Many online games these days offer players the ability to talk to one another. As a result, not only do want the best in sound quality so that you can pinpoint the location of your next target, but you also need the ability to bark out orders to your team mates (or taunt them) clearly. Today, we’re taking a look to see if the RAZER Piranha Gaming Communicator has the ability to give you clear sound while being able to give out clear instructions to your other gaming buddies.
RAZER is a company that develops and manufactures gaming peripherals that can give gamers the competitive edge. They specialize in headsets, keyboards and mice to give gamers ultimate control over their competitors but at the same time making it more comfortable for them to endure long hours of fragging or raiding. Let’s see how this philosphy translates to the RAZER Piranha!
Features
The RAZER Piranha Gaming Communicator boasts the following features…
- True-to-life audio for superior clarity and bass.
- Adjustable, noise-filtering microphone
- Comfortable, ergonomic and adjustable head phones suitable for prolonged used.
Since I spend a lot of time behind the computer, comfort is definitely an important feature.
Specifications
Since this is a headset, there are two sets of specifications for this product…
Headphones:
- Frequency Response: 18 – 22,000 Hz
- Impedance: 32 Ohms
- SPL (@ 1kHzm 1 Vms): 114dB
- Cable: 3.0 Meters
Microphone:
- Frequency Response: 80 – 15,000 Hz
- Sensitivity (@ 1 kHz, 1V.Pa): -38 dB
- Impedance: ~2 kOhms
- Pick-up Pattern: Uni-directional
The specifications do look pretty solid, but of course, the real test is how it really works in real life.
What’s in the box?
The box itself is a great looking marketing tool offering a matte black finished with white and green text to help emphasize the features of the headset.
The inner box has a plastic molded insert that the headset is attached to. Did I mention that the insert has a velvet-like texture? The typical items are behind the headset’s insert such as the quick start guide, a certificate of authenticity, product brochure of the other products in the RAZER arsenal and some stickers for blinging up your gaming rig.
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First Impressions
When I first removed the headset from the box the first thing I noticed was that the headset had a USB connector. Now, nowhere on the box did it say that it was a USB Audio Headset with a built in sound card so why would it have one? I looked over the quick start guide I and found out that the USB connector was only for illuminating the LEDS in the earcups and the inline volume adjuster. That’s Bling-a-rific! Of course, it also includes your standard pink and green connectors for the mic and headphone.
The headset itself looked fairly comfortable. Extra cushioning around the ears as well as the headband gave me a feeling that the RAZER Piranhas would hopefully be comfortable during long periods of use. It also seemed to be made of a rigid, but flexible, plastic material that would hold up to a decent amount of abuse. We’ll see about that!
One of the features that grabbed my attention was the noise-cancelling microphone. When others are in the room or you’re situated in some other type of noisy environment, a noise cancelling microphone will help reduce background noise that might otherwise make it difficult for people on the other end to hear you through your microphone.
The Piranhas cabling is reinforced with a braided weave through most of the three meter length. This will ensure that the cables cannot get easily nicked or cut when you’re at your local LAN party. But since it is three meters long, it is probably more to protect it from being destroyed from having your office chair run over it.
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Comfort and Fit
I use my computer for many things and lying in bed watching movies for hours is one of them. The RAZER Piranhas allow me to do so comfortably without having to take a break. In fact, while I write this review, I am listening to music and I really don’t even notice that I am wearing the headset. My ears don’t get sore and red which other headsets have done to me in the past. Damn you past headsets!
The adjustable ear pieces make it easy to adjust them to the size of my head and to where it sits comfortably on my ears. The earcups also pivot for extra comfort. The ear pieces are constructed with a soft cushioning that allow it to assist in blocking out a bit of outside noise, even though they are not over the ear, but rather, sit on top of the ear. All these things togethter definitely help out when you’re gaming for hours trying to down that final dungeon boss, or if you’re like me, lying in bed watching movies.
The microphone can pivot 90 degrees, allowing it to be placed out of the way when not in use. The arm of the microphone (or boom) is a bit more flexable then the rest of the headset. This allows you to bend the microphone closer to your mouth while you are speaking. This is also nice because it gives a better chance of the microphone surviving when its being transported between LAN parties or other such events that might require the use of a headset.
Connectivity
Connections to your computer are accomplished via the two mini jacks: One for sound and the other for the microphone. As mentioned earlier, there is also a third cable that is USB, but don’t let this fool you: The RAZER Piranha does not have an external sound card built in. The USB plug only serves to illuminate the blue LEDs that are on built into each ear piece and the inline volume control. I guess the Eye-Candy is useful for stunning your buddies during a LAN party.
Gaming and Audio Performance
The RAZER Piranha Gaming Communicator was designed with gaming in mind but more specifically for game genres such as RTS or MMOs (World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, etc) that can have you in front of your computer for hours. Being a World of Warcraft player I took its first test drive among the other players in the lands of Azeroth and asked for their feedback on the qualityh of the sound coming from my microphone. People reported that they could hear me clearly while I was speaking which is a good sign. Of course, the other factors that you will need to consider is the internet connection speed you have, what the players on the other end have as they listen to you, and congestion on the network.
Another aspect I like about the headphones is that while playing World of Warcraft, I could hear small environmental noises that I would normally not have heard with my external speakers. This extra ambient sound takes gaming to the next level. Also, because you are wearing a headset, you don’t have to worry about bothering your neighbours with excessive in game noise.
The next test was to see well the microphone worked while on VoIP calls using a freeware program called X-Lite. We use X-Lite at work when we are away on business to connect to our VoIP servers to make locals calls. Calling people with the RAZER Piranha Gaming Communicator went quite well and people on the receiving end of my calls were quite impressed with the voice quality, even though I was calling from another country.
Again, I’m a real movie buff so the final test was to see how well it increased my movie viewing experience. All I can say is that the audio reproduced from the RAZER Piranhas in the movies I watched was better than any other headset I have tried. Dialog comes through clearly as well as any ambient movie noises from explosions, cars whizzing past to dragons breathing fire.
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Final Thoughts
My past few weeks with the RAZER Piranha Gaming Communicator have been pleasant. The sound reproduction for the headset has been quite impressive when watching movies or gaming. The comfort level during prolonged use has also impressed me. I can lay in bed for hours listening to music or sit at the computer, gaming away without having to remove the headset due to discomfort. Despite the great level of comfort, I do have a few nitpicks and thoughts about the construction of the headset itself though.
For starters, the microphone can only be used on the left side. For righties, this can be a problem. Personally, I like to have the microphone on the right side, but I know that you can’t simply move it around without redesigning the whole headset. However, it really didn’t take long to get used to it.
The other item I would like to note is my issues with the volume control. There are no indications or labels to tell me which is the mute position for the microphone’s switch. I could be talking to myself for hours without even knowing it. The volume control is also a bit flaky; it doesn’t increase or decrease the volume at a nice even rate. It’s either, full, middle, or off even though it is a dial (rheostat) that is controlling the volume. It should give me either a gradual increase or decrease in the sound level, not these “zones” of sound level. The other issue I had was when I turning the sound down via the dial, the right earphone would cut out, but the left headphone would continue to play, albeit at a lower volume. Perhaps my headset is faulty?
Because of the 3 cables that branch out from the main cable, the wires get all tangled up. Remember the cable length of this is 3 meters. Sure that can help attach the headset to the back of desktop PC that is on the ground and away from you, but when you’re trying to keep wires neat and tidy, it is almost impossible. They ultimately get tangled up. RAZER might want to look at using a retractable type cord so that if you’re not using the entire three meter cable length you can neatly store it away.
Overall I have enjoyed using the RAZER Piranha Gaming Communicator. Despite the issues with the volume dial and the cable management, they aren’t things that would really keep me from using this comfortable and great sounding headset.
Pros
- Ultimate comfortable design – Can be used for long periods of time
- Great Clarity and sound reproduction
- Rigid and Sturdy construction
- Look great while wearing it! (might attract women ;))
Cons
- 3 meter cable can be a tad too long
- USB only powers LEDS and serves no other purpose
- Cables can get tangled up easily
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