Razer Barracuda HP-1 Gaming Headphones

Reviewed by Jonathan Levy
September 26, 2006

Manufacturer: Razer Platform(s): PC Website: Click Here Review Rating: 8.5 out of 10

The Barracuda HP-1 Gaming Headphones by Razer.

The Razer Barracuda HP-1 gaming headphones are a pair of headphones capable of delivering a true 5.1 sound. It utilizes 8 sonic drivers with a dedicated amplifier for each channel to deliver this 5.1 sound. The Barracuda HP-1 also features 99% oxygen free cables, a removable noise-canceling microphone, and volume adjustments for the Bass, Front, Center and Rear channels. It also has its own proprietary connector, the Razer HD-DAI designed to work with the Razer Barracuda AC-1 sound card, but for those that don't have the sound card there is an adapter to connect the three 3.5mm connectors, one more for the microphone, and a USB plug for power.

I put these headphones to the test. I went from playing movies to gaming to just using the sound card to test each channel. I found that some soundcards have the sub and center channel swapped causing some mild confusion in the adjustment of the channels. The headphones also require power thus eliminating any possible use off the PC. I also tested the microphone capabilities with a sound recorder. I tested it with and with out a microphone boost on. The noise canceling ability gives the microphone a superb ability for capturing your voice with perfect clarity. The headphones performed quite well playing a movie and delivered quite a clear and strong sound. In the man hours of gaming I tested, it gave the distinct sense of a direction of sound. The headphones are even extremely comfortable that I had no problem keeping them on for extended periods of time. Unfortunately the cord length from the volume control box was a bit on the shorter side, so you have to find an open belt loop to clip it on to keep it comfortable and out of the way. Unfortunately, I do not have the Razer Barracuda AC-1 sound card to connect the headphone to be able to talk about the product's statements on the improvements in sound, but I suspect there will be a significant performance increase.

If you're serious about your gaming and your have the $130 to spend these headphones are a must. These headphones deliver a crisp clean 5.1 sound directly to your ears drowning out most the surrounding sound. For the price it would have been nice to see noise cancellation on the headphones themselves too. The Evolution Factor may be higher when combined with the Razer Barracuda AC-1 sound card, but again unfortunately I could not test that aspect.

Diagram: