Brand: Razer Battery Life: 20 hours
Great overall sound Lightweight design, you can wear for hours Multiple platform support Excellent price to performance Tidy battery life
No Xbox or iOS support for wireless audio Small USB-C dongle could be easy to lose
That means the Barracuda X doesn’t have RGB or other flashy gimmicks. No, it doesn’t bother with that. Instead, the Razer Barracuda X is comfortable, incredibly lightweight for a gaming headset, and most importantly, sounds great. The slimline design of the Barracuda X helps it stand apart in the busy gaming headset marketplace, but that’s a nice change of pace.
So, is the Razer Barracuda X gaming headset worth the money? Find out in our hands-on Barracuda X review.
The Razer Barracuda X Is a Lightweight Gaming Headset
I know, I’ve talked about the weight of this headset a few times already, but it really is worth hammering home. The Barracuda X weighs in at 250g (0.55lbs), a full 60g less than the HyperX Cloud Alpha S, and another 20g less than the EPOS H3, which itself is already on the lighter side of gaming headsets.
The Razer Barracuda X achieves this with a stylish matte-black, primarily plastic build. Removing metal, flashy lights, and other extras from the Barracuda X results in a gaming headset you really can wear all day without noticing.
In addition, the earcups feature a soft, mesh fabric that sits nicely on your ears and is the same fabric you’ll find on the Razer Blackshark V2 (which was also very comfortable). The material and cushioning Razer has used in this headset are great for temperature regulation, too. Wearing the headset for hours at a time results in little temperature change, even when it starts to warm up. As you can find with some faux-leather gaming headsets, the earcups can become hot and uncomfortable, but Razer has made sure the Barracuda X remains stable.
The headband is covered with a faux-leather type material and is similarly comfortable. The band fits nicely, adding enough pressure to keep the earcups positioned while you’re moving around (you take this headset out and about with you), but never becoming uncomfortable, even after hours of use. Indeed, walking around the house or down to the shops, and the Barracuda X doesn’t move from its starting position.
Despite the pared-back and predominantly plastic design, the lightweight gaming headset doesn’t feel particularly flimsy. The build quality of other Razer products is still present, though the metal in the headband doesn’t feel as strong or reinforced as other headsets. How this will affect the Barracuda X over time is difficult to say, and you’d hope that the headset and headband remain tight to your ears for maximum comfort and, of course, audio quality. I mean, it’s not as sturdy as other Razer products, but you won’t worry about breaking it within minutes like other cheap gaming headsets.
At the bottom of the left earcup you’ll find a few handy controls, including a USB-C charging port, 3.5mm jack port, and the input for the detachable microphone.
There’s also the power button, which doubles up as an audio playback button. Press the power button once, and you’ll play or pause the current track or accept or end an incoming call (when attached to a compatible device, like an Android smartphone or tablet). Press the power button twice and you’ll skip the track, press it thrice to go back one. As the Barracuda X can double up as a regular headset for when you’re out and about, including this tiny yet incredibly useful feature is a nice touch.
Also lurking down at the bottom of the left earcup is a volume control wheel. The wheel is handy enough, but Razer should consider adding some sort of resistance to it, as, on multiple occasions, I whacked the volume up to near painful levels just by adjusting the headset.
Razer Barracuda X Sound Quality
Now, just because Razer has opted for a featherlight design and cut back on the fancy flashing lights doesn’t mean they’ve dropped the ball elsewhere. In fact, it seems to be quite the opposite, with the Razer Barracuda X delivering a really good overall sound that’s relatively well-balanced, nice and clear, and with good overall sound accuracy across both gaming and music.
The propensity for gaming headsets to shove your audio experience in one direction or another is all too familiar, but Razer’s approach to the Barracuda X means that you’ll enjoy using this headset for all listening experiences, be that mowing down demons in Doom Eternal or throwing on your favorite album.
The 40mm Razer TriForce drivers work well. Although the Barracuda X doesn’t feature any active noise canceling, the earcup positioning and closed-back design mean that little audio penetrates your concentration. Razer’s proprietary driver design aims to deliver low, mid, and high-end sound independently, which, when combined, deliver a precise soundstage.
So, how does the Barracuda X sound in games?
It’s a great experience, especially given the price tag. Jumping into personal testing favorite, Dirt 2.0, and the powerful, roaring engines of the rally cars come to life, blasting you through the Outback or New England forests. Another treat comes in the 2021 Quake Remaster, with Trent Reznor’s original soundtrack still sucking you deeper into the monster-filled mazes, and the new levels are an absolute joy.
Most of all, though, everything just comes through the Barracuda X headset sounding how it should. The headset tuning is slightly on the bassier side of things, but it is balanced against the mids and highs and doesn’t overwhelm or consume the rest of the audio.
Razer Barracuda X Microphone Quality
Razer opted for a detachable cardioid boom microphone for the Barracuda X, allowing you to switch it out as you please. The microphone is decent enough if a bit quiet and muddied at times.
The overall feedback from people I gamed with to test the Barracuda X microphone was that positioning was everything, and then when you find the sweet spot, the microphone voice quality was just fine.
Razer Barracuda X Connectivity
Connectivity comes through a proprietary 2.4GHz wireless connection, served through a T-shaped USB-C dongle. The dongle is of good quality and works really well when connected to any compatible device, picking up a connection with the headset within a second most of the time. Rarely do you have reset the connection, and you’ll be up and running on any new device within a few moments.
Included in the Barracuda X box are multiple connection cables. You’ll find a USB Type-A to USB Type-C Female cable, USB Type-A to USB Type-C Male cable, and a 3.5mm to 3.5mm right angle jack lead. It’s a really good selection of cables that means you’ll be able to connect any device to the Barracuda X without issue. Oh, and they’re good quality cables, too, wrapped in a tough casing to protect against wear and tear.
One thing that does let the Barracuda X down slightly is the lack of Bluetooth. It’s not a game-changer, and the 2.4GHz wireless adapter works really well, but the lack of Bluetooth means this headset doesn’t work wirelessly with an Xbox.
But, Xbox aside, the Barracuda X works perfectly with your PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Android phones or tablets.
Razer Barracuda X Battery Life
Impressively for a lightweight gaming headset, Razer has packed a 20-hour battery life into the Barracuda X. 20 hours of playback is brilliant given the $100 price tag, and you won’t find the headset dropping out when you need it to perform.
Charging from empty to full takes two to three hours, perfect for an overnight charge, ready for gaming in the morning.
Is the Razer Barracuda X Worth the Money?
For 100 bucks, the Razer Barracuda X audio has more quality and a better overall audio balance than you can find in some headphones designed solely for music, which is a rare treat. Such a strong audio performance from what is absolutely a budget gaming headset is excellent, and Razor has done a fantastic job at cutting back on the flashy shiny things and delivering where it matters: audio.
It’s comfortable, too. The Oval FlowKnit Ear Cushions (their official name) are surprisingly soft, even during long gaming sessions. Your ears don’t get hot, sticky, and tired, even using the Barracuda X headset for hours at a time. During testing for this review, the Barracuda X gaming headset was glued to my head for multiple six to eight-hour sessions, and I was comfortable the entire time.
For $100, there aren’t many better budget gaming headsets on the market, and even less that deliver such a tidy soundstage. Combined with the Barracuda X’s other best feature, its lightweight and ergonomic design, and Razer are definitely onto a winner.
