I’m no “audiophile” but I know how to appreciate “good sound”. Last week, I decided to purchase a new headphone for my PC, and since I’m a big Razer fan, I decided to go with their flagship headphones called the “Razer Tiamat 7.1”. Got it for roughly $185 here at our place and so far I’m very satisfied with its performance. As with any Razer products, the headphone design stays true with Razer’s signature branding. With an all black “matte” paint job paired with Razer’s green accents, this headphone not only sounds good but definitely looks good as well.

“this headphone not only sounds good but definitely looks good as well.”

One of the few things I love with Razer is their overall packaging design. You will have to think twice before you even throw these boxes out. They’re beautiful, detailed, and very well constructed like the actual products inside it. The actual product is stored inside a solid black box and opens like a “treasure chest” or “jewellery box”. Inside sits the very beautiful Razer Tiamat 7.1 headphones with the product documentation and some bonus Razer stickers. It is covered by a clear hard plastic for additional protection.

Once you’re done unboxing, you will instantly notice the beautiful design aesthetics of the Razer Tiamat. Each “ear cups” was designed to have a transparent “cover” that shows the 5 individual drivers attached on each ear. All 10 drivers have the very same green branding accent present on other Razer products. A small Razer logo can also be found on each ear cup that lights up when in use. This makes the Razer Tiamat attractive and sexy to anyone who looks at it.

“Each headphone piece was designed to have a transparent cover that shows the 5 individual drivers…”

Razer Tiamat’s overall build is pretty solid. Most of the components are made out of plastic and it has a high quality feel to it. The headphone size is kinda big and bulky but I tell you, it’s one of the most comfortable headphones I ever used. The soft ear cups and the adjustable headband makes this headset very comfortable specially when it comes to extended hours of gaming. Just remember that the headphones does a great job when it comes to nullifying the sounds in your surroundings. You’re virtually “deaf” when using this headphones.

Now that we’re done with the “looks”, let’s now talk about the sound performance. I tested the Tiamat 7.1 on games like Battlefield 3 and Crysis 3 and it sounds great. The 10 individual drivers attached on the headphones does a pretty good job of giving you realistic directional sound. It’s really hard to explain how great the sound is. In Battlefield 3, you can clearly hear the direction of enemy footsteps. It makes the game much more immersive since you can hear even the subtle sounds that’s happening in game.

“It makes the game much more immersive since you can hear even the subtle sounds that’s happening in game.”

Aside from gaming, you can also use the Razer Tiamat 7.1 in watching movies and listening to your music library. I tested the headphone by watching the Avengers bluray and the headphone’s virtual 7.1 surround sound works really well. You can identify where Ironman’s repulsor blasts are coming from :P Depending on your sound card, you can also utlize DTS Connect and DTS Ultra PC II when listening to your music. It basically upmixes your music’s stereo source into 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound.

Speaking of sound cards, before you even purchase this headphone, make sure you have a 7.1 compatible sound card. You will miss a lot of things if you’ll just use the Razer Tiamat 7.1 as a stereo headphone.

“Cuztomization” and “Personalization” is a part of every Razer product. The Tiamat 7.1 includes an optional “ear cup cover” just in case you don’t want do brag the 10 individual drivers attached on the headphone. The cover uses magnets that snaps quickly into place. I prefer using the cover since I noticed that the clear/transparent plastic scratches easily.

“I prefer using the cover since I noticed that the clear/transparent plastic scratches easily.”

It also includes a retractable mic that’s perfectly hidden away from view. The lower half of the mic is flexible enough if you want to adjust or make the microphone “head” closer to your mouth. As for mic performance, I can’t say it’s bad. Tested it with my friends via Skype and they told me my voice is clear. Also tested it on Razer Comms and I think my voice is much more clearer due to the noise reduction and echo cancellation feature of both the software and the mic.

The headphone volume can be controlled by using the beautifully designed in-line audio unit. It has 2 knobs, the large knob controls the volume depending on the currently active channel, and the smaller knob allows you to select the channel you want to adjust (front, side, center, etc). There are also 3 buttons below the knobs that functions like shortcuts. Left most button works as a mute toggle for the mic, middle button allows you to switch to your external speakers and back, and the right most button toggles between 7.1 and 2.0 stereo sound.

“Overall, the Razer Tiamat 7.1 is a worthwhile purchase for individuals who wants to level up their experience specially in playing games.”

Overall, the Razer Tiamat 7.1 is a worthwhile purchase for individuals who wants to level up their experience specially in playing games. It’s a headphone that also performs well both in movies and music. It will not please audiophile purists who are used in high fidelity sound but it will please individuals who knows what a “good sound” sounds like. Definitely one of the best gaming headphones available today.