Razer specializes in hardware for the gamer, ranging from mice to keyboards to even audio. Within their audio line, there are many choices, so how do you know which would be the best, the ultimate, the most-value-for-your-money for your gaming rig? After all, you put in time and money into your rig, and you want a headset to match.
You scroll down, looking at all the choices, and then you see it. The Razer Megalodon, Razer's top of the line gaming headset. Is it worth it?
The Razer Megalodon is billed as an
elite gaming headset, and there it does not disappoint; the headset
features onboard audio processing and can support 5.1 and 7.1 virtual
surround sound using an internal sound card, providing for amazing
sound quality through the headphone portion of the set. This is great
especially if you have not upgraded your audio card yet or simply
want to offload the processing work to something external. If the
particular application (game or video) does not have a 5.1 or 7.1
audio channel, the headset defaults into 2.1 stereo mode, but you can
also switch settings via the audio processing unit or your media
player / game if desired. The audio processing unit sits about two
feet away from the headset, so it is easy to place on a desktop or on
your computer tower where it is readily accessible.
For people that use voice chat during
their gaming sessions, the microphone quality ensures that voice
communications come in clear for a variety of applications. The Megalodon also makes an excellent headset
for participating in podcasts or Internet radio, due to the crisp
nature of its sound; but no matter which application you use, the
microphone will be sensitive enough to provide clear voice
communications. You can also adjust microphone sensitivity, and there
is also a mic mute button on the volume control / audio processing
unit (there is often a mic mute control in the application you use
for voice communications as well, and microphone sensitivity can also
be adjusted via the applications).
The Megalodon is a circumaural
headset, meaning that instead of the pads for the headphones sitting
on or in the ear, it fits around the ears and has plenty of foam
padding (close to an inch thick around the rim of the padding) to
ensure a good fit. Additional pads can be ordered through Razer's
website, and even though the headset looks heavy, it feels light on
the head and ears, which makes wearing it for a long time quite
bearable. This can be comfortable for many people but not all; if
your preference is for the other styles of headphones, Razer has a
variety of other gaming headsets at various price points for you to
try out - for example, the earbud-style Moray+ headset can also be
used with a laptop, smartphone, or various portable consoles.
Speaking of price, the Megalodon sits
at a moderately expensive 149.99 price point. One may think that
grabbing a Logitech headset would be cheaper – the closest computer
headset competitor that I could find is the Logitech G35 wireless
headset, which also features virtual surround sound. It's true that
the Logitech would be cheaper, and that price is indeed a concern
with the Megalodon.
However, the Logitech features
controls on the side of the headset, sitting on one of the pads that
rest over the ears, which may be too inconvenient. On the Razer
Megalodon, the controls sit on the audio processing unit, so you can
easily reach by your side or wherever you place the unit to grab at
the controls, instead of remembering which buttons are where on your
ear. But the Razer Megalodon is not just competing with other
computer accessory manufacturers; it is also competing
with audio accessory manufacturers, people who immerse themselves
into sound like it is an Olympic swimming pool, so keep in mind the
intended competition for the Megalodon may be different than you
think.
Good: The Megalodon features 7.1 / 5.1
virtual surround sound, is USB powered, works easily, has a
comfortable fit around the ears.
Bad: Price point is a bit high.
Circumaural headsets may not be for everyone.
Overall, if USB circumaural headsets are your thing, the Megalodon is a worthy investment.