Razer has released a new addition to its Seieren microphone lineup infused with Chroma lighting. Yet, is the overall quality of this USB microphone as gleaming as its RGB?
Razer has been supplying the gaming and streaming community with RGB-lit peripherals for a long time. However, until now, the Seiren mic lineup has consisted of all-black capsule designs. While they look, and sound professional, could use a dash of chroma-integrated color.
The Seiren V3 Chroma is a more than welcome sight amongst the Seiren sea of microphones. While it may be more expensive than its non-RGB predecessors, the super-cardioid mic lights up a storm with its 10 RGB zones that can interact with your streams and gaming sessions.
Yet, fancy RGB is never indicative of quality. A good microphone needs to have the audio finesse to justify its lavish price point. With that in mind, I put the brand-new Razer Seiren microphone to the test to see if the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma isn’t just all style and no substance.
Key specs
- Microphone type: Condensor
- Audio quality: 24bit/96kHz
- Pickup pattern: Supercardioid
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Connectivity: USB Type A to USB C Type Wired
- Mounting: Built-in shock absorber desktop stand & boom mic adapter
- Features: Stream and gamer reactive lighting powered by Razer Chroma RGB,
- Price: $129.99
Design
The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma RGB USB microphone carries that capsule shape the Seiren line is known for. Yet, instead of the expected plain black grill encompassing most of the mic, it has decided to dress up for the occasion with a huge RGB zone. This easily makes it one of the best-looking microphones in the Seiren lineup.
The upper half of the capsule plays host to an array of RGB lighting, which is a cornerstone of this new Razer microphone. The 10-zone RGB may sit behind a black grill, but they’re bright enough to considerably light up your setup in any lighting. Even during the day, the RGB was saturated enough to bounce off the side of my white PC case and turn my gaming setup into a Razer-fueled disco.
The Seiren V3 Chroma microphone has a flattened off-top, which may look a bit odd at first glance, but it carries the multi-function tap-to-mute sensor. Along with the multi-use microphone gain and audio-monitoring gain dial on the front.
The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma mic comes with a desktop stand, which matches the black matte finish of the mic itself. The stand features a built-in shock absorber and is robust enough to keep the mic from any accidental knocks and bumps—a huge improvement to the Seiren V2 Pro stand that suffered greatly from bouts of wobbly-stand-itis.
Unlike the Razer Seiren V2 Pro, the ports aren’t cleverly disguised as part of the microphone and can look a bit unsightly.
Features
Like with most Razer peripherals, the Seiren V3 Chroma mic’s full potential is unlocked using the accompanying Synapse software. Here you can also tailor the multi-function tap-to-mute sensor, that sits on the top of the microphone. By default, tapping once mutes the mic, while additional taps cycle and toggle through the chroma effects.
The tap-to-mute sensor is an interesting addition to the microphone. I fully support the notion that the more on-board controls on the microphone the better, and the placement of the mute button allows the mic to keep a seamless and sleek design. However, there were multiple instances where I accidentally toggled on mute, particularly because it’s not an actual button but a flat sensitive surface.
Luckily, the mic glows red to signify that you’re muted, which more than came in handy when needing talking breaks on Discord. The Seiren V3 Chroma also glows red when you’re audio is peaking, which I only discovered after coughing, causing my setup to glow an ominous red, though you can customize the color via software.
The Chroma RGB can also be tailored to suit your setup, with a variety of quick and advanced effects to choose from. Synapse already has a few quick lighting effects to choose from, however, the microphone requires the additional Chroma modules to be installed for the most customization options.
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Once you have the Chroma modules installed, you have complete access to customize each zone of the Chroma lighting effects. I could spend hours at a time, messing around with the RGB, but eventually settled on matching the purple and pink hues of my keyboard.
Sound quality
The Seiren V3 Chroma is easily set up, negating the use of a pre-amp because of its plug-and-play connectivity. Connecting it to apps like Discord was a breeze, with the microphone instantly registering through the software once plugged in via its USB-C cable.
When using the Seiren V3 Chroma, Discord setup was straightforward, and I was easily heard, with no distortion or unwanted noise being picked up by the super-cardioid pickup pattern.
When going through audio speaking tests through Audacity, however, the mic did pick up unwanted noise, like the consistent hum of my gaming PC. Being a condenser mic, the Seiren V3 Chroma mic is more sensitive to sound, so this can’t always be rectified. However, the mic is compatible with boom arms, which means you can tailor the placement of the mic closer to your mouth, and away from noisy electronics.
Does it justify its price?
The Razer V3 Chroma costs $129.99, making it one of the priciest mics in the Seiren lineup. Yet for a USB plug-and-play microphone, that not only has an array of stream and gaming-compatible RGB lighting, but the audio quality to match, the price feels more than justifiable.
While it may not suit everyone’s budget, the Razer Seiren Mini makes for a great alternative. However, you will be giving up the dazzling customizable lighting of the Seiren V3 Chroma.
Should you buy the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma?
The Razier Seiren V3 Chroma microphone may be on the expensive side, but its top-notch condenser audio quality and gorgeous customizable and stream and game-integrated RGB more than make one of the best-looking, and sounding, mics in the Seiren lineup.
If you want to feel more immersed while playing one of the 300-chroma-compatible games or give your streams the RGB light show they deserve, the Seiren V3 Chroma more than makes the ideal pairing to any colorful gaming setup.
Verdict: 4/5
The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma microphone’s high-quality audio and gorgeous customizable RGB display make it stand out among the Seiren lineup, making it one of the best USB mics Razer has to offer.
While its bright lighting effects and plain black colorway may not suit every gaming setup, whether gaming or streaming, the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma improves on its predecessors, making it the only Razer mic your rig could ever need.
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