"A refurbished headset? Just for gaming? Well, now I've heard everything!"

We’ve never seen a product with such polarized Amazon reviews: 30% 5-star, 30% 1-star. Not even Fifty Shades of Grey is that divisive. What’s going on there?

Bottom line: if you use a cheap PC, you’re going to have to pay more for headphones.

It seems all the one-star reviews mention a persistent hiss or static. Not the kind of “BUZZ” you want in a tech product LOL!! But anyway, the official Razer Carcharias FAQ confirms that this USB-powered headset can suffer from interference when used with insufficiently shielded USB ports, especially the front-facing USB ports on many low-end PCs.

We tried to check out this buzz for ourselves, but it turns out nobody around here has a cheap PC. The Razer Carcharias actually sounds great on our Macs (although the mic isn’t supported for Mac - you’ll need an adapter like this to use it). And of course it works flawlessly with its natural mate, the Xbox 360. That’s where all those five-star reviews come from.

So, to sum up: because some PC makers are too cheap to spend a few extra cents properly shielding their USB ports, you Mac and Xbox 360 users get a pretty high-end gaming headset for next to nothing. The free market has a funny idea of justice sometimes, huh?

Features

USB-powered
Ideal for Xbox 360
Good for high-end gaming PC setups with properly shielded USB ports or nice sound cards
Great as a listening headset with Mac; to also use the mic, you’ll need an adapter
Lousy for cheap PCs, whose insufficient shielding will make them buzz
Model: RZ04-00900100

Specifications

Specs

Model: RZ04-00900100
Condition: Refurbished
Inline controls with adjustable volumes for voice, game, and bass
Head rail expands an extra 3" to accommodate big heads
Connects to PC via USB, 3.5mm Audio Out, and 3.5mm Microphone In
Works with to Xbox 360 regardless of model:
- If your Xbox 360 is plugged into your TV via RCA, then the headphones plug into the back of your TV with an RCA Piggyback cable adapter (included) and USB
- If your Xbox 360 is plugged into your TV via HDMI, then the headphones plug into the back of your Xbox 360 via an AV port adapter (included) and USB
Connects to whatever else you want, assuming there is a USB plug within 22in

Headphones:

Frequency Response: 20 - 20,000 Hz
Impedance: 32 O at 1kHz
Sensitivity (@1kHz, 1V/Pa): 102 ± 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 m / 9.84 ft
Connector: 3.5 mm jack (headphone)

Microphone:

Frequency Response: 50 – 16,000 Hz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 50 dB
Sensitivity (@1kHz, 1V/Pa): -37 ± 4dB
Pick-up Pattern: Unidirectional
Connector: 3.5 mm jack (microphone)

What’s in the Box?

1x Razer Carcharias headphones
1x Xbox 360 AV to female RCA audio adapter cable
1x 3.5mm to RCA Piggyback cable
1x 2.5mm microphone cable for Xbox 360