Razer Tiamat 2.2 V2 Headset Review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing and First Look3. Testing4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

Five years on from the release of the original Tiamat 2.2, Razer is back with a successor – rather unimaginatively named the Tiamat 2.2 V2. The ‘2.2' moniker is important as that means each ear cup features a dedicated sub-woofer, meaning there are a total of four 50mm drivers in the headset as a whole. What does this sound like, and is it good for gaming? Let's find out.

With a price tag of £129.95 here in the UK, the Razer Tiamat 2.2 V2 is certainly one of the more expensive gaming headsets out there. At this price, we certainly have high expectations, but before coming to any conclusions, let's crack on with the review.

Specification:

Headphones

• Drivers: 4 x 50 mm Titanium coated diaphragm with Neodymium magnets
• Frequency response: 20 – 20 kHz
• Impedance: front 32 Ohm, back 16 Ohm
• Maximum input power: 50 mW
• Cable length: 1.3 m / 4.27 ft plus 2 m / 6.6 ft audio / mic splitter adapter cable

Microphone

• Frequency response: 100 – 10 kHz
• Sensitivity @ 1 kHz: -38 dB ± 3 dB
• Signal-to-noise ratio: >58 dB
• Microphone type: ECM
• Pick-up Pattern: Unidirectional
• In-line volume control
• Analog volume wheel
• Microphone mute switch

The Razer Tiamat 2.2 V2 ships in a box that is typical of Razer – meaning there is a triple-headed snake logo, green accents and a large product photo on the front.

Inside, the headset itself is very neatly packaged in plenty of foam, while the accessories are hidden under the ‘welcome to the cult of Razer' cardboard flap.

Speaking of accessories, the Tiamat 2.2 V2 comes with a small quick-start guide, a greeting card and a 2m jack extension/splitter cable.

Now, coming to the headset itself, I must admit the overall ‘boxy' design reminds me of the Cooler Master MasterPulse MH320 – or perhaps the MH320 should remind me of the Tiamat, as the original 2.2 did come first.

That said, the overall design is not unpleasant, and I do quite like the stealthy, matte black style which is typical of Razer products.

Moving to the ear cups, we can see they are closed-back, which is to be expected, and there is a small Razer logo on the outside of each cup.

On the inside of the cups we can see the foam cushions have a faux-leather finish. I personally prefer fabric cushions as faux-leather cushions make my ears very warm during extended use, but that is obviously just personal preference.

There aren't any spare cushions in the box, which is a shame given the price, but the cushions are removable, so perhaps there will be the option to buy spares/replacements in the future.

Elsewhere, the headband is of the ‘floating', or suspended, variety – so it stretches to fit your head as you put it on. That padded headband, covered with a fabric mesh, is suspended from a sturdy metal frame.

The Tiamat 2.2 V2's microphone is fully rotatable so it can be stored up and away when not in use. The mic's pickup pattern is unidirectional, too, so hopefully that will prevent background noise from leaking into any recordings.

In terms of on-ear controls, there is no adjustable volume wheel or anything like that. The only on-ear control is a small slider on the right ear cup. This toggles between ‘standard' and ‘dual speaker' mode, and dual speaker mode enables the secondary bass driver in each ear cup.

Lastly, Tiamat 2.2 V2's cable is not detachable and measures 1.3m long. It uses a standard 3.5mm jack, though, so it can be used across multiple platforms. The extension cable (shown above) does split the audio and mic signals into separate jacks, though, so it can be used on a PC just fine. To test out different gaming headsets, I make sure to use them for a variety of tasks – including gaming, watching videos or listening to music. During this time, I take note of the sound quality, comfort levels and mic quality of the headset.

Comfort

Starting with the comfort of the Tiamat 2.2 V2, I must say that I have no major complaints – it is a comfy headset.

The cushions are nicely padded and, despite the square-ish shape, fit over my ears well. The cups are also rotatable at the hinges, meaning you can get the perfect fit to the contours of your head. I would've liked to see some fabric ear cushions included in the box, but the faux-leather ones provided are nice and soft – they just make my ears quite warm.

The suspended headband is also well done, with the weight of the Tiamat 2.2 V2 being distributed very evenly across my head. The only problem with these designs is that the metal outer frames often amplify the slightest of vibrations, so eating crisps while wearing the Tiamat is not recommended. However, unless I go out of my way to touch the metal frame, this is not usually an issue for me.

Software

‘Software?', you ask. ‘I thought this was an analog headset?'. Correct – it is analog, but that doesn't stop Razer advertising the Tiamat 2.2 V2's surround-sound capabilities.

Essentially, if you are wondering how that could be the case, Razer wants you to download its Razer Surround engine to use with the Tiamat – this engine uses software to emulate 7.1 virtual surround with any pair of headphones that connect via 3.5mm jack.

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It's a neat tool, offering surround-sound calibration, various enhancements (like bass boost, not that the Tiamat needs it) as well as an EQ utility, so it certainly has a few options to tinker with. It may not be as fully-fleshed as Razer Synapse, but it provides virtual 7.1 for those who want it, so we have no complaints.

Audio and mic quality

Now, moving on to audio quality, it is worth saying right from the start that the Tiamat 2.2 V2 will not be for everybody. This is simply the nature of a headset with discrete sub-woofers in each ear cup – the bass is very strong, to the point of being overpowering. If you like bass, you will love the Tiamat, but to my ears the sound is far from perfect.

For one, while the bass is massive, it is very loose and spills across the mids and highs. That means those mid and treble frequencies are quite recessed, giving a very dark tone to music and videos. Acoustic music, for instance, loses a lot of detail and clarity – it sounds like you are listening through a very thick veil.

That being said, the bass is truly unmissable – especially when you enable the secondary sub-woofers via the on-ear toggle – and it gives a proper oomph to house and garage tracks, while rocks and prog metal tracks from the likes of Tool and Dream Theatre feel very dark and heavy.

For gaming, that bass contributes to hefty explosions and almost deafening gunfire in titles like Battlefront 1 and Ghost Recon: Wildlands. However, given the mids and highs are not very present in the mix, it does make it a challenge to pick out enemy footsteps and other audio cues. Speaking personally, I prefer a much more balanced headset to game with, but bassheads out there will likely get on well with the Tiamat.

Another aspect worth noting is the virtual surround. Using Razer's tool, I must admit the virtual 7.1 solution is very successful – it creates a wider soundstage and atmosphere without completely destroying all of the audio's detail. Most headsets with virtual 7.1 just add a ton of reverb to fool your ears into thinking the sound is wider and more expansive than it is. Razer Surround, though, keeps all of the clarity while definitely giving a more expansive sound. Overall, as far as virtual surround-sound goes, this is one of the best implementations I've heard, so kudos to Razer.

Lastly, the mic is worth touching on. Overall, I think the mic is actually very decent – my voice sounds full and quite natural, with just a hint of that nasally sound which is common to almost every headset mic out there. The unidirectional pattern certainly seems to reduce the levels of background noise picked up – with the TV on in the next room, I couldn't hear it when recording myself using Audacity. Overall, good job Razer.On the whole, the Razer Tiamat 2.2 V2 is a decent headset, provided you like a lot of bass.

Starting with the design, though, I really like the matte black, stealthy look of the Tiamat 2.2 V2. It is a bit big and boxy-looking, which is to be expected as each ear cup houses an additional driver, but it is overall pretty inoffensive. There is also no RGB lighting, so RGB haters rejoice.

In terms of comfort, I got on well with the headset. Its cushions are thick and soft, while the Tiamat's headband distributes the weight of the headset very evenly. I would've liked to see some spare ear cushions, as the included cushions have a faux-leather finish which makes my ears very warm, but that is not the end of the world.

Sound quality, however, is another matter. There is obviously plenty of bass, as is to be expected from a headset with a dedicated sub-woofer in each ear cup. However, the bass is so dominant the mids and highs get quite lost – giving the overall sound a very dark and veiled feel.

Some people may like this – the enjoyment of audio is highly subjective, after all. However, I know I am not wrong in saying many would prefer a more balanced sound, one with more detail and clarity. As it is, the Tiamat 2.2 V2 is firmly targeting the bass heads out there.

That issue is compounded by the price of the Tiamat 2.2 V2. At £129.95, there are a fair few headsets out there which not only cost less, but offer a clearer and more detailed listening experience – Razer's own Kraken 7.1 V2 is one of them. If you want the biggest bass around, then sure, go for the Tiamat 2.2 V2. If you want a balanced, clear sound, however, you may want to look elsewhere.

You can buy one from Overclockers UK for £129.95 HERE.

Pros

• Matte black styling looks good.
• Nice and comfy.
• 7.1 virtual surround support is very good.
• Decent mic.
• Big bass.

Cons

• Bass is quite loose.
• Mid and highs are recessed, resulting in a dark sound signature.
• Better all-round options available for less.

KitGuru says: For those who love their bass – and we mean, really love it – the Tiamat 2.2 V2 could be an option. However, for the money, there are definitely better all-rounders out there.

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