There’s nothing groundbreaking about the Razer Barracuda X. It’s a simple, plug-and-play wireless headset. It looks nice, but isn’t flashy. It pumps out clean audio, but isn’t going to turn heads with its sound. Its primary novelty is a wireless USB-C dongle, which allows it to quickly and easily connect with a PS5, Switch, PC, Android phone, or any device with USB-C audio support: That’s rare but hardly unheard of. But the Barracuda X still manages to impress. Every facet of the headset works well, and its flaws, when they arise, tend to be easily ignored. The Barracuda finds itself a sweet spot as an inexpensive multi-platform headset that’s worth a listen.
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For Razer, a company known for RGB lighting and a bright black-on-neon-green colorway, the Barracuda X is surprisingly understated. The plastic frame and cups are entirely made from black plastic, without a hint of green. The cups have an oval shape almost identical to the ones on the Razer Opus, the company’s recent ANC headphones. The Razer name and logo are subtly etched into the top band and cups respectively, but, from a distance, it looks like a nondescript headset.
Though it is simple, the Barracuda X’s fundamentals are strong. The top band, plastic with a steel core and leatherette padding, is easily adjustable and creates a comfortable, if slightly loose, fit. In fairness, that’s by design. Razer delivers on its promise of a “pressure-free fit.” I personally prefer to feel a little clamping sensation from a headset – both because it's comfortable and because it's much more likely to stay on your head – but that isn’t the feel it’s going for.
Weighing 268 grams, the Barracuda X feels very light on-head. Combine that with cavernous earcups and you have a headset that you can wear for an extended period of time without wearing you down. The earcups, padded with memory foam, are covered with the rare mesh material that’s light and smooth, but doesn’t chafe or scratch.
On the rim of the left earcup, the Barracuda X features a fair number of onboard controls. From the back of the cup to the bottom, you have a mute button, volume roller, power button, a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired connection, a USB-C charging port, and, lastly, the detachable wire boom mic. The power button also doubles, triples, and quadruples as a one-button media controller: tap it to play/pause, double-tap to skip a track, or triple-tap to go back. The controls are well-made, but as with most headsets, your mileage may vary. I find that the extra second or two I need to find my way around a headset’s controls are enough to push me towards other audio controls.
Inside the cups, the Barracuda X features a modified version of Razer’s 40mm Triforce drivers, a proprietary design that replicates low-, mid-, and high-frequency sounds independently. In this case, Razer told IGN that the drivers feature mid- and high-range tuning similar to the Razer Opus, but with more pronounced bass. (That’s unsurprising, as gaming headsets are often designed with bass-forward sound profiles).
On the “Audio In” side, the Barracuda X features a detachable cardioid mic. The plastic-coated wire boom is flexible and holds position very well. It features a fairly precise pick-up range, so you need to be deliberate when setting it up. Once properly positioned, it picks up your voice very well while keeping ambient noise out.
The Barracuda X’s signature feature isn’t even on the headset itself, though: It features a USB-C dongle that enables a low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection across PS5, PC, Switch, and Android devices. There isn’t anything new or magical going here: Switching the Barracuda’s wireless dongle to USB-C opens the door for the Barracuda to offer plug-and-play wireless to a wider range of devices. It’s incredibly convenient if you want to jump from one device to another frequently, as there’s no pairing process. As usual, this kind of 2.4 GHz connection delivers a dependably stable connection across every device I tested. The only downside I found is that the physical dongle is a bit on the large side – 1.47 x .88 x .25 inches (WDH) – so I couldn’t plug it into the USB-C port on the back of my PC. For situations like this – or if your USB-C ports are full up – the headset comes with USB-A-to-C adapter cable so you can plug in using an old fashioned USB port.
Technically, the Barracuda X is also compatible with Xbox, iOS, and other devices through a wired 3.5mm audio connection. Obviously this isn’t the ideal way to use the headset, but it does allow it to serve as a more-or-less universal multi-platform solution, if only on a technicality.
Lastly, we have to talk about battery life. Razer estimates that the Barracuda X should run for up to 20 hours on a single charge. My experience fell in line with those estimates, lasting for 5-7 days of regular daily use per charge. Increasingly, 20 hours has become the high standard for premium headsets: It’s a good amount of time, especially for a less expensive headset, but doesn’t push the envelope.
While the Barracuda X isn’t going to blow audiophiles away, it delivers very good audio for a mid-tier wireless gaming headset. Across both competitive and atmospheric games like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Dead by Daylight, Returnal, and Super Mario Odyssey, the headset creates a deep, but balanced sound that lets you find subtle cues and appreciate the nuances of surround sound in games.
It isn’t perfect. There are times when parts of track can sound slightly muddled, like when a character tries to talk over a combat sequence in games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Destiny 2. Despite the Triforce drivers, it lacks the hallmark audio isolation I’ve found on elite headphones and headsets like the Asus ROG Delta S and the VZR Model One. That’s to be expected for a headset with a $100 price tag, but it reaffirms that there are subtle qualitative differences among the different grades of gaming headset.
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Though Razer mentioned that it amped up the bass in the Barracuda X relative to the Opus, I would still say the headset has a mids-centric profile relative to many headsets. The sensation of the bass booming isn’t especially pronounced. It sounds strong, but you don’t necessarily “feel” it the way you do in other headsets.
The Barracuda X offers strong virtual surround sound. In Call of Duty, you’re able to use audio cues like bullet pings and footsteps to react and get an advantage over other players. On PS5, Returnal uses the system’s Tempest 3D audio to surround you with ambient sound effects that create a tangible sense of foreboding, and the Barracuda X delivers on that.
As I mentioned earlier, the microphone on the Barracuda X performs admirably, just as long as it's set up properly. In multiple sessions with friends, I would get feedback that my voice was coming in softly at first because adjustment wasn’t exactly right. It didn’t take long to lock it in though, and once I did so, my voice was perfectly clear. Moreover, the mic barely picked up a nearby fan.
The Razer Barracuda X wireless headset is available now through Razer’s website and retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy.
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Razer Barracuda X – Design and Features
For Razer, a company known for RGB lighting and a bright black-on-neon-green colorway, the Barracuda X is surprisingly understated. The plastic frame and cups are entirely made from black plastic, without a hint of green. The cups have an oval shape almost identical to the ones on the Razer Opus, the company’s recent ANC headphones. The Razer name and logo are subtly etched into the top band and cups respectively, but, from a distance, it looks like a nondescript headset.
Though it is simple, the Barracuda X’s fundamentals are strong. The top band, plastic with a steel core and leatherette padding, is easily adjustable and creates a comfortable, if slightly loose, fit. In fairness, that’s by design. Razer delivers on its promise of a “pressure-free fit.” I personally prefer to feel a little clamping sensation from a headset – both because it's comfortable and because it's much more likely to stay on your head – but that isn’t the feel it’s going for.
Weighing 268 grams, the Barracuda X feels very light on-head. Combine that with cavernous earcups and you have a headset that you can wear for an extended period of time without wearing you down. The earcups, padded with memory foam, are covered with the rare mesh material that’s light and smooth, but doesn’t chafe or scratch.
On the rim of the left earcup, the Barracuda X features a fair number of onboard controls. From the back of the cup to the bottom, you have a mute button, volume roller, power button, a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired connection, a USB-C charging port, and, lastly, the detachable wire boom mic. The power button also doubles, triples, and quadruples as a one-button media controller: tap it to play/pause, double-tap to skip a track, or triple-tap to go back. The controls are well-made, but as with most headsets, your mileage may vary. I find that the extra second or two I need to find my way around a headset’s controls are enough to push me towards other audio controls.
Inside the cups, the Barracuda X features a modified version of Razer’s 40mm Triforce drivers, a proprietary design that replicates low-, mid-, and high-frequency sounds independently. In this case, Razer told IGN that the drivers feature mid- and high-range tuning similar to the Razer Opus, but with more pronounced bass. (That’s unsurprising, as gaming headsets are often designed with bass-forward sound profiles).
On the “Audio In” side, the Barracuda X features a detachable cardioid mic. The plastic-coated wire boom is flexible and holds position very well. It features a fairly precise pick-up range, so you need to be deliberate when setting it up. Once properly positioned, it picks up your voice very well while keeping ambient noise out.
The Barracuda X’s signature feature isn’t even on the headset itself, though: It features a USB-C dongle that enables a low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection across PS5, PC, Switch, and Android devices. There isn’t anything new or magical going here: Switching the Barracuda’s wireless dongle to USB-C opens the door for the Barracuda to offer plug-and-play wireless to a wider range of devices. It’s incredibly convenient if you want to jump from one device to another frequently, as there’s no pairing process. As usual, this kind of 2.4 GHz connection delivers a dependably stable connection across every device I tested. The only downside I found is that the physical dongle is a bit on the large side – 1.47 x .88 x .25 inches (WDH) – so I couldn’t plug it into the USB-C port on the back of my PC. For situations like this – or if your USB-C ports are full up – the headset comes with USB-A-to-C adapter cable so you can plug in using an old fashioned USB port.
Technically, the Barracuda X is also compatible with Xbox, iOS, and other devices through a wired 3.5mm audio connection. Obviously this isn’t the ideal way to use the headset, but it does allow it to serve as a more-or-less universal multi-platform solution, if only on a technicality.
Lastly, we have to talk about battery life. Razer estimates that the Barracuda X should run for up to 20 hours on a single charge. My experience fell in line with those estimates, lasting for 5-7 days of regular daily use per charge. Increasingly, 20 hours has become the high standard for premium headsets: It’s a good amount of time, especially for a less expensive headset, but doesn’t push the envelope.
Razer Barracuda X – Gaming
While the Barracuda X isn’t going to blow audiophiles away, it delivers very good audio for a mid-tier wireless gaming headset. Across both competitive and atmospheric games like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Dead by Daylight, Returnal, and Super Mario Odyssey, the headset creates a deep, but balanced sound that lets you find subtle cues and appreciate the nuances of surround sound in games.
It isn’t perfect. There are times when parts of track can sound slightly muddled, like when a character tries to talk over a combat sequence in games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Destiny 2. Despite the Triforce drivers, it lacks the hallmark audio isolation I’ve found on elite headphones and headsets like the Asus ROG Delta S and the VZR Model One. That’s to be expected for a headset with a $100 price tag, but it reaffirms that there are subtle qualitative differences among the different grades of gaming headset.
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Though Razer mentioned that it amped up the bass in the Barracuda X relative to the Opus, I would still say the headset has a mids-centric profile relative to many headsets. The sensation of the bass booming isn’t especially pronounced. It sounds strong, but you don’t necessarily “feel” it the way you do in other headsets.
The Barracuda X offers strong virtual surround sound. In Call of Duty, you’re able to use audio cues like bullet pings and footsteps to react and get an advantage over other players. On PS5, Returnal uses the system’s Tempest 3D audio to surround you with ambient sound effects that create a tangible sense of foreboding, and the Barracuda X delivers on that.
As I mentioned earlier, the microphone on the Barracuda X performs admirably, just as long as it's set up properly. In multiple sessions with friends, I would get feedback that my voice was coming in softly at first because adjustment wasn’t exactly right. It didn’t take long to lock it in though, and once I did so, my voice was perfectly clear. Moreover, the mic barely picked up a nearby fan.
Purchasing Guide
The Razer Barracuda X wireless headset is available now through Razer’s website and retailers, including Amazon and Best Buy.
Continue reading...