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Razer has been manufacturing earphones for its Hammerhead series for a while now, and today we are looking at the Hammerhead USB-C ANC. The name tells you pretty much everything you need to know, straight away – these earphones have a USB-C, not 3.5mm, connector and they also sport active noise cancelling technology. Priced at £80, are these worth buying?
Over the last two years, we have overseen a period where almost all flagship phones have removed the trusty headphone jack. Whether you like it or not, it's definitely been happening and there's only a handful of phones which still have a 3.5mm connector. Audio dongles have become a temporary solution, but these are easy to lose and (depending how you use them) easy to break. Audio manufacturers like Razer, with its Hammerhead USB-C ANC, are trying to present an easier solution – creating earphones that connect via USB-C instead of a 3.5mm jack.
It's not quite so straightforward as that, however, as there's no single USB-C audio standard. Different phone manufacturers treat the USB-C port in different ways, and different earphones also treat the connector in different ways – so you can't guarantee every USB-C headset will work with every USB-C phone/device. Still, it's an intriguing market and Razer does have a compatibility list on its website – though it is far from exhaustive.
Let's see how we got on by diving right into the review.
Specification:
Headphones:
- Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Impedance: 32 ± 15% Ω
- Sensitivity: 110 ± 3 dB (Max SPL)
- Input Power: 10mW/20mW
- Drivers: Dynamic + Balanced Armature
- Connector: USB-C Connector
- Cable length: 1.2 m
- Approximate Weight: 21.0 g
Microphone:
- Frequency response: 100 Hz – 10 kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio: ≥ 58 dB
- Sensitivity (@1 kHz): 40 ± 3 dB
- Pick-up pattern: Omnidirectional
In-line remote:
- Volume controls: Volume up/Down
- Center control: Play/ Pause Accept/ End Call
- Center Switch: ANC On/Off
Compatibility
- Handphones with USB-C Connectors
The Razer Hammerhead USB-C ANC ships in a black box, with a segmented image of the earphones visible on the front. The back of the box highlights various features of the earphones, including the in-line controller and included ear tips.
Opening the box reveals the earphones and a small carry case, neatly packed away in the protective foam mould.
The carry case is made of a soft, padded material and even comes with a small carabiner attached to it, so you could easily hook it onto a bag or belt loop.
Inside the case, we find four pairs of ear tips – three of which are silicon tips, while the other pair is a set of Comply foam tips.
Moving onto the earphones themselves, first impressions are certainly positive. The Hammerhead USB-C ANC has a lovely braided cable which run down to the USB-C connector, and being Razer everything is black – the only hint of colour is on the back of the earbuds as we will see below.
It's worth noting the whole cable isn't braided, however – where the left and right wires split at the earphone's bifurcation, the cabling is rubber-sleeved up until the earphones themselves, presumably to avoid any kinking or microphonics from the top portion of the cabling.
As it turns out, Razer has actually used the in-line controller for the bifurcation. It's made from aluminium and features three small buttons – volume up, volume down and play/pause. The side of the controller also houses a switch, and this turns the ANC on or off. A blue LED indicator will turn on once ANC is enabled.
Further up, a small microphone is placed on the right earbud cable. I like how Razer has done this – most earphones will have the in-line remote and mic integrated within a single package, which I find can cause the cable to drag down a bit. This way, the mic is quite light and doesn't weigh the cable down.
As for the earbuds, these are again made with an aluminium exterior which gives them a premium look. The back of each earbud is home to Razer's logo and these actually light up green once the earphones are plugged in.
One other point to note is the angled nozzles Razer has implemented. It looks to be about a 45-degree angle to the nozzle – similar to 1MORE earphones – and this is done deliberately to get a better fit in your ear canal. We talk about comfort on the next page.To test the Hammerhead USB-C ANC, I used the earphones for about a month while listening to music, watching videos and even when answering phone calls on the go. During this time, I also tried out the noise cancelling in several environments to get a feel for its capabilities.
Build quality and comfort
Starting off with build quality, I alluded to it on the previous page but the Hammerhead USB-C ANC feels really solid in the hand. All the key areas – earphone housing, mic, in-line controller, USB-C connector – are covered with aluminium, giving the earphones a pretty sturdy and premium feel.
On top of that, the braided cable is also high-quality, it's nice and flexible and I didn't have any issues with it kinking or twisting. The USB-C also has some serious ‘bite' to it, in that it actually requires quite a firm tug to unplug it from your phone, so that is also quite reassuring.
In terms of comfort, I had no issues wearing the earphones for prolonged periods of time. I really like the angled nozzle implementation – not everyone does it but personally speaking I get a much better insertion with an angled nozzle versus one that is dead straight.
There's also a total of five different ear tips to try out – four sets of silicon tips, and then the Comply Foam tips. I do prefer foam tips as I find I get the best seal with those, but I also had no issues using the default silicons tips as well. It wouldn't have hurt to give a few more options – with some double-flanged tips, for instance, and perhaps another size of foam tip – but considering the cost of these earphones we can only ask for so much.
Sound
Moving onto the sound quality, I have to say when I first opened up the box, took the earphones out and put them in my ears – I was quite surprised by the overall sound signature Razer has gone for with the Hammerhead USB-C ANC. My previous experience with Razer audio gear has been with the company's gaming headsets – the likes of the Kraken or Tiamat – which all have a pretty bass-heavy sound. With that in mind, I was expecting something similar from these earphones.
In fact, what you get is almost the opposite – there's not too much in the way of bass here, with just enough to keep the sound from feeling totally lifeless, and instead the emphasis seems to be placed towards the treble. It's not a harsh treble in any way, but it is definitely elevated over other aspect of the mix, making it very easy to pick out hi-hats in rock/metal and the string section in ‘Emigrate' by Novo Amor.
Like I said, it's not a harsh or sibilant treble, and I do quite like the sense of detail you get overall, but I think the high-end is let down by the bass and mid-range. There is some bass present in the mix, but to me the low-end still feels quite flat and lacking in energy. On top of that, the mid-range also sounds quite thin – it's somewhat recessed, and vocals in particular aren't presented with half the emotion or warmth you'd get from other earphones.
So overall, instead of the fun and bassy sound I was expecting, the Hammerhead USB-C ANC is more geared towards the high-end frequencies – which is fine, but such a thin mid-range doesn't really work that well with this tuning, especially so considering there isn't a whole lot of bass either. If the mid-range was fuller, it'd be a pretty decent, relatively neutral sound. At things stand, though, I can't help but describe the overall sound as ‘slightly lacking'.
Maybe that's because Razer has put its energies into making the active noise cancelling as good as it can – and I have to say, for a pair of smallish earphones, the ANC is pretty impressive. I was able to use these on a couple of flights, and the noise cancelling managed to cut out the monotonous drone of the planes' engines really well, leaving only a small whisper of noise which let me know there was still some of the engine's roar coming through.
Similarly, the screech of London's Underground was almost entirely eliminated by the ANC. It's things like people talking on the Tube next to you which the earphones can't deal with so well, but even then the voices were at least slightly muted. Still, for a pair of £80 earphones, I have been pretty impressed by the ANC overall.
Mic
Razer Hammerhead USB-C ANC Mic Test
Lastly, just touching on the integrated mic – it's certainly not the worst I've heard. The two main flaws are the relatively high amount of background noise picked up, as well as the compressed overall sound, but it is not bad at all – my voice sounds pretty clear and easy to understand, and I didn't receive any negative comments about the mic when using it for phone calls. In its attempt to create a pair of high-quality USB-C earphones that also have active noise cancellation, Razer has done a decent job with the Hammerhead USB-C ANC.
Certain aspects of the overall product are definitely better than others, but both build quality and comfort are top-notch – the earphones use plenty of aluminium to protect the important parts like the mic and USB-C connector, while the angled earbud nozzles and selection of ear tips proved perfect for my ears.
The noise cancelling technology is also surprisingly good for £80 earphones. True, they won't cancel out everything and certain sounds do work better with the ANC technology, but by and large these will reduce most of the ambient noise around you.
The main downside for me is the overall sound quality of the earphones when listening to music. They are not bad-sounding per se, but there are certainly more adept earphones out there for similar amounts of money. To my ears, the sound is just a bit thin and lacking in the bass department, which is surprising as I had expected a fun, bassy tuning from Razer.
They're still listenable and didn't cause me any fatigue, but at the same time I wasn't enjoying my music as much as I usually do. To me, the Hammerhead USB-C ANC seems to be prioritising the ANC technology over the sound quality, resulting in a slightly disappointing listening experience.
Lastly, just a note on the USB-C connectivity. I have to say I didn't experience any issues when using the earphones with my Pixel 3 or the Huawei Mate 20 Pro – the music played, the in-line controller worked and I could make calls using the mic. That said, there's no denying Razer's compatibility list needs updating as it is quite out of date, and I've heard numerous stories of the earphones not working properly. I can't say I've experienced that, but it's also hard to say that they're guaranteed to work given the less-than-exhaustive compatibility list.
If you do want to buy the Hammerhead USB-C ANC earphones, they will set you back £79.99 directly from Razer HERE.
Pros
- Great build quality.
- Comfortable to wear.
- Impressive ANC.
- Decent mic.
Cons
- Sound is lacking in the low-end and mid-range.
- USB-C compatibility isn't guaranteed.
KitGuru says: The ANC technology works surprisingly well, but the overall tuning of these earphones could do with some work.
