Razer is back again with a brand new lightweight headphone: the Barracuda X. It’s designed from the ground up to provide users with a wired-like experience while being completely wire-free. The Barracuda X includes 40mm Triforce drivers for a pure and clean sound while managing an estimated 20 hours of battery life from a single charge. This is our review.
Specifications
Headphones
- Current Price: $99.99 (Amazon)
- Oval ear cushions: Full-ear coverage with fabric and plush leatherette, for sound isolation and comfort
- Inner ear cup diameter: 60 x 40mm
- Sensitivity: 96dBSPL/mW@1KHz by HATS
- Impedance: 32 ? @ 1 kHz
- Wireless technology: Razer Hyperspeed wireless 2.4GHz
- Effective range: Approximately 10m (30 ft)
- Battery life: 20 hours of battery life
- Frequency Response: 20-20,000 Hz
- Driver: 40mm TriForce by Razer
- Microphone: Removable unidirectional cardioid
- Audio controls: power button, mute button, volume wheel
- Weight: 250g / 0.55 lbs
Microphone
- Frequency response: 100 Hz – 10 kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥ 60 dB
- Sensitivity (@1 kHz): -42 ± 3 dB
- Pick-up pattern: Unidirectional
- Discord-certified
Razer’s latest gaming headset is here and it’s the Barracuda X, a lightweight and wire-free peripheral designed with versatility in mind. It’s lightweight design offers excellent portability. This, coupled with the super compatible USB Type-C dongle provides a wireless experience with the connectivity of a wired headset.
The more active my life gets, the less tolerance for wires I have. The Barracuda X has become a welcome addition to my daily life over the past week. One of the best parts is the ease of wireless connectivity. This headset is not the only compatible with PC, it is also compatible with the Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, and Android (via a transmitter, there is no Bluetooth). Being a father first and a gamer second, I have to acquire my game sessions every chance I get. With the Barracuda X, I was finally able to play the switch late at night without having to wake the children or, worse, suffer the wrath of my wife. With an estimated range of over 10 meters, I had no issues maintaining a stable connection to the transmitter.
Naturally, I did not stop at the Switch for my testing. Next, I ventured into using the provided USB Type-A-to-C cable and plugged the transmitter directly into my PC. A moment later and Windows had already installed the driver and was ready to play. The headset requires no additional software and works independently of Synapse. This is rather unique in Razer’s line-up because most of its peripherals are managed through this centralized software.
Right out of the gate, this headset continues to impress me with how well it performs. The Barracuda produces deep lows, spot-on mids, and excellent highs. No matter what I threw at it, movies, games, music I was not disappointed. The headset is also compatible with THX Spatial Audio. This application provides dramatically improved spatial audio, which enhances your sense of space, atmosphere, and positioning within games.
Design and Comfort
The Barracuda X features a new design focused on being lightweight and comfortable.. Like the Blackshark V2, this headset features a minimalist design with no RGB. Keeping out the fluff allowed Razer to bring the overall weight down to 250 grams. Comparing the two, it was a real toss-up between the Barracuda X and the Blackshark for me. Both have wonderfully light chassis and pack a powerful audio experience. In the end, the wireless functionality won this round for me.
The construction of this headset definitely shows the attention to build quality Razer has applied. I even let my 6 year-old play with them for a moment after my initial tests, and I’m happy to report they survived unscathed.
The plush leatherette ear cushions were perfectly sized for me and were comfortable while still looking good. The fabric performed admirably during even my harshest sessions even at the gym. The clamping force of the headband was enough to keep them securely in place but not enough to become uncomfortable. Whether I was enjoying long games sessions or pushing them like normal on-the-go headphones, they worked well.
Drivers and Quality
The Barracuda X uses Razer’s new Triforce drivers. They’re 40mm, unlike previous models that used 50mm drivers, but trimming them down a touch opened the doors to this smaller, more portable design. Like the Blackshark V2, the Barracuda X produces a punchy sound that is clear of distortions and rattle-free. They’re able to deliver a decent soundstage all on their own but with THX Spatial Audio, these open right up and maintain detail throughout.
During FPS gameplay, I had no issues detecting individual footsteps and I could clearly track my opponent. This, of course, was due to the quality of the drivers and the way that they are tuned. This is a big test, as failing to position enemies in space can make or break a gaming headset.To continue testing further, I took some THX samples and, with Razer’s THX Windows app, I was able to identify most of the locations in audio space.
Special Note: currently, users will receive a discount on THX Spatial Audio when purchasing the Barracuda X Headphones.
Microphone
The Barracuda X features Razer’s Hyperclear cardioid Mic. This microphone is Discord certified and for good reason. Razer has tuned the microphone to focus on vocal pick-up while suppressing surrounding noise. The mic is clear and I was able to pick up my voice cleanly whether I was gaming or using it for chatting over VOIP.
Features
What good is a wireless headset if the battery is unable to perform?The Barracuda X is quoted as offering 20 hours of battery life. I was able to verify this based on an average of about 3 hours per day of general use as well as 4-5 hours during heavy use. To keep them charged up, Razer has equipped them with USB Type-C charging.
The Barracuda X comes fully equipped with everything you need for its different use-cases. In the box, you’ll find: 1x Wireless USB-C Transmitter, 1x 3.5mm Audio combo cable (1.3m), 1x USB-A to USB-C Charging Cable(1.5m), and USB-A to USB-C Extender (1.5m). The transmitter has a slim chassis that is light and small and fits well in most devices. I did have some troubles with my OnePlus 9 Pro case, however, so it seems designed to be used with very slim cases or case-free phones. This can be corrected by using a small type extender, but that’s an extra purchase and one more thing to carry.
This issue could have been avoided completely if the headphones supported Bluetooth. It’s an odd omission to make on a headset that supports Android and is made for mobile use. That said, for gaming over mobile or on Switch, the transmitter is unquestionably better for latency.
Final Thoughts
Razer is no stranger to the world of gaming headsets, and the Barracuda X headphones are a great shining example of just that. With a price tag of $99.99, excellent 40mm Triforce drivers, a lightweight design, and great battery life, these are a solid buy for the money.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.