Razer Leviathan V2 Pro review: wide soundstage, head tracking and a whole lot of rumble

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Razer Leviathan V2 Pro: One-minute reappraisal

Not that there's a batch riding connected the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro. But with blow-you-away computer speakers similar the SteelSeries Arena 9, whose existent 5.1 strategy whitethorn person changed the mode we devour media and play games connected our computers, the unit is surely on. Especially due to the fact that Razer is besides going for that immersive 5.1 acquisition — lone it’s attempting to bash truthful with conscionable a soundbar and a sub. 

Is it just to comparison it to SteelSeries' 2022 release? Well, yeah. In a batch of ways, Razer is making the statement present that you tin acquisition that aforesaid level of immersion without taking up a full batch of space. With the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro, it's telling gamers that they don't request the hassle of mounting up 2 beforehand and 2 rear speakers positive a sub to consciousness similar they're successful the mediate of the action. All they request is this soundbar-and-sub combo, and it's overmuch easier to acceptable up. And to bash that, they request a compelling product. 

So, however does the Leviathan V2 Pro fare? Don't get maine wrong; I perfectly emotion the SteelSeries Arena 9. But, for idiosyncratic who uses a batch of peripherals and doesn’t truly person capable abstraction to accommodate them all, I bash deliberation that Razer’s offering makes a beauteous compelling case.

Razer Leviathan V2 Pro: Price and availability

• How overmuch does it cost? ‎$399.99 / £399.99 (about AU$600)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where tin you get it? Available successful the US, the UK, and Australia

The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro mightiness not look similar an affordable proposition. Who wants to walk $399.99 / £399.99 (about AU$600) connected a machine talker set? But, for what you’re getting, I’m really amazed that it doesn’t outgo more. After all, the SteelSeries Arena 9 comes with a $549 / €599 / AU$599 terms tag. Even Razer’s ain Nommo Pro, which is conscionable a 2.1 system, is pricier astatine $599.99 / £529.99 / AU$999.95.

That’s without factoring successful what you’re getting, which is simply a reasonably space-saving audio solution that delivers a large immersive dependable and a full batch of rumble — conscionable the summons for your gaming and movie watching needs.

• Value: 4 / 5

Razer Leviathan V2 Pro: Design and features

• Soundbar is reasonably compact
• Nice, accessible controls and RGB lighting
• Versatile with some USB and Bluetooth

While I similar the much offbeat designs implicit accepted ones, I besides thought the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro a happening of quality erstwhile I took it retired of the box. The grille connected the soundbar looks premium, the controls are gloriously accessible and straightforward, and portion the subwoofer is connected the bigger end, the soundbar itself is reasonably compact. Plus, the RGB lighting is simply a bully small extra.

I besides emotion the information that there’s a decent magnitude of clearance underneath, acknowledgment to its longer feet. That abstraction underneath allowed maine to descent the soundbar implicit my monitor’s base, redeeming maine adjacent much table space. As idiosyncratic who has mode excessively galore devices and peripherals connected her table — and I presently person a beauteous spacious table — having the soundbar acceptable neatly implicit my monitor’s basal portion inactive sitting successful beforehand of the sheet is highly satisfying.

Of course, the sub, being reasonably sizable, does instrumentality up a spot of abstraction underneath. But, considering it’s retired of the mode and doesn’t person to beryllium situated straight successful beforehand of me, its size is truly a non-issue.

Back to the soundbar, determination are 4 buttons connected apical flanking the powerfulness button-cum-volume dial connected either side. There’s the EQ preset button, 3D fastener that lets you alteration audio modes, input button, and the RGB on/off button.

In beforehand of these are 10 LED indicator lights, 5 connected each broadside of the infrared camera that beryllium close successful the mediate wherever they’re champion positioned to way your caput and marque definite you’re experiencing accordant audio (more connected that later).

These LED indicator lights are beauteous bully astatine keeping you apprised of which mounting you're adjusting and astatine what level that mounting is. When you’re pressing the EQ preset button, for example, which allows you to rhythm done the 5 EQ presets, each airy fundamentally represents each preset.

You can’t truly spot the drivers down the grill connected the soundbar, but Razer says that determination are 5 2-inch full-range drivers successful determination and (sadly) nary tweeters. Meanwhile, the subwoofer has a 5.25-inch downward firing one.

The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro does person bundle support, offering decent customizability via the Razer Synapse and Razer Chroma apps. The Razer Synapse app is, of course, the astir important 1 here, offering users a 10-band EQ for fine-tuning the audio, choosing betwixt the antithetic audio modes, and rapidly making RGB lighting adjustments.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Razer Leviathan V2 Pro: Performance

• Power sub that present a batch of rumble
• Very afloat mid range, precocious extremity a small lacking
• Great dependable imaging, wide soundstage

There are a mates of things that I bash privation the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro would beryllium amended at. For example, the lack of tweeters connected the soundbar means that the precocious extremity is simply a small lacking. That’s evident erstwhile I’m playing Kena: Bridge of Spirits, which has a batch of sparkly audio effects similar the sounds of chimes, for example. The crippled inactive sounds  good, but it besides sounds a small dull owed to the deficiency of precocious end.

I person besides recovered it to beryllium precise mid-forward, and determination are instances wherever it sounds a small muddy due to the fact that of it. When I’m watching Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, for example, the mid scope sounded nicely full. However, erstwhile I enactment Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the dialog successful the movie sounds a small muddy owed to the mids being astir excessively full.

Those are the “bad” bits, which aren’t truly deal-breakers. I person recovered that I’m not overly bothered by the deficiency of precocious extremity erstwhile I’m watching blockbusters. And being mid-forward isn’t needfully ever a atrocious thing.

Plus, the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro makes up for those with its bass performance, large dependable imaging, and wide soundstage. Even connected Stereo mode with a level EQ, the sub astatine 3 retired of 7, and the measurement acceptable to 50, I person recovered that the dependable imaging successful some the Glass Onion and Wakanda Forever is beauteous bully and the soundstage is wider than the soundbar (extending to astir 5 to six inches further connected each broadside of it).

Turn that sub up to 5, and the sub delivers a monolithic uptick successful bass and rumble successful Glass Onion. That isn’t the lawsuit successful Wakanda Forever — I’ve recovered that jumping from 3 to 5 lone delivers a flimsy uptick successful sub bass, but I fishy that’s lone due to the fact that there’s already a batch of bass successful the movie astatine 3 truthful going to 5 doesn’t marque a monolithic difference.

The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro besides has a batch of measurement connected pat — enough, I think, for a tiny location theatre setup. So, usage that measurement dial with caution.

Two of the 4 audio modes connected manus are excellent. I similar Stereo, of course, but the Virtual Speakers mode, which according to Razer beams audio “to 7 virtual speakers to present a wide soundstage that is ever centered astir you” and is champion for multi-channel sound, is large arsenic well. You’re betting bigger bass, crisp audio, clearer dialogue, and a wide soundstage.

The Virtual Headset mode is awesome successful its ain right. Described by Razer arsenic audio that “is beamed straight to your ears successful an immersive soundstage to present an immersive soundscape with pinpoint positional audio traditionally recovered successful headsets,” it‘s a small little detailed. However, it sounds a small wider, the audio extending astir 8 inches further connected each broadside of the soundbar, and its dependable imaging is precise accurate.

My caput doesn’t person to beryllium wholly centered to get the afloat experience, either. When I beryllium successful beforehand of the soundbar and determination from broadside to side, I ever consciousness similar I’m centered successful the soundstage, which is beauteous impressive.

That’s acknowledgment to its built-in infrared camera that boasts AI tracking, which intelligently detects wherever you are successful narration to the soundbar. It past uses beamforming exertion to set the audio truthful that you consciousness similar you’re close successful the mediate of the action, adjacent if you’re disconnected a small to 1 side. It does specified a bully occupation of it excessively that I don’t adjacent perceive the audio adjusting.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

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Razer Leviathan V2 Pro: Report card

• First reviewed January 2023

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