There are very few headsets out there that deliver great sound without costing you a lot. The Razer Opus X, the Razer Opus’ younger and cheaper brother, is one of them. It’s proof positive that you don’t need to spend more than $200 – or even $100 for that matter – to get great sound and a comfortable listening experience. Naturally, that affordable price tag also means that there are compromises here. But who cares about not sounding as great on phone calls and not having the best ANC when this pair of cans more than does the job in terms of audio? The Razer Opus X is more than just a terrific value.
Razer Opus X – Design and Features
If the Razer Opus X looks familiar, that’s because it sports the same look as the pricier Razer Opus, whose look and design I called “a bit homogeneous” in my review. Indeed, this Opus doesn’t fall far from the tree, touting the same clunky-ish style you’ll find on many headsets from the likes of Sony and Sennheiser.
At the same time, Razer has given the Opus X a bit of an edge over the original with three new colorways: Quartz, Mercury, and Razer Green. Those tired of the same black or dark gray colors on their peripherals will certainly find it an appealing choice. And, I have to admit, that simpler design looks better and more attractive on the Mercury (white with gray earfoams) colorway that I tested.
The design is comfort-focused, featuring angled earcups with plenty of swivel so they’ll fit pretty much any head shape beautifully and, more importantly, comfortably. The leatherette earcups also heighten your experience by being plush and soft to touch. Meanwhile, the headband is easily adjustable, is fairly flexible, and has enough clamping force to keep it in place without giving you a bad migraine. For added comfort, it’s also got a plush leatherette foam in the middle to coddle your head. If those deets aren’t enough to assure you of its comfort, its 270-gram weight should dispel all doubts.
If you want to be super nitpicky, you probably won’t find the Razer Opus X the ultimate authority on comfort. I have to admit, having tested my share of headphones and headsets, that there are others with a more luxurious feel. However, that doesn’t detract from the Opus X’s comfort. You’ll be happy to have this on your head for hours on a long-haul flight or an overnight train ride.
Controlling it is pretty straightforward, though there aren’t any fancy touch or gesture functions. The right ear cup comes with the power button, the volume up and volume down buttons, the multi-function button, and a USB-C port for charging. That’s it. Having only four buttons does mean that some of those buttons are responsible for more than one function. Luckily, Razer has made it uncomplicated. Just remember that the power button lets you toggle between ANC on, quick attention mode, and ANC off, while the multifunction button lets you turn on gaming mode after pressing for 5 seconds.
This gaming mode is only accessible via this button when a game is open, however. Otherwise, you have to use the app to enable it. That’s something to keep in mind since this mode is also useful for watching movies and shows if you’re experiencing any lag, as it shortens the latency to 60ms.
Fans of analog sound might be disappointed with the absence of a 3.5mm audio jack. Unlike its higher-end brother, the Razer Opus X is Bluetooth-only.
Razer Opus X – Software
The Razer Opus X doesn't have any software that you can install on your laptop or PC. However, it does work with the Razer Audio app, which is available for iOS and Android users.
Don’t expect a lot of customizations on hand, however. Much like other apps from rival headphone manufacturers, it lets you check battery life, select from different audio presets, turn gaming mode on and off, change the ANC setting, and toggle the auto-off feature on/off. The non-audio savvy will appreciate that the EQ presets on hand have noticeable differences. They’ll be able to choose options like enhanced clarity without affecting the overall sound quality.
However, those who prefer a 10-band EQ to really tweak the audio will be disappointed as that isn’t an option. If you need a pair of cans that allows for expert sound customizations, you’ll want to look elsewhere and spend a lot more.
Razer Opus X – Performance
A few things to get out of the way for those deciding whether to get the Razer Opus X or go for the pricier Razer Opus: in terms of performance and features, the latter does come with more. It boasts THX certification, auto play/pause, and better active noise cancellation. If those are important to you, I’d recommend spending another $100 to step up.
Otherwise, you will be more than satisfied with the Razer Opus X’s own audio and connectivity prowess. Fitted with custom-tuned 40mm drivers, it sounds a lot like the Opus, with the same mid bass boost that gives body to any sound, including explosions. Low end elements have some presence here, though not impressively so. The mids are also nice and full, delivering a sound profile that’s on the warmer side.
There will be times when you’ll find the mid bass boost getting in the way of the mids, as it did while I was rewatching Star Trek Into Darkness. The explosions in the films overpowered the score, which was distracting and somewhat tarnished the experience. Also, you’ll find the highs to be slightly rolled off, which means this isn’t going to be the most detailed sounding pair of headphones out there.
Still, the overall sound is terrific, especially considering the price of entry. The sound stage is good and decently wide. As is the imaging, allowing you to easily place and track individual elements like in Pixar’s Dug Days, in which you can hear a bird fly from the left and land on the right.
The Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity gave me no problems, as I was able to walk away from the source and around a medium-sized apartment without experiencing drops or lags. Switch to gaming mode, which offers low latency, 60ms connection, and these headphones turn into a great gaming headset.
The active noise cancellation isn’t on par with the Razer Opus, especially with the Quick Attention mode. It’s decent and it does the job of allowing you to hear loud sounds like an airport announcement. However, it doesn’t let enough outside noise come through for you to carry a conversation with the headphones on.
While I’m on the subject of its flaws, it’s also worth mentioning that the mic isn’t very good. The Razer Opus X uses two mics for talking, but they aren’t anything special. In fact, you’ll come out distorted and not very clear on the other end of that line, which kind of puts a sour note to an otherwise great pair of cans.
The battery life is a bright spot, however, on par with or better than many headsets on the market. The Opus X lasts up to 30 hours with ANC on. Turn ANC off, and you’ve got another 10 hours of juice.
from IGN Reviews https://ift.tt/Jd3uMvq
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