Crisp, clear microphone and audio for eSports gaming

It’s been a few years since we last looked at the Razer BlackShark gaming headset, specifically targeting the eSports crowd. Both the BlackShark V2 and V2 X earned high scores from us. While we didn’t get a chance to review the V2 Pro wireless version, Razer is back with a few improvements, albeit under the same product name.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

The Quick Take

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Specifications

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) we reviewed has the following features and specifications:

Frequency Response	12 Hz – 28 kHz
Impedance	32 Ω
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
Lighting	None
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

What’s in the box

• Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) wireless gaming headset
• Removable Razer HyperClear Super WIdeband Mic
• Wireless USB dongle
• USB Type-A to USB Type-C Charging Cable
• Product information guide

Design

Like its siblings, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro gaming headset takes its design cues from aviation headsets. As such, they do look a bit different than your standard gaming headset. The headband is nice and plush, with the Razer logo debossed into the top of the headband. The fabric underside is nicely stitched to the top pleather piece. At each end of the headband is a plastic cap which attaches to a pair of thin wires (aviation style) which angle out into a thin, cylindrical tube. These tubes are where the headband adjustment is made by sliding the thin wires up and down in them. In addition, a braided black flex cable connects to each earcup through the headband.

The inside of each black headband endpiece has an L or R to indicate which earcup goes on what ear. Of course, the volume knob and microphone are on the left earcup so that’s an easy tell. The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro has memory foam ear cushions. As a result, the ear cushions are a nice soft fabric all around.

As for the removable microphone, this is one of the things that was upgraded. As opposed to the cardioid microphone in the 2020 model, the 2023 version now has HyperClear Super Wideband Mic, but more on that in a minute.

Being a wireless headset, a 2.4GHz USB-A dongle is also included with the headset alongside a braided USB-C to USB-A cable for charging, as well as a braided USB-A to USB-A extension cable for the dongle.

As the design hasn’t changed at all over the BlackShark V2 models, it is very comfortable to wear, even for extended periods.

Ease of Use

Setting up the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) wireless gaming headset is pretty easy. First, plug the dongle into a free USB-A port on your computer. Next, press and hold the power button for about two seconds, the LED indicator on the left earcup will blink green and finally turn solid green. Once it is, you’ll be connected.

Aside from that, the headset is pretty straightforward. When using Bluetooth, a single press of the power button will play/pause your current track or accept/end a call. A double press will skip to the next track or reject an incoming call while a triple press will skip to the previous track.

The Razer SmartSwitch/EQ button allows you to switch between Standard and Esports EQ settings. To toggle between the two, hold the button for about 3 seconds. When in Standard mode, pressing the button once will cycle through Game, Movie, Music, and Custom modes with each press. When in Esports mode, doing so will switch between Apex Legends, Call of Duty, CS:GO, Fortnite, and Valorant EQ modes. To switch between Bluetooth and the USB dongle, double press the Razer SmartSwitch/EQ button on the left earcup. A triple press will toggle gaming mode which, when enabled, has a lower latency for more accurate real-time feedback while gaming.

Software

While the BlackShark V2 Pro sounds great out of the box, you may want to tweak it with the Razer Synapse 3 app. Once installed, select the headset on the main page and you can then adjust various settings.

The settings you can adjust include toggling THX Spatial Audio, specify Game, Movie, or Music Mode, adjust each of those modes, enhance bass, voice clarity, sound normalization, and even set up custom EQ. On the microphone side, you can set voice gate, adjust the microphone volume, toggle mic monitoring (sidetone), and toggle volume normalization, vocal clarity, and mic noise cancellation.

You can also set the headset to automatically turn off between 15 and 60 minutes of inactivity to help save battery life. Finally, any firmware updates will be delivered through the app as well.

During our review period, I tested out the default THX Game Profile against the specific ones including Call of Duty: Warzone, and there are definitely some subtle enhancements for each game.

As you can see, there are plenty of adjustments you can make to tweak the already fantastic sound and microphone quality (discussed in the next sections) even better on the BlackShark V2.

Sound Quality

The headset is fairly balanced when it comes to sound but definitely favours the higher end of things. This is good though as it lends itself to picking up on the smaller cues like footsteps and the like — definitely a big help in multiplayer shooters like Call of Duty. Given the TriForce Titanium 50mm drivers, these headphones both offer fantastic sound, especially given the price points.

People are always complaining about the non-existant/poor footstep audio in Warzone 2.0. With this headset set to Call of Duty eSports tuning, that wasn’t an issue at all. I was able to even hear footsteps coming over a ridge in the sand dunes to the north of the Al Mazrah map. Being caught in the sandstorm is unreal, and it really sounds like you’re right in the midst of it.

The headset is also decent for games like Forza Horizon 5 but you don’t experience the same full effect as you do in FPS like Warzone. That being said, with the THX Spatial Audio on the BlackShark V2 Pro with its TriForce Titanium 50mm drivers, I definitely had a few “wow” moments. One of these moments with this headset was when I heard Mei’s Cryo-Freeze crack and break and even Tassador’s Psionic Storms crackling in Heroes of the Storm.

Finally, the passive noise cancellation on both headsets helps keep you focused on your game sound without being distracted by external noises.

Reception

Microphone Quality

Being marketed as an esports gaming headset, the Razer BlackShark V2 didn’t disappoint when it came to microphone quality with the Razer HyperClear Cardioid Mic. That being said, the Razer HyperClear Super WIdeband Mic is just *that* much better. In fact, the BlackShark V2 Pro headset has some of the best (if not the best) microphone quality I’ve experienced to date. You can also tweak the microphone quality even further using the Razer Synapse 3 software mentioned previously but I found it wasn’t required.

Battery Life

Price/Value

With an MSRP of $199.99, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro isn’t one of the more affordable gaming headsets. However, if you are into FPS games like Call of Duty, especially online multiplayer, this wireless gaming headset not only offers clear, crisp, pin-point accurate audio but also a solid microphone for team chatting while playing. Not to mention the insane battery life.

Photo Gallery

Wrap-up

I’ve reviewed plenty of gaming headsets over the years. While I have my favourite, this wireless gaming headset has become my new go-to for when I do happen to fire up Warzone. If you play a lot of multiplayer games which pit you against another team, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) esports gaming headset is a great option. Not only does it offer up fantastic sound, but the microphone quality is also great and, as mentioned, the battery life is insane.

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