Tag: soundbar

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Mobile Syrup

Razer’s Leviathan V2 Pro really wants to replace your gaming headset

I’ve spent the past week and a half using Razer’s latest PC gaming soundbar, the Leviathan V2 Pro, and I can confidently say that it doesn’t disappoint, but it also isn’t for everyone.

Razer touts the soundbar as a one-stop PC audio solution, and it is just that.

Minimalist design for a gaming soundbar

The Leviathan V2 Pro is a regular-looking soundbar. What I mean by that is it doesn’t feature any tacky gamer-esque elements. But it’s not plain and boring, either. The soundbar features a premium-looking black mesh grille in the front with a matte body. The buttons to control the V2 Pro are positioned neatly on top and include a volume knob that also doubles as a power on/off button, and four smaller round buttons to adjust equalizer presets, audio modes, RGB lights and inputs.

The Leviathan V2 Pro is designed to sit right in front of you on your desk and be positioned under your monitor. In my case, the monitor’s bottom bezel is fairly high, and I place the monitor further away on my desk, resulting in no inconvenience. However, some PC users, especially while gaming, prefer having their monitor placed close to them at a slanted angle. I would imagine the soundbar would get in the way in those situations, as it comes in at 4.5-inches tall. The single-firing subwoofer isn’t too huge either, coming in at 10.2-inches x 11.6-inches x 10.2-inches. The ideal position for it is under your desk near your feet, so that shouldn’t take up any extra space on your desk.

The front of the soundbar houses an IR (Infrared) camera that tracks the user sitting right in front of it (more on it later). On each side of the IR camera are LED lights that indicate which audio mode you’re currently on, and if the soundbar is able to track your head or not.

And, of course, RGB lights. Through the bottom of the soundbar runs a customizable Razer Chroma RGB light strip that doesn’t scream “GAMER!” but adds a fun element.

On the rear, the soundbar features a regular power port, followed by a subwoofer output port, a 3.5mm headset port and a USB Type C port.

Connectivity is easy, and customization options are abundant

Razer has designed the Leviathan V2 Pro to work best with a PC, though it’s also compatible with Bluetooth devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and the Nintendo Switch. On PC, connecting the soundbar is no hassle thanks to a USB-C to USB-A plug-and-play connection. Similarly, Bluetooth 5.0 allows for a seamless, fast and low-input delay connection with mobile devices.

It’s worth noting that the soundbar and the subwoofer require their own power outlets, and considering that the ports around your PC would already be occupied with the monitor and accessory wires, you’ll need to purchase an extra extension. Connecting the subwoofer to the soundbar is fairly simple, with an input/output wire for each end, though a wireless subwoofer would have served me better. Ever since I’ve moved to a new house, my cable management has gotten awful, and tucking away thick power cables for both the soundbar and the subwoofer has been a pain without a wire management tray.

Further, you can also plug your headphones directly into the 3.5mm slot on the rear of the soundbar to switch between the two devices with ease.

The audio modes for the soundbar can easily be adjusted from the top-placed buttons, but the Razer Synapse app for PC and the Razer Audio app for iOS and Android offer a much wider range of customization. I found myself using the mobile application more often than the PC one just because of the ease of accessibility, though none of the apps offer anything that the other doesn’t. Both apps allow you to switch between modes, including Virtual Headset, Virtual Surround, Stereo and Room Fill. The equalizer also has some presets, including Flat, Game, Movie and Music, though you can adjust the sound and bass according to your own preference as well.

The Leviathan V2 Pro sounds incredible

A good soundbar primarily needs to have good audio quality, and the Leviathan V2 Pro certainly delivers. It’s worth noting that the soundbar itself doesn’t have built-in woofers, so using it by itself wouldn’t offer very pleasing results. With the subwoofer connected, though, the Leviathan V2 Pro doesn’t feel any less capable than a full-fledged home theatre that wouldn’t fail to piss off your neighbours.

The most interesting feature that the Leviathan V2 Pro offers is its beamforming virtual headset mode. I had a lot of fun trying out the feature, but is it enough to replace an actual headset? The feature essentially employs the front-positioned IR camera to scan where your head and ear are and beam audio waves directly to them.

The feature isn’t a trick to sell the soundbar; it actually works quite well. For me, using the mode for the first few minutes felt very weird. Not uncomfortable-weird, but more like fascinating-weird. While using the mode, it actually felt like I was wearing virtual headphones, with audio consistently beamed directly to my ears, even if I changed my position or swayed my head from side to side.

This brings us back to the question: can the Leviathan V2 Pro replace an actual headset? Well, in some cases, yes. Playing Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales with the mode turned on was enjoyable, with all kinds of sound effects from the game beamed directly to my ears. Titles that don’t require absolute sound accuracy, like FIFA 23 or God of War, for example, are a pleasure to play with the head tracking mode turned on, but for more competitive games where you need to hear where exactly your enemies are coming from, I would still prefer a regular headset. Not only because the positional audio is more accurate with regular headphones, but also because I’d have to keep the soundbar at a fairly high volume when gaming, and that wouldn’t always suit well with my housemates.

Similar to the Virtual Headset mode, Virtual Surround also uses the front-positioned IR camera accurately replicates a 7.1 surround sound experience, with audio beaming to you from each side of the room in a stage-like experience. It’s quite remarkable that I can sway from side-to-side and still consistently feel like I’m positioned at the center of the soundstage.

What’s missing is built-in tweeters. I feel that sometimes the vocals feel muddy and in-game audio effects feel dull due to the lack of tweeters. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the high-end and treble are entirely missing, nor does it completely make or break the Leviathan V2. It’s just that the soundbar can’t replicate actual headphones in that aspect.

The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro isn’t cheap, given it costs $549.99. But for what you’re getting, spending that much is justifiable. Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar is an excellent addition to a PC setup for gamers and non-gamers alike, with its sleek and simple design, multiple audio modes, and unique beamforming virtual headset and virtual surround modes. The Razer Synapse and Razer Audio apps offer a wide range of customization options, and the soundbar is compatible with Bluetooth devices. The sound quality is impressive, but the lack of built-in woofers means that the subwoofer is essential for an optimal listening experience. The Razer Synapse and Razer Audio apps offer a wide range of customization options, and the soundbar is compatible with Bluetooth devices.

I wouldn’t buy the soundbar if I wanted it to double as a home theatre setup for my TV. The Leviathan V2 Pro would have been a much more capable soundbar with support for TVs, but Razer seems adamant to limit it to PCs and Bluetooth connections. I also wouldn’t buy this soundbar if your housemates or neighbours disapprove of loud music and thumping bass. Further, the soundbar and subwoofer require their own power outlets, which can be a hassle for cable management.

While the Leviathan V2 Pro doesn’t completely replace a gaming headset, it is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment for those looking for a high-quality PC audio solution.

The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro is available to order from Razer’s website for $549.99.

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Mobile Syrup

Sonos’ Ray is a decent soundbar lacking the company’s magic

Between now and when Sonos released the Playbar back in 2012, it seems the company has discovered that the TV-based-home-audio market is very lucrative — and now we have the Ray soundbar… for better or worse.

The Ray is a decent soundbar, and possibly a first step into Sonos’ ecosystem for anyone looking to upgrade their TV’s speakers. Having the ambition to build out an entire Sonos home system someday helps justify this speaker too. However, it’s hard not to be somewhat disappointed by its middle-of-the-road sound since most of Sonos’ other products offer better audio quality.

The Ray isn’t bad for its $349 price tag, but without Sonos’ ecosystem to back it up, it’s a fairly standard soundbar.

The most entry-level Sonos yet

When I talked to Sonos representatives at Ray’s release event, they told me that the soundbar is designed to be someone’s first foray into the Sonos ecosystem. It could also work well for a secondary TV that you don’t use much, but still want to be a part of your system.

After spending time with the Ray myself, I’m not sure how necessary it is for a secondary TV unless it features really bad speakers. That said, it’s still a good entry point into the Sonos system. In terms of sound quality, it’s okay and a solid upgrade compared to the basic speakers built into my TCL-Series 6 TV from 2020.

Despite that, it doesn’t give me that classic Sonos magic. If you’ve never used a Sonos Beam or Arc before, you might not notice that.

When listening through the previously mentioned soundbars, the audio sounds fantastic, with above-average detail and clarity. On the Ray, it just sounds louder. The soundbar maintains a powerful, rich sound profile, but doesn’t strike me with astounding clarity like Sonos’ other products.

This was bound to happen as the company moves to enter lower-priced markets, but unless you plan to get more Sonos speakers after the Ray, it’s not really worth it since you can buy a comparable soundbar for $200 or less. That being said, the small size does offer a lot in the way of versatility. It’s also worth noting that it features upward-firing speakers, so it can be placed in a TV stand, unlike the Beam 2 or the Arc.

Other notable features

Like all modern Sonos speakers, it’s also web-connected, so you can group it via the Sonos app with other Sonos speakers or use AirPlay 2 to merge it with other Apple devices. It’s fairly useful and once I’m done testing this speaker as a soundbar, it will likely live on my studio shelf as a boombox for that room or on my desk as a PC soundbar.

You can also control the volume of the Ray with some TV remotes even when your Television is off, which is somewhat useful, but it doesn’t work with my TV’s Roku remote.

The Ray is missing a microphone and the HDMI jack, so the only way to connect it to your TV is with an optical audio cable. You can also use it as a standalone Sonos speaker. However, you’d be better off with three Sonos Ones for the price.

I will concede that Sonos’ wave-splitting hardware does help the speaker punch above its weight class in larger rooms, but without Atmos like the more recent Beam, I wouldn’t call it an immersive experience — I’d just call it louder.

I also felt that the Ray’s range was a little more constrained compared to the Beam, making loud sounds a lot more jarring. To remedy this, I kept the Sonos ‘Night Mode’ enabled — it levels audio to maintain more balance between loud and quiet scenes in a movie.

A soundbar for profit

As a business move, I think the Ray will sell really well. Its lower price point, combined with the fact that it’s a soundbar and not just a speaker, should help attract more people to Sonos’ ecosystem.

I think I’m more likely to push people with a little extra budget up to the Beam 2 or even the very expensive (but amazing) Sonos Arc.

If you already think that the Sonos Ray is a little pricey, I’d go down to the Roku Streambar or something else in the $200 range. Often you can even get soundbars with subwoofers packed in, which offer a notable improvement over the Ray in sound quality. Just be warned that you won’t get access to Sonos’ great app and software, so only go this route if you don’t want to acquire more speakers from the company in the future.

The Sonos Ray costs $349.

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Mobile Syrup

Sonos Ray is the company’s new $350 Soundbar

The new Sonos Ray is set to be a massive success for Sonos.

Sonos director, Casey Clemens told MobileSyrup that around half of listening on Sonos products is done while watching content on a TV. This statistic shows just how vital the home theatre business has become for the company.

Now that the Ray is releasing with a price point low enough to appeal to a wider market ($350 CAD), it will be exciting to see if it takes off as Sonos predicts and brings more people into the company’s smart speaker ecosystem.

The Ray is a three-channel soundbar designed to be someone’s first Sonos product or a way for existing Sonos users to outfit a second TV with a soundbar that’s cheaper than the Beam Gen 2 ($560 CAD). During my hands-on time with the device, it sounded powerful enough and offered that classic richness you get from Sonos speakers. That said, it didn’t sound  as detailed as the Sonos Beam to me.

To help make the soundbar as immersive as possible, Sonos uses new split waveguides to help direct sound equally out from the TV in a wide swath. In my brief tests, the Ray seemed to offer better stereo separation than expected, but the balance of the sound weighs vocals slightly higher than bass and other noises. This will likely be pleasing to people watching content at night, but it didn’t seem to offer the crisp balance you get from more expensive Sonos speakers. All that being said, I didn’t get to spend much time testing, so this could all change when I test it on my own.

Fun features

As with all Sonos speakers, the Ray works with ‘Trueplay,’ so you can tune it to fit whatever room it’s in as cleanly as possible. Other sound-based software found in Sonos soundbars is offered with the Ray too. This includes ‘Night sound,’ which balances all the sounds so loud noises don’t wake anyone else up in your home and ‘Speech enhancement.’

One interesting thing to note is that since the Ray isn’t Atmos-equipped, it can be placed into a TV stand since there are no upward-firing speakers. It’s also relatively small, so most people shouldn’t have a problem integrating it into their home theatre setup. The Ray will be available in the standard Sonos ‘Black’ and ‘White’ colours.

The speaker will hit the global market on June 7th for $350.

Specs

  • Four Class-D digital amplifiers
  • Two tweeters with split waveguides
  • Two full-range mid woofers
  • Bass reflex system
  • Adjustable EQ in the Sonos app
  • Works with Sonos rear surround speakers/subwoofer
  • Optical audio only
  • Ethernet jack