Razer Blackshark V2 Pro review

The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro is a solid headset boasting clear audio that gets loud without sacrificing sound quality. And although it possesses a sleek, comfortable design with a good microphone and volume knob, my experience with its USB connectivity has been less than perfect.

Whenever I leave my small room, the headset beeps incessantly due to its low signal range. Additionally, the audio quality suffers greatly if it’s not connected to a USB 3.0 port, as it constantly pops, crackles and beeps.

Razer Blackshark V2 Pro design

The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro possesses an all black exterior with high-quality materials that feel sturdy and are built to last. The bottom of the headband and ear cushions are made of Flowknit memory foam, which formed quite comfortably against my head. The top of the headband is made of a very nice faux leather with a centered Razer logo.

Two metal wires connect the headband to the headphones themselves, with a larger base attached to those wires to give it a sturdy feel. The outer parts of the headphones are smooth to the touch with the Razer logo placed in the middle on both sides. Although the colors aren’t particularly bold, the all-black aesthetic looks cool.

The headset has a volume knob, a microphone mute button, a power button, an audio-in jack, and a microUSB charging port. I personally would have preferred the ability to turn the power on through a switch rather than a button because having to hold it down is less convenient. Additionally, the lack of USB-C charging is a bit shocking for a 2021 headset.

The package comes with a 3.5mm connector, a detachable microphone, a Micro USB-to-USB Type-A cable and a black pouch to put these items in for travel.

Razer Blackshark V2 Pro comfort 

The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro strikes the perfect balance of comfort,  tightly wrapping around your ears and skull so the headset never feels loose. I can shake my head freely without fearing that the headset will suddenly fall off, and the Flowknit memory foam ear cushions and headband felt soft against my head.

Additionally, the metal wires that connect the headband and headphones have never pressed against my head at any point, which was a concern when I initially used the product. The headset feels sturdy, but it doesn’t weigh a whole lot (11.3 ounces), although I wouldn’t say it’s lightweight, either.

Razer Blackshark V2 Pro gaming performance 

The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro uses 50mm Razer TriForce Titanium Drivers for heightened vocal quality. This design also allows the system to accurately replicate low, mid and high frequencies for an all-encompassing audio feedback. As a result, minute details were identifiable, while the bass and treble remained satisfying and punchy.

While playing World of Warcraft, I was wowed by how clear the fantastical soundtrack and atmospheric sound design was. While patrolling Ardenweald, the very minimal beats alternated between each headphone, and the vibration felt as if someone was tapping inside my ears. And as I stepped through the forest’s groves, I heard the crisp sounds of my character's boots chugging along the shallow, moonlit water. And as I entered the Heart of the Forest, the low hum of life ringing throughout this hollowed tree resonated throughout my ears as if it was surrounded by a room full of speakers.

And as soon as I hopped into Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the iconic drums and strings present in Drake’s Theme translated perfectly through the headset in clear and crisp audio. And when I hopped from cover-to-cover in Shambala, I felt the vibration from the bullets shooting over my head. Although the game doesn’t support PS5’s Tempest Engine, I still easily identified where enemies came from thanks to the surround sound and their hapless shouts. 

Booting up Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and being greeted by its strangely epic menu music was a treat. I heard each string sting clearly and the operatic vocals weren’t drowned out by the overwhelming orchestra. As I hopped into a Zombies match, each terrifying screech and groan coming from the undead came through loud and clear as I shot through them with my overpowered shotgun. Each sound effect was loud, and none were drowned out by the consistent layering of various noises. 

Razer Blackshark V2 Pro music performance 

The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro has successfully placed vocals at the front of every track I’ve listened to without sacrificing the rest of the sound. The headset can even get so loud that I often remove it, leave it on my desk and listen to music like it’s a speaker. 

When listening to “2 + 2 = 5” by Radiohead, I heard how the right and left sides of the headphones presented different sounds. And as soon as Thom Yorke began singing, I heard his audio at the forefront as well as every guitar note that played in the background. When the song evolves into its more chaotic portions ripe with all sorts of drums, guitars and layers of vocals, I can still easily identify each individual element with the headset’s accurate sonics.

As I blasted “The Great Elsewhere” by Owen Pallett, I heard each layer individually, whether it was the light synth, melodic drumming, high strings, or wind pipes, they held their ground against the vocalist’s particularly unconventional voice. As the piece escalated in volume and intensity, so did the bass and vibrations of the headphones. I felt the punchiness of the music, making this song in particular even more immersive and satisfying.

Afterward, I listened to “Fell In Love With a Girl” by The White Stripes. This is a more abrasive track, but ultimately, the Blackshark V2 Pro did equally as well to translate the harshness of the sound. All elements communicated with one another perfectly, and the intentional static-like quality of the sound was preserved without becoming unpleasant.

Razer Blackshark V2 Pro microphone 

The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro comes with a high quality detachable microphone. During testing, I was impressed by how crisp and clear my voice sounded, even with two fans running in the background. However, I did notice occasional low static, but it was so quiet that it wasn’t much of a problem for me. And even then, most voice calling services have the ability to gate your audio to ensure certain levels of noise don’t activate the mic.

Using Razer Synapse, you can edit your microphone settings. It has options for mic volume, whether or not it inherently has a voice gate, and enhancements like volume normalization, vocal clarity, and ambient noise reduction. Additionally, in-depth mic equalization settings are available.

Razer Blackshark V2 Pro features 

As the Blackshark V2 Pro is a Razer product, it is compatible with Razer Synapse. Through this program, you can edit mixer settings, make enhancements to the sound, and adjust mic quality. You can also turn on power saving options.

Through the mixer, you can select which audio settings apply to each game you play. For example, you can put one application on Game Mode and another on Music Mode. On the other, you can create your own audio mixing setup and apply that to any games or applications you see fit. In the enhancement settings, you can change how the sound is equalized, or use modes specifically for bass boost, sound normalization and voice clarity. 

The Blackshark V2 Pro advertises up to 24 hours of battery life, and through my constant usage, that number seems pretty accurate. Additionally, the low battery notification is thankfully far less frequent and distracting than it is on other headsets I’ve tested.

However, I’ve had a decent bit of trouble with the Blackshark V2 Pro’s USB connector; the headset would randomly pop and crackle no matter what I was doing. Additionally, it would frequently beep as if it were out of range, even though I was right in front of my computer. After speaking to colleagues with the same headset, I learned that I was alone in having this issue. 

I then tested another Blackshark V2 Pro and the popping was no longer present. However, the out-of-range beeps seemed to have stayed consistent. It appears that the headset will not do this if it is connected through a USB 3.0 port, but even then, the headset still suffers from having a relatively short range. If I step a few meters from it, it’ll beep and have connection issues.

Bottom Line

The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro is a very solid headset that isn’t without its flaws. Although it boasts crisp audio that’s perfectly suited for gaming and listening to music, I experienced pops and cracks for reasons I still cannot discern, other than possessing a faulty unit.

Additionally, be sure you have a spare USB 3.0 port handy, otherwise you’ll have tons of connection issues that will make the headset unusable (it’s also unfortunate it uses a Micro USB for charging). Still, the sound is crisp, the volume can grow surprisingly loud, and the memory foam ear cushions and headband made for a surprisingly snug fit on the largest of heads.