Frederik S
01-19-2008, 12:50 PM
[page=Introduction & Specifications]
Introduction
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Barracuda-HP1/images/razerlogo.jpg
Razer is mostly known for their gaming grade mice, but they do also produce some fairly good gaming headsets. A while ago Razer entered the budget headset market with the Razer Piranha headset. It is an affordable entry level headset which features a good noise canceling microphone and has a couple of neat features such as in-line volume control and microphone on/off switch. In the usual Razer fashion the headset is equipped with three blue LEDs for show off.
Specifications
Headphones:
Freq. response: 18 – 22,000 Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohms
SPL (@ 1 kHz, 1 Vrms): 114 dB
Cable: 3.0 meters
Microphone:
Freq. response: 80 – 15,000 Hz
Sensitivity (@ 1 kHz, 1V/Pa): -38 dB
Impedance: ~2 kOhms
Uni-Directional pick up pattern
The specifications of the Piranha headset are pretty normal for a midrange headset and are quite similar to the specifications of the Sennheiser PC-series headsets. With a cable length of 3 meters you do not have to worry about running out of cable at least not with a normal setup. The microphone is good enough for voice communication and has an on/off switch on the in-line volume control which is nice.
[page=The Package]
The Package
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/front_of_package_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/front_of_package.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/back_of_package_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/back_of_package.jpg)
The Piranha comes in a usual Razer styled box with a lot of text on it. On the back you can read all about the specifications of the headset and all of the features it has. In usual Razer style the Piranha is endorsed by a lot of pro gamers. I would not read much in to this because they are after all paid by Razer to make those comments.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/extras_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/extras.jpg)
As with most Razer stuff you get a couple of flyers and some manuals. You also get some stickers with the headset which of course is of the Razer three-headed snake logo.
[page=Closer Examination]
Closer Examination
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/the_headset_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/the_headset.jpg)
From the front the headset looks pretty ordinary. No special design features are noticeable and the shape of the headband is quite normal too. The design is pretty conventional with the headband going over the head. That the Razer headset is big came as a big surprise to me, being a big guy I thought that I had to extend the size adjusters, but that did not turn out to be the case with this headset. It is actually so big so that it might cause a problem for people with average sized heads.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup.jpg)
The ear cups themselves are mounted on an articulated joint which allows the cups to align with the ear in a more natural way. The ear cushions are made of a soft fabric which is easy on the ears and allows some air to pass through. One problem associated with the style of ear cups is the lack of vents which means that your ear will heat up gradually. Another problem I noticed during the course of my testing is that the cups press hard against your ears compared to other headphones of similar design. Whether this is intentional to make them stay in place or just an error of judgment is hard to say for sure. I think that it is too much at least with a head the size of mine because the headset is unbearable to use for an extended period of time.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_2.jpg)
The closed back design of the Piranha is good from a noise attenuation point of view, but dampens the sound performance somewhat. The dynamics of the headset sound wise are not all that good compared to normal headphones in the same price tier.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/cable_fix_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/cable_fix.jpg)
The cable is fixed to one of the ear cups and then fed through the headband to the other cup. The cable assembly seems quite study and is definitely strong enough to withstand a fair amount of abuse like dropping the headset with the cord stopping it from hitting the floor, etc..
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/headband_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/headband.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/hole_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/hole.jpg)
The headband is quite oddly designed with a big hole in the middle, probably to reduce weight. The padding is soft and is similar to that on the ear cups.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/volume_control_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/volume_control.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/volume_control_2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/volume_control_2.jpg)
The volume control also features a microphone on/off switch which is located on the side of the controller. The volume control is a little bit flimsy. The variable resistance on volume control began developing some static right from the start - nothing horrible just a little disappointing.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_light_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_light.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/glowing_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/glowing.jpg)
Lights on! This is the sort of things that Razer has made their reputation by doing. It looks cool in blue, but is a bit over the edge, but will probably be enjoyed by some die-hard modders.
[page=Performance]
Performance
Judging the performance of a headset is hard to do because there are so many variables. What I have tried to do is go through a lot of different tunes and listened for the slightest variation to the sound. I used an X-Fi Extreme Music for all of my tests with all of the enhancements turned off to avoid interference from them. For sonic reference I have the Sennheiser HD 595 and the new SteelSeries headband headset.
To start off with I fired up CounterStrike:Source to see if the directional sound was any good. And it did function pretty well considering the low price of the headset. When compared to similar headsets in the same price tier it performed equally well in many aspects, but had better reproduction of special effects in game. The midrange was more natural than on the SteelSeries Headband headset which is a plus in FPS games.
The bass is O.K. but not that controlled and the mids are a bit muddy and imprecise compared to my Sennheiser HD 595s which is a high-end headphone. The mediocre sound of the headset is pretty normal for entry level headsets so if you want a better sounding pair headphones you should probably try and get a couple of semi-budget headphones and not a headset. Generally the price(performance is a lot better with those than with something branded as a "gaming headset". Of course you have to do without the microphone, but those can be bought pretty cheap.
As for the microphone it is pretty darn good. It was clear and did not produce any unwanted sounds during my tests which is a definite plus. The sensitivity of it is normal and the sound quality is good. The boom is easy to reposition for optimal pickup.
Just to test the musicality of the headset I listened to some of my favorite tunes, but was sadly a bit disappointed with the sound quality. It is clear that the headset is not aimed for people looking for a decent sounding headset. The overall sound definition was not that good either and it was not that precise. Compared to similar offerings it sounds pretty good, not overwhelming or anything like that just "good" which is what one would expect from a headset that only costs $ 79.99.
[page=Comfort & Durability]
Comfort
The wearing comfort of this headset is not all that good. The pressure that the ear cups exert on your ears is just horrible and way too high to be comfortable to wear even for one hour at the time. Couple that more than average pressure with the non-existing vents on the side and you have a pretty horrible headset comfort wise. My head is of a pretty normal size for a European or an American. The design chosen by Razer for the ear cups is not one of the wisest decisions. Instead of building the cup bigger so that they could fit around your ears and just press against one's skull (like with the Barracuda HP-1s) the ear cups on the Piranha rest upon your ears which is quite uncomfortable.
Durability
Certain aspects of the Razer Piranha’s design are a bit overly bulky, which of course is a good thing from a durability point of view. Considering the added details like LED lighting there is a lot that can fail over time. The thing I suspect that will break fist is the LED lighting, like with the old Barracuda it is not the LEDs that are breaking but the wiring to and from them in the ear cups. Of course Razer has an extended warranty program to deal with these sorts of things.
[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value and Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The Razer Piranha is available at Razer (http://www.Razerzone.com/) for about $79.99.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Affordable
Good looks (for some)
Resonable performance
Good price/performance ratio
Better than average build quality
Comes with a good microphone
Volume control
Microphone control
Long cable
Comfort for people with small heads
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
Less comfort for people with big heads
Sound quality
Looks might not appeal to everyone's taste
</td></tr>
<tr><th>8.0</th>
<td>
The Razer Piranha strikes me as being a better than average budget headset, and I have tried a lot over the past year. The sound quality is a bit better than most, but the design is fundamentally flawed. The closed cup design with no vents whatsoever coupled with a headband pressing them hard against your ears makes them far from comfortable to use over an extended period of time. The design is probably up for debate, personally I would rather see one better built than one with LEDs on, but that is just my opinion I am sure that a lot of modders out there will like the fact that Razer has put blue LEDs in this headset.
The volume / microphone control is a good detail because it enables you to quickly adjust the volume and turn off the microphone. This headset fully lived up to my expectations for the price. The Razer Piranha provides good value for the money, but lacks that essential finesse that makes it a really good one. The only real problem I had with this headset is the size and adjustments of that. It simply is not as comfortable as other headsets.
</td></tr><tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/recommended.gif</td></tr>
</table>
Introduction
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Barracuda-HP1/images/razerlogo.jpg
Razer is mostly known for their gaming grade mice, but they do also produce some fairly good gaming headsets. A while ago Razer entered the budget headset market with the Razer Piranha headset. It is an affordable entry level headset which features a good noise canceling microphone and has a couple of neat features such as in-line volume control and microphone on/off switch. In the usual Razer fashion the headset is equipped with three blue LEDs for show off.
Specifications
Headphones:
Freq. response: 18 – 22,000 Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohms
SPL (@ 1 kHz, 1 Vrms): 114 dB
Cable: 3.0 meters
Microphone:
Freq. response: 80 – 15,000 Hz
Sensitivity (@ 1 kHz, 1V/Pa): -38 dB
Impedance: ~2 kOhms
Uni-Directional pick up pattern
The specifications of the Piranha headset are pretty normal for a midrange headset and are quite similar to the specifications of the Sennheiser PC-series headsets. With a cable length of 3 meters you do not have to worry about running out of cable at least not with a normal setup. The microphone is good enough for voice communication and has an on/off switch on the in-line volume control which is nice.
[page=The Package]
The Package
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/front_of_package_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/front_of_package.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/back_of_package_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/back_of_package.jpg)
The Piranha comes in a usual Razer styled box with a lot of text on it. On the back you can read all about the specifications of the headset and all of the features it has. In usual Razer style the Piranha is endorsed by a lot of pro gamers. I would not read much in to this because they are after all paid by Razer to make those comments.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/extras_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/extras.jpg)
As with most Razer stuff you get a couple of flyers and some manuals. You also get some stickers with the headset which of course is of the Razer three-headed snake logo.
[page=Closer Examination]
Closer Examination
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/the_headset_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/the_headset.jpg)
From the front the headset looks pretty ordinary. No special design features are noticeable and the shape of the headband is quite normal too. The design is pretty conventional with the headband going over the head. That the Razer headset is big came as a big surprise to me, being a big guy I thought that I had to extend the size adjusters, but that did not turn out to be the case with this headset. It is actually so big so that it might cause a problem for people with average sized heads.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup.jpg)
The ear cups themselves are mounted on an articulated joint which allows the cups to align with the ear in a more natural way. The ear cushions are made of a soft fabric which is easy on the ears and allows some air to pass through. One problem associated with the style of ear cups is the lack of vents which means that your ear will heat up gradually. Another problem I noticed during the course of my testing is that the cups press hard against your ears compared to other headphones of similar design. Whether this is intentional to make them stay in place or just an error of judgment is hard to say for sure. I think that it is too much at least with a head the size of mine because the headset is unbearable to use for an extended period of time.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_2.jpg)
The closed back design of the Piranha is good from a noise attenuation point of view, but dampens the sound performance somewhat. The dynamics of the headset sound wise are not all that good compared to normal headphones in the same price tier.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/cable_fix_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/cable_fix.jpg)
The cable is fixed to one of the ear cups and then fed through the headband to the other cup. The cable assembly seems quite study and is definitely strong enough to withstand a fair amount of abuse like dropping the headset with the cord stopping it from hitting the floor, etc..
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/headband_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/headband.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/hole_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/hole.jpg)
The headband is quite oddly designed with a big hole in the middle, probably to reduce weight. The padding is soft and is similar to that on the ear cups.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/volume_control_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/volume_control.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/volume_control_2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/volume_control_2.jpg)
The volume control also features a microphone on/off switch which is located on the side of the controller. The volume control is a little bit flimsy. The variable resistance on volume control began developing some static right from the start - nothing horrible just a little disappointing.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_light_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/ear_cup_light.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/glowing_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Razer/Piranha/images/glowing.jpg)
Lights on! This is the sort of things that Razer has made their reputation by doing. It looks cool in blue, but is a bit over the edge, but will probably be enjoyed by some die-hard modders.
[page=Performance]
Performance
Judging the performance of a headset is hard to do because there are so many variables. What I have tried to do is go through a lot of different tunes and listened for the slightest variation to the sound. I used an X-Fi Extreme Music for all of my tests with all of the enhancements turned off to avoid interference from them. For sonic reference I have the Sennheiser HD 595 and the new SteelSeries headband headset.
To start off with I fired up CounterStrike:Source to see if the directional sound was any good. And it did function pretty well considering the low price of the headset. When compared to similar headsets in the same price tier it performed equally well in many aspects, but had better reproduction of special effects in game. The midrange was more natural than on the SteelSeries Headband headset which is a plus in FPS games.
The bass is O.K. but not that controlled and the mids are a bit muddy and imprecise compared to my Sennheiser HD 595s which is a high-end headphone. The mediocre sound of the headset is pretty normal for entry level headsets so if you want a better sounding pair headphones you should probably try and get a couple of semi-budget headphones and not a headset. Generally the price(performance is a lot better with those than with something branded as a "gaming headset". Of course you have to do without the microphone, but those can be bought pretty cheap.
As for the microphone it is pretty darn good. It was clear and did not produce any unwanted sounds during my tests which is a definite plus. The sensitivity of it is normal and the sound quality is good. The boom is easy to reposition for optimal pickup.
Just to test the musicality of the headset I listened to some of my favorite tunes, but was sadly a bit disappointed with the sound quality. It is clear that the headset is not aimed for people looking for a decent sounding headset. The overall sound definition was not that good either and it was not that precise. Compared to similar offerings it sounds pretty good, not overwhelming or anything like that just "good" which is what one would expect from a headset that only costs $ 79.99.
[page=Comfort & Durability]
Comfort
The wearing comfort of this headset is not all that good. The pressure that the ear cups exert on your ears is just horrible and way too high to be comfortable to wear even for one hour at the time. Couple that more than average pressure with the non-existing vents on the side and you have a pretty horrible headset comfort wise. My head is of a pretty normal size for a European or an American. The design chosen by Razer for the ear cups is not one of the wisest decisions. Instead of building the cup bigger so that they could fit around your ears and just press against one's skull (like with the Barracuda HP-1s) the ear cups on the Piranha rest upon your ears which is quite uncomfortable.
Durability
Certain aspects of the Razer Piranha’s design are a bit overly bulky, which of course is a good thing from a durability point of view. Considering the added details like LED lighting there is a lot that can fail over time. The thing I suspect that will break fist is the LED lighting, like with the old Barracuda it is not the LEDs that are breaking but the wiring to and from them in the ear cups. Of course Razer has an extended warranty program to deal with these sorts of things.
[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value and Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The Razer Piranha is available at Razer (http://www.Razerzone.com/) for about $79.99.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Affordable
Good looks (for some)
Resonable performance
Good price/performance ratio
Better than average build quality
Comes with a good microphone
Volume control
Microphone control
Long cable
Comfort for people with small heads
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
Less comfort for people with big heads
Sound quality
Looks might not appeal to everyone's taste
</td></tr>
<tr><th>8.0</th>
<td>
The Razer Piranha strikes me as being a better than average budget headset, and I have tried a lot over the past year. The sound quality is a bit better than most, but the design is fundamentally flawed. The closed cup design with no vents whatsoever coupled with a headband pressing them hard against your ears makes them far from comfortable to use over an extended period of time. The design is probably up for debate, personally I would rather see one better built than one with LEDs on, but that is just my opinion I am sure that a lot of modders out there will like the fact that Razer has put blue LEDs in this headset.
The volume / microphone control is a good detail because it enables you to quickly adjust the volume and turn off the microphone. This headset fully lived up to my expectations for the price. The Razer Piranha provides good value for the money, but lacks that essential finesse that makes it a really good one. The only real problem I had with this headset is the size and adjustments of that. It simply is not as comfortable as other headsets.
</td></tr><tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/recommended.gif</td></tr>
</table>