Razer megalodon 7.1 surround sound usb gaming headset black

Measuring in at just shorter than 10 feet, the cable provides more than ample length. Halfway down the line is the control box for the Megalodon's 7. When lit up, it looks like a prop out of a science-fiction movie, but from here you can actually tweak each channel's audio output volume in addition to adding a bass boost. The various LED lights will flicker depending on what you're trying to control. You can also toy with the headset's microphone settings. Microphone mute, sensitivity, and level can all be adjusted.

The Megalodon has the Razer Maelstrom audio enhancement built in, and by hitting the Maelstrom button at the top, you can switch between 2. The Megalodon will enter this mode automatically when given a 2. Also, it is only compatible with Windows XP and later. That said, we did have a few issues in getting our Windows XP computer to play nicely with the headset. It took a few unplugging sessions before the right sound kicked in, but when it is properly set up, your sound properties should say Razer Megalodon.

We first put the Megalodon's 7. After about an hour with the new Wolfenstein game, we were blown away by the headset's capability to separate various channels in-ear. The explosions of grenades, the firing of World War II era guns, and the footsteps of enemy soldiers added an impressive element to the game.

Just for means of comparison, we threw on the Carcharias to compare the experience and while the headset still did a good job of directing audio, nothing can touch the Megalodon's 7. We should note that you'll need to make sure your game offers a 7. Next, we tasked the Megalodon with some multiplayer rounds in Counter-Strike to test the headset's chat performance.

As with the Carcharias, we had an excellent session. Our teammates reported loud and clear communication from the Megalodon. It's definitely a product for hardcore PC gamers and may intimidate more casual users because of its customization capabilities. If you don't think you're ready for such an investment, we have no problem recommending the Razer Carcharias instead.

Jeff Bakalar. Razer Megalodon Gaming Headset Black. The Good Great sounding 7. While this produces an easily distinguishable sound field and can be even be used with your existing sound card in some cases Tritton AX51, Razer Barracuda HP-1 , the surround effects usually suffer from being limited to the smaller 30mm drivers and will produce a more tinny sound.

Also, processing all sounds through the same 40mm drivers also means the headsets are immune from the tinny sound issue that plagues the first camp. I personally see this second camp as the future of surround sound headphones, and the Megalodon just happens to be a part of it. As mentioned previously, game compatibility proved to be largely dependent on which operating system was used. In Windows XP, the Razer headset was roughly on-par with the Logitech G35, matching the compatibility list title-for-title except for Fallout 3, which would only produce stereo sound for the Megalodon versus 7.

In Vista, the surround effects are processed by the rear channels just the way I like them, therefore furthering the ironic yet convincing argument for me to starting using Vista as my primary OS. In any case, positioning still worked okay and no audio was lost despite the two dead channels.

Alright, enough about compatibility. In a word, yes. In two words, hell yes. Update: Megalodon owners experiencing intermittent audio dropouts in games should update the firmware to v2. Razer has a winner on their hands with the Razer Megalodon 7. The 7. Though the lack of Dolby Pro Logic IIx upmixing can be seen as a setback for DVD rippers, the headset manages to stand its ground for video game compatibility so long as Vista or Windows 7 is being used.

As a final tip of the hat for us LAN party-goers and eSports competitors, not only did Razer do away with the need to install drivers, but they directly acknowledged our needs by including a quality travel case to secure this captial investment.

Expensive as it may be, the Razer Megalodon is highly recommended. The PC based systems use our exclusive and feature rich Drive Manager software with advanced functions. Standalone systems are ultra-fast, high speed copiers duplicating gigabytes of data quickly and accurately. Nice review! The Razer Megalodon is better for comfort, hearing teammates at a LAN party non-isolating , traveling with its carrying case, and use at tournament computers or other situations where installing drivers is not desirable or allowed.

The Vengeance is better for general immersion, surround sound, surround compatibility in games, and music due to the larger drivers and isolative earcups.

In this case, the Megalodon is better since surround actually works with those games while the Vengeance can only achieve stereo. Really thanks R. Scott, you helped me a lot.