Razer BlackShark V3 Pro Review: Broad Connectivity at the Expense of Sound Quality

Explore how the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro offers versatile wireless connections but compromises on audio fidelity.

If you’re anything like me, juggling your gaming headset between intense play sessions and everyday distractions is a challenge. I’ve been a longtime fan of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) — it’s comfy, sounds fantastic, and boasts an amazing mic. Yet, it lacked a critical feature I craved: simultaneous wireless connections via 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth. Imagine playing your favorite shooter without interruptions from pesky phone calls or that sudden urge to scroll TikTok!

When I asked Razer’s PR about this possibility, I was met with a polite “no promises,” citing battery life concerns. Fast forward, and voilà — the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro arrives, breaking those barriers. This flagship headset not only supports concurrent 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth connections but also integrates active noise cancellation (ANC) and boasts an impressive 70-hour battery life.

Classic Design with a Premium Gaming Vibe

The BlackShark V3 Pro stays true to its gaming roots with over-ear cushions and a detachable boom mic. It’s sleek, predominantly black, with metal headband accents and a clearly visible volume wheel that screams “gamer gear.” Unlike lifestyle headsets that fold flat for travel, the V3 Pro’s earcups don’t swivel fully flat — emphasizing function over portability.

At 367 grams, the headset is slightly heavier than its predecessor’s 320 grams, but it remains quite comfy for marathon gaming sessions. The earcups slide and tilt on their mounts rather than moving the entire bracket, providing flexible fit adjustments. However, this sliding mechanism means the cups aren’t firmly locked in place — they can shift when you take the headset off, which might annoy some users.

The headset also comes in a white version, where the headband and ear cushions retain their black fabric lining, while wires and the mic arm are black, creating a striking contrast.

Customizable Speaker Plates — A Gamer’s Flair

An interesting design feature is the headset's removable magnetic speaker plates. Similar to premium SteelSeries Arctis Nova models, these plates can be swapped out — although Razer currently only sells the whole headset with custom plates, not the plates separately.

I received a set featuring the LA Thieves logo, a top-tier Call of Duty esports team. Pretty neat, but if esports isn’t your thing, don’t worry — Razer promises more designs soon. It’s a cool way to express your gaming allegiance or just personalize your gear.

Controls and Ports: A Busy Left and Right

The left earcup boasts the signature BlackShark volume wheel positioned perpendicularly — a bit unconventional but very tactile and premium-feeling, perfect for quick in-game volume adjustments.

Alongside it, from front to back, you’ll find:

• A 3.5 mm mic jack
• USB-C charging port
• Textured power button
• Physical mic mute switch

I appreciate having a dedicated switch instead of a button, but I constantly get confused whether the mic is muted when the switch is pressed. It seems counterintuitive, and after several weeks, it still doesn’t feel intuitive.

The right earcup carries:

• ANC toggle button
• Adjustable dial (default is wireless input balance)
• Multi-function button (for EQ presets and Bluetooth pairing)

Inside the box, you’ll find the detachable boom mic, a 2.4 GHz wireless USB-C adapter, a USB-C to USB-A cable, and a USB-C to 3.5 mm analog cable — ensuring versatility across devices.

Specs Snapshot

Sound Quality: A Tale of Two Worlds

The BlackShark V3 Pro comes with 50 mm dynamic drivers boasting a frequency response of 12 to 28,000 Hz — stretching a bit wider than the typical 20–20,000 Hz you see in many gaming headsets. This matches the range of the 2023 BlackShark V2 Pro’s titanium drivers.

For music, the V3 Pro is a mixed bag. Bass is punchy enough, and mids shine through nicely on tracks like K-391’s Lonely World. But the low-end detail feels muted — I barely caught half the drum nuances in Lorde’s Royals. Thankfully, tracks like Kaskade’s POW POW POW POW don't sound muddy.

The highs, however, are disappointing. Britney Spears’ Toxic strings sounded painfully distorted, making the listening experience rather unpleasant. So, if your main use is serious music listening, these aren’t your go-to cans.

Yet, when it comes to gaming, the headset truly shines. Directional audio is crisp and clear; in Counter-Strike 2, I could pinpoint footsteps and gunshots effortlessly — with or without THX Spatial Audio enabled. The built-in THX Spatial Audio, courtesy of Razer’s ownership of THX, offers preloaded gaming profiles tuned for competitive and immersive play.

Active noise cancellation is a nice touch, rare in gaming headsets, especially those not designed for everyday use. While ANC might not be essential for all gamers, it helps reduce ambient noise like roommate chatter or PC fans. Still, the headset’s snug fit and rotating cups provide decent passive noise isolation on their own.

Microphone: A Bit of a Letdown

After loving the microphone on the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) — arguably the best in the gaming headset world — I had high hopes for the V3 Pro’s new 12 mm full-range HyperClear mic.

The mic design includes a removable foam pop filter on a flexible 4-inch boom, connecting via a 3.5 mm jack. It sounds solid on paper, but in practice, it fell short. The mic quality was actually worse than its predecessor and just average for a gaming headset.

Even after updating firmware and disabling all software enhancements, my voice came through muffled and lacking clarity across platforms like Discord and Google Meet. Razer’s firmware update promised to improve “out of the box” mic quality, but honestly, it didn’t fix the fuzziness.

Software Power: Razer Synapse 4

Customization is the name of the game with Razer Synapse 4 software. It offers a 10-band equalizer and lets you create game-specific audio profiles. You can assign custom EQs or THX presets per game, which is a gamer’s dream for audio tuning.

The headset comes with five EQ presets out of the box: Default, Gaming, Movie, Music, and Esports (Valorant). You can save up to nine EQ presets on the headset itself and switch between them using the multifunction button.

Synapse also controls ANC, wireless audio mixing between two devices, and power management features like sleep timers and LED indicator preferences.

Mic customization is possible but limited. You can adjust mic gain and play with a 10-band EQ, plus toggle “Mic Enhancements” such as volume normalization, clarity boost, and noise suppression. Unfortunately, none of these made a significant difference for me. Mic monitoring lets you hear yourself live, but the effect was more distracting than helpful because my voice sounded distorted.

Battery Life: Solid but Expected

Razer claims up to 70 hours of battery life on 2.4 GHz wireless mode — nothing groundbreaking but reliable for a premium headset. Interestingly, this matches the battery life of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), so no real gain here.

Final Thoughts: Connectivity vs. Core Audio Quality

The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is a mixed bag. It finally delivers the connectivity options I’ve wanted — simultaneous 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth wireless connections, plus wired USB-C and analog inputs. The seamless audio mixing between two devices was genuinely impressive, with smooth switching and easy balancing via the right earcup dial.

But here’s the kicker — I’d gladly sacrifice that multi-device magic for superior sound and a killer microphone at a lower price point. The richer audio and stellar mic of the BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) still win out for me, especially since it comes at $50 less and often goes on sale.

"I’d give up simultaneous wireless mixing for stellar sound and an impressive mic — it’s that simple."

So, if connectivity is paramount, the V3 Pro is your pick. If pure gaming audio quality and mic performance matter more, the V2 Pro remains a strong contender.

FAQ

• What are the main connectivity options of the BlackShark V3 Pro?
  The headset supports 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C wired, and 3.5 mm analog connections.
• How comfortable is the BlackShark V3 Pro for extended use?
  Despite being heavier than its predecessor at 367 grams, it remains comfortable with adjustable sliding and tilting earcups, though the sliding cups may shift when off the head.
• Does the BlackShark V3 Pro have active noise cancellation?
  Yes, it features ANC, which is somewhat rare in gaming headsets, providing good noise reduction alongside its passive isolation.
• How does the microphone perform compared to the previous model?
  The V3 Pro’s mic is a 12 mm HyperClear boom mic but unfortunately performs worse than the excellent 9 mm mic on the V2 Pro, sounding muffled and less clear.
• What customization can I do with the Razer Synapse software?
  You can adjust a 10-band EQ, set game-specific profiles, control ANC, mix audio from two devices, and tweak mic settings, although mic enhancements may have limited effect.

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