Razer add to their line of audio products with this compact soundbar and subwoofer combo. Featuring Dolby Virtual Speaker, Bluetooth and NFC, is it time to put that headset away for summer?
Product on Review: Razer Leviathan
Manufacturer and Sponsor: RAZER
Street Price: UK: £159.99 inc VAT, US: $199
Soundbars have gained popularity because of their ability to reproduce multichannel audio while being compact form factor, this allows for simple setup and positioning without the hassle of dealing with various satellites while enjoying a wide multichannel soundstage. The Razer Leviathan comes in at quite a competitive position in consideration of other options, though is one of the few to specifically target gamers. Featuring a 3.5mm jack and optical inputs you can get sound from your TV, PC and games console in one hit while it also features Bluetooth and aptX for high quality wireless playback from a mobile device and for convenience you can even connect via NFC.
Powered by two 2.5″ drivers and two 0.74″ tweeters that dish out a total of 30W, there should be enough punch for a bedroom or living room situation. Not to forget that it supported by a 5.25″ subwoofer at an additional 30W, we can expect deep and precise bass to help bring things alive.
Overview by Razer
The Razer Leviathan 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Bar easily fits under any desktop monitor or living room console setup. Versatile enough to be repositioned constantly in any situation, this sound bar features cutting-edge Dolby® technology, superior sound drivers, and a dedicated subwoofer, projecting rich sounds that recreate epic in-game battle scenes or just streaming your favorite tunes from your smartphone.
Technical Specifications
Sound bar specs
– Total power output : 30W (15W x 2RMS)
– Full range drivers : 2 x 2.5” / 63.5mm
– Tweeter drivers : 2 x 0.74” / 19 mm
– Impedance : 8Ohm
– Frequency response rate : 180Hz – 20KHz
– Approximate weight : 4.4lbs / 2Kg
Subwoofer specs
– Type : Passive
– Total power output : 30W RMS
– Full range drivers : 5.25” / 133mm
– Impedance : 4Ohm
– Frequency response rate : 20Hz – 180Hz
– Approximate weight : 5.1lbs / 2.35Kg
Connection methods
– Console/desktop gaming : 3.5mm audio jack or optical connection
– Movies : 3.5mm audio jack or optical connection
– Mobile : 3.5mm audio jack or Bluetooth®/ NFC
– Total power output : 30W (15W x 2RMS)
– Full range drivers : 2 x 2.5” / 63.5mm
– Tweeter drivers : 2 x 0.74” / 19 mm
– Impedance : 8Ohm
– Frequency response rate : 180Hz – 20KHz
– Approximate weight : 4.4lbs / 2Kg
Subwoofer specs
– Type : Passive
– Total power output : 30W RMS
– Full range drivers : 5.25” / 133mm
– Impedance : 4Ohm
– Frequency response rate : 20Hz – 180Hz
– Approximate weight : 5.1lbs / 2.35Kg
Connection methods
– Console/desktop gaming : 3.5mm audio jack or optical connection
– Movies : 3.5mm audio jack or optical connection
– Mobile : 3.5mm audio jack or Bluetooth®/ NFC
Packaging & Bundle
The box is large carboard with a colour print of the contained product. The decal is easily identified as Razer with information about the product listed at the bottom.
Contained within the box on opening, you will find the standard indoctrination for the cult of Razer, the product guide and case stickers, beyond that we are then greeted with two pairs of feet for the soundbar, one for flat angle, then the second pair double up for a 15⁰ and 18⁰ angle.
Underneath the feet and foam we find more accessories, including the power adaptor with various plug types as well as a 3.5mm jack to jack, and an optical cable for further versatility.
Closer Look
The soundbar is fairly compact at around 500mm (a little wider than the width of fullsize keyboard) and has a front mesh facia featuring the Razer logo at the centre.
The control buttons are aligned at the top, with the power button facing forwards with the rest at the back. The controls include, volume up and down, audio profile (gaming, music and movie), mute, Dolby on/off, Bluetooth pairing and source.
Tucked at the back we find the Out for the subwoofer, power in, as well as input options of a 3.5mm aux jack and an optical input.
There are hanger holes at head end with rubberised backing should you wish to mount it on a wall.
The subwoofer looks sleek and ornamental in an almost pyramid shape with its tip cut off.
The subwoofer is a downfiring 5.25″ driver with a range of 20-180Hz, there is also a large port to help that air move.
Performance Testing
Setup, Design & Observations
The sound bar itself is independent of hard fixed cables, relying on an external power adaptor. The power adaptor will require you to attach whichever plug type you can use for your region to be attached, in our case it would be the UK variant. Adding the feet onto the soundbar is easy, all you need to do is push on, the flat angle feet can only go on in a particular way, while the dual angle feet can go on ‘forwards or backwards’ to give you that 15⁰ or 18⁰ angle.
Attaching the subwoofer is straightforward, however the cable length doesn’t seem too long should you wish to wall mount the soundbar, restricting distance where it can be placed, but for desktop or use on a unit, its more than adequate.
The power button felt a little spongy, but the back control buttons were clicky and felt strong. There is a display that would light up in green when selecting source, the mute would glow red when muted but the lighting fades after a few seconds so not to be distracting. Connecting to Bluetooth is also simple, by holding the Bluetooth button to enter pairing mode, or by pressing the Bluetooth button to instantly connect to previously paired devices. Alternatively you can use NFC for instant connection by tapping your NFC enabled device near the NFC location on the top right side of the soundbar.
The overall build quality seems very good and the aesthetics are non imposing and minimalistic with just the Razer logo adding distinction.
Multimedia
First impressions were quite mind blowingly good, with that Dolby Virtual Speaker enabled by default the Leviathan offered a much wider soundstage than I expected. This added an exciting and dynamic sound to movies and games. On further listening, various music tracks revealed that the treble was a little muted causing some loss in the higher tones to the deep and precise bass, unfortunately the built in audio profiles did little to help bring them out. However the bass can be controled by holding the Dolby button combined with the volume controls which could help balance the tones, making the Leviathan punchy enough for enjoyable listening.
The Leviathan excelled in creating an awesome atmosphere in movies (Interstellar, Big Hero 6) and in gaming (DOTA2, COD:AW, Warframe, Killing Floor 2).
The maximum volume is fairly loud with little to no noticeable distortion which can easily fill a small room, though, it would seem that this is more ideal for bedroom use than in a living room situation unless you are seated close to your TV. This is because the Leviathan reveals its weakness at further distances and in a larger room as it simply doesn’t have the power for a full ‘cinematic’ experience which some may expect.
Conclusion
In our testing, the audio performance of the Leviathan isn’t quite where ‘audiophiles’ may want it due to the slightly muted treble, but that doesn’t stop it from providing an enjoyable punch that is leagues apart from standard integrated TV audio or a cheap set of desktop stereo speakers. The compact size allows it to easily fit under your monitor, while the subwoofer design is elegant enough to almost be ornamental. The biggest surprise from the Leviathan is its virtual 5.1 rendering which gives a great sense of spatial awareness.
There are various downsides which make this more specific to gamers than for home entertainment, which is a shame as we feel a simple addition of a remote control could could improve things significantly. When you connect your wireless device to it for media playback you will of course have full control of the volume, but its not quite enough to fully replace a remote control, maybe one day mobile apps could replace the function of such a thing but for now, there is an element of manual control needed too. Once it is switched off, it reverts to a default volume meaning you will need to readjust the volume every time it is switched back on.
If you are looking for a one stop audio solution for your bedroom or even (in the right circumstance) living room, the Razer Leviathan proves to be a formidable Virtual 5.1 surround soundbar that is sure to please.
The Razer Leviathan is a soundbar worth reckoning with and makes for an excellent upgrade for your gaming audio.
Pros.
+ Compact size
+ Wide soundscape/Dolby Virtual Speaker
+ Bluetooth/NFC with aptX
+ Great bass
+ All round performance
Cons.
– No remote
– No manual control of audio profiles
+ Compact size
+ Wide soundscape/Dolby Virtual Speaker
+ Bluetooth/NFC with aptX
+ Great bass
+ All round performance
Cons.
– No remote
– No manual control of audio profiles
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
