Razer BlackShark V3 Pro review - wireless gaming headset excellence

The Razer BlackShark has established itself as one of the most popular gaming headsets around, and for good reason. Since the BlackShark V2 Pro, its practical design and solid performance have proved ideal for serious gamers. Now the series is back for its latest update, with the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro bringing a surprisingly long list of improvements to the V2 Pro (2023), most notably the addition of active noise canceling (ANC). With these enhancements comes a significant increase in price, though, making a recommendation far from a nailed-on certainty.

I've tested the BlackShark V3 Pro to see how much difference all these changes make and to see whether Razer's latest is good enough to retain the BlackShark's top spot on our best gaming headset guide. For those that definitely can't or won't stretch to the new high price of this headset, you can always check out the new BlackShark V3 and BlackShark V3 X Hyperspeed that keep much of the same core design but drop a few features for dramatically lower prices.

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Specs

Features

The Razer BlackShark V3 is one of the biggest product launches Razer has ever had, as not only is it launching the V3 Pro PC version we're reviewing here, but it's also launching the lower-tier V3 and V3 X Hyperspeed models for PC, along with console-specific versions of all three for Xbox and PlayStation.

You can see the full breakdown of all the versions and what they do and don't have in the image below (right-click or hold your finger down on it to view at full size). You can see that the big features separating the Pro from the non-Pro are that the Pro supports ANC, has a new, higher quality microphone, and it includes 3.5mm audio input (via a 3.5mm to USB-C cable).

Not noted is that the Pro has removable earcup panels that should later allow for swapping the plates to upgrade the look of your headset (Razer hasn't released any upgradeable parts yet). The right one also gains access to the battery, though Razer doesn't consider this a user-upgradeable part, but rather a servicing access panel.

Meanwhile, differentiating the non-Pro from the X is a drop from THX Spatial Audio 7.1.4 support to "regular" 7.1 virtual surround, support for only one on-headset EQ profile, and a drop to HyperSpeed Gen-1 wireless, which has a higher latency than the Gen-2 version of the other two headsets.

Along with these changes, the lower-tier models have fewer and less-fancy main drivers. The BlackShark V3 Pro has TriForce Bio-Cellulose, the non-Pro has TriForce Titanium, while the X has just plain old TriForce drivers. Razer doesn't go into detail about what the physical differences are between these drivers, but in our listening tests, the X Hyperspeed's drivers are very obviously not as capable as those of the Pro, with weaker bass, far less top-end clarity, and a generally more muddy presentation. Our full Razer BlackShark V3 X Hyperspeed review will be up soon.

New model comparisons aside, a key question many BlackShark V2 Pro owners will have is what exactly is new with the V3 Pro and whether the upgrade is worthwhile. We'll cover the latter over the course of this review, but in terms of features, there are quite a lot of upgrades.

The drivers of the new model have been upgraded. The TriForce Bio-Cellulose Gen-2 drivers have a new central "plug" that Razer claims reduces harmonic distortion by 50%. The main diaphragm shape has also been redesigned, and the permanent magnet is larger too. Razer doesn't claim any changes to the frequency response or sensitivity of the new drivers, but, as our sound tests show, there is a clear change.

Elsewhere, the new headset now allows for proper simultaneous Bluetooth and Hyperspeed wireless listening. Previously, you could maintain a connection to your PC and a Bluetooth device, but couldn't hear both feeds at the same time. Now you can. You can also choose in software whether to hear both sources at the same time when a phone call comes in, have the PC at reduced volume, or completely cut PC audio.

The microphone has also seen an upgrade with Razer now considering this microphone a "full band" model rather than a "wide band" model. Despite this, the mic only claims a 100-10kHz frequency range, which isn't exactly what we'd call full band, but again, we did spot a clear upgrade in our testing.

Three further big upgrades here are that the earcup arms can now swivel slightly, allowing the headset to conform better to more head shapes, you've got those removable earcup plates, and then the biggest upgrade of all is active noise cancellation. The headset has mics built into each earcup to enable this, with the option to have a pass-through listening mode as well as the ANC mode and just turning ANC off.

Another change is the selection of controls. Like the old design, the V3 Pro has a prominent volume knob on the side, which now has a knurled finish and detents when it turns, making it feel like a much more quality unit.

The USB-C port is also now recessed to reduce strain on the socket itself, while the power button is larger with a clearly distinguishable cross-hatch surface, making it easy to tell apart from the other buttons - a key problem with the old headset. Totally new to this headset is the addition of a multi-function wheel on the left earcup that, by default, controls the mix between game audio and chat audio.

Next to this are buttons for ANC (on, off, and ambient mode) and profile switching, with the latter cycling through the up to nine EQ settings you can configure in Synapse and store on the headset.

Sound quality

The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro's sound quality has noticeably improved upon the V2 Pro in a few ways and makes for a generally excellent-sounding headset overall.

Out of the box, sub bass is a little lower than the V2 Pro but still decently powerful, while overall clarity and top-end detail are better than the older model. What's more, the impressively granular 10-band EQ in Razer's Synapse software lets you really crank the bass up without just creating a muddy-sounding mess.

Listening to tracks like Lose Control by Missy Elliot and Bass Head by Bassnectar with default settings, you get a decent bass thump. However, with a +3 on the 31Hz and 63Hz EQ bands, you can really feel the bass reverberating around your skull.

For more varied listening, the V3 Pro also holds up well. For rock, indie, and acoustic piano and guitar, you get a decent amount of mid-range warmth while still having a driving low end and sparkling top end. What's more, again, the EQ is great for being able to dial in your preferred sound. For heavy metal, a little boost around 63Hz and again at 2kHz enhances the rumble of bass and kick drums while giving distorted guitars a little push without getting too shrill and ear-piercing.

All this prowess and tweakability for music also translates to excellent audio for games. Explosions and gunfire hit hard while delicate details such as footsteps are still articulated with aplomb. Meanwhile, for true esports gaming, the EQ again proves very useful, with you able to dial back the loud distracting sounds and really hone in on enhancing the frequencies that relate to key in-game cues.

To that end, Razer has worked with a host of professional gamers to create pre-loaded EQ profiles for specific games. These include Valorant, CS2, Fortnite, CoD, and Apex Legends. I tried the Apex and CS2 profiles extensively, and they worked a treat, really enhancing footsteps and ability activations, making it easier to track enemies without having to deafen yourself in the process.

Also working well is the ANC. It's not the absolutely most effective, but it nicely cuts most outside din. Crucially, it does so without coloring the sound of the headset much at all. There's a very slight reduction in bass overall, and louder noises can disturb your listening a little, but largely it's very effective.

That said, I did sometimes feel a little bit of head pressure from using the ANC. I didn't notice this at first, but over time, I found it sometimes felt just a little peculiar, particularly after a long session of wearing the headset.

Battery life

The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro's battery life is decent if unexceptional for a modern gaming headset. At 70 hours, it's a big improvement over the typical battery life of wireless headsets from just a few years ago, but it doesn't stretch out a significant lead over current competitors.

Crucially, this claimed figure by Razer held up in our testing. This is a headset that will easily last a couple of days of all-day use without needing a charge.

Price

One of the biggest downsides of this headset is that the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro price has increased by a full $50 over the previous model. Now priced at $249, it's far from the most expensive headset around, but you're definitely paying a new premium for the addition of ANC and simultaneous listening.

Nonetheless, we're in a market situation where tech has just bumped up in price in the last few years. As such, the BlackShark V3 Pro isn't a total outlier. However, there's no doubting that it's going to be an option for those who are really serious about their gaming.

Verdict

Razer BlackShark V3 Pro has absolutely done enough to continue to see the BlackShark name sit at the top of our best gaming headset guide. Its combination of comfort, ease of use, great sound, and a laser focus on practical, usable gaming features means it's our favorite headset for long and/or competitive gaming sessions.

The addition of ANC honestly doesn't actually feel like an essential one for a headset that isn't otherwise ideal for travel, but it's still nice to have and makes this a more rounded option. Likewise, the ability to listen to both your PC and a Bluetooth connection at the same time.

Meanwhile, it's just the comfort, sound quality, and tweakability of the sound to suit different games and musical genres that really make this headset shine.

Is it the ultimate all-rounder headset for travel, commuting, mobile gaming, and more? No. But is it the best headset for daily driving your gaming PC? Absolutely. It's just a shame about its new high price.

For more essential gaming PC peripheral recommendations, why not check out our guides to the best gaming keyboard or best gaming mouse, both of which include a wide range of options for all budgets and needs.