Razer Barracuda HP-1

Razer are more commonly known for their innovative mousing technology. However, a look at the rest of their portfolio shows that they have a variety of different gear tailored specifically to gamers, their headset is no exception.

Marketed as one half of the Razer Barracuda IAS (integrated audio system) the HP-1 is touted as implementing 7.1 channel surround technology. The headset itself isn't the most attractive item out, going for the all black look with blue light-up earcups, and self adjusting headband similar to the Icemat Siberia.

Click to enlarge: Light up earcups!

The build quality of the HP-1 is strange. It seems quite sturdy but a little flex doesn’t seem welcome and it feels as though it could break or deform at any second. The ear cups hang very loosely on the headset frame and often dangle around a bit when you pick the headset up by the headband. I’m not sure how durable the connection is there, but it looks very small and may eventually wear out or become loose if mis-handled.

Due to Razer’s AC-1 soundcard not being available, the HP-1 comes with a rather large adaptor for use with conventional sound cards. The adaptor converts a single cable to 4 x stereo 3.5mm plugs (3 x surround + 1 x microphone) and a USB cable all via what appears to be a DVI monitor connector. The in-line volume control unit is very large in size. The extra cables (with the exception of USB) are understandable though being 7.1 channels and the in-line volume control can adjust each of these channels separately. The problem is that the bulk of it all tugs on the cable, and they're not light and makes the cables tangle easily.

Click to enlarge: Large in-line volume control adjusts the separate channels.

Surround headphones are neither new nor exciting as past implementations have proved disappointing. Will this be different for Razer?

This headset retails for USD$129.99 (approximately AUD$169, accurate at time of writing) at the Razer Store. Detailed specifications for the headset as found on the Razer website:

Frequency Response
1.50 Hz ~ 20 000Hz
Impedance
1.a. Front Speaker : 64ohm b. Rear Speaker : 32ohm c. Centre Speaker: 64ohm d. Sub-Woofer : 8ohm
Total RMS Power Rating
330mWatts
Cable Length
2 meter
Connector plug
Razer HD-DAI™

Sound quality

The first thing noticed after plugging in the HP-1 was the large amount of hiss in the background. Originally this was thought to be the volume being on maximum, but even on minimum volume the hiss remains.

The HP-1 is a closed headset and listening to it this becomes very apparent. Everything sounds like it’s coming from a closed-in box around your head. Music sounds very unnatural and congested.

In-game is a little better though Counter-Strike 1.6 isn’t compatible with multi-channel sound and so the extra drivers aren’t completely utilised. Counter-Strike:Source is a little better, though again the sound seems very unnatural and unclear. Positional audio doesn’t seem any better on the HP-1 than on any of the stereo headsets tested, it’s worse.

Listening to music on the HP-1 also proves to be a great disappointment. Music unfortunately was not made for 5.1. The sound is muffled and lacks impact. This is not helped by the hiss coming through and that is constantly heard between tracks and in quieter sections of songs, which is probably coming from the PC to the headset via the USB.

Comfort

The HP-1 is a full sized headphone with good deep ear cushions. The cushions are lined with felt and have slightly firm to touch cushions. The design again is circum-aural and so the HP-1 would appear to provide some form of isolation.

Click to enlarge: Deep and soft cushions.

The HP-1’s headband though pushes in at the top and the bottom pushes outwards unevenly due to the way the ear cup is attached to the frame, like a swivel. As a result there is actually a fair bit of sound leakage.

The headset like the 5H V2 due to their closed design may get fairly warm over prolonged use, overall it’s not a very heavy headset nor does it have a high pressure headband.

Gamer features/practicality

As mentioned above the HP-1 is a part of the Barracuda Integrated Audio System. So far the results aren’t convincing, but if by some miracle the AC-1 soundcard can transform the HP-1’s sound quality then that’s excellent. But it poses a problem for netcafe/LAN use. Not only would the soundcard be left at home, but onboard sound of most netcafes won’t have 7.1. This basically transforms the HP-1 back to a stereo headset, and not a very good one.

The second drama is the USB connector on the adaptor. Initially it would seem that it may be a USB soundcard, though this is not true. Without a USB connection sound comes through but is barely audible. No data goes through the USB so it can only be concluded that it is for drawing power to amplify the signal for the headset and bring it to listenable volumes. Not only does this add clutter but it takes away a USB port. Due its design the USB port and the audio outs must be in close proximity, or there is simply not enough cable to reach.

Click to enlarge: Lots of cables and adaptors

The cable on the HP-1 is 2metres long, the shortest of all in this round-up, possibly too short. It is a sturdy cable and looks like it will last a while, however as mentioned in the introduction, is far too messy and introduces unnecessary clutter. One thing that should be mentioned is that on the central volume control there is a 3-way switch; initially its function isn’t obvious. One setting is obviously off (because sound no longer comes out), but the other 2 positions have no discernable difference. After removing the headset, it finally dawned what that 3rd position was – it turns the glowing blue Razer logos on and off. The gimmick factor is incredible. This is possibly the most useless feature ever put on a headset, especially given the price and market this headset hopes to appeal to.

Click to enlarge: Increases the 1337 factor a hundredfold

Finally, the microphone used is non adjustable and fixed length. It can be removed completely though is very small and easily lost. It is attached to the left earpiece and only extends out 6 centimetres – it barely reaches the cheek. The microphone points upwards, away from the mouth (not that it’s very close to begin with). Pickup is acceptable, but a lot of external noise can be heard due to it being so far from the mouth and pointing outwards.

Click to enlarge: Short reaching not-very-adjustable microphone