Razer's BlackShark V2 represents one of the better value for money headsets out there for the price. With its comfy design, punchy audio and good software integration, it ticks all the right boxes for gamers. That being said, some users might be left wanting more with regards to microphone performance.

Well-built design with mix of metal and plastic; Nicely balanced audio with punchy bass; Good software integration;

Loose fitting; Thin sounding microphone;

Razer makes a lot of gaming headsets for different situations. If you want a big, powerful, wired over-ear experience, there’s the Kraken line. If you want wireless connectivity, there’s the Nari line. And if you want a sleek, light, competitive headset, there’s the Blackshark V2. This $99.99 gaming headset lacks the bulk of the Krakens while offering powerful surround sound thanks to a 7.1-channel USB sound card and software-based THX Spatial Audio, along with an excellent microphone. It’s comparable with the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition ($99.99) and even the pricier Kraken Ultimate ($129.99), but with a sleeker design and even better performance. That earns the Blackshark V2 our Editors’ Choice for wired gaming headsets.Design The Blackshark V2 is lighter and a bit less bulky than Razer’s Kraken and Nari headsets. The signature big, circular earcups are gone, replaced by more conventional oval earcups with matte black plastic shells. Bright green Razer logos sit on the back o...

The wired Razer Blackshark V2 gaming headset offers excellent audio and microphone quality, loads of software features and options, and a light, comfortable fit.

Strong audio performance; Excellent microphone; USB sound card included with THX Spatial Audio through software; Light, comfortable fit

Cable is hardwired to the headset

Now that gaming's booming, Razer's brushed the dust off the eight-year-old Blackhark headset brand with a duo of overhauled versions -- the stripped-down-for-esports $60 BlackShark V2 X and the more feature-rich, $100 BlackShark V2 -- brandishing upgraded sound quality, microphones and designs, but retaining noise-isolating earcups. Both incorporate current-generation 50mm drivers and the same headband, but the higher-end model's extra features come via the THX Spatial Audio and microphone settings enabled by Razer's Synapse utility and a USB dongle, plus new TriForce Titanium 50mm drivers and some quality-of-life perks like a better cord, removable mic with foam cover and breathable fabric on the earcup padding.

Lightweight, comfier and better-sounding than ever, the BlackShark V2 and V2 X boost your immersion.

The build quality and the sound quality is great the only con is that while using the USB Sound card the microphone quality is worse but ajusting it in the software is an easy fix.

Been using this headset for 3 months and has great sound quality. Also very very comfortable can wear this for hours without any pain or discomfort. Mic is also great.

Pretty good sound. I like the volume control knob. It's useful. One of the most important things for me is how comfort it is. This headset is pretty comfortable to wear. It's light, has got soft ear cushions and is not tight. I can wear it for an hour or two without pain on my ears or head. Downside is that the mic doesn't pick up my voice well. I have to place it really really close to my mouth. If the mic is 2~3cm or further away I will have to shout, or people won't be able to hear me, though this issue could be solved by adjusting mic volume on Windows or somewhere (I don't know how to do it yet).

I've been using this headset for a few weeks now and it's great. The build quality and finish are good, the ear cups are big enough to cover my ears and do a good job of blocking out outside sounds (my PC sits on the desk next to me and I can barely hear the fans on full). The mic boom is big and adjustable and i really like having the mute button on the ear cup as it's easy to find and it toggles in and out so you can quickly feel if it is muted or not. I definitely prefer it to the switch on the cable or the button and light that my previous threshers have. Using the sound card and Razer Synapse app you can fine tune the sound to each of your games and also play around with the mic settings. I haven't tried the headset on other platforms yet but as the box states it works with the xbox using the 3.5mm jack so I'll have to give it a go. Overall I'm really happy with the Blackshark V2 and definitely recommend it to someone that wants good sound at a good price.

This is an extremely comfortable and durable headset with great sound quality and a good microphone (following some refinement of settings) to boot! The earcups fit snugly, there is solid noise isolation from the external environment and the headset is able to be worn for an extended period of time. The only downsides to this product include the USB sound card not including a volume dial as well as having to adjust a few settings in order to achieve adequate microphone quality and clarity.