RAZER KAIRA PRO REVIEW: GAMING HEADPHONES DESIGNED FOR XBOX SERIES X / S
The Razer Kaira Pro headphones rely heavily on their versatility. From the number of controls on the headset it is clear that Razer has designed it to be used in different areas, in fact it goes from full compatibility with Xbox Series X and Series S to support for PCs and smartphones. A significant advantage, because with a single purchase you can cover a large number of platforms and possible uses, even if this versatility has limits as we will see. techiescity
In any case, Razer's proposal meets the needs of a large
slice of the public, with a rather clear preference for the world of Microsoft
consoles.
Design and build quality
Razer offers its Kaira Pro in a sales pack as always well
done, with a complete bundle of everything you need. We find the charging cable
with a USB Type C on one side and a Type A on the other and the microphone with
3.5 mm jack to be inserted directly into the headphones. The headset looks very
good at first glance, one of the advantages that are immediately noticeable are
the size, contained for the average gaming headset, and the weight, of about
330 grams, light enough not to tire the head even after hours of use. The
design is certainly one of the strong points of the product, sinuous in the
lines and with a sufficiently aggressive but at the same time sober color
combination. The Razer Green, present in the holder under the headband and
around the ear cushions, blends well with the black, and to these is added
Chroma lighting , available only under the company logo on both ear cups.
The build quality is decent but not exceptional, the use of
metal is limited (but at least it is used for the bow), plastic is the most
used material.
Memory foam was chosen for the cushions, with a breathable
fabric cover, which favors air exchange and reduces sweating. In this winter
period we have not been able to test the product with high ambient
temperatures, but from what we have seen there should be no problems even in summer.
On the design front, the only note that can be moved to
Razer is the lack of a joint to fold the ear cups inwards : given the focus
also on the smartphone world, this detail would have allowed the headset to be
transported more easily. on the move.
Speaking of the pavilions, on the left one there is a small
switch to disable the microphone, the wheel for adjusting the volume, the
status LED, the power button, the USB Type C input and the jack for the
microphone. At its side you can see a small hole that hides an additional
microphone, to be used when the headphones are connected to the phone: in this
mode, in fact, the main microphone cannot be used.
On the right pavilion there is instead the button for
pairing with Xbox Series X / S (via Xbox Wireless standard ), from which you
can also choose between four equalization presets, a wheel for controlling the
game and chat volume and finally the button for pairing via Bluetooth, which
occurs with the 5.0 standard.
Usage impressions
In the introduction of this review we talked about the great
versatility of this headset, but also about its limits. The first is
immediately encountered: on the headphones there is in fact a tag that invites
you to update the firmware before use, an operation that can only be done via
PC . This is not a complex procedure, but since consoles are the main target of
the product, switching from a computer can be inconvenient. Also in the PC
field, there is no compatibility with Razer Synapse, it is therefore not
possible to customize the listening experience except through an additional
application downloadable from the Microsoft Store, which works only if you have
an Xbox wireless adapter, the simple bluetooth connection does not allow access
to the app.
We would have preferred that the headset, on a computer,
could work simply by connecting the cable , but unfortunately this is not the
case. Another problem, deriving from the deep integration with the Xbox world,
is given precisely by Bluetooth. In fact, once the headphones are turned on,
priority is given to the Xbox Wireless protocol, which automatically turns on
the console, a problem if the goal is to use the PC or smartphone, and that
forces you to turn it off manually. In short, the versatility is all there, but
it has not been well integrated into this product, whose favorite use is
clearly paired with a Microsoft console rather than with a PC and smartphone .
Having said this, we found ourselves well with the Kaira
Pro, the sound is quite balanced , without a predominance of bass, which are
present but are heard less than other headsets. The headphones are compatible
with the Windows Sonic standard which makes the sound more spatial, thus
emphasizing the surround effect. The Hyperclear Supercadioid microphone,
despite its high-sounding name, is average for the price range, hard to get
more without a dedicated external microphone.
On the other hand, the comfort is excellent, the low weight
combined with the support for the head under the headband and the excellent ear
cups give hours of play without problems and without causing pressure on the
head. On the battery front, we managed to do more than 15 hours without
recharging, a duration that allows us to overcome even the longest gaming
sessions.
