Razer Ifrit – The Mic Makes It
Over the years I have tried what seems like endless solutions to getting the best sound out of my recordings. Be it podcasts, videos or streaming, I have always had trouble getting a clear mic that sounds great without being a pain to work with. I have tried expensive headsets, which sound great but the mic misses the mark. I have tried amazing mics that are so good that no matter what I do they seem to pick the couple arguing about why someone forgot the milk 3 doors down. I have even tried full studio setups, which are fantastic in a studio, not so good in a house with two dogs and two clutzy kids. All of these options worked well enough, but I always felt something was lacking. The good news is now I have found my favourite option so far and frankly, I don’t want to look back. I found the Razer Ifrit.
Now, this little unit sports a rather minimalist look, something not usually seen in the world of gaming accessories, there isn’t a gaudy light or crazy logo in sight. This is simply a piece of moulded plastic that wraps behind the head and over the ears, dropping two in-ear buds and a small, unobtrusive mic to the side. Simple, functional and sturdy design. The marketing spiel will tell you that this is so your face or “look” isn’t obscured on camera (which in my case may be a curse and not a blessing) but for me it just makes sense. Why go massively bulky when there is a slimline option that will do the job just as well (or in some cases much better). The whole product feels like a well-built piece of gear with sturdy components and a comfortable form. In fact, the only problem I have with it is it doesn’t sit as well with my glasses as I would like, meaning my goggles are parked in a slightly insecure position. Not a big deal, but one worth mentioning.
Sound quality is solid, coming out clearly through the comfortable earbuds. High volumes cause a little distortion and music featuring a heavy bass line can sound a little tinny, but really this is nitpicking. For gaming these little buds are great and only the real audiophiles out there will have much to complain about. The unit comes with a built-in amp, so the volume can be adjusted on the fly and a second person can plug in any 3.5 audio device into the handy second port. This is a great feature that allows a second person to join in on any stream or recording, perfect for those couch co-op sessions that make for great viewing.
The real star of this headset though is the mic. It is perfect for my needs. The quality of sound it offers is fabulous, all the while reducing background noise. This makes it ideal for my crazy house where I don’t have a dedicated recording room or the ability to mute the children. The sound it produces is much fuller, sporting a deeper range and it keeps that hollow echo, common to most headsets, out of the recording. To best demonstrate I thought I would show you two videos from the Player 2 channel. The first was recorded with the Razer Ifrit, the second with my previous (and not cheap) headset.
As you can clearly hear, the Ifrit handles things beautifully, making my voice clearer and more true to life in the process. The fact it helps keep out external noise is also a blessing for podcasters and streamers that suffer from noise echo, saving a lot of stuffing around with volume levels and noise reduction in the edit.
Look I have to be honest, I love this headset. It is perfect for my situation. Is it as good as a studio setup with a $300 mic? No, but then again that sort of rig requires a boatload of money and a dedicated room to record in, something many of us don’t have. What the Ifrit does, however, is position its self as the perfect option for the “everyday” content creator. Its magical mic makes the best of any audio situation and its earbuds are perfect for the job at hand. Throw this all in with a great build quality and a minimalist approach and you are left with the best option I have ever seen for the video/podcasting hobbyist. Well worth the cost of entry for anyone out there wanting to dabble in the world of video game content creation.
Technical Specs:
Earphones
▪ Impedance: 32 ± 15% Ω
▪ Type: Dynamic speaker
▪ Diameter: Ø10 mm
▪ Nominal/Max Input Power: 10 mW / 20 mW
▪ SPL: 102 ± 3 dB
▪ Frequency Response: F0 ~ 20KHz
Microphone
▪ Type: Ø9.7 mm, ECM unidirectional
▪ Polar Pattern: Cardioid
▪ Frequency Response: 100 ~ 10KHz
▪ Sensitivity: -41 ± 3dB
