Verdict
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is an impressive soundbar and subwoofer jazz band , designed specifically for gamers who want 3D audio effects without the need for added speaker – although most will find better value using a headset instead .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Surround auditory sensation systems are champion for allow a cinema - same audio experience in your living room . Unfortunately , it ’s more difficult to have a surround strait apparatus for your desktop back PC .
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar and subwoofer computer software aim to solve this problem , using canny beamforming and head - tracking technology to embolden the effect of surround sound without needing extra speakers to do so . This provides room - fulfil 3D sound for indorse PC games , increase the submergence tenfold .
Does this sound too good to be unfeigned ? I ’ve spent a few workweek with the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro to test it out for myself , and you may say my impressions and verdict below .
Design
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro comes in two parts : a soundbar that ride in front of your monitor or TV , and a subwoofer designed to sit on the floor underneath your desk .
The soundbar is a little too large for my liking , stretching out to 600 mm which is roughly the same width as my 32 - in gaming monitor . It ’s also tall at 113.7 mm , although as luck would have it was n’t so large that it blocked off of my monitoring equipment ’s sieve .
Still , it ’s a large soundbar that may be hard to lodge , especially if you already find yourself running out of desk blank space . Equally , I do apprise that it would be hard for Razer to make it smaller since it houses 5x 2 - inch full - range driver , as well as the front - facing photographic camera to make the beamforming tricks possible .
Despite its large sizing , the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is a nice looking equipment . A talker grille scat border to edge on the front , with a Razer logotype slap bang in the center .
On the top you ’ll find comfortable - to - attain button that can be used to select an equaliser , audio style , source and Chroma light . There ’s also a adult book dial in the centre , which also doubles up as the power button when pushed down . I really appreciated experience these physical button on the speaker rather than having to use software to pick off everything , although I would appreciate a bundled remote too given the price .
At the bottom of the soundbar you ’ll find a row of RGB lights that reflect down on your desk , shining enough that the colours are visible even in well light rooms . Best of all , the colour of the lighting can sync up with other Razer peripherals , cycle through colours in unison with my Razer keyboard and black eye for a satisfying glow - up event .
Around the back of the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar you ’ll find port connections for top executive , the subwoofer , 3.5 mm for headset andUSB - Cfor microcomputer – the latter of which link up to your PC via a USB - A connection .
plug into to your personal computer via USB may be elusive for those already run out of complimentary ports , and the lack of HDMI and optical inputs also rules out a direct connection to a smart TV .
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro can also link up via Bluetooth , take into account me to act Spotify tunes through my smartphone . What ’s more , you ’re able to shift between the Bluetooth and wired style instantly via a button on the top . I in person did n’t find myself alternate to the Bluetooth mode all that often , but it ’s still a welcome added feature of speech .
The subwoofer is also a beast when it comes to size , with a length of 260 mm , height of 295 mm and depth of 260 mm . Since it ’s design to sit down on the trading floor , you do n’t need to worry about it taking up worthful desk blank space , but I still found it difficult to aline to as it took up blank where I ’d usually rest my legs .
The subwoofer looks like a freehanded black corner , with far less fashionable design elements than the soundbar . On the fanny there ’s a superpower port wine , as well as a connection to link up with the soundbar . All of the required cables are admit in the box .
Features
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar has a unique talent of being able-bodied to produce 3D speech sound without the need for additional speakers dotted around the room . It sounds too good to be unfeigned , but it really does work .
This is possible thanks to two constituent : Razer ’s point - tracking camera nestled in the front of the soundbar and the AI - powered beamforming engineering science supply by commence - up company Audioscenic .
Razer recommends that you model between 0.3 and 1.5 metres away from this tv camera for an optimum experience . This rules out using the soundbar with a boob tube in a sustenance elbow room , so is only really worthwhile in tandem with a desktop PC . With my own desktop apparatus , the camera only ever struggled to detect my top dog in a dark elbow room . In such events , the unripened lighting on the front of the soundbar alerted me to the problem .
When your head ’s in thought of the photographic camera , the beamforming engineering will cross its stead and then institutionalise beams of sound to your left and right ears to copy the event of 3D sound recording . It ’s amazingly accurate and is n’t too far off the quality of my real Sonos surround system .
When diddle an subject - macrocosm plot such asCyberpunk 2077 , I can hear the various urban center sounds coming from multiple focal point , be it the siren of a police force car , chatter of passer - bys or the roaring gunfire right ahead of me .
This is n’t just great for ameliorate the submerging of these practical worlds , but it also has a practical use slip . When playing multiplayer shooters , I could notice the location of rival player via sound alone . It ’s not quite as accurate or defined as wearing a dependable character headset , but it feel a wad more liberating to benefit from 3D audio frequency without anything clogging up my ear .
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro worked great forHorizon Zero Dawnfor the most part but it was in this game where I commence to recognise the limitations of the 3D engineering .
The Leviathan V2 Pro struggled when tax with producing a big potpourri of sounds simultaneously . During a few combat encounters , with the disorderly tune of monster roars , thundering metallic stride and the zapping optical maser beam , the soundbar ’s sound recording turned harsh and unpleasant . That ’s to be expected , as a individual soundbar is never going to be capable of producing so many unlike phone effectively compare to a setup with multiple speakers .
Due to the nature of the beamforming engineering , it ’s not possible for more than one person to do good from the 3D audio effect at the same time . This once again hammers across the point that the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is designed specifically for desktop gambling , and is not a good choice for the living room .
That said , Razer does smartly extend up multiple audio modes , one of which turns off the 3D issue and make the Leviathan V2 Pro more like a traditional soundbar with way - filling audio . The other audio mode let in stereo ( best for music ) , practical headset ( for binaural audio sources ) and virtual speakers ( multi - channel audio sources ) .
The 3D push on the top of the speaker allows you to flick between these unlike audio musical mode instantly , cause it very gentle to find out the good profile for each source .
This helps the Leviathan V2 Pro glitter for depicted object outside of gaming . I check Spider - Man : Homecoming with the speaker , and found the 3D effect to give Vulture ’s rocket thrusters more depth , and the action sequence more cinematic . Any picture that supports 5.1 surround sound should see a 3D enhancement , and there ’s plenty of this ilk on Netflix and Disney Plus .
The 3D audio frequency was n’t quite so useful for medicine playback via the the likes of of Spotify , with the 3D effect by and large limited to a stereo formatting . That aver , it was still prissy to receive the bi - lateral event of Queen ’s Bohemian Rhapsody without don a pair of headphones .
Sound quality
The 3D audio is doubtless the master intellect why you ’d study buying the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro , but the audio quality is still an important consideration . I was impressed with the functioning here , although the bass can be accused of being overimposing .
The Leviathan V2 Pro performs best in gaming . There ’s plenty enough point for more subtle sounds such as the crepitation of a campfire and rustling of tall pot in Horizon Zero Dawn . But most telling of all was the thwack of the basso , with the booming footstep of a Tallneck robot have my elbow room to shudder .
The roaring judder of a machine gun and thundery blast of a grenade both sound excellent when playing CyberPunk 2077 , while dialogue is wonderfully elaborate so I never had to repair to reading the subtitles .
However , when listen to a variety of songs on Spotify , it before long became apparent that there was an imbalance , with the bass often reign the vanguard . When playing Passion Pit ’s Take a walkway , the bass was so hard that it felt as if the track was hammering against my wall , detracting from the vocal and instrumentals . I was able-bodied to tweak the intensity of the bass via Razer ’s software program on my PC , but the bass remained distract even when turn down to 0 in the equaliser .
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro also perform poorly when it comes to high frequencies . The gamy greenback of Olivia Rodrigo ’s lamia sound thin and subordinate , with the piano note taking a backseat to the beat of the drum . The speaker system run out to deliver a balanced performance , with the same track sounding far more dynamical on mySonos Beamsoundbar .
There ’s a good explanation for this too , as the specification sheet suggests there are no tweeters inside the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro , despite featuring in the non - Pro strain . It seems that Razer has been forced to sacrifice the tweeter driver to make space for that beamforming technology .
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Should you buy it?
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is unparalleled in hand over room - filling 3D audio without the motive for additional speaker or earphone . agent in the booming basso , and it delivers a brilliant immersive experience for PC gamers .
A play headset is a far more affordable option for those who require that 3D sound recording effect . And you’re able to also find a far more balanced carrying out by go over out the top - ranking option in ourBest Gaming Headsetguide .
Final Thoughts
The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro nails its key goal of hand over immersive 3D audio recording for PC gaming without the need for international speakers . This shit it a practical and affordable solution for a desktop PC setup , even if it does have numerous limitations compared to a physical surround sound organization .
reasoned quality is effective , but the bass can be overpowering and the lack of tweeters stimulate the soundbar to shinny with gamy note of hand . With so many via media to be made , it ’s tempting to use aheadsetinstead or forgo the 3D effects completely and get theRazer Leviathan V2at a importantly more low-priced price .
Nevertheless , if you fit the niche of starve 3D audio for PC gaming , but do n’t fancy wearing headphones , then the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is a superb solution .
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How we test
We screen every soundbar we review thoroughly over an extended time period of time . We apply industriousness - standard exam to compare lineament properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , admit money to review a product .
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FAQs
It really just calculate how much use you ’ll get out of the 3D effects , and would n’t rather use a gaming headset alternatively . If you just want a gaming - centric soundbar without 3D audio recording , then the Razer Leviathan V2 is a more affordable and better balanced pick .
You ca n’t plug the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro flat into a idiot box , and it use a USB - C joining to link to a PC instead .