Razer, one of the largest gaming peripheral manufacturers present a compact, portable 2.0 speaker system called Ferox. Tiny but mighty.
Product on Review: Razer Ferox Mobile Gaming & Music Speakers
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Razer
Street Price: £49.91 inc. VAT
Razer have long been an advocate for stylish products that improve performance within games and general experience outside of them. Their reputation is strong within the gaming peripheral market and recently, as with quite a number of brands, we have seen Razer branch out into other departments.
Today we will be taking a look at one of their latest products to hit the market. A portable audio solution for mobile gaming and music lovers. The Ferox speakers claim to provide great overall audio and a powerful bass. For such a small set of speakers it will be interesting to see if the Ferox live up to their reputation for being “tiny but mighty”.
Razer’s take on the Ferox:
The Razer Ferox is the definitive audio reference for mobile gamers. With its state of the art expandable resonance chamber, 360° omni-directional sound and its digitally enhanced amplifier efficiency, this pocket-sized speaker system features exceptional audio and powerful bass that belies its size. Take it around in the included carrying case to enjoy a full-bodied sound experience for up to 12 hours wherever you are.
Technical Specifications
Frequency Response
• 150Hz-20KHz
Drivers
• 30mm neodymium magnets
Battery
• Up to 12 hours playback time
• ED battery status indicator
• 470mAh
Connectivity
• 3.5mm audio jack & USB
Loudspeaker Output
• 2 x 3W
Carrying case included
Approximate size
• 70 mm (length) x 70mm (width) x 53 – 64 mm (height)
Packaging & Bundle
In typical Razer fashion the Ferox speakers are presented in a great little package. The box allows you a sneak peek of the tiny Ferox speakers and there is plenty of information printed on the packaging to help break down the feature-set of these portable speakers. As always, the luminous green that Razer uses catches the eye immediately and is a great marketing point in itself.
Ferox packaging catches the eye
Opening the box up there are a number of items included within the bundle. First of all a small carry case is provided for transporting the speakers for those on the move. Inside this carry case is the USB/stereo cabling. Beside this there are various paraphernalia such as product information guide, quick start guide and Razer stickers. Quite a nice bundle for such a small product.
The Ferox bundle including a carry case
Closer Look
So now down to the speakers themselves. The Ferox speakers are designed for mobile gaming and use for those on the move. In order to achieve the descriptor “mobile” they surely have to be small and that they are. The Ferox speakers are just 7cm in width and just over 6cm tall with the resonance chamber extended and 5cm with this suppressed. This means that you are going to be able to transport these pretty much anywhere you go.
Small and very portable
In order to power the Ferox speakers you will need to attach a micro-USB cable to each unit (this is provided). One of the great elements of the Ferox speakers is that battery life is delivered via an onboard 470mAh battery. This is recharged via USB, so no matter where you are in the world, if you have a computer with a USB port then you can charge the speakers without a problem. This removes the hassle of having to supply batteries for power source and you can even charge the Ferox speakers whilst they are in use. Up to 12 hours playback is available from a full charge.
USB battery power
The tops of the Ferox speakers feature the Razer insignia. As already mentioned the tops can be suppressed to close the resonance chamber or expanded to open the resonance chamber. Having them in the closed state will remove all possibility of outputting sound from the unit.
The tops of the Ferox with Razer branding
Finally, the underside feature rubberized edging to prevent slipping on shiny surfaces. A thick band of rubber en-circles the edge of each unit and does provide a good degree of friction. Product information can be found on the underside of the speakers – giving product number, voltage specifications etc.
The underside of the speakers
Performance & Conclusion
Testing the Razer Ferox isn’t as clear cut. When we review a graphics card at Vortez for example, we would typically run an extensive regime of benchmarks to establish overall performance but testing the audio on a set of speakers isn’t as definitive. Rather than running benchmarks to establish overall performance we have to rely upon the subjective reasoning. So in order to establish sound performance its necessary to use the Ferox speakers through a range of music tracks and gaming titles.
Lighting/Battery
Upon first usage especially, the Ferox speakers require a full charge. To do this simply attach the speakers USB cable to each unit and directly to a USB port on a computer. The bottom of the Ferox units will then flash blue until a full charge has been established to which the units then emit a solid blue glow. If you are running out of battery the lights will turn red to signify that the Ferox speakers need to be charged immediately.
Music
To test the music performance for the Razer Ferox speakers I ran the following music tracks. The tracks tested offer varies tones, treble and bass due to them being featured across a range of different genres.
3OH!3 – STARTRUKK (Feat. Katy Perry) *R’n’B*
Thriving Ivory – Angels on the moon *Pop/Rock*
Armin van Buuren ft Sharon den Adel – In and Out of Love *Dance*
The above tracks provided a great deal of versatility thus allowing me to ascertain a reasonable opinion on the Razer Ferox. The first thing I will say is that for the size, the Ferox speakers punch out some great sounds. It’s important to remember that the size and function of these speakers mean that they are small and portable so they aren’t going to be comparative to high-end speakers that some may have configured with their computer systems. Tones are lively and instruments within each track can be clearly identified. The only complaint I have is that the bass reproduction can cause tracks to sound slightly tinny.
Gaming
Moving onto the games I loaded up Call of Duty Black Ops and Battlefield Bad Company 2 as I always do for gaming peripheral reviews. These two titles are among the most popular of FPS currently played both online and offline and feature truly amazing sounds capable of immersing you into a completely new world.
Once again for a portable set of speakers the Ferox are very clear and provide crisp audio feedback. For such a small set of speakers they certainly do well in providing you with the aural sense that you need when playing FPS. Explosions, gunfire, voices are all picked up accurately without any distortion. The Ferox speakers aren’t going to replace a high-end headset or speaker-set but they are a great if you are on the move and need something portable. I know it isn’t Summer yet, but many will take their notebooks outside or even want to hook the Ferox speakers to their phone whilst on the beach enjoying the sun. For this they are perfect.
Conclusion
Razer have been at the forefront of the gaming peripheral world for quite some time now and as we have seen other companies branch off into other departments, so have Razer. Today is an example of just that.
The Razer Ferox speakers are a portable solution for music lovers and gamers on the move. Each unit is smaller than a tennis ball, so transporting them will be no problem whatsoever. You even get a nice carry case to take them wherever you go which is handy.
Another nice touch is the redundancy of batteries. With the Ferox speakers there is no need to supply batteries for these mobile speakers, instead each unit can be charged via USB. The powerful 470mAh battery supplies you with up to 12 hours of playback from a full charge. Most who buy these funky little speakers will probably be using them combined with a notebook so charging the Ferox speakers whilst listening to your favourite music tracks or gaming title is also a possibility.
Thanks to the 360º Omni-directional sound, the Ferox speakers are able to deliver good sound performance whatever direction they are placed in.
Whilst the Ferox do offer crisp, clear audio there are some areas for improvement. Bass reproduction is somewhat tinny due to the sharpness of the treble. This could be forgiven due to the size of the Ferox speakers and their intended use but Razer do claim “the Razer Ferox guarantees strong bass despite its diminutive size”.
Volume control is absent from the Ferox speakers, so audio must be controlled by the application being used. This isn’t necessarily a negative point but worthwhile knowing about as is the proprietary USB cable which means that if you do happen to misplace or even loose the cabling then you are going to need to contact Razer directly for help.
Priced at approximately £50 inc. VAT the Ferox speakers are one of the most versatile speaker sets you will find on the market, they are ideal for beach trips, a BBQ or just generally relaxing in the back garden. There are speakers cheaper to be found that might have better bass reproduction but their definition of portable is stretched somewhat. Remember, these speakers are smaller than tennis balls and are very powerful.
Pros
+ Small, very portable
+ Crisp, clear sounds
+ Good sound for size
+ Rechargeable via USB – up to 12 hours playback
Cons
– Bass reproduction isn’t great
– Small cable
+ Small, very portable
+ Crisp, clear sounds
+ Good sound for size
+ Rechargeable via USB – up to 12 hours playback
Cons
– Bass reproduction isn’t great
– Small cable
