Razer Barracuda X Wireless 2021 Headphones Review

The Razer Barracuda X have a simple, sleek design. They come in different colors: 'Black', 'Quartz' (or 'Quartz Pink'), and 'Mercury' (or 'White'). The manufacturer designed these headphones for gaming, and they come with a flexible boom microphone. You can also remove the mic for a more casual look.

The Razer Barracuda X are comfortable. The headband and ear cups are well-padded and don't clamp very tightly on your head. That said, it can be hard to get a good seal. If you're looking for lighter headphones with a smaller fit, try the Logitech G435 LIGHTSPEED Wireless instead.

They have decent controls. The power button on the left ear cup also lets you control audio playback. There's a separate volume wheel and mute microphone button. The wheel has limits when you reach min and max volume, which is nice. While the controls are easy to use, the manual says that some power button functions may not work with some devices.

Power button:

• Single press: Plays and pauses audio.
• Double press: Skips to the next track.
• Triple press: Skips to the previous track.

They aren't very portable, like most over-ears. They won't easily fit into smaller bags, but that won't be an issue if you just plan to keep them next to your desk or couch. The ear cups swivel to lay flat, which makes them more comfortable to wear around your neck.

They have a decent build quality. Although they don't feel as well-built as the Razer Opus X Wireless, their mostly plastic design still feels solid and durable. The headband has faux leather padding, and the ear cups are cloth. Unfortunately, the headband padding glue came off slightly on our unit. While we could press the padding back into place, it doesn't seem like a long-lasting solution. However, this issue could be unique to our unit.

They have a decently stable fit. While they'll stay on your head during casual gaming sessions, they can move around when you shake your head. Like most over-ears, they won't stay on your head if you make exaggerated movements.

• Razer Barracuda X headphones
• Manuals
• USB-C wireless transmitter
• USB-A to USB-C adapter cable
• Extension cable to connect the wireless transmitter to USB-A connection
• USB-A to USB-C charging cable
• 1/8 TRRS cable
• Detachable boom microphone

They have a slightly warm sound profile. A little extra emphasis in the bass range adds warmth and punch to your audio. However, the dip in the treble veils voices and instruments. Their sound profile is suitable for a variety of audio content, but unfortunately, they lack sound customization features.

These headphones have sub-par frequency response consistency. It's most noticeable in the bass range, and if you wear glasses or have thick hair, you may notice a drop in bass. There's also some difference in the headphones' treble delivery depending on the headphones' fit and positioning. To get the most consistent sound, you need to take time to adjust the headphones each time you use them.

They have very good bass accuracy. The range is slightly overemphasized, especially in the mid and high-bass ranges, so your audio has a little extra punch. This can help bring out sound effects in games, so if you're playing something like Escape from Tarkov, you can hear footsteps easily. This represents an average response, and your perception of their bass delivery can vary depending on their fit, seal, and positioning.

They have amazing mid accuracy. The range is neutral and balanced, so vocals and lead instruments reproduce clearly, accurately, and with detail.

The treble accuracy is fair. Sibilants like cymbals are bright and present, but the dip in the low-treble veils vocals and instruments. This represents an average response, and your perception of their treble delivery can vary depending on their fit, seal, and positioning.

The Razer Barracuda X have decent peaks and dips performance. There's a peak across the bass range that adds punch and boom to your audio, though the mismatch between the L/R drivers means that this is more prominent in the right ear. Also, the uneven low-treble can make vocals and lead instruments alternately harsh and piercing or hard to hear. The peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants piercing.

They have excellent imaging performance. We've tested a few Razer products with poor imaging, but in general, most perform well, which indicates the brand's quality control and ergonomics. Weighted group delay falls mostly below the audibility threshold, resulting in a tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. Also, the L/R drivers of our unit are well-matched in phase, amplitude, and frequency, so sound objects like voices and game effects are accurately placed and localized within the stereo image.

They have a disappointing passive soundstage performance. The soundstage is perceived to be small, and sound seems to come from inside your head instead of speakers in the room around you. Due to their closed-back design, you'll perceive their soundstage as more closed-off than open-back headphones.

There's no dedicated companion app for these headphones. However, the manufacturer says you can purchase the THX Spatial Audio Surround Sound Application on the Razer website. Razer intends this application to create a more immersive listening experience by helping to correctly position sounds like footsteps in the soundstage. The application you can purchase on Razer's website lets you access 7.1 THX Spatial Audio, but only through Windows.

These headphones have a good weighted harmonic distortion performance. There's a small peak in the treble range at normal listening volumes, but it can be hard to hear with real-life content. Most of the range falls within good limits, even at max volume, so audio reproduction is clean and pure.

These are the settings we use to test these headphones. Our results are only valid with these settings.

These headphones have poor noise isolation. They don't have an ANC feature, struggle to passively isolate against bass-heavy background noises like traffic outside your window, and don't do much to reduce mid-range sounds like background chit-chat. That said, they perform better against higher-frequency ambient noise, so they can help block out a whining computer fan. If you're looking for Razer headphones with ANC, consider the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless instead.

These headphones have a fair leakage performance. While they leak some sound, it isn't very loud, so it won't be too noticeable in an average office setting.

The microphone's recording quality is decent. Your voice sounds natural but lacks body. Whoever's on the other end of the line will understand you.

The mic has a good noise handling performance. Whoever's on the other end of the line can understand you, even if there's noise from a busy street nearby or background chatter in a shared space.

The Razer Barracuda X have an excellent battery performance. The manufacturer advertises a 20-hour continuous battery life, and we measured 24, so they can easily last through long gaming sessions. You can even listen to audio while the headset is charging, which is handy, and the headphones have an auto-off feature to help conserve power. However, battery performance can vary depending on usage habits. If you want even longer battery life, it's worth noting that the manufacturer advertises a longer 50-hour continuous battery life for the 2022 model.

These headphones have a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a 1/8 TRRS cable for audio playback. They have negligible latency over a wired connection, which is great for gamers who don't want delays between audio and video. They also come with a USB-A to USB-C extension adapter for the wireless dongle, so you can connect it via a USB-A connection.

The 2021 model of these headphones doesn't support Bluetooth. However, if you want a gaming headset that can connect to devices like phones via Bluetooth, the updated 2022 model supports that connection.

This headset has excellent non-Bluetooth wireless connectivity. When plugged into a PC's USB-A port using the included adapter, it has very low latency, ensuring your audio is in sync with the visuals. You can connect the wireless dongle to devices with a USB-C input, like an Android phone or Nintendo Switch. Some devices and apps compensate for latency, though.

You can wire them to your PC using the included 1/8 TRRS cable. You can also connect them to your PC wirelessly via their USB dongle, and you can receive audio and use the microphone to talk to your teammates.

These headphones are also compatible with both PS4 and PS5 consoles. You can wire them to your console using the included 1/8 TRRS cable or connect them wirelessly via their USB dongle. Either way, you can receive both audio and microphone compatibility.

You can wire them to your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S console controller for full audio and microphone compatibility. However, you can't connect them to Xbox devices over a wireless connection, which may be limiting for some users.

They come with a wireless USB dongle that gives your headphones non-Bluetooth wireless capabilities. It connects to your devices using a USB-C connection.