barracude Pro, you now want to attack in the high-end area, after all, the gaming headset costs a whopping 289.99 euros. But as ambitious as this attack looks and is supported by some good features: It will probably not work that well, because Razer makes a few blunders.
The Razer Barracuda Pro arrives in a stylish box and just as we're happy that there's a lot of cardboard instead of plastic on board, we stumble across a molded plastic part inside the box. You could actually have saved yourself, especially since the headset is in a stylish and stable hard case with a storage compartment for cables and dongles in the box.
The processing of the headset itself, on the other hand, is immediately convincing. Discreetly kept in matt black, the headset makes a robust impression. Thanks to rotatable ear cups, thick and soft cushions, and good adjustability, there is nothing wrong with the wearing comfort. Only the fact that artificial leather covers were chosen for the upholstery instead of microfiber or similar textile material may be a bit sour for one or the other - especially at the current temperatures.
The connection is made using a USB-C dongle, which can be extended with a USB-C to USB-A cable. A USB-C cable serves as the charging cable. The Barracuda Pro is operated wirelessly, either with a 2.4 GHz connection or Bluetooth 5.2. Connection options purely via cable are not available. However, PCs, Playstation consoles, and mobile devices can still be covered to a large extent. Only Xbox owners will not enjoy the headset.
The main focus is on the PC anyway, because only there can you activate THX Spatial as a surround system via Synapse software. In any case, the software offers a few setting options, from a 10-band equalizer to active noise cancellation and various sound improvements. There are also Razer audio apps for iOS and Android for use on mobile devices, which primarily offer equalizers.
Operating the headset is extremely simple. On the left are the power button, mute, and volume controls. There is only a combo button on the right side, but it does a whole cornucopia of tasks, from call control to ANC to switching the connection. You have to memorize it first, but then it's easy to do.
What is missing is a microphone arm. The Barracuda Pro works with integrated microphones that are supposed to create a virtual microphone arm. That works quite well but is nowhere near as good as a real microphone arm. The speech transmission generally sounds a bit "distant", quieter speech is sometimes lost and a dynamic can hardly be felt. That's just about enough for voice chat, but not for more advanced recordings. Too bad.
As already mentioned, the Barracuda has Active Noise Cancellation, which can be set to different levels via the software. This also turns out to be a somewhat double-edged sword. Lower sounds are filtered out quite well overall, but the ANC weakens a bit at higher frequencies. Operation with ambient noise being let through is also not optimally solved. This can be done better.
In terms of sound, the Barracuda Pro also has its strengths and weaknesses, which in this case means that the potential of the very good Triforce Titanium drivers is not really fully exploited. The default setting is too sharp in the upper mids, the available presets for gaming, movies, and music are okay, but no more. If you want to experience the full potential of the headset, you can't avoid dealing with the equalizer a little more extensively. After all, the software allows you to create your own presets and profiles. But not everyone wants that, and Razer missed a bit of an opportunity here.
If you work a little more extensively with the EQ, you will ultimately succeed in building really good presets that can also play in the headset's price league in terms of sound. The Razer Barracuda Pro is basically not a bad headset, quite the opposite. In the end, however, it does have a few weak points that shouldn't necessarily appear in this price range. However, since Razer likes to refresh its own products from time to time, things could definitely get better with the next model of the Barracuda Pro.
CONCLUSION
Not bad, but not perfect either
After a whole series of very good headsets, Razer is weakening on the most expensive example. Sure, the Barracuda Pro is certainly not bad. It has the potential for very good sound, even if the default settings are rather mediocre. In addition, it is super comfortable and delivers flawless wireless connection via Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz with good range and long battery life. There is nothing wrong with the processing either. The THX Spatial with its very good directional perception on the PC is an additional benefit.
Apart from the not-so-successful mix and the presets, neither the "armless" microphone nor the active noise cancellation is completely convincing. The former acts too weakly and likes to drop more subtle sounds, the latter weakens especially when filtering higher frequencies. In view of the strong competition in this price range, the Barracuda Pro does not do badly but has to lose a few feathers in the details. As a pure gaming headset from Razer, the Blackshark V2 Pro remains the better choice for me in terms of price and performance.
Pros
- with improvement by means of EQ overall good sound
- strong THX spatial
- high wearing comfort
- Battery life and range are very good
- high quality
- useful apps for PC, iOS, and Android
Cons
- The standard mix is rather mediocre
- Microphone comparatively weak
- very expensive
- ANC comparatively weak
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