Razer Barracuda V2 Pro review: A serious pair of cans for your PC, PS5, and more

Razer today (October 15) announced the Barracuda V2 Pro, available now for $199.99 / £199.99, which replaces the 2022 model and is $50 / £50 cheaper too. I've been a user of the peripheral maker for years, ever since I built a gaming PC just before the COVID-19 lockdown hit in 2020. With its Synapse software and RGB seemingly everywhere, I was expecting something similar with these headphones.

Not so. Instead, Razer seems to have focused on improving almost every aspect of the previous Barracuda models, with 20ms latency, wired USB-C audio, 7.1.4 surround sound on Windows 11, the built-in dongle storage, and more. After trying them out for several weeks, I've come away impressed.

Specs

Design

When you compare appearances with the original Barracuda Pros and the new V2 model, there isn't much that stands out at first glance. The V2 has that sleek yet chunky design with comfy cups, meaning I've been wearing them for hours with no feelings of irritation.

The V2 now offers a detachable mic, which works well - using it in a Discord chat sounded clear and crisp to others. I liked that I can put it away and rely on the internal mic if needed, which was just as good, thanks to automatic mic switching. The buttons across the two cups are easy enough to know which one does what after a short period - and I also appreciate that I'm not swiping to change the volume. Every feature has a physical button, and that's what Razer clearly understands.

Being able to fold the V2s was great - after owning a few Sony headphones like the XM5s and not being able to do this, throwing them in my bag always felt annoying - but not here. I can take the V2s out, connect to my Mac, and play something on the streaming service GeForce NOW.

Overall, I've been impressed with how comfortable they are, and how quickly I can get them on my head and play games or have some music in the background as I work.

Sound

I've been using AirPods Pro 2 for years now, including when playing games like Fortnite on GeForce NOW and Resident Evil 2. So to go back to headphones with the Barracuda V2 Pros felt like putting on something familiar, but enhanced. Playing Half-Life, Fortnite, and Resident Evil 4 on Mac was great - everything was crisp, especially when used ammo would bounce and go from one side of the headphones to the other.

The Razer Audio App, available on both iPhone and Android, works fine and looks a damn sight better than Bowers and Wilkins' take, as I mentioned in my Pi8 review. Although I wasn't able to try out the V2s with the app because it hasn't been updated to support them, you will be able to choose from different audio profiles or create your own, toggle some microphone features like monitoring and noise cancellation, and more.

Using them with the PS5 Pro and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was an experience. Hearing the jungle as Snake wades through a swamp or as he hides in a log from an enemy ramped up the tension, something I didn't have before. I've heard from friends that the ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) was lacking in the previous model, but here, everything outside the headphones was muted, and I couldn't tell any drop in audio quality.

You can press a button on the V2s to turn ANC off if you wish, as well as enable an Ambient mode, which didn't do much for me. It'd be nice to press this button to toggle ANC when needed, not to cycle through the modes until I go back to ANC. There are also four ANC levels to pick from in the app, instead of ten available in the previous model. This makes it quicker for users to find the right one.

Otherwise, using the V2s was a great time. Razer's quoted 70-hour battery life at 75% volume checked out, and with ANC mostly on during my testing, I never felt like the headphones let me down. Despite being smaller in the V2s, the 40mm 'TriForce' drivers seem to be the cause of how much I've enjoyed the sound from these new Barracuda V2 Pro headphones, although I'd love to talk to whoever decides the names for these Razer features.

Overall

So many gaming headphones are about the outer design, more than what counts inside. Razer seems to understand that it's the sound that matters here, and the Barracuda V2 Pro is proof. They've sounded great for me, and I'm even surprised, in a good way, that there's no Chroma RGB. 'Pro' should mean hard work, no distractions, and that applies to gaming. The design reflects that here.

Then comes the sound. Every game, track, and Discord call I tried with the Barracuda V2 Pro worked well, and there was never a time when I felt like I was missing out on enjoying some important moments - from Metal Gear Solid 4 on Switch 2 to Burnout 3: Takedown on a Retroid Pocket 6. Even though macOS isn't officially supported on the V2s, I've still had a great time using them on my MacBook Pro.

Combined with Bluetooth 6.0, the microphone's 'AI' noise reduction, a 10-band onboard EQ, and the THX Spatial Audio+ on Windows 11 when Synapse is installed, you're getting a lot of improvements here for $199.99 / £199.99.

It's been a treat to try out Razer's Barracuda V2 Pro. If you're looking for something that works on your computer, console, or Android gaming handheld, these headphones could be the best for every game you play or music track you listen to.