Razer BlackShark Battlefield 3 Edition PC Gaming Headset Review

We do like our headsets at eTeknix, so we put a lot of effort into testing the samples we get in. For the performance review we test the headsets across a broad range of applications, from movies to gaming and everyday use. We’ll also review the comfort of the headset as this plays a large part when it comes to those long gaming sessions.

Comfort

The Razer BlackShark has to be one of the most comfortable headsets we’ve used to date. They are incredibly light at 290g yet are designed well enough that they don’t fly off your head if you move it too fast. The leatherette ear cups feel great on your ears, although we did notice that our ears got fairly hot after a while – a typical problem with all leatherette ear cups. The BlackSharks are also adjustable so if you have a big head they can adjusted to fit properly, but no matter what, the headset remained comfortable for many, many hours of gaming.

Gaming

First up we tested the BlackShark’s performance when it comes to gaming – it’s primary application. For this particular test, we had to use Battlefield 3 as Razer have focussed this product on that particular game and it would be silly if they weren’t any good – not to mention embarrassing for Razer. After joining a game in the latest DLC – Armoured Kill we were quickly immersed in the game due to the fantastic audio quality. The enhanced bass made every explosion sound real and shook your head with every bang. Bullets were wizzing past, grenades blowing up our comrades, cries for medics coming from everywhere. The vehicles were amazing to drive as the bass from the engines really made you feel like you were driving. We really couldn’t get enough when using the headset, those smaller 40mm did an ourstanding job, but now we need to see if they perform just as exceptionally in other arenas.

Music

Just like gaming, the bass was superb in some of our heavier songs, although a little too much in some of the less bassy tracks. This was easily fixable in the equaliser, so after a minute or two of tweaking we got the audio sounding great. The volume is also incredibly loud, as you would expect for a headset that is primarily focused around depth. The music was crisp and clean with no issues with any high or mid tones. So just like gaming, they were great.

Movies

Just like with the previous two tests, the BlackSharks were amazing when we used them to watch Transformers 3. The bass from the explosions was thrilling and the variety of sound effects sounded great. We did notice a lack of positional effects due to the BlackShark’s stereo setup, unlike the Tiamats which were perfect for 7.1. Whilst this isn’t a major issue for gaming, for those audiophiles and film nuts out there, this could be a bit of an issue.