Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed: two-minute overview
The Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed are wi-fi gaming earbuds made for enjoying on the go due to their slender type and helpful mobile-related options.
They actually make a very good first impression, with the elegant look of each the case and the earbuds themselves standing out. The AirPod-like stalks assistance on that entrance too, with the additional advantage of constructing them simple to deal with.
The Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed buds are additionally very well-made, on par with the best gaming earbuds round. The hinge of the case is robust, as is the magnetic pull to maintain the buds inside. This will make getting them out somewhat tough, but it surely’s a compromise I’m okay with.
The Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed may be configured and customised utilizing the Razer Audio cell app. This has some helpful options, together with loads of contact management assignments, however I didn’t discover it to be probably the most secure app in my expertise, with connectivity points and failed firmware updates proving an actual thorn in its facet.
As wi-fi gaming earbuds go, the audio high quality of the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed is kind of good. Sound is admirably rendered throughout the frequency spectrum, though the highs lack the pristine readability present in high-end consumer-grade earphones. It’s additionally a disgrace that the ANC isn’t all that highly effective both. Nonetheless, the THX profile does assist to create a higher sense of house with its encompass sound impact, whereas the bass enhancement bolsters the low finish with out introducing an excessive amount of distortion. The microphone high quality can also be good, if not one of the best at school.
The battery lifetime of the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed isn’t nice, lasting a few days in response to my checks. Charging the case takes simply over two hours, which once more isn’t something to boast about. Nonetheless, the case expenses the earbuds themselves fairly rapidly, which means you received’t have to attend lengthy to prime them up.
With its competent sound and extremely engineered design, the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed buds are a strong pair of wi-fi gaming earbuds. However whereas the sound is sweet, it’s not sufficient to make the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed stand with the perfect gaming earbuds on this entrance. At this worth, you’ll additionally anticipate higher consolation ranges, higher software program, and fewer glitches. Higher worth earbuds are on the market, such because the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds and the Sony Inzone Buds.
Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed overview: worth and availability
- $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$369.95
- Out there now in black and white
- Dearer than one of the best gaming earbuds
The Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed earbuds value $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$369.95 and can be found now in two colorways: black and white. They arrive with Razer’s HyperSpeed Wi-fi USB dongle, in addition to a charging cable and three totally different sizes of silicone suggestions.
At this worth, the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed buds are a few of the costliest gaming earbuds round. They’re even the identical worth because the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, our choose because the best wireless gaming headset. With its over-ear design, it’s hardly as transportable because the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed, however we discovered it to have nice battery life, excessive ranges of consolation, and excellent sound.
The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, one of the best gaming earbuds proper now in our view, are inexpensive than the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed, but they’ve terrific construct high quality and sound. We additionally discovered the companion app to be versatile and stuffed with helpful options.
Then there are the Sony Inzone Buds, that are about the identical worth because the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed, however supply excellent sound and noise cancellation. Naturally, they’re suitable with the best gaming console round proper now – the PS5 – however additionally they work nice with PC and cell gadgets.
Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed overview: specs
| Value | $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$369.95 |
| Weight | 0.21oz / 6g (every bud); 1.6oz / 46g (case) |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS, iPadOS, PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Change |
| Connection kind | Wi-fi (Bluetooth, HyperSpeed Wi-fi Dongle) |
| Battery life | Not said |
| Options | Razer HyperSpeed Wi-fi expertise, THX Spatial Audio, customizable contact controls, wi-fi charging, IPX4 |
| Software program | Razer Audio app (cell) |
Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed overview: design and options
- Nice construct high quality
- Consolation barely compromised
- Razer Audio app points
The Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed ooze fashion. The matt black end of the case is silky easy and the engineering of the lid is spectacular, opening with ease and shutting with a satisfying click on. The hinge can also be weighted excellent, with sufficient pressure to maintain it securely shut.
In distinction to the case, the earbuds themselves are shiny. They really feel equally as well-made, although, and ape the acquainted design of Apple’s AirPods, with their lengthy stalks protruding downwards from the drivers. In use, these stalks make the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed simple to place in and take out, whereas the drivers curve inwards, which additionally helps to safe them in your ear.
Nonetheless, it may be fairly awkward to take away the earbuds from the case, as the dearth of divots on both the earbuds themselves or throughout the case makes it tough to come up with them. And due to the sturdy magnetic slots, turning the case the wrong way up received’t trigger the earbuds to drop out with ease. It is a small worth to pay for the added safety, although.
Three units of silicone suggestions with various sizes are included to make sure you’ll get the match best for you. Nonetheless, no matter which tip measurement I attempted, I did expertise minor aching after prolonged classes, because the plastic physique of the drivers exerted an excessive amount of stress on the within of my ear canal. For shorter classes, although, they have been completely acceptable.
The Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed may be personalized utilizing the Razer Audio cell app. Nonetheless, I had a number of points with the headset failing to hook up with the app on my Android system (a Google Pixel 7a). It additionally failed on quite a few events to put in a firmware replace.
As soon as related, although, you’ll discover Razer Audio presents a spread of helpful tweaks, together with numerous equalizer presets. The default is THX mode, which isn’t defined within the app, however that is Razer’s spatial audio engine. There’s additionally a customized profile that permits you to enhance or scale back a number of factors throughout your complete frequency band as you see match – a function missing in lots of different companion apps. Nonetheless, it’s a disgrace that for PC customers the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed buds don’t combine with Synapse, Razer’s important peripheral software program.
Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed overview: Efficiency
- First rate sound
- Weak ANC
- Some connectivity points
The Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed earbuds carry out admirably for a pair of wi-fi gaming earbuds. The bass response is robust and there’s sufficient readability throughout all frequencies, though general constancy isn’t one of the best, with gentle distortion sometimes rearing its ugly head.
The default THX EQ profile suffices for many situations, providing a balanced sound. THX is designed to impart a higher sense of positional accuracy, and I did discover this to be the case, as audio pans subtly but successfully to sonically map to your in-game surroundings.
The bass enhancement profile can also be helpful in elevating the low finish with out changing into muddy or overblown. Nonetheless, I discovered that the improved readability profile decreased the bass an excessive amount of, and did little to truly enhance constancy so far as I may inform.
The Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed buds even have ANC, though I didn’t discover this blocked out exterior sounds all that nicely, even on the best setting. There’s additionally an ambient mode to permit exterior noises to come back by, which is more practical, letting you hear your self and different noises within the room clearly.
The microphone on the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed can also be good, providing adequate vocal readability, but it surely’s not equal to the mics outfitted on one of the best wi-fi gaming headsets. Nonetheless, for a set of earbuds, it supplies affordable high quality.
Razer Audio can be used to customise the contact controls, with a beneficiant variety of actions accessible to configure, together with a two-second maintain, double faucet, double faucet and maintain, and triple faucet and maintain. These may be assigned to a myriad of playback and name controls, in addition to different features reminiscent of ANC toggling. What’s extra, every bud can have totally different assignments for a similar motion, offering much more flexibility.
The assorted contact gestures are fairly responsive and constant, though the one press does require a agency maintain slightly than a mere faucet, which makes it much less handy to make use of in a rush. Additionally, the double faucet and maintain motion took some time to carry out its assigned features throughout my checks.
The assorted wi-fi connectivity modes work nicely for probably the most half. Utilizing the HyperSpeed Wi-fi Dongle on PC and console is simple, because it’s merely a case of plug and play, requiring no additional setup. When utilizing the dongle, I discovered there was an enchancment in sound high quality, with enhanced readability and higher low-end response, in addition to a lower in lag in comparison with Bluetooth.
Nonetheless, one draw back of utilizing the HyperSpeed Wi-fi technique is which you can’t use Razer Audio when related, because it solely works through Bluetooth. It is a main inconvenience for individuals who wish to tweak their settings steadily or on the fly.
Organising Bluetooth was easy for probably the most half, nevertheless, there have been events when the earbuds failed to hook up with my Android cellphone. I additionally skilled a weird situation the place the amount decreased significantly when switching again to my cell from a PC that was related through the HyperSpeed dongle.
This situation was resolved simply by restarting the Bluetooth connection to my cellphone, and, hopefully, it’s a glitch that may simply be solved through a firmware replace. I had no such issues when connecting to a Nintendo Change, although, so it’s doable the fault lies with my cell system.
The battery lifetime of the Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed isn’t spectacular, as they only about lasted a few days, throughout which period I switched between Bluetooth and HyperSpeed modes. Charging the case took over two hours, which is a mean efficiency. The case itself, although, does cost the earbuds themselves fairly rapidly, and it managed to recharge the earbuds from half to full in about half an hour.
Ought to I purchase the Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally take into account…
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed | SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds | Sony Inzone Buds |
| Value | $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$369.95 | $159.99 / £159.99 / AU$359 | $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$249.95 |
| Weight | 0.21oz / 6g (every bud); 1.6oz / 46g (case) | 0.19oz / 5.3g (every bud); 1.7oz / 48.7g (case) | 0.23oz / 6.5g (every bud) |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS, iPadOS, PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Change | GameBuds for PlayStation: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Change, PC, Mac, Meta Quest 2/3, cell; GameBuds for Xbox: Xbox Sequence X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Change, PC, Mac, Meta Quest 2/3 | Android, PC, PS5, Nintendo Change |
| Connection kind | Wi-fi (Bluetooth, HyperSpeed Wi-fi Dongle) | 2.4Ghz (through USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3 (cell) | 2.4GHz (through USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Battery life | Not said | As much as 40 hours (buds 10 hours; case 30 hours) | As much as 48 hours (buds 18 hours; case 30 hours) |
| Options | Razer HyperSpeed Wi-fi expertise, THX Spatial Audio, customizable contact controls, wi-fi charging, IPX4 | 360° Spatial Audio, Qi Wi-fi Charging Case, 6mm neodymium drivers, four-mic ANC, transparency mode, in-ear detection/sensor, IP55 score, quick cost, companion app with greater than 100 presets | 360° Spatial Audio, IPX4 equal, Fast Consideration, contact controls |
| Software program | Razer Audio app (cell) | Arctis Companion App (cell), SteelSeries Sonar (PC) | Sony Headphones Join app (cell), Izone Hub (PC) |
How I examined the Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed
- Examined for over every week
- Used on quite a few gadgets
- In depth gaming expertise
I examined the Razer Hammerhead Professional HyperSpeed for over every week, throughout which period I used them when enjoying video games, listening to music, and watching video content material.
I attempted them with an Android cellphone – extra particularly a Google Pixel 7a – in addition to a PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. I used each Bluetooth and the HyperSpeed Wi-fi Dongle to hook up with these gadgets.
I’ve been gaming for about 25 years, and have skilled quite a few headsets and earbuds throughout that point. I’ve additionally reviewed numerous gaming headsets and basic headphones.
- Learn extra about how we test
- First reviewed December 2024.