Review by Edward Mass
Headsets from Razer are supposed to be of the gaming sort. Or so I had been told. Then The Head gave me the Razer Adaro to fiddle with and all he had to say is: “It’s not a gaming headset. Have fun!” Huh?! So here I am with a pretty pricey pair of Razer audio cans that are not built for gaming? Wait…that would mean I now have a purposefully made for audiophile headset. Cue joyful cackle!
Like a DJ
The look and feel of the Adaro Wireless Bluetooth Headset is very much like the ones I always see in the hands or on the heads of disco DJs. Using a simple headband that consist of metallic boning and slide rail that are capped with a pair of jet black headphone units, the Adaro doesn’t look like much. The only distinctive thing about this headset is the easily identifiable Razer-marque that all its headphones sport.
Compact Form
For the most part, Razer is not only known to produce decent headsets for gaming audio but also the sort to make their headsets ultraportable. That means not needing a large bag to move them around or having to deal its weighty feel. Just fold them up, pack into the provided pouch, stuff it into your bag and you’re good to go!
Positive Beats
When it comes to making sounds, the Adaro is no pushover. Lows, mids, and highs come out with gusto and character. I like how all three feel balanced and do not drown in a messy crescendo. The drivers used within the earcaps are made to work hard here with KPOP’s Rain, Canto-pop’ Sam Hui, JPOP’s Hamazaki and May’n along with Pharrell, Wonder, Jackson, Vai, and The Hitman belting their best tunes. The purposefully made monitors managed to pick out the nuances the sound engineers included on each track. Lovely!
Not for Games
Having the tweets, bass, and vocals pumping out properly and with that sweet-spot going for it, I partly guessed that the Adaro is not pre-tuned for gaming. Since this is a Razer, I thought I would be wrong but after a session of Starcraft II and playing through the opening arc of Final Fantasy X-2 HD remake, I had been proven right instead. The bass capabilities of this audiophile headset drowns out the rings, pings, swishes, and sharp raps of weapon fire, piston movement, and the natural hisses/mid-low clicks of conversations. It is obvious the Adaro is for those perfect 2.1 classic or jazz runs that emphasise on equalised balance.
Price: US$149.99
Approximate Weight: 197g
Drivers: 40mm Neodymium Magnets
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
Connectivity: Bluetooth v4.0 with aptX Technology
Impedance: 32 Ω
Sensitivity: 91dB ± 3dB
Max Input: 50mW
Operating Distance: 10m
Playtime: Up to 20hrs
Standby Time: Up to 300hrs
Charging time: 2.5hrs
Charging cable: 0.8m Micro-USB to USB charging cable
Value: 8/10
Features: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Make: 9/10
Usability: 9/10
Total Score: 8.8/10
Verdict: Razer finally moves to focus on sound in a big way.
