One of the customer service representatives from the Razer Reddit group advised me to add my original post on this forum, so here it is (copied and pasted from the Reddit + conversation over messages). Please join the conversation. It is a lengthy text, but my intentions are good. I really want Razer to triumph.
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Okay, I don't know how to start. I guess my question is: What makes Razer so special to drive prices so high?
I have been looking for a headset that can connect to multiple devices without much hassle, so I found this Kaira Hyperspeed headset for £129.99 on Amazon. I did my research and thought, "Alright, forget it, I'm placing my order."
The next day, I opened the box, and the interior screamed quality all over the package. However, this changed when I picked up the actual headset. The first thing that struck me was the fact that the earpads rotated so freely with no resistance at all, almost like the hinges were broken. Is it supposed to be like that? If so, it really sucks. It makes it look like a toy rather than something you'd want to spend hours with.
I did put the headset on, and it is probably the most comfortable thing I have ever worn. However, there is no noise cancellation whatsoever (passive noise cancellation, I knew there was no ANC). To give you a picture, I could hear my PC fan noise on the Windows log-on screen. Man, I can even hear the squeaky floor plank from the other room. If there is no noise cancellation, there is sound leakage. I do enjoy long Bannerlord sessions when my wife sleeps in the bed, but I can't do it with this headset because even at 70% volume (on Windows and max on the headset), you can hear the noise through the door.
Anyway, the last disappointment is the microphone. I mainly play single-player games, so I don't need to use it. I chose this headset based on the fact that the much cheaper version (Kaira Pro Xbox version for £59.99) has a detachable microphone. I am quite handy with electronics, 3D printing, etc., so I thought I could detach this dangling thing on my left and use something small that won't obstruct my view. I was pulling and pulling and pulling, but nothing happened. Then I thought, "Hmm, maybe Razer is a step ahead, and there's a button to press that detaches the microphone." So I spent a good 5-10 minutes battling against this thing only to realize there is nothing I can do about this mic. Fuming!
Anyway... I plugged the USB dongle into my PS5, and it worked right out of the box. The console detected it straight away, the microphone recorded my voice, PlayStation 3D audio worked, and everything seemed perfect (except for the outside noise, which I could still hear through triple-glazed windows, yes, triple-glazed, not double-glazed!).
Alright, screw it - it's Bluetooth enabled, connected to my desktop, and it works without any issues (the fan noise is the only issue [I'm not letting go of this noise cancellation idea for this price]). However, it won't connect to the Razer Synapse app. Okay, there's no RGB, but I'm surprised you can't even update the dongle or firmware through the USB, or change your sound settings (there's a built-in EQ with custom options). This is weird because Razer calls the main app "Razer Center," but they treat this headset as a separate thing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the only headset with full cross-platform support, so obviously, there is a demand for products like this. Why not make it properly?
I am a manufacturing process engineer, and I understand that it's easier said than done, but surely someone had to sign off on this software (and the design of the headset). Right?
When you think about it, there's no reason to stay within the Razer environment. You can just order headsets from competitors, and it won't make any difference for your ecosystem because it's not linked in any way to what you have on your desk now.
Anyway, I ordered the headset on July 12th, received it the next day, and yesterday I decided to return it. However, Amazon discounted this headset from £129.99 to £101, so I asked to have the difference refunded because, for £100, I can live with these flaws for the next few months.
I guess all the issues mentioned above are a result of false advertisement and a bad marketing strategy. For years, YouTubers have been showcasing Razer as the best gaming kit you can possibly get, but when it comes to actual use, I would say it's really a 6 out of 10. I don't know if I would recommend it to anyone. I will buy more products from this company because they are widely available, and there is a large second-hand market, but I will not pay the full price for what I am getting.
To put this into perspective, you can buy the Sennheiser 550 PXC II, which uses low-latency Bluetooth codec for no lag, can be connected to two devices simultaneously, has active noise cancellation, touch control on the side, built-in microphones, and the battery lasts forever. All of this is for £99.99 to £139.99 (I just checked on eBay now). The downsides of Sennheiser are the micro USB cable (I hate it!) and the inability to use a microphone on Xbox (not sure about PS5). However, you can connect it to a TV via Bluetooth, so technically, it will work with everything you have hooked up to your HDMI ports.
Also, on Amazon, you can buy a Redragon mouse with 12 side buttons for £49.99. It comes with a 2.4 GHz adapter and can be charged using USB Type-C. I bought the Razer Naga Pro (not V2) for £79.99, and I'm only using the 12-button panels. The mouse still uses micro USB (so you need an extra cable), and it does feel quite cheap (e.g., there is a large seam at the back of the mouse, similar to what you can see on products for £9.99).
I don't know, what do you guys think about my experience with Razer? Am I right here, or am I just complaining about imagined issues?
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Good day! We saw your post and please be advised that the Razer Kaira HyperSpeed is not Synapse enabled and does not require the app. Also, the mic is not detachable and you can customize the audio capability by downloading the Razer Audio app via App Store or Google Play Store. You can visit this link to know more about it. You might want to check as well the master guide here. We appreciate as well your feedback about it. We also suggest posting your critique about the product on this thread so that our relevant team can take a look into it for future innovations and betterment.
Feel free to send us a message should you need any other assistance. Have a great day and stay safe always!
Best regards,
Aadeen B.
RΛZΞR | MisterBairn
Hi,
Thanks for showing interest in my issue.
In my post, I tried to highlight flaws in the Razer ecosystem and the headset itself.
In this reply, I will start with the headset. Judging by its size, colours, and attached microphone, it is only logical to assume that the headset was made with stationary gaming in mind. Following that, it would be difficult to communicate with the headset due to its size. The passive noise cancellation does not exist, and there is significant sound leakage.
Now about the eco-system. When I first plugged in my Naga Pro, I was happy to see many products in the Synapse app that I might potentially purchase in the future. It is clear that the ecosystem was considered during its development and product releases. The chroma synchronization and products that work with a single USB dongle, etc., all are very impressive.
But for some reason, I could not add my headset to this program. It turned out that I had to download a separate app on my phone called Razer Audio to customize my sound profiles.
It is very frustrating. Why we don't have all products connected to this app? There is no reason to limit users to the mobile app only, especially when you already have most of your gaming products listed on the desktop app and are part of this great eco-system.
I am not saying that having a mobile app is wrong, but it should not be the only option to control headphones that cost over £120.Surely Synapse could work alongside Razer Audio so that recent changes in one app would overwrite the settings in the other in real-time. This has been done before.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but with the current setup, the user needs to disconnect the headset from the PC, connect it to the phone to make changes, then disconnect the headset from the phone and reconnect it to the PC. This seems to be very untidy solution, which should be seriously consider before the product was released.
I do understand that this is a multi-platform device, and it may be a situation where customers don't own a desktop PC, so a mobile app makes sense. However, there is no reason not to connect it with Razer Synapse.
In the end, it's all about the ecosystem, having everything from one brand in one place, and breaking products away from the ecosystem makes customers lean toward cheaper knock-offs such as Redragon or RedThunder.
...Also, why this microphone is not detachable? Was there any issue with the manufacturing/design process? Why does a device with the same name and £100 cheaper (Razer Kaira Pro Xbox) offer this feature, while the more expensive product from the same family doesn't?
I don't know, this entire experience makes me angry. This is not what I expected from Razer when I first heard about it.