It is clearly a trend within the game world: headsets that are multi-usable. Razer’s new headset, the Barracuda Pro, also focuses on this kind of flexibility. Among other things, due to a surprisingly sober, black design for Razer, this headset should be perfectly suitable for both gaming and daily use on the road.
Razer Barracuda Pro
Recommended retail price €249.99
Link 2.4Ghz Wireless and bluetooth
Compatibility Any platform, app Android and iOS
RGB features no
battery life40 hours without the noise canceling and gaming mode on 9 Score 90 
- Pros
- A real all-rounder
- Sounds good
- Comfort
- Stereo image and localization
- Microphone completely built into the earcup
- Negatives
- Not suitable for (semi) professional gamers
In addition to the sober design, the Barracuda Pro also has active noise canceling, Bluetooth and can be connected wirelessly to all consoles and desktop PCs via the 2.4Ghz Wireless dongle. With this, Razer seems to be competing with, for example, the SteelSeries Pro Nova Wireless and the Epos H3 Hybrid.
Build quality
In terms of build quality, this Barracuda Pro can easily compete with the headsets mentioned above. As mentioned, the design is black and sober, but no less stylish for that. There are still Razer logos on the earcups, but in the case of this model, they don’t light up in different colors.
The headset comes in a sturdy carrying case and is made entirely of hard plastic. The ear cups have a nice, sharp round shape that looks quite chic. The headband is also made of hard plastic, but reinforced with metal inside. There are also many hinge points: the ear cups can rotate and tilt 90 degrees, so that they fit perfectly on your head and you can also easily hang the headset around your neck.
Both the headband cushion and the ear cushions are lined with an incredibly soft memory foam, which is covered with quite a unique synthetic fabric. A kind of leatherette, but with a wearing feeling that is slightly more similar to fabric. It is very soft and, despite the synthetic element, comfortable for a long time without extreme heat build-up. In addition, the covering provides a good seal from outside noise – a nice side effect for the noise canceling, but more about that later.
First, let’s take a look at the buttons on the outside of the ear cups. Despite the amount of options that the Barracuda Pro offers, there are few. There is a volume wheel, on/off button and microphone mute button on the left shell, while on the right shell you will only find a button for noise canceling. It is therefore not entirely surprising that you activate other functions with different button combinations.
If you are connected via the dongle and the bluetooth, you can, for example, take phone calls or press them while gaming with the on and off button. If you’re listening to music via Bluetooth, you can use the same button to pause music or switch songs. They aren’t Mortal Kombat-like button combinations, but they do take a while to get to grips with. After a few days, however, it feels natural. It helps that the different buttons all have a different size and texture.
Functionality
The Barracuda Pro can also be used in combination with the Razer Audio App. You can install that app on iOS or Android devices and with it you get access to an equalizer, ten different noise canceling levels, a do-no-disturb mode that prevents you from being called while gaming and noise canceling. for the microphones.
So there’s a lot going on in the app, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Although you may be less likely to reach for the different noise canceling levels – a little more or less noise canceling is actually rarely necessary – the app still feels like an addition of very practical functions. Apart from the different noise canceling levels, the noise canceling button on the headset itself also offers an Ambient mode, which lets the sound be heard around the user.
The trend of using your gaming headset on the go provides ingenious solutions in the field of microphones. With the new SteelSeries headset, the microphone can completely disappear into the earcup for the first time, while the Epos Hybrid H3 has a detachable headset whose connection on the headset can be covered with a matte black plate after disconnection. The Barracuda goes one step further: there are two microphones built into the ear cups of the headset. You do not see these microphones at all and that makes use on the road really easy. They also sound very good – a nice solution from Razer.
There is another function hidden under the noise canceling button: the Gaming Mode. This mode ensures that you can slow down the latency of the bluetooth connection via the Razer App in a small radius around the headset. This obviously costs a little more battery power and is therefore not enabled by default. In practice this appears to work very well and offers a good solution for telephone gamers. The fact that the battery life decreases slightly with this mode on is not a big problem: if you are careful with switching on the noise canceling, the Barracuda Pro will last about 35 to 40 hours on a full charge.
The sound
So the functionality, build quality and user experience are all right, but how does the Barracuda Pro sound? Fortunately not wrong! What is immediately noticeable when listening to music is the wide stereo image. The headset sounds big and creates an impressive sound field. You can really immerse yourself in the sound world of a song and let yourself be carried away by the different elements.
The headset handles alternative pop and rock music especially well. There’s quite a bit of punch and an amazing amount of definition in the mid-highs, without the headset ever sounding shrill. When listening to electronic music, it is noticeable that the bass is turned on quite firmly. While it’s never really overpowering, it can add quite a bit of sound pressure to some songs, which can tire you out faster than you’d like.
The Barracuda Pro mainly excels in creating a wide, deep sound world. So a lot of immersion. That makes the headset very suitable for open world games. The good localization helps to bring the world to life and the sound balance also places a lot of focus on ambient noise. However, the headset also handles shooters without any problems. Chaotic and spectacular situations are convincingly depicted. Yet sometimes it lacks a little bit of urgency; real speed in the sound remains here and there. Although that is not a problem for the average gamer, the (semi) professional gamer may not be completely happy with this.
In conclusion
The Razer Barracuda Pro is exactly what it wants to be: a multi-purpose gaming headset that you can use on the go with no problem. The design is nice, sleek and sturdy and both the 2.4Ghz Wireless and bluetooth connection are excellent. In addition, this headset is really fully equipped: from noise canceling and built-in microphones to the accompanying app and switchable, low-latency mode for mobile gamers.
All extensive functionality is mainly aimed at the user who wants to take the headset with them on the road. This is therefore an excellent headset for the casual gamer who is looking for a total solution. Hardcore gamers with a (semi) professional approach may be less helped by the Barracuda Pro.
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