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The new Razer Seiren V2 Pro is yet another Pro Microphone to hit the growing streaming and creator market and is most definitely overkill for your daily work Zoom calls. No sir, this $150 matte black pill is aimed squarely at the Pokemaines and Shrouds of this world as well as you budding podcasters, Youtubers, and DJs. Conversely, most everyone else need not apply; mainly because getting that promised audio out of this microphone requires a fair bit of shenanigans.
Despite the Pro in its name, the Serien V2 Pro isn’t some fancy XLR microphone but a mere plug-n-play USB condenser. It’s a 30mm Dynamic microphone that promises a rich, warm, and clean sound up to 96kHz sampling rate. It works fine whether you are on PC or Mac though to get the most out of it, you’ll need a Windows machine with Razer Synapse.
The main appeal of USB desk microphones is that you just need to plug them into an available port and away you go. No fuss. Not so with the Seiren V2 Pro. First, you need to make sure that the mic is correctly positioned where the Cardioid pickup pattern is strongest. That’s easy if you mount it to a boom arm thanks to the screw threading at the bottom of the microphone. Then the mic will capture a rich, warm rendition of your voice that could make Barry White swoon.
Problem is, the Seiren V2 Pro doesn’t come with a boom arm. Instead, it comes with a rather beautifully designed desk stand that does a great job holding the mic steady, absorbing shocks, and affording it up to 180 degrees of tilt. But while it looks really nice on your desk, it doesn’t do much to bring it close enough to your mouth unless you’re prepared for a serious case of Hunch-over-itis.
Razer Seiren V2 Pro Specs
Condensers: 30mm Dynamic
Directional Patterns: Cardioid
Controls: Volume, Gain, and Mute
Sample Rate: 41/48/96kHz
Bit Depth: 24-bit
Weight: 980g (with stand)
Price: $149 Amazon (£149 Razer)
So when I used the mic in its stand, putting it about a foot away from my mouth resulted in pretty faint audio with lots of warbling distortion. No amount of fiddling with the Gain knob helped beyond increasing ambient noise. However, picking up the mic and holding it to my mouth like a badass DJ, the audio radically improved.
Even then, that’s still not the best possible audio the Seiren V2 Pro can put out and I needed to dare where dragons do not—Razer Synapse. On the surface, it seems simple enough with the first page showing you basic levels, Gain, and Volume sliders plus toggles for Sampling rate, High Pass Filter, and Gain limiter. The second page is the Stream Mixer dashboard and that’s where things get interesting for those of you who are serious about streaming.
The mixer does what you’d expect—manage all your audio inputs and outputs connected to your machine. You can for instance manage which audio you hear in your headphones versus what your audience hears on the stream. You can manage game audio, custom music audio, and more. This amount of control can feel a little overwhelming at first and I really hate how the Seiren V2 Pro adds ten virtual devices to my Windows audio outputs menu.
Now, if you aren’t a streamer, you don’t have to worry about any of this but there is merit to activating things like High Pass Filter that cuts out low-frequency noise like your PC’s fans or room AC from your audio. I’m not too convinced by the Analogue Gain limiter which is supposed to prevent clipping and peaking in your audio as it didn’t do a good job especially with the mic in its desk stand.
I wasn’t too enamored with physical controls on the mic itself either. Aside from the mute button, you only have two infinite spinning dials for Gain and Volume. Not only do they not help you judge what level you’re at, but because of the way you need to sharply tilt the mic, they are often hard to use.
So in a nutshell, the Serien V2 Pro is an otherwise good microphone hampered by unnecessary fidgeting to get the most out of it. I do love how rich and clear my voice sounds and the high pass filter works great at removing the hum of my desktop. I also appreciate its handsome looks. For a Razer product, it has no RGB, no splashes of green anywhere, and instead opts for a minimalistic look.
All that said, for $150 the Razer Seiren V2 Pro doesn’t really do anything to beat out some of the best microphones like the Blue Yeti, HyperX Quadcast, or Elgato Wave 3. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, but only in skilled hands. If you just want a no-fuss plug-and-play microphone, this might not be the one for you. Check out the best microphones guide instead.
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