Dina Bader: Review: Razer's Hammerhead Pro earbuds are AirPods Pro for gamers

Razer's new earbuds are basically its answer to AirPods Pro. It's just missing the RGB lighting that the brand is known for.

Ever since Apple introduced the AirPods, we've seen a ton of different clones pop up on the market from a variety of brands. This is even more so since the AirPods Pro, because let's face it — everyone wants wireless earbuds with powerful noise cancellation. And while Razer is a brand that is known for its wide range of gaming gear with fancy RGB lighting, the company has been moving towards more variety with lifestyle products, including the new Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds.

This is an upgraded version of the original Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds, which came out in 2019. So how does the new Hammerhead True Wireless Pro stack up against the original, and even AirPods Pro? Let's find out.

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro

Bottom line: Hammerhead True Wireless Pro is Razer's answer to AirPods Pro. These are small earbuds that come with six additional pairs of ear tips, including Comply premium foam tips, which have a secure seal and fit in the ear. It also has Advanced Hybrid Noise Cancellation with THX Certified Audio, delivering high-quality sound with low latency. It has touch controls for playback, and you can customize your settings in the companion app.

The Good

Small, lightweight, and comfortable
Additional ear tips for secure fit and seal
Up to 20 hours of listening time with charging case
Great sound quality with Advanced Hybrid ANC
THX Certified Audio
Includes one pair of Comply Premium Foam Ear Tips (M)

The Bad

Sensitive touch controls
No wireless charging for carrying case

$200 at Razer

These are Razer's answer to AirPods Pro

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro review: What I like

The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro comes in a charging case that is pretty much a copy of the AirPods Pro case. This means that the case is a little "fatter" (though the original Hammerheads also had a "fat" case), but still tall. It's made of a smooth plastic material that is more matte than what the AirPods Pro case looks like, and it comes in a sleek black color. An LED light on the front of the case shows battery level and pairing status. While the plastic case feels pretty nice on its own, I put on Razer's THS Case for Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro, which is made from TPU plastic and features Razer's signature logo emblazoned on both sides.

These are Razer's answer to AirPods Pro, and they're slightly cheaper while still being great quality.

The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro charging case charges up via USB-C, and it only takes about an hour or so to fully charge. Once they're charged, you can get about four hours of battery life from each earbud, but the charging case also holds an additional 16 hours, so you get about 20 hours total on a single charge. The earbuds will go into standby mode to conserve battery if left idle for about five minutes.

I tried to use the original Hammerheads, but I didn't like the way they fit in my ears (similar to the original AirPods). I'm happy to report that with the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro, you're going to get a much better fit thanks to the in-ear design.

You also get three different types of ear tips: SmoothComfort black silicone tips (in S/M/L sizes), SecureSeal translucent silicone tips (also S/M/L), and one pair of Comply premium foam tips in Medium. The SmoothComfort is what is on the earbuds by default, but the SecureSeal tips are a little tackier and give better grip, making them perfect for workouts. The Comply tips are the real winner though, since they're made from super-soft foam and reduce ear pain while not reducing sound quality at all.

Speaking of sound quality, these sound much better than the original Hammerhead earbuds. Because of the hybrid ANC, it nullifies external and unwanted internal noise with simultaneously generated inverse sound waves, giving you enhanced noise isolation. The sound is much more immersive and rich, and with the THX Certification, you get crisp and clear vocals with deep bass and no distortion at higher volume levels. Razer also included a Transparency mode with the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro, so you can long-press for two seconds to allow environmental noise to filter in, similar to AirPods Pro. This is great if you need to be aware of your surroundings, but still want to enjoy your music. Audio automatically pauses when you remove one earbud.

In order to set up the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro earbuds with an iPhone, you'll want to make sure you pair them up through the free Hammerhead True Wireless app first, before making sure they're connected through the iPhone's standard Bluetooth settings. This is important to note because otherwise, you won't be able to update the firmware on the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro, as I discovered while testing these out. After you have them paired in the app, then you can go back to the standard iOS Settings app and make sure they're paired and connected in the Bluetooth section.

With the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless app, you can choose the EQ settings for your earbuds, as well as change the touch controls if you desire. There is even an ear tip test in the app so you can check if you have the best pair of tips on to fit your ears. The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro allows for the following EQ settings: THX (Default), Custom, Amplified, Enhanced Bass, Enhanced Clarity, and Vocal.

Since there are no physical buttons on these earbuds, the touch gestures are: single press, double-tap, triple-tap, long press for two seconds, and triple tap and hold the last tap for two seconds. You can remap the action for audio and call for both the left and the right earbud individually. This gives you a lot of freedom in changing up how the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro works for your needs. I personally just kept it on the default controls and EQ.

Overall, these are obviously Razer's version of AirPods Pro, and they actually work quite well and are $50 cheaper. Plus, it comes in a stealthy black colorway, which is nice for those who don't like white.

Finicky touch controls and no wireless charging

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro review: What I don't like

During my testing of the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro, as convenient as touch controls are, I noticed it's a little more finicky than I'd like. I would often activate the single press control when I'm just adjusting the earbud in my ear, and sometimes the single press action wouldn't activate even though I'm tapping it. The controls that involve more than one press are not as troublesome, but this was something I noticed in particular with the single press action.

I'm also a little surprised that while the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro charges via USB-C, they are not Qi-wireless charging compatible. I wish Razer added this because it would make it much more convenient to top off the charge level of my case on my desk's wireless charging pad.

When pairing it with an iPhone, make sure to pair through the app first, otherwise there may be issues when you need to update the firmware.

While I'm glad to see that Razer included a Transparency mode on these, it's a little harder to notice the difference at first, unlike the AirPods Pro Transparency mode. It's definitely there but feels more subtle than how Apple did it for the AirPods Pro.

I was also having issues updating the firmware on the earbuds if I had paired through the iOS Settings Bluetooth menu instead of the app. It would consistently disconnect fail around 40% into the update. To rectify this, I had to unpair the earbuds through the iOS Settings, then pair them up in the app — zero issues with the firmware update this way. Then I had to select the earbuds from the Bluetooth menu and use it as normal.

As a fan of Razer's Quartz collection, I hope that the Hammerhead True Wireless Pro comes in other colors in the future, including Quartz Pink and Mercury White. Seeing as how the original Hammerhead buds came in Quartz, it's not impossible.

The competition

It's pretty clear that the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro are just Razer's version of AirPods Pro, which got a glowing review from us back when they first came out. But if you want a truly seamless experience with iOS, especially with firmware updates, then I would recommend the AirPods Pro, even though they're more than the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro.

But if both the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro and AirPods Pro are out of your price range, there are plenty of great alternatives available as well.

Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro review: Should you buy

You should buy this if ...

You like the Razer brand

One of the biggest selling points of these earbuds is whether you like Razer or not. If you have a lot of other Razer gear already, these are a great complement to your current setup.

You want great wireless sound

The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro has some great sound with the hybrid ANC and THX Certified Audio. You get clear audio with deep bass, and you can change the EQ settings in the app. These also have a Transparency mode if you need to filter in outside noise, though it's not as noticeable as AirPods Pro. And Razer gives you plenty of different ear tip options, including Comply, which help you get the best fit and seal.

You want black wireless earbuds

Apple's AirPods only come in white, which can be off-putting for some people. The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro comes in a sleek black color that may be more appealing.

You should not buy this if ...

You want a seamless experience with iOS

The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro has some specific features for Android that make the experience a lot more seamless compared to iOS (think AirPods for Android). If you prefer to have the best and most optimized experience with your wireless earbuds on iOS, then nothing beats AirPods Pro.

You want wireless charging

Considering the price tag of $200, I would expect wireless charging on these. Unfortunately that is not the case, and you'll have to stick with USB-C to charge these up.

You want other colors besides black

Like how Apple only releases AirPods in white, the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro only comes in black right now. If you are a fan of Razer but prefer the Quartz or Mercury collections, you may want to wait and see if Razer releases these in those color options later.

Overall, the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro is a great alternative to Apple's AirPods Pro if you're a Razer fan. They are small but comfortable, come with different types of ear tips for the best fit, and have pretty great sound quality with hybrid ANC and THX Certified Audio.

4 out of 5

But while the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro are good, they aren't without flaws. While the touch controls are convenient, they can be finicky, and it's disappointing that it doesn't isn't compatible with Qi-wireless charging. And as of right now, you can only get them in black, surprisingly enough.

You'll also want to make sure that you pair the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Pro with your iPhone or iPad through the Hammerhead True Wireless app first. Otherwise, you may encounter issues with updating firmware, as I experienced.