Today, Razer is announcing a new product
that’s quite new for its fanbase. Razer’s branding image is synonymous with RGB
LEDs and the triple-snake logo, but the new Razer Opus headphones don’t have
either of these things. The Razer Opus is a pair of US$ 200 headphones with an
around-ear fit, sophisticated design, and noise cancellation with a THX
certification for theater-life sound quality.
Razer teamed up with THX and ran extensive
testing in order for the Opus to earn its THX certification. “The result is a
high-performance wireless headphone that delivers a rich, balanced soundstage,
clear vocals, and deep impactful bass optimized for music, games, and movies,”
says Peter Vasay, Head of THX Certification.
The Opus headphones use plush leatherette
(faux-leather) ear cups and a headband cushion for a comfy fit. The Opus
headphones are rated for 25 hours of playback with ANC on in a single charge.
These headphones feature wear detection for play/pause, 40mm drivers, Bluetooth
4.2 connectivity, with support for AAC, APTX, A2DP, AVRCP, and HFP codecs. You
can also use them as analog headphones via a 3.5mm headphone cable.
Razer uses an “Advanced Hybrid Active
Noise Cancellation” system, which uses a total of four microphones. Each earcup
has one microphone on the outside, and one on the inside. The hybrid part of it
is that the active noise cancelling helps the passive dampening of sound that
occurs with the seal of the earcups when you put them on.
The Opus are Razer’s journey into a
lifestyle category of products that aren’t particularly intended for its
primary fanbase: hardcore gamers. With the Opus, Razer hopes to cater to
customers that have grown with the brand and are looking for something to use
not only in-game, but in the real world. With the Razer Opus, the company hopes
to rival other headphones of a travel and lifestyle category like Bose, Sony,
and Beats.
The Razer Opus headphones are available
from Razer.com and Amazon starting today for US$ 199 or € 210 in either Midnight
Blue or Black. It’ll be available in North America, Europe, China, and Asian
Pacific markets. It comes with a carrying case (and the headphones are
foldable) which includes a 3.5mm headphone cord, USB-C charging cable, airplane
adapter, and a USB-C to USB-A adapter – just in case you haven’t fully
transitioned to USB-C.
