The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless is a compelling pair of TWS headphones, despite some software’s quirks and complicated controls: the audio quality is solid, the RGB lighting adds a different look, and the ANC is quite good.
| PROS | CONS |
| Good sound quality | Short battery life |
| Multiple touch-based interactions | |
| Comfortable, ANC and Low Latency |
General
| Razer Hammerhead | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | Razer |
| Type | Truly Wireless |
| Released | August 11, 2021 |
| Colors | Classic Black |
| OS | Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS |
| Weight | 53 g |
| Connectivity | Wireless, Bluetooth |
Design
| Type | In-Ear |
| Wireless | Yes |
| Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Frequency range | 20 Hz – 20 kHz |
| Sensitivity | 91 dB at 1 mW / 1 kHz |
| Impedance | 16 Ω |
The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless headphones are the fourth TWS earphones Razer releases for gamers, and each generation polishes small details.
This new model uses an in-ear headphone design (the kind put in the ear) and a relatively thin and long temple. The headphones are black plastic with a very nice glossy finish, although it is a magnet for fingerprints. Each earbud weighs 5 grams, and the two earbuds with the box weigh 53 grams.
The part that goes into the ear is quite angled compared to the rest. This achieves a perfect fit without the need to push the silicone pad too far into your ear. Thanks to that, the headphones are still comfortable, even if we use them for many hours at a time. Of course, a perfect fit is easily achieved, which makes the headphones isolate us from outside noises quite well.
Accessories included: 3 pairs of differently sized silicone ear cushions for improved fit, a USB-C cable, charging case, and earbuds.
The weight distribution of the headphones and the good fit means that the headphones do not move from their position, even if we exercise. Something interesting because the headphones have the IPX4 water resistance certificate to be safe from splashes and sweat.
Two small metal contacts are used at the bottom of each ear for charging the headphones and the microphone for hands-free charging, and a microphone.
At the top, we have what the headset itself is. We have the side that goes into the ear on the inside, and on the outside, we have the Razer snakes logo. The logo features customizable RGB lighting.
With the Chroma application for mobile, we can control brightness, color, and lighting effects.
- Spectrum: changes color over time
- Static: single color
- Breathing: varies the intensity of the lighting as breathing can be used with two colors
- Music Meter: Audio Meter reacts to the beat of the music being played. It is curious and, above all, quite striking. It is configured with the mobile app, but then it works with any device (computer, TV, etc.)
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In turn, the Raze snake logo acts as a touch control and is configured by default to:
- Pause and resume:Â one tap on any headset
- Skip to the next song:Â 2 taps on any headset
- Return to the previous song:Â 3 taps on any earphone
- ANC control:Â holding down any earphone for 2 seconds toggles between ANC modes on and ambient mode on
- Volume up:Â press 2 times and hold the last press on the right earbud
- Volume down:Â press 2 times and hold the last press on the left earbud
- Game mode:Â press 3 times and hold the last press on any headset
- Accept/hang up call:Â one press on any headset
- Reject call:Â press and hold any headset for 2 seconds
We can configure the controls with the Razer Audio application for mobile ( iOS, Android ), but not completely. For each action, we have a few options available, not all, so customization is limited.
Features
| Microphone | Yes |
| Music Controls | Yes |
| App | Razer Audio |
| Audio codecs | SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz |
| Microphone | Integrated |
| Waterproof | IPX4 |
| Voice Assistant | Yes |
Noise Reduction
The other great feature of the headphones is the ANC or Active Noise Cancellation. The Hammerhead True Wireless has the feedforward ANC system, which is a bit simpler than the hybrid ANC of the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro. Even so, the performance of the ANC has pleasantly surprised me, and both are practically on the same level.
Also, since the passive noise cancellation is perfect, the overall performance is excellent. Low and mid frequencies such as noise from computer fans disappear completely. The noise from cars is also greatly minimized. As is often the case, higher-pitched noises such as voices or typing on the computer are still heard with some clarity, although with less intensity.
The noise cancellation really shines when the music starts because the ANC doesn’t add any hiss or electrical noise, and the sound is still clear and clean.
We can also switch to ambient sound mode quickly by pressing any headset for two seconds. So we can listen to the environment or talk to people normally. The sound sounds quite natural, although not as natural as on the AirPods Pro.
Battery
| Battery Type | Li-Po |
| Battery Life | Up to 23.5 hrs |
| Charge Time | 1.1 hrs |
| Charging Port | USB-C |
| Qi Wireless Charging | Yes |
Connectivity
| Bluetooth | Yes 5.2 v |
| NFC Pairing | No |
| Connection | Wireless |
| Sensitivity | 91 dB |
| Playback Control | No |
The headphones feature Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and are compatible with SBC and AAC codecs. The connection is very stable. Of course, you can transparently use any headset without having to configure anything on the mobile.
Nor have they given me any signal problems running or carrying my mobile in a backpack. The range is medium, they reach almost the whole house, but in the kitchen, they start to lose signal.
As for latency, in normal mode, latency can be seen playing video games, but it goes unnoticed by watching videos. If we activate the gaming mode, the latency is minimal, and it is not appreciated even on the computer playing shooting games.
Gaming mode uses lower sound quality, and the connection has a shorter range. And, the truth is that the loss of sound quality is hardly noticeable.
Audio
The new Hammerhead True Wireless from 2021 use dynamic 10mm diameter drivers of quite quality. This, together with the good in-ear fit, makes the headphones sound really good.
The bass has punch and punches to spare to set the pace. They are relatively detailed and contained, so they don’t mess up the mid-frequencies at all. Of course, they do not have too much travel in the lower part.
The means are obvious and detailed. The separation of instruments is perfect, and even in complicated melodies, they can maintain a good level of clarity. The soundstage is a bit more limited, which is common for in-ear headphones.
The highs are detailed but quite warm, so listening is enjoyable.
Overall, this is a fairly balanced sound with the lows a bit bouncy—all genres of music sound good, from hip hop to rock and even classical music. A characteristic of the sound of these second-generation TWS Hammerheads is the clarity of the sound and the separation of instruments. Thanks to that, it is a delight to hear them.
Battery
The headphones have an internal battery that allows them to run for 6.5 hours on a single charge. The charging case allows the headphones to be charged about four times more, so the total autonomy exceeds 30 hours. Of course, this is with ANC, and Chroma RGB turned off and at 50% volume. With the ANC activated, the autonomy is reduced to about 4.5 or 5 hours. And with everything activated, ANC and RGB lighting, the autonomy drops to about 4 hours. Therefore, the autonomy is not bad, but some rivals surpass them in this regard.
After the battery is depleted, the headphones take about an hour and a half to recharge the charging case fully.
The headphone box has an LED on the front that changes color depending on the battery charge level:
- Green: the battery is good
- Orange: low battery
- Red: shallow battery
When we charge the box, the red led indicates that it is charging and the green led indicates that it has finished. By the way, the box can only be charged by USB-C; it does not have wireless charging.
Price
In general, for $165, these new Razer headphones are an excellent option for most gamers since it is not easy to find good headphones with low latency. ANC improved battery life (over the previous model) and Chroma RGB integration considering the sound quality.
Conclusion
This new Hammerhead True Wireless model has many significant improvements in sound, increased comfort, and the robust Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system. In addition, it also has a gaming mode with very low latency and Razer Chroma RGB lighting, in case we want to stand out a little more.
On the negative side, the autonomy is somewhat inferior to the best rivals in the category. However, it is not bad either and is very similar to that of the AirPods Pro. And the touch controls are very improvable. It’s a shame because it’s something easy to fix.
