One of Razer’s premier offerings in the gaming audio market, the Megalodon, is a set of high-end headphones with a long list of features that are sure to make any gamer drool. They also command a high price tag, and are one of the larger headsets on offer for gaming-specific purposes; but do their large size and feature list justify their price?
Features
The headset features Razer’s Maelstrom engine, which emulates 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound in games and movies. This software-based surround sound works well enough and can be turned on or off depending on the applications running (games versus music).
Then there is the external audio processing unit, which allows the user to manipulate the audio stream from the PC to suit their needs. The unit has direct controls that allow gamers to adjust master volume, center speaker, front speakers, side speakers, rear speakers, bass level, mic sensitivity, mic leveling, mic mute, Razer Maelstrom on/off, active/standby toggle and reset the headphones.
There is also a built-in unidirectional microphone which is boosted by the audio processing unit to provide greater accuracy when picking up voice commands and other recorded audio.
Razer Megalodon
Build quality
The Megalodon’s quality is directly proportional to their price tag – high. Each part of the headphones feel well built and flexible, yet flexible enough to withstand being thrown off in frustration, or pulled away from the desk by an absent-minded gamer who forgot to take them off.
The control box is good quality, though a tad lower than the overall headphones. The controls are responsive to the touch, though tapping against the box reveals a “plasticky” sound. The braided fiber sheath cable is a welcomed touch though, and should feature on all gaming headphones.
Audio quality
The audio quality was tested in two ways. The first was in game tests in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, where placement of enemy’s seen and unseen, as well as ambient sounds were used as testing criteria.
The second way of testing was the headphone sound tests on Audiocheck.net. These tests are designed to put headphones through their paces in a scientific way. For a full breakdown of testing criteria, head over to Audiocheck.net.
| Test | Sennheiser HD415 | Razer Carcharias | SteelSeries Siberia V2 | Razer Megalodon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency response (low) | 20Hz+ | 20Hz+ | 20Hz+ | 20Hz+ |
| Frequency response (high) | 19KHz down | 17KHz down | 17KHz down | 17KHz down |
| Dynamic Range | 60db below full scale | 42db below full scale | 48db below full scale | 42db below full scale |
| Quality | Excellent, no rattles | Excellent, no rattles | Excellent, no rattles | Excellent, no rattles |
| Driver matching | Perfect, no variation | Excellent, slight variation | Excellent, slight variation | Excellent, slight variation |
| Wiring (Centre) | Well defined, accurate | Less defined, semi accurate | Well defined, accurate | Well defined, accurate |
| Wiring (Twisted) | Hard to define, accurate | Less defined, semi accurate | Less defined, semi accurate | Less defined, semi accurate |
| Binaural test | Excellent, lifelike | Good, simulated | Very Good, simulated | Good, simulated |
| Music test 1 (Time, Pink Floyd) | 88/100 | 65/100 | 69/100 | 65/100 |
| Music test 2 (Moonlight sonata, Beethoven) | 88/100 | 60/100 | 73/100 | 60/100 |
Two songs were also used to judge how well the headphones do when listening to music. One was a FLAC recording of Time by Pink Floyd off of “The dark side of the moon”, widely respected as one of the best recordings ever made. The other song was a FLAC recording of the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 ‘Moonlight’ in C sharp minor, performed by Paul Lewis.
The songs highlighted showed that there is a difference audio quality between audiophile headphones and gaming headphones. The Megalodon headphones performed as well as their cheaper cousins the Razer Carcharias in the music tests despite the dedicated audio processing found on the more expensive model. This could be due to the high quality DAC used for all headphone tests where the unit connects to a PC via a 3.5mm audio jack rather than via USB.
Readers need to bear in mind that hearing ability differs from one human to the next, so these tests are only comparable when done by the same reviewer. Additionally, readers may have better/worse hearing, and may not be able to reproduce the test results listed here. Thus the results are informative, but not definitive.
Razer Megalodon and APU
In use
The headphones performed as expected on the audio side of things, though during use there were one or two things that became apparent. First off, the headphones weigh in at around 225g. This may not seem like much, but they did become noticeable after long period of gaming. The headphones cups do a good job of isolating the audio, but the lack of airflow means your ears are also prone to sweating if you’re gaming in a hot room during summer.
Finally the microphone gave an odd feedback during the first phase of testing. This was due to the microphone amplification level set too high, and once we turned that down, the mic was clear and accurate with minimal voice distortion. It did on occasion pick up background noise, but this was also fixed by reducing amplification level even further.
Bottom line
There is no denying the Megalodon’s are feature rich, however whether all of these features will be appreciated and used often by most gamers is questionable. Setting up the unit can be a once off process, meaning most of the controls on offer are wasted. That being said, they are there if you need them and if you’re the type to tinker with your hardware, you’ll love having this sort of control at your fingertips.
The audio quality was on par with cheaper Razer offerings, though this could have been due to the accompanying hardware used for the tests. Either way, the quality is good and will suit most gamers’ needs for years to come. The headphones were comfortable enough for long gaming sessions and added rather than took away from the overall experience. They may be a tad on the expensive side, but if you have your mind set on them, then you probably won’t be disappointed results.
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I’ve had a pair of these for about 1.5 years. They work. And they are comfy that was tested when I bought them at rAge. Had them on my ears the whole weekend. But for the price you would pay the 7.1 setting is a waste. It really is.
I’m still waiting for the review of the Razer Tiamat 7.1. I heard that the mic is crap but I’m waiting for a second opinion.