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Razer Megalodon: 7.1 Gaming Headset Review
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Razer Megalodon: 7.1 Gaming Headset Review

Technical Specifications

Headphones

  • Frequency Response: 20 – 20,000 Hz
  • Impedance: 32Ω at 1kHz
  • Sensitivity (@1kHz, 1V/Pa): 102 dB ± 4dB at 1 kHz
  • Max. Input Power: 200 mW
  • Drivers: 40 mm, with neodymium magnets
  • Inner Ear Cup Diameter: 50 mm / 1.97”
  • Cable Length: 3.3 m / 10.83 ft
  • Approximate Weight: 225 g / 0.5 lbs

Microphone

  • Frequency Response: 50 – 16,000 Hz
  • Sensitivity (-37 dB ± 4dB @1kHz, 1V/Pa): Variable (user adjustable)
  • Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 50 dB
  • Pick-up pattern: Unidirectional

Audio Processing Unit

  • Master volume, center speaker, front speakers, side speakers, rear speakers, bass level, mic sensitivity, mic leveling, mic mute, Razer Maelstrom on/off, active/standby toggle, reset
  • Cable: 3.3 meters, Braided Fiber Sheath
  • Connector: Gold-plated USB

Requirements

PC with built-in USB port
Powered USB-Port recommended
Windows® XP / x64 / Vista/ Vista64/Windows 7

Overview

The Razer Megalodon 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset from Imba is potentially the best gaming headset your money can buy on the market if your PC can handle it.  I recently purchased one for playing World of Warcraft some time ago, and also to play games like Modern Warfare where I get the most out of the headset’s 7.1 Digital Surround Sound features.  There are some great things about the Megalodon I plan to point out in this article as well as a few key points for you to consider that may steer you away from this highly technical piece of gaming equipment.

Like all Products from Razer the Megalodon is manufactured with the top quality materials in mind to give you the best performance possible when using the headset.  The thing is if your not going to use each of these features you have to ask yourself if the price of such a headset is worth it to you. Especially when games like World of Warcraft which doesn’t yet support 7.1 surround sound is primarily the only game you play. The Megalodon does utilize quite a bit of power which you need to be sure your computer or laptop can honestly handle, because after searching on the internet there are feedback comments on the Megalodon having frequent crashes on lower end computers. If your computer is quite powerful and you dont have much problems then certainly you will probably find the Megalodon to be the best audio headset your money can buy. While it is quite expensive keep in mind that you are getting an independent sound card, and the cutting edge technology in headphone sound.

The Audio Engine

The Razer Megalodon 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset (Black) comes with an external box that houses its own audio engine and sound card for the Razer Megalodon so that your internal sound card doesn’t have to carry the load and your computer can pay more attention to important things like Graphics.  The Megalodon Maelstrom engine as its been named gives you complete control allowing you to control all aspects of the headset with the inline Maelstrom engine. This is quite convenient over having to make sound adjustments on your PC. The Maelstrom engine is quite amazing and offers a lot in the way of inline functionality, I hope Razer can improve on it in the future and make it even better than what it is.

The Megalodon Headset

The 7.1 Digital Surround Sound Megalodon headset its self is probably the most comfortable head set I have ever worn.  Ever part of 7.1 Megalodon is padded. And the earmuffs are covered in a velvet material so you dont get any nasty ear sweat on them after a few long hours of playing.  The Microphone is strong, and since wearing the Megalodon my guildies have told me my sound has improved over Vent.  The Mic also supports canceling out background noise but it is still foulable so don’t go thinking you can do away with that push to talk key just yet.
Over all the Imba Megalodon headset is a great piece of advanced gaming gear for the Mac or the PC that really delivers on quality of sound, and I recommend it for any serious gamer out there.  I went through a bunch of listings around the web and found the cheapest place to purchase the Megalodon over at Amazon where you can get it for 20$ less than the price on the Razer website. check it out on the link to the left or down below.  Personally I wear the headset often and feel lost without the headset on when im on my computer now.  In the past other sets weren’t very comfortable but the Megalodon provides all of the comfort you need to wear this headset for hours.  Music sounds great to.

I will warn Mac Users up front now this headset does have a tendency to crash on the Mac Operating system, and you have to unplug and replug it in to get it working again which can be a little annoying.  I wanted to be able to use the Megalodon on my Mac so badly however the frequency of crashes made it so annoying that I gave it to Unohorn to use on her PC where she can get the most out of it.  Razer has promised to start supporting the Macintosh in the future but we have no word on how far into  the future that may be.

For my personal rating I have to ding the Megalodon for not being really compatible with 100% of the user base. With lack of Mac support and the crashes being reported on low end machines I believe there is still much to be improved on the Razer Megalodon and it’s Maelstrom engine. This headset is really for the most hardcore of gamers who have the proper setup in order to really make the Megalodon function the correct way.

Personal Rating – 7

Razer Megalodon 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset (Black)

Best Buy: $129.99

3.8 out of 5 stars (136 customer reviews)

21 used & new available from $110.83

The Razer Megalodon is a 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset designed specifically to incorporate the Razer Maelstrom Audio Engine, making it the definitive headset for gamers today. Utilizing next generation HRTF technologies and a superb DSP with unheard of processing power, the Razer Megalodon is the most advanced audio headset of its kind.

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Reviewed by Bless on March 12, 2011

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  1. August 23, 2011, 1:41 am

    [...] Razer Megalodon PC Mac Gaming Headset Review Discount Price This entry was posted in best gaming headset, gaming headset, headset review and tagged audio, [...]

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Razer Megalodon Headset Review Appearance

The Razer Megalodon features the trademark Razer blue illumination on a black glossy finish design. A simple color scheme on a brilliant piece of hardware which features a much more complex inner workings.

From the top the head band is flat black with a custom Razer logo stretched across the very top, and a soft pad on the underside to comfortably rest against your head. The Razer Megalodon ear cans have glowing blue illuminated Razer Logo’s on each side and a mock carbon fiber design. The ear pads on the inside are a very soft felt which I personally love on these headphones as they dont cause your ears to sweat like other leather ear phones out there. The microphone is a static unidirectional microphone which sits on a 270 degree pivot.

On to the Maelstrom audio engine you will notice that the cord is sleeved in a tightly woven nylon cord which is durable and tuff. I have owned my Megalodon for over one year now and it still shows no signs of wearing, tear or fray. Once you reach the Maelstrom audio engine of the Megalodon you will notice that it has a glossy black finish all over it, and the of course the controls are all highlighted with the custom Razer Blue. The only other colors you will notice in the illumination of the Megalodon on the Maelstrom engine the higher end sound settings beging to illuminate red as well as when any options are muted.

The Razer Megalodon is simply beautiful in my personal opinion. I like the dark trademark Razer designs and I think the Megalodon is really really cool appearance wise.

Razer Megalodon Appearance Rating – 10

Razer Megalodon 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset (Black)

Best Buy: $129.99

3.8 out of 5 stars (136 customer reviews)

21 used & new available from $110.83

The Razer Megalodon is a 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset designed specifically to incorporate the Razer Maelstrom Audio Engine, making it the definitive headset for gamers today. Utilizing next generation HRTF technologies and a superb DSP with unheard of processing power, the Razer Megalodon is the most advanced audio headset of its kind.

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Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Razer Megalodon Review Craftsmanship

The Razer Megalodon features a very well put together frame. The headband features a metal wire frame which is plastic coated, and wrapped with padded covered to protect your head.  The ear phones of the Megalodon are very strong after having them for over a year you can bet I have thrown them once or twice in my nerd rage and they have yet to suffer the slightest dent or scratch. One thing I really really love about the headset is the felt ear phones which don’t cause your ears to sweat.

The Nylon wrapping of the cord is very durable and has yet to show any signs of fray, wear, or tear. The Maelstrom audio engine delivers a superior sound quality if your machine has no problems running it, and Razer really took the time to add quality by providing this inline sound card to offload some of the work from your internal machine.

On the surface the Megalodon is very well built and Razer really did give it all of the bells and whistles. A very cool design and the signature quality of Razer is written all over the Megalodon.

Craftsmanship rating – 10

Razer Megalodon 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset (Black)

Best Buy: $129.99

3.8 out of 5 stars (136 customer reviews)

21 used & new available from $110.83

The Razer Megalodon is a 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset designed specifically to incorporate the Razer Maelstrom Audio Engine, making it the definitive headset for gamers today. Utilizing next generation HRTF technologies and a superb DSP with unheard of processing power, the Razer Megalodon is the most advanced audio headset of its kind.

VN:F [1.9.17_1161]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Razer Megalodon Headset Review Performance

Razer Megalodon 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset (Black)

Best Buy: $129.99

3.8 out of 5 stars (136 customer reviews)

21 used & new available from $110.83

The Razer Megalodon is a 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset designed specifically to incorporate the Razer Maelstrom Audio Engine, making it the definitive headset for gamers today. Utilizing next generation HRTF technologies and a superb DSP with unheard of processing power, the Razer Megalodon is the most advanced audio headset of its kind.

With so much to offer it is not surprising that there would be some glitches found with the Razer Megalodon. The lack of driver support and firmware updates for the premium headset have really left the Razer Megalodon out in the cold as a potentially amazing gaming headset that just wasn’t finely tuned yet. The first thing you will notice is that there is no available driver for the Megalodon, and you have no ability to preset custom settings for any range of sound scape. None the less the Megalodon is extremely powerful and provides a very clear robust quality sound out of the box there are many players out there who may be sensitive to higher squealing sounds or ear shattering bass.

The power needed to run the Megalodon also seems to have plagued the device. After a quick search you will find numerous complaints of the headset crashing even after the firmware update that was provided well over a year ago. Since the last Firmware update it seems Razer has decided it can not fix these problems as they are offering no updates for the Megalodon at this time, and I don’t see any coming soon either.  If they could fix the frequent crashes on Windows then I would also like to see them bring more compatibility for the Mac users out there.

Is the Razer Megalodon Mac Compatible?

While it is a plug and play device that will work on the mac you will find it to be more frustrating than enjoyable. I used the Megalodon for several months before giving it to Unohorn to use because I had to unplug and replug the device into my Mac constantly. The headset crashed as frequently as every 10-15 minutes delivering poor sound quality on my end and providing a terrible microphone quality over my Ventrilo. The bottom line is honestly “No” the Megalodon is not Mac compatible at all.

In performance every part of me wants to give the Razer Megalodon a great rating because I do know its potential. However as it sits there is more than a lot of improvements to be made on the device.

Razer Megalodon Performance rating – 5

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Razer Megalodon Headset Review Comfort

Razer Megalodon 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset (Black)

Best Buy: $129.99

3.8 out of 5 stars (136 customer reviews)

21 used & new available from $110.83

The Razer Megalodon is a 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset designed specifically to incorporate the Razer Maelstrom Audio Engine, making it the definitive headset for gamers today. Utilizing next generation HRTF technologies and a superb DSP with unheard of processing power, the Razer Megalodon is the most advanced audio headset of its kind.

Comfort is probably one of the key elements of any gaming accessory you may purchase, but more so when it comes to headsets. The Razer Megalodon certainly has comfort in mind with its design. The number one thing that stands out to me in the ways of the Megalodon’s comfort is the ear pads. Each ear pad is covered with a soft felt as opposed to most other headset which come with leather pads.  The felt pads offer a soft comfortable fit where leather pads usually make your ear sweat and can begin to feel quite nasty after long gaming sessions. Another side effect is if your like me and like to hang your headphones on your computer screen you don’t end up with that gross film on your computer screen where the ear pads were.

The other factors of the headset are inline with what most other gaming headsets have to offer. A covered padded band at the top and the microphone is well positioned not to get in your way. Me personally most people would say I have a larger than average cranium so I can certainly say its well proportioned.

The Megalodon is certainly a comfortable fit which doesnt sacrifice style.

Razer Megalodon comfort rating – 10

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Razer Megalodon Headset Review Videos

Razer Megalodon 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset (Black)

Best Buy: $129.99

3.8 out of 5 stars (136 customer reviews)

21 used & new available from $110.83

The Razer Megalodon is a 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset designed specifically to incorporate the Razer Maelstrom Audio Engine, making it the definitive headset for gamers today. Utilizing next generation HRTF technologies and a superb DSP with unheard of processing power, the Razer Megalodon is the most advanced audio headset of its kind.

VN:F [1.9.17_1161]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)
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