TechRadar Verdict
The Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds offer decent sound quality and some useful adjustments via the companion app and touch controls. And if you’re a fan of the Apple Airpod design, they'll suit your tastes. However, there are earbuds out there with greater comfort levels and the software isn’t as stable as I would’ve liked. Factor in the hefty price tag and the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed are hard to recommend over the competition.
Pros
- +
Strong build quality
- +
Good looks
- +
Useful touch functionality
Cons
- -
Weak ANC
- -
Software issues
- -
Expensive for earbuds
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Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed: two-minute review
The Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed are wireless gaming earbuds made for playing on the go thanks to their slender form and useful mobile-related features.
They certainly make a good first impression, with the elegant appearance of both the case and the earbuds themselves standing out. The AirPod-like stalks help on that front too, with the added benefit of making them easy to handle.
The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed buds are also very well-made, on par with the best gaming earbuds around. The hinge of the case is strong, as is the magnetic pull to keep the buds inside. This can make getting them out a little difficult, but it’s a compromise I’m okay with.
The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed can be configured and customized using the Razer Audio mobile app. This has some useful features, including plenty of touch control assignments, but I didn’t find it to be the most stable app in my experience, with connectivity issues and failed firmware updates proving a real thorn in its side.
As wireless gaming earbuds go, the audio quality of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed is quite good. Sound is admirably rendered across the frequency spectrum, although the highs lack the pristine clarity found in high-end consumer-grade earphones. It’s also a shame that the ANC isn’t all that powerful either. However, the THX profile does help to create a greater sense of space with its surround sound effect, while the bass enhancement bolsters the low end without introducing too much distortion. The microphone quality is also good, if not the best in class.
The battery life of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed isn’t great, lasting a couple of days according to my tests. Charging the case takes just over two hours, which again isn’t anything to boast about. However, the case charges the earbuds themselves quite quickly, meaning you won’t have to wait long to top them up.
With its competent sound and highly engineered design, the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed buds are a solid pair of wireless gaming earbuds. But while the sound is good, it’s not enough to make the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed stand with the very best gaming earbuds on this front. At this price, you would also expect greater comfort levels, better software, and fewer glitches. Better value earbuds are out there, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds and the Sony Inzone Buds.
Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed review: price and availability
- $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$369.95
- Available now in black and white
- More expensive than the best gaming earbuds
The Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds cost $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$369.95 and are available now in two colorways: black and white. They come with Razer’s HyperSpeed Wireless USB dongle, as well as a charging cable and three different sizes of silicone tips.
At this price, the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed buds are some of the most expensive gaming earbuds around. They’re even the same price as the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, our pick as the best wireless gaming headset. With its over-ear design, it’s hardly as portable as the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed, but we found it to have great battery life, high levels of comfort, and superb sound.
The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, the best gaming earbuds right now in our view, are less expensive than the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed, yet they have terrific build quality and sound. We also found the companion app to be flexible and full of useful features.
Then there are the Sony Inzone Buds, which are about the same price as the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed, but offer superb sound and noise cancellation. Naturally, they're compatible with the best gaming console around right now – the PS5 – but they also work great with PC and mobile devices.
Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed review: specs
Price | $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$369.95 |
Weight | 0.21oz / 6g (each bud); 1.6oz / 46g (case) |
Compatibility | Android, iOS, iPadOS, PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch |
Connection type | Wireless (Bluetooth, HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle) |
Battery life | Not stated |
Features | Razer HyperSpeed Wireless technology, THX Spatial Audio, customizable touch controls, wireless charging, IPX4 |
Software | Razer Audio app (mobile) |
Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed review: design and features
- Great build quality
- Comfort slightly compromised
- Razer Audio app issues
The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed ooze style. The matt black finish of the case is silky smooth and the engineering of the lid is impressive, opening with ease and closing with a satisfying click. The hinge is also weighted just right, with enough force to keep it securely shut.
In contrast to the case, the earbuds themselves are shiny. They feel equally as well-made, though, and ape the familiar design of Apple’s AirPods, with their long stalks protruding downwards from the drivers. In use, these stalks make the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed easy to put in and take out, while the drivers curve inwards, which also helps to secure them in your ear.
However, it can be quite awkward to remove the earbuds from the case, as the lack of divots on either the earbuds themselves or within the case makes it difficult to get a hold of them. And thanks to the strong magnetic slots, turning the case upside down won’t cause the earbuds to drop out with ease. This is a small price to pay for the added security, though.
Three sets of silicone tips with varying sizes are included to ensure you’ll get the fit right for you. However, regardless of which tip size I tried, I did experience minor aching after extended sessions, as the plastic body of the drivers exerted too much pressure on the inside of my ear canal. For shorter sessions, though, they were perfectly acceptable.
The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed can be customized using the Razer Audio mobile app. However, I had multiple issues with the headset failing to connect to the app on my Android device (a Google Pixel 7a). It also failed on numerous occasions to install a firmware update.
Once connected, though, you’ll find Razer Audio offers a range of useful tweaks, including various equalizer presets. The default is THX mode, which isn’t explained in the app, but this is Razer’s spatial audio engine. There’s also a custom profile that lets you boost or reduce multiple points across the entire frequency band as you see fit – a feature lacking in many other companion apps. However, it’s a shame that for PC users the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed buds don’t integrate with Synapse, Razer’s main peripheral software.
Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed review: Performance
- Decent sound
- Weak ANC
- Some connectivity issues
The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds perform admirably for a pair of wireless gaming earbuds. The bass response is strong and there is enough clarity across all frequencies, although overall fidelity isn’t the best, with mild distortion occasionally rearing its ugly head.
The default THX EQ profile suffices for most scenarios, offering a balanced sound. THX is designed to impart a greater sense of positional accuracy, and I did find this to be the case, as audio pans subtly yet effectively to sonically map to your in-game environment.
The bass enhancement profile is also useful in elevating the low end without becoming muddy or overblown. However, I found that the enhanced clarity profile reduced the bass too much, and did little to actually improve fidelity as far as I could tell.
The Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed buds also have ANC, although I didn’t find this blocked out external sounds all that well, even on the highest setting. There’s also an ambient mode to allow outside noises to come through, which is more effective, letting you hear yourself and other noises in the room clearly.
The microphone on the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed is also good, offering sufficient vocal clarity, but it’s not equal to the mics equipped on the best wireless gaming headsets. However, for a set of earbuds, it provides reasonable quality.
Razer Audio can also be used to customize the touch controls, with a generous number of actions available to configure, including a two-second hold, double tap, double tap and hold, and triple tap and hold. These can be assigned to a myriad of playback and call controls, as well as other functions such as ANC toggling. What’s more, each bud can have different assignments for the same action, providing even more flexibility.
The various touch gestures are reasonably responsive and consistent, although the single press does require a firm hold rather than a mere tap, which makes it less convenient to use in a hurry. Also, the double tap and hold action took a while to perform its assigned functions during my tests.
The various wireless connectivity modes work well for the most part. Using the HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle on PC and console is easy, as it’s simply a case of plug and play, requiring no further setup. When using the dongle, I found there was an improvement in sound quality, with enhanced clarity and better low-end response, as well as a decrease in lag compared to Bluetooth.
However, one downside of using the HyperSpeed Wireless method is that you can’t use Razer Audio when connected, as it only works via Bluetooth. This is a major inconvenience for those who like to tweak their settings frequently or on the fly.
Setting up Bluetooth was smooth for the most part, however, there were occasions when the earbuds failed to connect to my Android phone. I also experienced a bizarre issue where the volume reduced considerably when switching back to my mobile from a PC that was connected via the HyperSpeed dongle.
This issue was resolved easily by restarting the Bluetooth connection to my phone, and, hopefully, it’s a glitch that can easily be solved via a firmware update. I had no such problems when connecting to a Nintendo Switch, though, so it’s possible the fault lies with my mobile device.
The battery life of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed isn’t impressive, as they just about lasted a couple of days, during which time I switched between Bluetooth and HyperSpeed modes. Charging the case took over two hours, which is an average performance. The case itself, though, does charge the earbuds themselves quite quickly, and it managed to recharge the earbuds from half to full in about half an hour.
Should I buy the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed?
Buy it if...
You want numerous features
The ANC might not be anything to boast about, but the various EQ profiles and the customization options for the touch controls are welcome.
You want great build quality
In line with many of Razer’s products, the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed are built to a very high standard, with both the case and the buds themselves feeling premium and durable.
Don't buy it if...
You want the absolute best sound
Despite doing an admirable job, the sound quality of the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed just can’t compete with larger headsets or earphones designed specifically for audio playback.
You want the best companion app / software
The Razer Audio app is useful when it works, but I found it wasn’t the most stable in my experience, and the fact it doesn’t work when connected via the HyperSpeed dongle is irksome.
Also consider...
Row 0 - Cell 0 | Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed | SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds | Sony Inzone Buds |
Price | $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$369.95 | $159.99 / £159.99 / AU$359 | $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$249.95 |
Weight | 0.21oz / 6g (each bud); 1.6oz / 46g (case) | 0.19oz / 5.3g (each bud); 1.7oz / 48.7g (case) | 0.23oz / 6.5g (each bud) |
Compatibility | Android, iOS, iPadOS, PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch | GameBuds for PlayStation: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Meta Quest 2/3, mobile; GameBuds for Xbox: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Meta Quest 2/3 | Android, PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch |
Connection type | Wireless (Bluetooth, HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle) | 2.4Ghz (via USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3 (mobile) | 2.4GHz (via USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3 |
Battery life | Not stated | Up to 40 hours (buds 10 hours; case 30 hours) | Up to 48 hours (buds 18 hours; case 30 hours) |
Features | Razer HyperSpeed Wireless technology, THX Spatial Audio, customizable touch controls, wireless charging, IPX4 | 360° Spatial Audio, Qi Wireless Charging Case, 6mm neodymium drivers, four-mic ANC, transparency mode, in-ear detection/sensor, IP55 rating, fast charge, companion app with more than 100 presets | 360° Spatial Audio, IPX4 equivalent, Quick Attention, touch controls |
Software | Razer Audio app (mobile) | Arctis Companion App (mobile), SteelSeries Sonar (PC) | Sony Headphones Connect app (mobile), Izone Hub (PC) |
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
As the best gaming earbuds around, you can’t really do much better than the Arctis GameBuds. With stellar sound and top-end features such as ANC and IP55 water resistance, they’re hard to beat. And to top it all off, they’re cheaper than the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed.
Read our full SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review
Sony Inzone Buds
As one of the best PS5 headsets, the Sony Inzone Buds have excellent noise cancellation, sound quality, and battery life. We did find some issues with Bluetooth connectivity and the bass response wasn’t the best, but they’re still a compelling package nonetheless. They’re also the same price as the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed.
Read our full Sony Inzone Buds review
How I tested the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed
- Tested for over a week
- Used on numerous devices
- Extensive gaming experience
I tested the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed for over a week, during which time I used them when playing games, listening to music, and watching video content.
I tried them with an Android phone – more specifically a Google Pixel 7a – as well as a PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. I used both Bluetooth and the HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle to connect to these devices.
I have been gaming for about 25 years, and have experienced numerous headsets and earbuds during that time. I have also reviewed various gaming headsets and general headphones.
- Read more about how we test
- First reviewed December 2024.
Lewis Maddison is a Reviews Writer for TechRadar. He previously worked as a Staff Writer for our business section, TechRadar Pro, where he had experience with productivity-enhancing hardware, ranging from keyboards to standing desks. His area of expertise lies in computer peripherals and audio hardware, having spent over a decade exploring the murky depths of both PC building and music production. He also revels in picking up on the finest details and niggles that ultimately make a big difference to the user experience.
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