Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds Review
- High quality sound
- ANC and ambient amplification modes
- Multiple options for earbud tips
- Look and feel top-notch
- 4 hours of battery per charge, multiple charges in the case
- Case has no wireless charging
- Touchpads could be more responsive
This week we gave audio a go with the new Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds. This pair of earbuds represents another door through which Razer walks into the realm of "the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers." The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds are the most extravagant iteration of the truly wireless earbuds made by Razer thus far.
Size and Fit
The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds look similar to their predecessors, but carry with them the best of both worlds. They're wireless, but they don't have the all-in-one, one size fits all sort of situation going on. They've got so many different sized alternative covers for your ears, I'd be shocked if you didn't find one that fit your ear as comfortable as you might desire.
These earbuds work with 10mm drivers with frequency response between 20Hz and 20kHz and an impedance at 16 Ohm. These buds work with a variety of modes, with active noise cancellation, ANC-off (no effect), and a mode called "Quick Attention Mode" or "Ambience".
While ANC nullifies the noise around you, Quick Attention Mode amplifies the sound around you. This mode is more like a hearing aide – though not quite that precise. Quick Attention Mode is made more for when you need to listen to the sounds around you but it's not particularly convenient for you to remove your earbuds.
That's a pretty specific sort of situation, and I cannot imagine being in a situation where I both NEED to listen for an oncoming train but cannot be bothered to remove my earbuds... but it's nice to know it's there if I find that situation.
These earbuds provide the best ANC I've personally experienced in a pair of earbuds. These earbuds are well within the range of their closest-priced competitors, and easily out-perform the one size fits all earbuds we've tested in the past. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, of course – the "passive NC", as it's called, provided by the ear canal-fitting nubs create an experience that's naturally far finer than that of all plastic-only pairs.
The sound provided by these earbuds is good – very good. THX certification means they've been put through the paces, and it sounds like they've done a highly decent job. They're still no over-ear headphones experience, but they're amongst the finest earbuds we've ever tested for the average hobby user.
A variety of pre-set sound level arrangements are provided in the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless app, as are options for balancing the levels yourself. The app also includes the ability to re-map the various touch gestures available in the touchpads in each earbud.
Ideally, the touchpads would be a bit more sensitive. Right now they require more precise intention of movement than I'd expected they might.
Battery Time
The Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds work with a USB-C case that provides up to 4x recharges with its built-in battery. The buds themselves provide approximately 4 hours of audio without needing a recharge.
I've gotten approximately 4 hours of play time out of these earbuds pretty consistently. That's what Razer suggests they're capable of, and that's pretty precisely what they provide.
Wrap-up
Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds do what they suggest they'll do. They sound just a TINY bit better than their predecessors, they look nice, and they've got a decent amount of battery life for their size.
If you're looking for a pair of earbuds to wear once every few weeks when you go for a run, or the few times you go on a long trip on an airplane – these aren't them. These are the sort of earbuds you get if you've tried the cheaper solutions in the past and you'd like to ramp up your game.
At approximately $200 right out the gate, you'd better be sure that you're in full need of all the different features provided by Razer that make this pair of earbuds better than the buds that cost less.
Razer provided us with a review unit of their specialized THX Case for the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro case, and I recommend you consider getting one if you're getting the earbuds. The case completes the picture, for sure. You'll get a bit of added protection for the case, a nice hook to attach to your keychain, and a slightly more daring bit of graphic design on the side.