Razer Razer Barracuda X

The Razer Barracuda X is a lightweight wireless headset designed to move between a gaming desk and a phone without changing hardware. Razer's page lists a starting price of 99.99 US dollars. The headset connects through a USB-C wireless dongle for low-latency play and through Bluetooth for phones and tablets, and it can hold both at the same time. It weighs 250 grams, uses 40 mm drivers and carries a detachable microphone, which makes it more of an all-rounder than a pure esports tool. This guide is based on Razer's product page and specification list. We have not tested the headset, so we report what Razer states and flag the points where the page contradicts itself.

Dual wireless with SmartSwitch

The central idea is what Razer calls SmartSwitch Dual Wireless. The headset can connect to a 2.4 GHz device and a Bluetooth device at once, and you can switch between them with a dedicated button instead of pairing and unpairing each time. If a call arrives on the Bluetooth device, it comes through automatically, so you can answer it and then return to the game audio without taking the headset off. A Do Not Disturb mode in the Razer Audio app blocks incoming calls if you do not want them. On the headset, a triple press of the control quickly toggles between the two wireless modes. The 2.4 GHz link uses a USB-C dongle, and the box includes a USB-A to USB-C extender for systems without a USB-C port or for easier access. The page lists compatibility with PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch 1, Nintendo Switch 2 and mobile devices on Android and iOS. It says the headset can be used wirelessly with phones that support Bluetooth or USB-C audio. For a wider overview of the trade-offs between wired and wireless designs, our headset buying guide for wired and wireless use explains when each approach makes sense.

Drivers and sound

Razer fits its patented TriForce 40 mm drivers, a three-part driver design that separates highs, mids and lows to avoid muddiness. The specification list gives a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, an impedance of 32 ohms at 1 kHz and a sensitivity of 96 dB SPL per milliwatt, measured with a head and torso simulator. Noise cancellation is passive only, provided by the oval FlowKnit ear cushions, which are made of ultra-soft memory foam, with an inner earcup size of 60 by 40 millimetres. There is no active noise cancelling and no lighting. Surround sound is a 7.1 virtual encoding that the page says is only available on 64-bit Windows 10, and the FAQ explains you can upgrade it to THX Spatial Audio, with a 50 percent discount on that upgrade for buyers of this headset. To understand what drivers and soundstage mean in practice, read our explanation of headset drivers and soundstage.

Microphone

The microphone is a detachable Razer HyperClear Cardioid design with a unidirectional pick-up pattern. Its listed frequency response is 100 Hz to 10 kHz and its sensitivity is -42 dB plus or minus 3 dB at 1 kHz. Razer says it is tuned to suppress background noise and focus on the voice, and it can be removed when you use the headset on the street, which makes the headset look like ordinary headphones. Detachable microphones are a trade-off: you gain portability, but you have to keep track of the boom. The page does not describe a mute indicator beyond the on-headset mute toggle in the list of controls.

Comfort and design

At 250 grams the Barracuda X is light for a gaming headset. The page highlights swiveling and pivoting earcups for travel, a thick plush headband cushion and breathable FlowKnit memory foam that Razer says avoids pressure on the ears. Controls sit under the earcups: a single press toggles play and pause or accepts and ends a call, a double press skips a track, and the triple press switches wireless mode. There are also volume buttons, a mic mute toggle and a SmartSwitch control. The headset comes in black, Mercury and Quartz colors. If a lighter weight and plain look matter more to you than RGB, this is part of the appeal.

Battery and charging

Battery life is up to 50 hours, charged over USB-C. Razer frames that as enough for a full day of gaming and commuting. The page does not state under which conditions the 50 hours are measured, and does not give a figure for fast charging, so treat it as an upper bound. A USB-A to USB-C charging cable of 1.5 meters is included.

Software and cables

The Razer Audio app lets you check battery status, customize the equalizer and toggle Do Not Disturb, among other options. For wired use with any device that has a 3.5 mm jack, the box includes a combo audio cable. The page text says 1.3 meters, while the specification list says 1.5 meters, so we cannot tell you the exact length. Replacement parts are available, according to the FAQ, which supports a longer product life.

Warranty and what to confirm

Razer offers up to two years of warranty and 14 days of risk-free returns when you buy from its own store. The points worth confirming before purchase are the cable length, the exact conditions of the battery claim and whether the Windows-only surround works for you. The page does not give a microphone mute indicator, nor does it explain how the Bluetooth codec works.

How it compares

Within our database, the Corsair HS65 Wireless is a similar mid-priced wireless gaming headset, while the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is the maker's more esports-focused model with bigger drivers. A newer rival with a retractable microphone and long battery life is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless. You can compare every headset on our headsets page.

Our take

The Barracuda X is a practical, lightweight headset that tries to be the only audio device you need. Its strongest feature is the dual wireless setup that lets you keep a game and a phone connected at once. The sound specifications are conventional, the noise isolation is passive and the surround sound is limited to Windows, so it will not satisfy someone who wants active noise cancelling or the deepest sound. For a mixed gaming and mobile life at a moderate price, it makes a good case for itself, as long as you accept the details the page leaves open.