I’ve spent the previous week and a half utilizing Razer’s newest PC gaming soundbar, the Leviathan V2 Professional, and I can confidently say that it doesn’t disappoint, but it surely additionally isn’t for everybody.
Razer touts the soundbar as a one-stop PC audio resolution, and it’s simply that.
Minimalist design for a gaming soundbar
The Leviathan V2 Professional is a regular-looking soundbar. What I imply by that’s it doesn’t function any cheesy gamer-esque parts. But it surely’s not plain and boring, both. The soundbar contains a premium-looking black mesh grille within the entrance with a matte physique. The buttons to regulate the V2 Professional are positioned neatly on high and embody a quantity knob that additionally doubles as an influence on/off button, and 4 smaller spherical buttons to regulate equalizer presets, audio modes, RGB lights and inputs.
The Leviathan V2 Professional is designed to take a seat proper in entrance of you in your desk and be positioned underneath your monitor. In my case, the monitor’s backside bezel is pretty excessive, and I place the monitor additional away on my desk, leading to no inconvenience. Nonetheless, some PC customers, particularly whereas gaming, choose having their monitor positioned near them at a slanted angle. I’d think about the soundbar would get in the best way in these conditions, because it is available in at 4.5-inches tall. The one-firing subwoofer isn’t too large both, coming in at 10.2-inches x 11.6-inches x 10.2-inches. The best place for it’s underneath your desk close to your toes, in order that shouldn’t take up any additional area in your desk.
The entrance of the soundbar homes an IR (Infrared) digital camera that tracks the person sitting proper in entrance of it (extra on it later). On both sides of the IR digital camera are LED lights that point out which audio mode you’re at present on, and if the soundbar is ready to monitor your head or not.
And, in fact, RGB lights. By the underside of the soundbar runs a customizable Razer Chroma RGB gentle strip that doesn’t scream “GAMER!” however provides a enjoyable factor.
On the rear, the soundbar contains a common energy port, adopted by a subwoofer output port, a 3.5mm headset port and a USB Sort C port.
Connectivity is simple, and customization choices are plentiful
Razer has designed the Leviathan V2 Professional to work finest with a PC, although it’s additionally appropriate with Bluetooth units corresponding to cell phones, tablets, and the Nintendo Change. On PC, connecting the soundbar is not any trouble due to a USB-C to USB-A plug-and-play connection. Equally, Bluetooth 5.0 permits for a seamless, quick and low-input delay reference to cell units.
It’s value noting that the soundbar and the subwoofer require their very own energy shops, and contemplating that the ports round your PC would already be occupied with the monitor and accent wires, you’ll have to buy an additional extension. Connecting the subwoofer to the soundbar is pretty easy, with an enter/output wire for every finish, although a wi-fi subwoofer would have served me higher. Ever since I’ve moved to a brand new home, my cable administration has gotten terrible, and tucking away thick energy cables for each the soundbar and the subwoofer has been a ache with no wire management tray.
Additional, you can even plug your headphones instantly into the three.5mm slot on the rear of the soundbar to modify between the 2 units with ease.
The audio modes for the soundbar can simply be adjusted from the top-placed buttons, however the Razer Synapse app for PC and the Razer Audio app for iOS and Android supply a a lot wider vary of customization. I discovered myself utilizing the cell utility extra typically than the PC one simply due to the convenience of accessibility, although not one of the apps supply something that the opposite doesn’t. Each apps let you swap between modes, together with Digital Headset, Digital Encompass, Stereo and Room Fill. The equalizer additionally has some presets, together with Flat, Recreation, Film and Music, although you may regulate the sound and bass in response to your personal desire as properly.
The Leviathan V2 Professional sounds unimaginable
An excellent soundbar primarily must have good audio high quality, and the Leviathan V2 Professional definitely delivers. It’s value noting that the soundbar itself doesn’t have built-in woofers, so utilizing it by itself wouldn’t supply very pleasing outcomes. With the subwoofer related, although, the Leviathan V2 Professional doesn’t really feel any much less succesful than a full-fledged house theatre that wouldn’t fail to piss off your neighbours.
Essentially the most attention-grabbing function that the Leviathan V2 Professional gives is its beamforming digital headset mode. I had plenty of enjoyable making an attempt out the function, however is it sufficient to switch an precise headset? The function basically employs the front-positioned IR digital camera to scan the place your head and ear are and beam audio waves on to them.
The function isn’t a trick to promote the soundbar; it truly works fairly properly. For me, utilizing the mode for the primary couple of minutes felt very bizarre. Not uncomfortable-weird, however extra like fascinating-weird. Whereas utilizing the mode, it truly felt like I used to be sporting digital headphones, with audio persistently beamed on to my ears, even when I modified my place or swayed my head back and forth.
This brings us again to the query: can the Leviathan V2 Professional change an precise headset? Nicely, in some instances, sure. Taking part in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales with the mode turned on was pleasing, with every kind of sound results from the sport beamed on to my ears. Titles that don’t require absolute sound accuracy, like FIFA 23 or God of War, for instance, are a pleasure to play with the pinnacle monitoring mode turned on, however for extra aggressive video games the place it’s good to hear the place precisely your enemies are coming from, I’d nonetheless choose a daily headset. Not solely as a result of the positional audio is extra correct with common headphones, but in addition as a result of I’d must hold the soundbar at a reasonably excessive quantity when gaming, and that wouldn’t at all times go well with properly with my housemates.
Much like the Digital Headset mode, Digital Encompass additionally makes use of the front-positioned IR digital camera precisely replicates a 7.1 encompass sound expertise, with audio beaming to you from both sides of the room in a stage-like expertise. It’s fairly exceptional that I can sway from side-to-side and nonetheless persistently really feel like I’m positioned on the heart of the soundstage.
What’s lacking is built-in tweeters. I really feel that typically the vocals really feel muddy and in-game audio results really feel boring because of the lack of tweeters. That doesn’t essentially imply that the high-end and treble are completely lacking, nor does it utterly make or break the Leviathan V2. It’s simply that the soundbar can’t replicate precise headphones in that facet.
The Razer Leviathan V2 Professional isn’t low cost, given it costs $549.99. However for what you’re getting, spending that a lot is justifiable. Leviathan V2 Professional soundbar is a superb addition to a PC setup for avid gamers and non-gamers alike, with its modern and easy design, a number of audio modes, and distinctive beamforming digital headset and digital encompass modes. The Razer Synapse and Razer Audio apps supply a variety of customization choices, and the soundbar is appropriate with Bluetooth units. The sound high quality is spectacular, however the lack of built-in woofers implies that the subwoofer is crucial for an optimum listening expertise. The Razer Synapse and Razer Audio apps supply a variety of customization choices, and the soundbar is appropriate with Bluetooth units.
I wouldn’t purchase the soundbar if I needed it to double as a house theatre setup for my TV. The Leviathan V2 Professional would have been a way more succesful soundbar with assist for TVs, however Razer appears adamant to restrict it to PCs and Bluetooth connections. I additionally wouldn’t purchase this soundbar in case your housemates or neighbours disapprove of loud music and thumping bass. Additional, the soundbar and subwoofer require their very own energy shops, which could be a trouble for cable administration.
Whereas the Leviathan V2 Professional doesn’t utterly change a gaming headset, it’s undoubtedly a worthwhile funding for these in search of a high-quality PC audio resolution.
The Razer Leviathan V2 Professional is out there to order from Razer’s website for $549.99.
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