Razer Blackshark V2 X - After 6 Months, THIS happened...

Summary

In this video, Dmitry reviews the Black Shark V2 X headset after six months of daily use, addressing build quality concerns and user feedback. Despite issues with the size extensions and the splitter cable, he finds the headset's audio performance satisfactory for its $59 price point. He highlights the importance of consistent build quality and the need for a better splitter design to avoid user frustration. The video concludes that the V2 X remains a worthwhile option in its budget category, with the caveat of potential build inconsistencies.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The Black Shark V2 X headset has been the reviewer's go-to wired gaming headset for six months, providing long-term insights into its quality and performance.
• 💰 The V2 X is noted for its value at $59, potentially making it the most popular headset in its price range despite some issues.
• 🔨 Build quality concerns are highlighted, particularly with the size extension variance, which affects the headset's fit and stability.
• 🔌 The 4-pole headset jack's insecure connection in the splitter cable can lead to audio disconnections and unbalanced sound, causing user frustration.
• 🎙 The microphone quality is impacted by the splitter cable's connection stability, and the microphone arm has lost its rigidity over time, affecting positioning.
• 👂 The ear cups' fit may have loosened over time, leading to a non-symmetrical feel and changes in sound sealing and comfort.
• 📏 The reviewer appreciates the headset's solid build in other aspects, such as the green cable's durability and minimal cable noise.
• 📉 The fake leather material has held up well, but the internal padding's harshness on the skin is a noted discomfort, especially for one-sided use.
• 🔊 The volume dial's placement on the left side is inconvenient for the reviewer, and it has become slightly loose over the 50% volume range.
• 👍 Audio performance is considered satisfactory for the price, with no harshness at max volume and adequate detail for gaming purposes.
• 💬 The microphone quality is praised for the price point, suitable for video calls, but lacks built-in sidetone unless software-enabled.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video script?

The main purpose of the video script is to provide a long-term review of the Black Shark V2 X headset, addressing its performance and build quality issues after six months of daily use.

Why is the Black Shark V2 X headset considered a go-to wired headset for gaming?

The Black Shark V2 X headset is considered a go-to wired headset for gaming because it has been used daily for the past six months by the reviewer and has shown satisfactory performance for its price point of $59.

What are the concerns raised by users in the comments of Razer reviews?

Users have raised concerns about the long-term quality of the products, as they feel that the short period of one to two weeks before launch is not enough to assess how the product will fare over time.

What issues have been identified with the build quality of the Black Shark V2 X headset?

The build quality issues identified include variance in size extension, loose 4-pole headset jack in the splitter cable, and the microphone arm losing its memory over time.

How does the headset's 4-pole jack issue affect the user experience?

The 4-pole jack issue can cause the headset to become easily disconnected or deliver an unbalanced signal, leading users to believe the headset is faulty due to unbalanced left and right audio representation.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the microphone quality of the Black Shark V2 X headset?

The reviewer considers the microphone quality to be fantastic for the $59 price point, suitable for video calls and providing clear sound for both the user and others on the call.

How does the reviewer feel about the ear cup fit of the Black Shark V2 X headset?

The reviewer has noticed that the ear cups rotate too easily inside the housing, which can affect sound sealing and comfort, but this issue can be resolved by ensuring the ear cups are properly aligned.

What is the reviewer's stance on the comfort of the Black Shark V2 X headset?

The reviewer finds the clamping force and weight of the headset to be fantastic, but notes that the internal material is harsh, especially for those who wear the headset on one side at a time.

What are the main disappointments mentioned in the long-term review of the Black Shark V2 X headset?

The main disappointments are the splitter cable that can cause confusion and microphone issues, and the inconsistency in the size extensions of the headset, which affects build quality and user experience.

Is the Black Shark V2 X headset still considered worth the price after six months of use?

Yes, despite the identified issues, the reviewer still considers the headset worth the $59 price point for its performance and value in the budget territory.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Long-Term Review of Black Shark V2 X Headset

Dmitry discusses the Black Shark V2 X headset, which he has been using as his primary gaming headset for six months. He addresses concerns about long-term quality, noting that the headset has held up well, but acknowledges issues with build quality variance, specifically the size extension mechanism which can be too loose or vary significantly between units. He also mentions problems with the 4-pole headset jack's connection to the splitter cable, which can lead to unbalanced audio or microphone issues. Despite these concerns, he finds the headset's audio performance satisfactory for its price point and praises its comfort and durability, with the exception of the internal material which can be harsh against the skin.

05:03

🔊 Durability and Audio Quality of the Black Shark V2 X

In the second paragraph, Dmitry continues his long-term review by discussing the headset's durability, noting that the microphone arm has lost some of its original stiffness and the ear cups' fit has become slightly looser over time. He also comments on the headset's comfort, with the clamping force and weight being well-balanced, although the padding's material is less comfortable compared to other headphones he owns. Regarding the audio performance, he maintains that the headset offers good value for its price, with a slightly boomy bass but no harshness at high volumes. He notes that the volume dial's placement is inconvenient for him, but acknowledges that the headset's audio output is sufficient for gaming and video calls. Dmitry concludes that despite minor issues, the headset remains a good value at its price point, especially considering its performance and the potential variability in build quality.

Keywords

💡Long-term coverage

Long-term coverage refers to the practice of reviewing and assessing products over an extended period to understand their performance and durability beyond the initial testing phase. In the video's context, it is about evaluating the Black Shark V2 X headset's quality over six months of daily use, which provides a more comprehensive understanding of the product's reliability and potential issues that may arise over time.

💡Build quality

Build quality is a measure of how well a product is constructed, including the materials used, the precision of its components, and its overall durability. The video discusses the headset's build quality, noting variances in the size extension's tightness and the headset jack's secureness, which are critical for the user's experience and the product's longevity.

💡Tolerance

Tolerance in manufacturing refers to the allowable variation in size or other physical dimensions of a product's components. The script mentions a 'significant tolerance difference' between different headsets, indicating inconsistency in the build quality which could affect the user experience and the perception of the product's reliability.

💡4-pole headset jack

A 4-pole headset jack is a type of connector used for audio devices that supports both audio channels and a microphone. The video points out issues with the 4-pole jack's connection to the splitter cable, which can lead to unbalanced audio or microphone problems, illustrating the importance of secure and reliable connections in audio equipment.

💡Splitter cable

A splitter cable is a type of cable that divides a single input into multiple outputs, often used in audio equipment to separate audio and microphone signals. The video criticizes the splitter cable's design, suggesting it can cause confusion and frustration due to its loose connection, which can lead users to believe the headset itself is faulty.

💡Microphone quality

Microphone quality pertains to the clarity and effectiveness of audio captured by a microphone. The script discusses how the connection of the 4-pole jack can impact the microphone's performance, emphasizing the importance of a secure and stable connection for optimal audio transmission.

💡Ear cup

Ear cups are the parts of a headset that cover the ears, providing comfort and sound isolation. The video mentions the ear cups' fit and rotation as factors affecting comfort and sound quality, highlighting how design elements like the shape and material of ear cups can influence the overall user experience.

💡Fake leather

Fake leather, also known as synthetic leather or faux leather, is a material designed to mimic the look and feel of real leather but is more affordable and easier to maintain. The video praises the fake leather on the headset for holding up well over time, demonstrating the material's durability and resistance to wear.

💡Volume dial

A volume dial is a physical control used to adjust the volume of a device, often found on headphones or audio equipment. The video discusses the placement and functionality of the volume dial on the headset, noting user discomfort with its position on the left side and the looseness of the dial after extended use.

💡Audio performance

Audio performance refers to the overall sound quality produced by an audio device, including aspects like bass, treble, and clarity. The script comments on the headset's audio performance, describing it as satisfactory for its price point, with a slightly boomy base but no harshness at high volumes, which is important for users who prioritize sound quality in their audio equipment.

💡Budget entry

A budget entry refers to a product that is positioned in the lower price range of a market segment, often offering essential features at a more affordable cost. The video considers the headset's price point and the compromises made in its design and build quality in the context of it being a budget entry, suggesting that some issues are acceptable given its price but not for more expensive models.

Highlights

Introduction to long-term product coverage to address quality concerns beyond initial reviews.

Six-month daily use of the Black Shark V2 X headset as the go-to wired gaming headset.

Excitement about the V2X model due to its affordability at $59 and potential market popularity.

Issues with build quality, specifically the variance in size extension of the headset.

Problems with the 4-pole headset jack not being securely connected to the splitter cable.

Impact of the loose connection on microphone quality and left-right balance.

Durability of the exposed green cable and low cable noise.

Deterioration of the microphone arm's memory and its impact on positioning.

Ear cup fit issues and the need for attention to alignment for comfort and sound seal.

Resilience of the fake leather material on the ear cups and headband.

Discomfort from the internal material due to its harshness on the skin.

Audio performance satisfaction despite some boominess in the bass for the price point.

Volume output concerns on consoles and the need for software-sidetone for self-hearing.

Microphone quality deemed fantastic for the price, suitable for video calls.

Long-term value assessment of the V2X headset at the $59 price point despite minor issues.

Call to action for viewers to share their long-term usage experiences with Razer or other gaming products.

Transcripts

well good people hello i'm dmitry

something we want to do more of on this

channel is to do long-term coverage not

just for smartphones and like

miscellaneous items spread throughout

but for a wider range of products i see

so many comments on our razer reviews

talking about long-term quality concerns

which is totally legitimate right like

we have these products for one to two

weeks before launch and i mean to be

honest that's not enough time to see how

the product has fared over time and so

that's exactly what we're doing today

with the

black shark v2 x headset this has been

my go-to wired headset for gaming on a

daily basis for the past six months and

i still feel like my original comment

from the review applies here i'm

actually a lot more excited about the

v2x because at only 59. this is going to

be i think the most popular 59 headset

on the market but as expected it hasn't

been without issues right so many other

users have added to the whole feedback

loop and today i want to answer one

simple question whether or not this

thing is still worth it for the 59 price

point after six months of daily use you

have a 1200 watt power supply in there

yep and the triple slot rtx 3090 sure it

will fit if you find one and a 240

millimeter radiator this my friends is

the new sugar 14 and 15 from silverstone

the microwave

the itx case you need for a no

compromise build under 20 liters check

it out below all right so right away if

you haven't seen the original review

check it out over here but let's get

into the issues shall we my main issue

with the build quality is the variance

in size extension so on my budget v2x

it's been perfectly fine since day one

so nice resistance uh it stays in

position and it's not going anywhere but

on the more expensive v2 and even the

wireless v2 pro some of which have

arrived really loose where the weight of

the ear cup would slide down on the on

the size extensions without even me

touching it this shows that there's a

significant tolerance difference between

each headset and i've gone through six

pairs all of which had some variation of

like nice density versus really loose

and so it's a risk factor for people who

are buying the v2 variation of the

headset because i have no idea what type

of copy you will get the next big issue

i've encountered is with the 4-pole

headset jack that isn't properly secured

into that splitter cable meaning it can

easily be disconnected with a slight

pool or get unbalanced signal in case

the plug pulls out slightly i have read

so many reviews and also experience

these issues myself where you get

unbalanced a left and right

representation so even if this 4-pole

jack gets slightly dislodged like

slightly pulled out because maybe you

kicked this or this has gotten stuck and

you pull down the headset just slightly

because this connection is so loose

you'll obviously think that there's

something faulty with the headset

because left and right are not even this

also extends into the microphone quality

where even if the 4 pull jack is

connected properly into the splitter

cable the rotation of that connection

will impact the microphone quality and

the left and right balance too so this

splitter cable is a big ooh from razer

because many people will just think that

the headset is faulty and it will result

in many negative reviews and are amazed

and i totally agree with the customer

here this splitter extension is terrible

as for all other cables on the headset

i've had no issues whatsoever so the

exposed green cable on the top i thought

might give me problems over time but it

always bends in the right way i'm also

happy at how little cable noise you hear

when the cable is brushing against your

shirt or something it's quiet and muted

next up is the microphone arm so

unfortunately it has lost a lot of its

memory so it no longer stays in the

proper position as it used to before

unfortunately this will get worse over

time and might eventually just get loose

to stay in proper position this makes me

appreciate removable microphones since

you might replace it later on but also

if you remove it you're not using that

bending uh thing on a daily basis and

they also appreciate the solid boom arms

from like sennheiser headsets that are

staying there and they're gonna stay

there for life next up i either did not

notice this at the time of the review or

maybe the ear cup

fit has gotten slightly loose because

they rotate way too easily inside the

housing the ear cushions for example can

simply change position when you're

putting the headset on or off and this

might create this non-symmetrical feel

between left and right i noticed it

because the seams were not aligned and

since the ear cups are oval so they're

not round this change and rotation will

affect how they seal in the sound and

how they feel on your head in terms of

comfort so it's an easy solution because

you can simply see where the seam is and

rotate it accordingly so right now for

example just make sure they're both

facing down but still something that i

have to keep in mind i am surprised at

how well this fake leather has held up

throughout both the ear cups and the

headband knowing that my other

headphones have started to flake with

this material so both the headband and

ear cups are in perfect condition since

day one but i will say this internal

material the one that makes contact with

your skin is a bit harsh especially if

you like to wear one side at a time like

me and constantly go from you know full

headset to trying to hear what's

happening in your external environment

and that motion

it's very harsh and i don't appreciate

that part of the comfort over time

simply because my other headphones that

have much better padding are just a lot

more comfortable that's really the only

downside with comfort because everything

else about it the clamping force and the

weight are fantastic and the last bit

that has changed since the original

review is the volume dial first of all i

never got used to it being on the left

side since that's my keyboard hand and

removing that to change the volume i am

vulnerable in game since i'm not

strafing side to side like with all

other gaming headsets where the volume

connection or like the little dial is on

the right side but the main thing here

is that the volume wheel for the first

50 has gotten slightly loose which is

weird because i never use that volume

range anyway while the the other 50

as nice and resistant and smooth as they

want as for my outlook on audio

performance since day one it's kind of

funny to read some amazon reviews that

express their disappointment in audio

quality but it's a 59 headset let's uh

lower our expectations okay the base

here is slightly boomy but i appreciate

that there's no harshness on the high

end especially if you max out the volume

i still stand by what i said it is

satisfactory for the 59 price point you

know it's not going to compete in terms

of detail and resolution to something

more premium like a proper fidelio x3

headphone for example but for games i've

been using it for six months my ears are

not bleeding i can pinpoint where

everything is happening and you can

drive this easily with both a

motherboard and a headphone amplifier

without issues also a couple of people

who have reviewed this headset have

mentioned that the volume output on

consoles is a bit low to their liking i

don't own consoles so i can't really

comment on that but something you should

take note of if you are planning to use

this with like a like a controller or

something or plug them directly into a

console plus the microphone quality on

this pair i would say is fantastic for

the 59 price point this is the headset

i've been using for all my video calls

because i sound great i can hear

everyone just fine two things to keep in

mind is that there is no built-in side

tone unless you enable it to like

software through your different

amplifier so if you don't like that

muted look or sound when you speak you

can't hear yourself that's something to

keep in mind and number two is that this

boom arm has lost a lot of that uh

stiffness or firmness so it's a lot more

flexible not in a good way versus day

one and so the takeaway for this long

term recap for the v2x is that

i mean it's held up pretty well perhaps

a six-month window is a bit of a too

short of a time frame to

see proper degradation when it comes to

audio products but

i've been using this literally on a

daily basis for the past six months so i

thought this would be a good time to

you know give you a recap the two main

disappointments however are the splitter

cable that will cause confusion

frustrations and definitely are amazed

where people are not

realizing that maybe the splitter cable

is causing the unbalancing and the

microphone issues and number two those

size extensions man they really have to

fix it so there's consistency across

each v2 pair because in all six pairs

they were slightly different slightly

loose slightly tighter and i just kind

of got lucky with the cheapest pair

having like the best

uh

density to the extensions and they stay

in place as they should and so to come

back to that original question whether

or not this thing is still worth it for

the 59 price point and i would say yes

even though you might encounter slight

variation in the size extensions i guess

it's okay given it's a budget entry now

it's not okay when you're spending

double the amount on the v2 pro wireless

pair and you're experiencing all the

same build quality concerns but i would

say for the in that 50

uh budget territory some of the

compromises that we see with this pair

are okay

just keep in mind that that splitter

cable i hope you get a good one where

everything just like snaps into place

it's not just like a very loose

connection but otherwise i would say

it's still worth it all right so i hope

you enjoyed this slightly longer recap

share your usage history of razer or any

other gaming products over time and how

they have held up in your daily usage

i'm a dimitri thanks much for watching

check out this other relevant content

subscribe for more i'll talk to you in

the next video perhaps in the six months

time or something