Razer Barracuda Pro

The Razer Barracuda Pro is a great gaming headset, with the inclusion of ANC technology making it ideal for anyone who wants to completely immerse themselves in a game. Sporting a streetwear design and delivering great music playback, this is a versatile headset – especially since it can be paired either using Bluetooth or a USB-C dongle.

Introduction

The Razer Barracuda Pro is a wireless headset that can be used for gaming or music playback, with the new Easy-Switch feature allowing you to switch between devices in an instant.

It’s the latest premium headset in the new Barracuda range, supplied with a Razer-branded carry case for protection. Including a USB-C adapter and Bluetooth 5.2, it’s a great choice for multi-platform gamers.

I’ve been using the Barracuda Pro for the past few weeks with my PS5, Nintendo Switch and iPhone 13 Pro. Here’s how I got on.

Design

• Minimalist design
• Sturdy carry case
• Integrated microphone

The Razer Barracuda Pro is one of the more mature Razer headsets available, swapping RGB lights and bold colours for a sleek black look.

The design is minimalist, likely because Razer is also pushing this headset as one you can wear for on-the-go music playback. The lack of an external microphone further confirms its streetwear design.

While I’m a fan of the aesthetic overall, I’d have liked to see it in more colour options – the preceding Razer Barracuda X is available in Mercury and Quartz, for example. Nevertheless, the Barracuda Pro is well built and feels very durable.

The accompanying carry case appears fairly robust, making it easy for me to throw the headset into my bag without concern of any damage. Inside the carry case you’ll find the bundled USB-C dongle as well as two USB-C cables that can be used to connect the headset to various devices.

Despite coming up slightly large for my head, I found the Barracuda Pro to be one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve used for some time, on par with the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid. It didn’t weigh heavy on my neck and I could wear it for hours without issue – even while I was wearing my glasses.

On the right earcup you’ll find the mode-switching button, while on the left sits the power button, mic-mute button and a volume roller. While I appreciate the streamlined design, I reckon Razer has dedicated too many controls to too few buttons, with the power button alone performing multiple functions depending on the number of times it’s clicked.

This lead to occasions where I turned off the headset while trying to change a track, or ignoring a call I actually wanted to accept. This has improved over time – I now feel more confident navigating the headset – but I’d warn that anyone who chooses to buy this headset will likely need to study the controls more intently than they may think.

Features

• Active noise cancellation
• Great battery life
• Easy-Switch feature

Considering the high price of the Razer Barracuda Pro, I was happy to find so many features on hand. While I’d have liked to have seen a 3.5mm audio jack, I was impressed by the wireless connection, finding that I was able to get pretty far away from my phone or laptop before the audio would cut out.

The Easy-Switch feature was also very helpful, allowing for the ability to switch between two devices at the press of a button. The only limitation here is that one device needs to be connected via Bluetooth and the other via USB-C dongle, which meant I wasn’t able to flip between my portable Nintendo Switch and phone without a manual connection.

However, I was able to seamlessly switch between my phone and PS5 or PC, which was ideal for those occasions I received a phone call. The process of switching was mostly easy, and would be ideal for anyone who is constantly jumping between devices.

The other main feature is active noise cancellation, which uses clever technology to block out background noise so it doesn’t interrupt your music playback. Since this is also being marketed as a streetwear headset, you’re also able to switch to an Ambient mode, which allows background noise to filter through so you can hear the roar of a car engine when crossing a road.

Battery life also proved impressive, with the headset rarely needing to be charged during the testing process. I used the Barracuda Pro daily for around a week and a half before it required topping up, making it ideal for long train journeys when an outlet isn’t always available. Razer claims the headset has a battery life of up to 40 hours, but expect that figure to drop with ANC acitvated.

Sound and Microphone Quality

• Great gaming audio
• Integrated microphone worked well

The audio quality impressed when playing Cuphead on the PS5 with the Razer Barracuda Pro. The jaunty music sounds balanced, and I could catch the small clinks every time I took damage. Connecting the headset to the PS5 via the USB-C dongle was easy, and I experienced no latency or cutouts during gameplay.

I also dabbled in God of War on the console, and here I could hear the waves crashing onto the shore as I rowed Kratos around the map. It was easy to track enemies thanks to the developed soundstage, creating an overall more immersive experience than if I had played the game using my regular TV audio.

Since this headset works well on the go, I used it most often with my Nintendo Switch, flipping between the portable console and my phone. Playing Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, the character’s dialogue sounded clear and sharp, displaying greater clarity than the Switch’s regular audio. I could hear my character’s sword swiping through my foes and the satisfying sound of combos being racked up.

For music playback, the headset produced a natural sound that worked well with most genres. Those tracks featuring heavy bass sounded better than higher-pitched music, appearing to display more depth and clarity than I’d have expected.

The Razer Barracuda Pro has a microphone embedded inside the ear cup. While I appreciate the sleek design of the headset, I don’t believe the microphone offered the same level of accuracy as the external mic on the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense. While I didn’t experience any cut-outs, people would remark on voice calls that the mic sounded slightly tinny – although comments didn’t come frequently enough to mark it out as a real issue.

Those using the microphone for phone calls or casual gaming conversations over Discord are likely to fair just fine, although competitive gamers who need to communicate quickly with teammates may want to consider a headset with an external mic, such as the EPOS H6PRO.

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