Razer Opus

Package & Appearance

These headphones are delivered folded in a soft transport case which comes with a zip and carrying strap. In a small fabric pouch, you will also find two small rolled up cables. Firstly, there is a 3.5 mm jack cable, 130 cm long, with gold-plated plugs to prevent corrosion. The second is the charging cable, a USB cable from USB-A to USB-C that is about 50 cm long. An aeroplane adapter with gold-plated contacts rounds off the package. In addition to the operating instructions, a card with a quick-start guide and an advertising sticker are also included. This is a package that offers everything you would hope for in a pair of headphones that are suitable for everyday use that can also be taken along on trips.

Design, workmanship and feel

The Razer Opus are a pair of closed, circumaural headphones that are finished in black all over. Only the manufacturer’s logo and lettering stand out in shiny silver and grey tones. The overall design has a “sleek” shape and contemporary lines. The headband and earpad covers are made of soft textured leather, the padding is made of foam. The choice of materials is not high-end, but the overall workmanship of these headphones is impeccable. The matt-black satin surface of the components proved not to be too grease-sensitive in our test (but this would have to be confirmed by longer use). The feel of the device was consistently soft and pleasant to the touch. Incidentally, the Razer Opus is also available in a dark blue version with the playful streetwear look of fashion brand “A Bathing Ape” equipped with the same technology.

Technology

The Razer Opus features dynamic drivers with a diameter of 40 mm each, covering frequencies from 20 to 20,000 Hz. This corresponds to the typical human hearing range, meaning the Opus can reproduce all essential audio information. With a low impedance of 12 ohms, they can also provide volume to headphone amps that only output a relatively low voltage. This makes the Opus ideal for use with mobile and smart devices. And fans of loud music and heavy audio action will be pleased to know that these headphones can output a peak sound pressure level of an immense 105 dB SPL.

For wireless connection, Razer relies on Bluetooth and the Opus works with the AAC and SBC codecs. This promises good sound quality on the one hand and high compatibility on the other. The MEMS microphone with acoustic sensors built into the headphones works with an omnidirectional characteristic so that it converts sound evenly from all sides. Its frequency spectrum is optimised for speech transmission with a bandwidth of 100 Hz to 10 kHz. MEMS microphones, such as the one built into the Opus, are characterised by low noise. A multicolour LED indicates whether the battery is charged or charging and provides information about the status of the Bluetooth connection. With up to 20 hours of battery life, these headphones are equipped for both lavish LAN parties and long train and plane journeys. With their THX certification, Razer also wants to prove that the Opus is suitable for movie enjoyment.

Handling

Because the Razer Opus are foldable, they take up little space during transport. The case isn’t too big either and can easily fit into smaller backpacks. The right and left ear cups are not labelled. However, the design of the headphones leaves no doubt as to where the front and back, or left and right, are. The size adjustment of the headband is notched, so it remembers the last setting. When you put them on, the rotating and swivelling ear cups adapt effortlessly to the shape of your head. Nevertheless, it is clear that these headphones don’t offer large ears much space inside the cushions. At 280g, the wireless Opus weigh comparatively little. And even with the cable, they’re only 293g. Therefore, the contact pressure can be low enough to wear the headphones for hours without headaches, but they do not sit quite so securely during faster head movements. Here, the headband could grip a little more firmly. The earpads and headband padding are soft and never pinch. But the leather is not very breathable and can therefore easily lead to sweaty ears.

Once you have got used to their position, both the volume control and the slightly recessed multi-function button in between are easily and effectively accessible because they are sharply separated. The button controls the answering/rejecting of telephone calls and is also used to skip tracks back and forth. The on/off switch is far enough away so that it cannot be pressed accidentally. When pairing with a Bluetooth source, the user is conveniently assisted by audio feedback. Surprisingly, in our test, my smartphone still displays the ominous term “Razer Stereo” in addition to the Razer Opus, which is not mentioned in the documentation for the device.

Sound

As soon as you put on the Razer Opus without sound, you notice how strongly they attenuate external noise. That pleased me. The acoustic isolation from the outside world was also top-notch. With the Opus, you can therefore enjoy wonderfully loud volume without disturbing strangers. The sound of the headphones is characterised by present and differentiated mids. Speech intelligibility is therefore superb and (to get a little “esoteric”), the frequency response fits perfectly with the compact, modern look of the headphones. The mids are underpinned by rich basses that reach into the sub-bass range and provide a good boost for EDM, urban music and pop. In addition, the resolution of the treble and the super-high frequency range is crisp and clear. It gives the monitored signal just enough three-dimensionality and depth without sibilance in S sounds. I have to admit that only a few headphones have so far conquered the dangerous sonic challenges lurking in my test playlist as confidently as the Razer Opus. Sharing my opinion depends on the prerequisite that the listener also likes fat, bass-rich sounds that come across as full and compressed at all times. Like so many things, there are two sides to the qualities of the Razer Opus. Dynamically they do not sound very differentiated. Although the headphones are loud, fine signal peaks are soft and not very precise. Accordingly, the stereo impression is good and the subjective signal resolution is at a good mid-range level, but the depth gradation is rather limited due to the low reproduction dynamics.

Noise cancelling

A short press of the on/off button activates/deactivates active noise cancellation. As is the case with many other headphones with ANC technology, this leads to low but still audible noise components. The sound image remains largely stable even with the ANC feature activated. In ANC mode, the Razer Opus only noticeably lose energy in the bass range. (In cable mode, on the other hand, it’s the other way round. Here, the bass is much more dominant). If the on/off button is pressed again, the quick attention mode is activated. This is a feature for ambience detection. Background noises are not filtered out but amplified. This is supposed to enable the wearer of the headphones to “connect” with their environment in the blink of an eye, be it an announcement at the station or when crossing a street. The feature works but is less powerful than expected. One positive thing I noticed in the test is the headphones’ automatic start/stop function. As soon as the Opus are put down, the media control automatically switches to pause and only plays music, film sound, audiobook or game audio again when the headphones are put on again. In the process, the sound slowly fades in automatically. This is a super solution.