With the advent of Apple’s AirPods in 2016, the wireless headphone market began to populate with very similar models. But this does not mean that all wireless headphones are the same, on the contrary: with the diversification of the offer and technological innovations, manufacturers have found reasons to convince consumers to reflect more than a few minutes on the fateful choice. Will these headphones be used on commutes from home to work or school? It can to sacrifice autonomy in favor of active noise cancellation? Will they only be used with one device or do you need to frequently switch from smartphone to tablet to desktop? How important is the audio quality?
To this, and many other questions, Razer knows how to answer in an original way, with the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro. Starting from the design, which is very (very) reminiscent of the AirPods Pro, but which has a satin finish and not smooth, a bit more generous in size, and a matte color. The power port is USB-C, a real relief for anyone building an ecosystem of products based on the new connection standard. Unfortunately there is no wireless charging, which is present on more and more models from Apple to Samsung, and in a high-end model it cannot be missing in 2021.
Razer claims that, on a single charge, the Hammerhead Pro offer up to 4 hours of battery life and the case adds another 4 full cycles. This isn’t exactly the real experience – the two pods charge fast in the case, but they also quickly drain, first one and then the other, alternating. This could also be a problema software (and it seems to be), which can be solved with a firmware update which, however, is not on the horizon. Keeping in mind that this problem could be the result of a faulty drive, there are other issues to investigate that bring a Question mark on the stability of the product.
Source: Razer Hammerhead True Wireless app screenshot on iOS (Giacomo Barbieri / La Stampa)
First of all, there is a mobile app to connect the Hammerhead Pro and the Hammerhead: without too much imagination, it’s called Razer Hammerhead True Wireless, but the problem is that it serves to exclusively manage these two models. There are a plethora of other apps, to handle specific models only: Razer Opus (for high-end headphones), Razer Hammerhead (for wired headphones), and Razer Audio, which at first looks like an app to manage. all Razer’s audio devices, but is only compatible with the Kraken BT Kitty Edition.
Even when you enter the dedicated app (after being a bit confused by this diversification), the situation does not change much: at the first opening, the app asks you to leave the case closed and the headphones inside, and then to open and wait 5 seconds to enter pairing mode. When the app connects to the headphones, it manages the pairing of these with the smartphone and then it seems to lose this authority: once the headphones are paired and connected again, the app no longer recognizes them. After a tour of the Razer support site, it is clear that a reset is needed to bring the situation back to its initial state. After a few attempts, which also include decoupling and re-pairing, the situation returns to normal. But the balance is again disturbed if you try to connect the headphones also to a computer, which does not have a dedicated app and therefore needs to be paired as a generic device.
It must be said that Razer, in the dedicated support page and in the frequent answers, specifies that the headphones are “suitable for connection with iOS and Android mobile devices, but also work with macOS and Windows computers”, a bit like a admission of guilt.
When properly paired and configured on your smartphone, the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro delivers premium audio quality, with minimal delay in playback, powerful bass, crystal clear and immersive sound. In the app there are 5 levels of configuration, including a granular customization of frequencies, and you can also activate other modes, such as gaming mode or fast connection (which is the most problematic), or even the choice between active noise cancellation and ambient mode.
Noise cancellation is very good, and the variety of rubber tips Razer offers in the box allows you to find the right fit, although the shape of the pods, a little squared off, does not fit snugly to the ear. Running or moving in an agitated manner, it is very likely that one of the two pods will fall.
Between pros and cons, the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro don’t have everything it takes to be a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro or the Galaxy Buds Live or Buds +, mainly because they don’t offer an adequate outline, between apps and operating system integration. In 2021, the bar for the quality of a pair of wireless headphones is very high, and with the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro, Razer still has some way to go.