The Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless are hybrid over-ears designed for versatility, whether you're gaming or using them more casually. Like other headphones in the Barracuda lineup, like the Razer Barracuda Wireless and the Razer Barracuda X Wireless, they come with a 2.4GHz wireless dongle for consoles and support Bluetooth, meaning you can stay connected to your phone. To make them even more versatile, Razer has also equipped these headphones with adjustable noise cancelling (ANC) and an integrated mic, so they look less gamer-centric. They also added compatibility with Razer Synapse 3 software on PCs and the Razer Audio app on smartphones for added customizability.
The Razer Barracuda Pro are good for neutral sound. Using the default EQ and with THX Spatial Audio off, these headphones have a fairly neutral sound profile that's versatile. While there's a bit of overemphasis in the bass range, the extra thump, punch, and boom doesn't overwhelm vocals and lead instruments. A peak in the high-mids can make these sounds a bit harsh, but luckily, you can connect these headphones to either the PC or mobile app, which offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you customize their sound. They're closed-back headphones, so their passive soundstage doesn't sound very open or spacious.
The Razer Barracuda Pro are good for commute and travel. They have a comfortable fit and last over 34 hours continuously. They also have an ANC system, and can block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines, as well as easily cut down mid-range noise like ambient chatter. That said, the headphones are a bit bulky and can't fold to help reduce their overall footprint. However, they come with a carrying case to help protect them when you're on the move.
The Razer Barracuda Pro are satisfactory for sports and fitness. Although they're designed for hybrid casual and gaming use, they have many of the same pitfalls as other wireless over-ears. They can fall off your head with moderate movement and lack an IP rating for water resistance, so they could get damaged over time. On the upside, they have a comfortable fit, and their wireless design reduces the risk of something snagging the headphones and pulling them off your head.
The Razer Barracuda Pro are good for office use. They have a comfortable fit, their battery lasts over 34 hours continuously, and they're well-built. They have an ANC system that does an excellent job blocking background noise, like office chatter. They don't leak a lot of audio at high volumes either, so you can crank up your favorite tunes without bothering others around you. If you need to make calls at the office, their integrated mic does a decent job capturing your voice, although it has a little trouble separating speech from moderate background noise.
The Razer Barracuda Pro are good for wireless gaming. They have low latency via their USB dongle, over 34 hours of continuous playback time, and can connect to Razer Synapse software for all your customization needs. They also support THX Spatial Audio for a more immersive audio experience, and their integrated mic has decent overall performance, so your voice is understandable, although it can get lost in moderately noisy environments. You can even connect the headphones to your console and Bluetooth device at the same time, so you can game while still receiving audio from your smartphone. You can't use them on Xbox consoles, though.
The Razer Barracuda Pro are wireless gaming headphones that you can't use wired.
The Razer Barracuda Pro are good for phone calls. These headphones have an integrated mic, which helps the headphones look more casual. The mic has a decent overall performance and can capture your voice clearly, although it has some trouble separating speech from moderate ambient noise, making it difficult for others to hear you well. That said, the headphones have an ANC system that can block an excellent amount of background sound.
The Razer Barracuda Pro come in one color variation: 'Black', and you can see our model's label here. If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
The Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless are the next addition to Razer's Barracuda lineup, which are hybrid gaming/casual headphones that support 2.4GHz wireless via their USB dongle in addition to Bluetooth. Unlike the mid-range model, the Razer Barracuda Wireless, they also have ANC. Their noise isolation performance is excellent, especially for gaming headphones. If you prioritize noise cancelling for traveling, consider our best noise cancelling headphones instead. These over-ears offer a customizable and versatile performance, whether you're gaming on a console or connected to your smartphone.
If you're looking for more gaming headphones, check out our lists of the best gaming headsets and the best wireless gaming headsets.
The Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless are a step up from the Razer Barracuda Wireless. While both headphones look nearly identical and are similarly comfortable, the Pro have leather padding instead of cloth and come with a hard carrying case to protect them when you're on the go. They also have an excellent ANC system to help block out background noise when you're on the go. Their integrated microphone also does a better job of capturing your voice. However, you can use the mid-level Barracuda wired via 1/8" TRRS.
The Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless and the Razer Barracuda X Wireless 2021 are on opposite ends of the same lineup. If you're looking for a lot of extra features, the Pro support THX Spatial Audio for a more immersive audio experience; they can access Razer Synapse on PC or Razer Audio on mobile devices, meaning you can customize their performance to your liking, and they have ANC and can block out an excellent amount of noise across the board. They also have a longer continuous battery life, support Bluetooth, are better built, and come with a carrying case to help protect them when you're on the go. However, if you're on a tighter budget and looking for versatile headphones for your PC, the X can be used wired via the included 1/8" TRRS cable.
The Razer Kraken V3 Pro Wireless are better as dedicated gaming headphones, while the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless offer more overall versatility. The Kraken V3 Pro have a boom mic that offers better overall performance, a longer continuous battery life. However, the Barracuda Pro are worth checking out if you want gaming headphones that you can use more casually. They're more comfortable, have an ANC system to block out an excellent amount of ambient noise around you, and they support Bluetooth.
The Razer Opus Wireless 2020 and the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless have different strengths, and you may enjoy either. While both headphones are comfortable, the Opus 2020 are better-built, have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, and their noise isolation performance is significantly better. However, the Barracuda Pro, in addition to casual use, can be used for gaming. They support Bluetooth, and come with a wireless dongle that ensures low latency, keeping your audio and visuals in sync. The integrated mic also offers better overall performance.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless are more versatile gaming headphones than the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless. The SteelSeries are better built and have a better overall boom mic performance. They also have higher total battery life and, thanks to their wireless transmitter base, many controls like EQ presets and chat mix are at your fingertips. However, the Razer have significantly better noise isolation performance.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless are better headphones for casual use than the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless. The Sony are more comfortable, are better built, have a better noise isolation performance, and support multi-device pairing with up to two devices at once. If you're looking for gaming headphones that you can use more casually, the Razer have a better-performing integrated mic and a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer. They also support Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth wireless, meaning you can connect them to your PlayStation or PC.
The Logitech G PRO X WIRELESS LIGHTSPEED Gaming Headset are slightly better gaming headphones than the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless, but the Razer have better versatility. The Logitech are more comfortable and have a more immersive passive soundstage, and their boom mic offers better overall performance. However, the Razer support Bluetooth, so you can use them when you're out and about. They also have ANC and can block out an excellent amount of ambient noise, and their continuous battery life is longer. You may also prefer their integrated mic's design since it helps the headphones look more casual.
Depending on your preferences, you may prefer either the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless or the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless. The SteelSeries are dedicated gaming headphones that have a more immersive passive soundstage, and have a boom mic that offers a significantly better overall performance. They can also be used wired and come with a USB wireless transmitter base that allows you to charge their spare battery pack as well as adjust controls like EQ and channel mixing on the fly. Unfortunately, their ski-band headband design means that they're prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery depending on their fit, seal, and positioning on your head. In comparison, the Razer are a bit more versatile since they support ANC and can block out an excellent amount of ambient noise around you. They also have longer continuous battery life and have an integrated mic, which you may prefer if you want more casual-looking headphones.
The Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless are more versatile headphones than the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless 2020. While both headphones are comfortable, the Barracuda Pro are better built, have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, and their ANC system means they can block out significantly more ambient noise. They also have a longer continuous battery life, support Bluetooth, and have lower wireless latency. However, you can use the BlackShark V2 Pro wired via their 1/8" TRRS cable, and their boom mic has better noise handling.
The Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless and the Logitech G735 Wireless are versatile gaming headphones, but the Logitech have a slight overall edge. The Logitech are better-built, have a more immersive passive soundstage, and their mic offers better overall performance. You can even use them wired, although you'll need to purchase this audio cable separately. However, the Razer have a more neutral default sound profile and can block out significantly more ambient noise thanks to their ANC system.
The Razer Barracuda Pro look similar to the Razer Barracuda X Wireless and the Razer Opus Wireless 2021. They look fairly casual with a shiny plastic exterior and oval ear cups. They also have Razer's logo on each ear cup, but they don't light up. These headphones only come in a black colorway.
They're comfortable headphones. The padding on the headband feels good and doesn't put too much pressure on your head. However, the ear cups trap some heat, making your ears feel warm over time. Your ears may also touch the edges of the inner earpad, and if you have a small head, the headphones can feel large, even in their smallest setting.
The Razer Barracuda Pro have great physical controls. They're quite easy to use, and there's good feedback. Although they have an infinite volume wheel, there are beeps to let you know when you've reached min and max volume. The mic mute button also sticks out when unmuted and feels springy. However, keep in mind that Razer specifies that you may not be able to use all of the power button's additional commands, depending on the device you're connected to.
On the left ear cup:
Power button
On the right ear cup:
SmartSwitch button
The Razer Barracuda Pro aren't very portable. Like the Razer Barracuda X Wireless, they can't fold into a more compact design to save space. Luckily, the ear cups can swivel to lay flat, making them easier to store.
The carrying case is excellent. It feels solid and has a zipper that's fully protected from the elements. Inside the case is a molded space to store your headphones. There's also a closable compartment to store the cables and dongle when you're not using them.
Their build quality is good. They're mostly made of plastic with faux leather padding and a metal headband. They also have braided audio cables and an integrated mic, which helps make them look casual. However, the hinges make a creaky noise when you're putting them on or taking them off your head. The padding on the ear cups also feels a bit mushy, and you can touch the frame by putting pressure on it.
When using the default preset with THX Spatial Audio off, these over-ears have a neutral sound profile on PCs that's versatile enough for a variety of audio content. There's a bit of extra bass to add thump, rumble, and boom to audio, although overemphasis in the high-mids makes vocals and lead instruments a bit harsh. You can fine-tune their sound using their companion app or software, depending on the connection you use. You can also find a comparison of all the presets here.
We also compared the frequency response over the dongle and Bluetooth to compare results when connected via PC and with ANC set to max as well as other lower ANC settings. You can see within both graphs that there are minor differences, but it's overall consistent. Subjectively, you can also hear a slight difference, but it doesn't drastically change their sound profile.
Connecting to a PlayStation 5 console with the wireless dongle, you'll notice that the sound changes when you turn ANC on compared to ANC off. When ANC is on with the PS5, effectively you'll observe the bass response sounds weaker and thinner, and the mids, such as voices, sound hollow.
The Razer Barracuda Pro's frequency response consistency is decent. While they tend to deliver audio fairly consistently in the bass range, you may still notice a small drop in bass if you have thick hair or glasses. Treble delivery is a lot more variable, though, and it depends on the headphones' fit, positioning, and seal on your head.
Their bass accuracy is excellent. The range is slightly overemphasized, adding a touch of extra thump, punch, and warmth to audio. If you're playing video games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you'll hear a bit more boom when thick, heavy weapons like a club hit enemies in combat. This extra bass doesn't overwhelm or muddy vocals and lead instruments, though.
The mid accuracy is very good. The low to mid-mid are very flat, so dialogue and vocals sound clear and present. However, a peak in the high-mid range can make these sounds harsh.
The Razer Barracuda Pro's treble accuracy is very good. There's some overemphasis from the high-mid into the low-treble, which makes the upper harmonics of vocals and lead instruments a bit harsh. Another bump in the mid-treble turns sibilants like cymbals piercing.
The Razer Barracuda Pro's peaks and dips performance is good. A peak in the low-bass adds extra thump and rumble to mixes as another a peak in the high-bass adds boom. A dip in the low to mid-mid thins out vocals and lead instruments while pushing them to the back of the mix. Another peak in the high-mid harshens vocals and lead instruments. The following peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing.
The Razer Barracuda Pro's imaging performance is excellent. This test allows us to see the alignment of the left and right drivers and indicates how well headphones accurately reproduce and place spatial objects like footsteps in the stereo image.
The weighted group delay falls below the audibility threshold, which results in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. As a result, each layer of your audio sounds clear. The L/R drivers of our unit are also well-matched when it comes to amplitude and frequency response, so objects like voices or sound effects are accurately placed in your audio. That said, there's a bump in the phase response's mid-mid and in the low to mid-treble, and it can be audible with real-life content. Sound seems to switch between the left and right drivers and is a bit louder in the right driver, depending on what kind of audio you're listening to. Keep in mind that imaging can vary between units, and it can indicate a manufacturer's quality control and ergonomics.
Their passive soundstage performance is poor. They're closed-back headphones, so sound can't leave the ear cups and interact with your environment. As a result, the soundstage seems large and somewhat natural, but sound seems like it's coming from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you.
You can access THX Spatial Audio in their companion software. This feature allows you to adjust the width of the soundstage via speaker modeling and select different audio spatialization modes. This feature also has an 'Auto' mode, which allows this feature to automatically switch modes depending on what app you're using, like an audio streaming service or a game. You can calibrate each mode to suit your tastes or create a new mode.
Their weighted harmonic distortion performance is great. The ranges fall within good limits, resulting in clean and pure audio reproduction, even at high volumes.
These are the settings used to test these headphones. We tested sound with the default EQ and with THX Spatial Audio off. Our results are only valid in these settings.
The Razer Barracuda Pro's noise isolation performance is excellent. These headphones have an adjustable ANC you can set to your liking in the companion app. After updating to firmware update 1.52-1.02.00, we measured a slight improvement in noise isolation across the range, but it's somewhat minor overall. As a result, the ANC does a decent job at cutting down the low rumble of bus and plane engines, but other headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless can block out even more bass-range noise for a quieter commute. However, for hybrid gaming/casual headphones, they still offer a solid performance in this range. These headphones do a significantly better job of reducing sounds like office chatter and the high-pitched hum of an AC unit. The ANC doesn't do much to improve the headphones' passive noise isolation capabilities in the mid-mid to treble range.
Their leakage performance is decent. The bulk of the leakage is in the treble range, which sounds thin. That said, if you're listening to your favorite audio at high volumes and in a moderately noisy environment, it won't be too noticeable to people around you.
Using the USB Dongle with the Microphone Voice Gate and the Microphone Noise Cancellation features off, the integrated mic has a good recording quality. You can hear a difference in performance depending on what configuration you're using though. You can hear recordings of the following settings: PC via Bluetooth, PC via USB dongle with mic ANC set to 'Low', PC via USB dongle with mic ANC set to 'High', and iPhone 11 via Bluetooth with mic ANC set to 'High'.
This mic has a customizable noise handling performance, thanks to the robust settings in their companion app. Using the USB Dongle with the Microphone Voice Gate and the Microphone Noise Cancellation features off, the integrated mic has fair noise handling. It has some trouble separating your voice from moderate ambient noise, so if you're taking a call from a busy street, your voice may be difficult to hear clearly. It won't be much of a problem if you're gaming in your home. You can see a graph of the difference in the mic's ANC when set to off, low, and high here.
Their companion software offers a feature called 'Voice Gate' that can help separate your voice from moderate ambient noise. The app also offers a 'Mic ANC' feature, which is supposed to help cut down background noise when you're using the mic. There's a difference in mic performance, depending on what you're connected to and the mic ANC setting selected. You can see a graph of the difference in the mic's ANC when set to off, low, and high here. For pink noise, you can hear the following: PC via Bluetooth, PC via USB dongle with mic ANC set to 'Low', PC via USB dongle with mic ANC set to 'High', and iPhone 11 via Bluetooth with mic ANC set to 'High'. With the mic ANC set to 'High', the pink noise is pretty much absent from the PC and iPhone recordings. However, the noise is present in the PC via Bluetooth recording, as you can't select a mic ANC mode using this connection, as well as when mic ANC is set to 'Low'.
You can also hear the Razer Barracuda Pro's subway noise recordings with the following settings: PC via Bluetooth, PC via USB dongle with mic ANC set to 'Low', PC via USB dongle with mic ANC set to 'High', and iPhone 11 via Bluetooth with mic ANC set to 'High'. With the Razer Barracuda Pro's mic ANC set to 'High', both the PC and iPhone recordings have very little background noise present. However, at the peak of the subway noise, the voice becomes distant and hard to hear. In the PC via Bluetooth recording, the subway noise is present throughout the entire track. However, when the mic ANC is set to 'Low', subway noise only becomes very noticeable at the peak of the noise.
These headphones have an excellent battery performance. The manufacturer advertises them to last 40 hours continuously, and we measured just over 34 hours, which will easily last you through long gaming marathons or days on the go. Battery life can vary depending on your usage, though. Luckily, they're equipped with an auto-off timer to help conserve battery life when you're not using them. They don't support passive playback, though, because they don't have an audio port.
These headphones can access two different apps, depending on your connection. If you're using their wireless dongle on PCs, you can use Razer Synapse 3. This software offers tons of customization features, including THX Spatial Audio, a 10-band graphic EQ and presets, and an ANC slider with 10 different settings plus off and talk-through. You can also finetune the mic's performance using features like the voice gate, 10-band EQ and presets, and side tone. You can even adjust the auto-off timer.
If you're connected to your smartphone, you can access Razer Audio on iOS and Android devices. While it isn't as robust as Razer Synapse 3, you can still access the ANC slider as well as the 10-band graphic EQ and presets. You can also access a 'Do Not Disturb Mode', which blocks calls while gaming using the 2.4GHz connection, 'Quick Connect', which allows you to switch between audio sources and turn on mic noise cancellation between low and high. You can also adjust the auto-off feature, change the voice prompt language, and update the firmware.
These headphones come with a USB-A to USB-C cable for only recharging the headphones, so you can't use it to receive audio. They also come with an extension cable adapter for the wireless dongle. However, they don't have an audio jack, so you can't use them wired with a 1/8" TRRS cable.
These headphones have excellent Bluetooth connectivity. You can simultaneously pair them with your Bluetooth device and your console via the wireless USB dongle. These headphones also have a 'Game Mode' in their companion app, and our SBC results reflect its performance. Using this mode helps lower audio lag within acceptable levels and reduces lip sync issues. However, if you use standard SBC, you can expect very high latency, almost up to 300 ms, causing your audio and visuals to be out of sync. Some apps and devices compensate for latency, though.
The Razer Barracuda Pro have excellent non-Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Thanks to their USB dongle, they have low latency, ensuring that your audio and visuals stay in sync while gaming.
These headphones can connect to PCs via Bluetooth with full compatibility. They can also connect to PCs using their USB dongle, and you can receive audio as well as use the mic.
The Razer Barracuda Pro can connect to PS4 and PS5 consoles via the USB dongle. Using this connection ensures full audio and mic compatibility.
Using the wireless dongle with the PS5 and enabling ANC alters the sound profile from what you'll hear in standard listening mode. The bass response is weaker and thinner with less thump, while mids, such as voices, sound hollower than when the ANC is disabled or you're using Ambient mode. However, this only happens in ANC mode, and it's unknown why. If you've experienced this, please let us know in the forums.