Razer Barracuda: Two Minute Review
The Razer Barracuda is the mid-range model of Razer’s latest line of headsets, leveraging hybrid design and functionality to capture the ever-growing market for casual gamers who need a versatile, multi-function headset.
While the Barracuda offers a significant improvement over the Barracuda X, the most basic model, it doesn’t get the active noise cancellation (ANC) features or the sound quality that the top-of-the-range offers. Barracuda Pro offers.
However, it benefits from the same comfortable ear cups and headband, 40 hours of battery life and a sleek, simple design, making for a surprisingly well-positioned entry into Razer’s lifestyle market.
There are some huge benefits to packing this level of versatility into a headset, but also some drawbacks; namely that it simply cannot compete with the sound quality found in some of the best pc gaming headsets. Still, that’s not the priority for most people considering the Barracuda range, and where these headsets shine is in simplicity, style and function.
After spending a week with the Barracuda in various settings, it’s clear that Razer has put some time and serious thought into how the headset will match up with the competition, but it has skipped some really basic steps that would have taken this headset to the next level. – a good example of this is that this headset is not foldable for portability.
But if you can live up to your expectations of the kind of sound and microphone quality of this kind of hybrid headset, you’ll be impressed with the Barracuda. Stylish, simple and relatively advanced technically, we’re impressed with this first attempt at more casual peripherals from Razer.
Razer Barracuda: Price and Availability
- Price: $159 / £159 / AU$279
- Availability: Now available at Razer.com and various online retailers.
The Razer Barracuda is the mid-range, standard headset in the Barracuda line, sitting nicely between the Barracuda X and Barracuda Pro at $159 / £159 / AU$279. Though it’s not as hard to find as its more expensive sibling , it’s still not as readily available as the Barracuda X, which can be found at many online retailers, including Amazon.
Unfortunately, unlike the Barracuda Pro, this headset doesn’t come with a case unless you count the foam-lined box it arrives in (which we don’t). This is really unfortunate and a bit of a missed opportunity; especially since it doesn’t come with a kickstand either, so you might want to consider getting both of these on top of the base price.
However, the box includes a 3.5mm headphone cable, a USB-C wireless transmitter, a USB-A to USB-C adapter cable, and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
Razer Barracuda: Design
- Comfortable to wear, even for a long time
- Sleek, smooth and stylish
- Can pass as a non-gaming headset
- Not foldable
The design is easily one of the best parts of the Razer Barracuda. If orange was the new black a few years ago, Razer shows that black is once again the new black with this headset, combining this elegant color with understated but intentional smoothness in shape and form.
Razer Barracuda Key specs
These are the specifications on the Razer Barracuda sent to Ditching for review
Connectivity: SmartSwitch dual wireless (2.4GHz and BT) and 3.5mm analog
Drivers: TriForce Titanium 50mm
Ear cups: Memory foam pillows
Weight: 300g
Battery life: 40 hours
Charging port: USB-C
Functions: Passive noise cancellation, THX spatial audio, dual integrated noise canceling microphones
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Razer had completely abandoned its gaming aesthetic were it not for the subtly glossy logos on the ear pads and the telltale neon green accent visible when using the mute function – otherwise the headset is unbelievable discreet.
Padded with memory foam, the headband and earcups are wonderfully cushioned, enough for even the pickiest of users, and the material-covered ear cushions mean overheating is much less of an issue than with other headsets. The earbuds fit us just right, but have not been tested on people with larger ears, who may find them a little too cozy.
Along the bottom of each ear cushion is a series of buttons. On the left, from back to front, you’ll find the mute button, volume wheel, power button, 3.5mm analog headphone jack and the USB-C port. On the right, it’s the SmartSwitch button. Both ear cushions have a built-in microphone on the front. Once you’ve found your way around the Barracuda, these well-spaced and intuitive controls make for an easy, light-hearted experience that’s hard to find on headsets.
A big missed opportunity is the portability of this headset – you can’t fold it up for storage on the go. In fairness, many of the best wireless headphones on the market are also starting to shy away from foldable form factors, but it’s a great shame considering the headphones operate in such a unique space that they wouldn’t take advantage of portability – especially when it does not come with a case.
Razer Barracuda: Features
- App compatibility is nice
- SmartSwitch isn’t that smart
- No ANC
Compared to the Pro, the regular Razer Baraccuda is much more of an everyday device when it comes to features, and the features is doing are fun, but not essential or top performer.
SmartSwitch is the main culprit here and, in our personal experience, offers little to no functionality. We tried in various scenarios to mimic the effortless, slick transitions shown in Razer’s promotional materials, but the most we got was a few minutes of awkward silence (and slight panic) when the headset refused to connect to whatever then.
The compatibility with the Razer Audio app is a good added value and offers a degree of further customization, which is always good to see. From the app you can adjust your sound settings, mute incoming calls, adjust the microphone noise reduction and check your battery level.
Razer Barracuda: Achievements
- The quality of the microphone is quite strong – but beware of USB-C conversion problems
- Great sound quality
- Gaming-first features win
If we start to see a more competitive hybrid gaming headset market, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Razer Barracuda is at the very top of the rankings. The audio quality, for what it is, is great, and while it doesn’t have an ANC, the passive noise isolation is quite strong meaning you can really be stuck with your gaming session.
You also have plenty of time to dig in; the Razer Barracuda has a fantastic 40 hours of battery life, so charging is the least of your worries. While the Barracuda X offers a little more in this area, the Barracuda makes up for it with a jump in power and sound quality.
While the design may seem like a departure from a gamer’s joy in RGB and neon, Razer has stayed true to its roots with the addition of the game mode to the Barracuda range. Switching to a shorter-range connection allows the headset to offer a low-latency mode – excellent for the serious gamer.
The Barracuda uses the Razer Triforce titanium 50mm drivers, which Razer says are designed to deliver exceptional highs, mids and lows – and we largely agree. However, the lows may be a little oversold – we’d expect this from a lifestyle headset, though. However, the sound is wonderfully crisp and clear, and the spatial THX audio makes a world of difference compared to standard surround sound.
Overall, the dual integrated ECM beamforming and noise canceling mics work quite well, but nothing beats a boom mic when it comes to gaming headsets.
The mic connectivity, however, is where the Barracuda gets a little fuzzy, in our view. The quality when using the dongle and through the 3.5mm audio cable was fine, but when we tried to use the USB-A to USB-C, the microphone quality dropped dramatically. This may have been something on our part, but it’s not a problem we’ve encountered before.
This was especially common when we tested on a PlayStation 5, where the only viable connection was through the dongle.
Where is the Razer Barracuda on the market?
In addition to its Barracuda brethren, the Razer Barracuda has an interesting place in the headset market as it is. While the Barracuda Pro leans towards features more commonly seen by industry giants in the headset space like ANC, the more humble Barracuda feels like a natural evolution towards PC gaming headsets as we know them.
Should You Buy a Razer Barracuda?
Buy it if…
Do not buy if…
Also consider:
Razer Barracuda: Report Card
| Where the | The value of the device is OK, but it would get full marks if it came with a case like the Pro model. | 4 / 5 |
| Design | Full marks for a well thought out and intentionally simplistic design. | 5 / 5 |
| Functions | For such everyday functions, we expect an everyday price. | 3.5 / 5 |
| Performance | It has all the right ingredients, but falls short with its microphones. | 4.5 / 5 |
| Total | Were they foldable, completely device independent and packed with a little more bang for the buck, they’d be one of our favorite pairs of headphones. | 4 / 5 |
- First reviewed in August 2022
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