Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review

Headsets are perhaps the most immersive piece of a gamer’s arsenal. They put you directly in the game, isolating the outside world and letting you focus on what is in front of you. 

In esports, great audio peripherals are even more crucial. Sure, a good mouse might help you aim better, but it would be difficult to aim if you can not hear them coming. Today, Esports Insider looks at the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro gaming headset, one of the flagship products in Razer’s audio range. With a design inspired by squared aeroplane headsets, the headset suits well for gaming and, in particular, esports titles.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro headset is the company’s esports-oriented wireless headset, part of its Pro line of products. As expected from a product aimed at professional gamers, the BlackShark features high-end construction and build quality. Moreover, it looks and feels premium, despite being made mostly out of plastic. The headset has a removable microphone, square-shaped ear cups and mesh ear pads, reminiscent of airplane headsets.

There is no RGB lighting, which is in line with some of the other Pro products, such as the Viper V3 Pro. Instead, Razer has decided on a blacked-out design. The only splash of colour on the headset is the tiny button for toggling the microphone on or off — everything else is either matte or shiny black plastic. 

The microphone is removable and the headset is wireless, so it is great for both playing games and working your daily job. Given its design, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is lightweight, making sure that the user experience is pleasant. When compared to the AceZone A-Spire we’ve reviewed recently, the BlackShark is a much more forgiving, comfortable and relaxed headset, but that also means that it lacks many of the isolation features that the AceZone has. 

Razer advertises the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro as an esports-focused product. However, given its relatively low isolation of outside noises and the lack of active noise cancellation (ANC), it might be best suited to online events and home or BootCamp and practice use as opposed to offline tournaments (most of which provide players with headsets anyway). Still, according to ProSettings, a website that tracks equipment used by esports pros, more than 20 players actively use the headsets, including those from MOUZ, Heroic and FaZe Clan. 

The headset can be adjusted easily via a sliding metal mechanism, which works well and is easier to adjust than the step-based system that most other competitors use. The headset, however, does not fold, so portability is limited. Razer also doesn’t ship the headset with a hard case, making it difficult to transport easily due to its bulk. Some third-party solutions solve this problem, but at least a cloth case would be very helpful at this price point. 

Nevertheless, these are some of the best-wearing headphones that this writer has worn. They are very comfortable for long periods of time, very breathable, and do not make your ears hot like some competitors (a surprising upside of not having a high clamping force).

A handy feature on this headset is the rotary control knob. The knob controls the volume of the headset altogether, and it proved to be very useful. Of course, when using a keyboard that has its own dedicated volume knob, this feature becomes less relevant, but in other situations, adjusting volume constantly through the Blackshark is a great experience. One downside is that, visually, it looks a bit odd sticking out from the left earcup. 

As for connectivity, Razer does include a lot in the box. A dongle is provided for a 2.4 GHz wireless connection with a PC and the headphones have Bluetooth for connection with phones or PCs and laptops without a dongle. The headphones can be used on the PS4 and PS5 with the dongle, but are not supported by Xbox. The headphones come with a USB-C to USB-A charging cable, as well as an extension that is useful in some cases. 

The claimed battery life is around 70 hours, but while reviewing this product, the headphones lasted just a bit longer due to lower listening volumes. Still, charging is very fast, and the headphones can, of course, be used while charging. 

I have to admit that I never did enjoy Razer’s sound signature too much, starting from the days of the first Kraken. Being more of an audiophile than the average gamer, I found the signature of most gaming headsets (including Razer) a bit too bass-heavy for my liking. 

The Blackshark V2 Pro fixes these issues to a certain degree, but having 50mm drivers does mean that the headset naturally wants to move more air and provide more bass. However, for bass-heavy scenarios such as certain games or music genres, this is an ideal sound. The bass is full and deep and helps to set the stage. Fire up some electronic music, and you’ll enjoy it very much.

The headset can be customised in detail through the Synapse app, which allows for THX Spatial Audio to be toggled on or off. This system, when used in games that support it, allows for more immersion and better surround sound. When playing the likes of Forza Horizon and Red Dead Redemption, two fully-supported games, the system did create a better experience, but the headset’s sound is good without spatial audio so we just left it off most of the time.

Razer provides several EQ profiles in its Synapse app, ranging from music and movies to a more broad game mode. In addition, you can toggle a ‘bass boost’ mode, enhanced voice clarity, and sound normalisation features on or off. The normalisation feature is interesting, accenting some mid-range sounds such as footsteps and can be useful in a variety of games. 

There are also enhancements for the microphone, ranging from a dedicated equaliser with its own settings to a very good noise cancellation feature for the mic and sidetone (the amount of your own voice you hear through the headset). All in all, the Synapse provides a wide range of tweaks and adjustments to make the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro really shine in any gaming situation. Since Razer has recently announced a new version of Synapse we can expect even better features and easier tweaking for upcoming models. 

The Blackshark likes to be used in more quiet settings, due to its lack of active noise cancellation. Passive isolation is okay, helping with some of the background noise, but the headset will not be useful if you try and game outside an open window next to a busy street — unless you crank the volume all the way up. If you are in a quiet room, the Blackshark is very good and its combination of lightweight and excellent cushioning can actually make you forget you have it on, which is very impressive. 

The THX spatial emulation and the sheer amount of tweaks you can make really help personalise the headset. I often tweaked the sound while in-game to find the perfect balance, and I felt like the headset did everything it needed to create an immersive experience no matter the game. For Counter-Strike 2,  I could hear footsteps and other sounds very loudly and clearly. Others who heard me through the headset’s microphone also complimented how clear and crisp the sound of my voice was despite background noise being present most of the time. 

Overall, the BlackShark V2 Pro’s all-day comfort and robust feature set make it a very easy product to live with. Personally, it is not as neutral as I’d like it to be for music listening and does not have active noise cancelling, but it has good battery life, a great microphone, lightweight, and great comfort that make up for missing features. 

There are concerns about how it would perform while travelling due to the plastic construction and overall lack of many metal parts, but for home use, it is a great piece of gear that looks as good as it sounds.