Razer Hammerhead USB-C ANC Review and Compatibility Testing

What does the U in USB-C stands for? Pretty sure its not 'Universal"

Back from a long hiatus, looks like jackass from Photobucket had rollbacked their no hotlinking policy.


2 years is eternity in the tech world. Windows phone no longer exist, Communist China is now leading the next big leap in telecommunication infrastructure and Redmond is now putting Linux shell on Windows. One of the controversial changes introduced in the tech world were the removal of 3.5mm analog jack from mobile phones and replacing it with digital ports in order to reduce effort in obtaining IP68 ratings, reduce device thickness/size as well as the good old bill of materials.

One of the good things arising from this implementation were the rise of active noise cancellation that do not require charging. The other being introduction of external DACs accepting unadulterated digital signals instead of the usual noisy mess generated from the phone's internal DAC.

ANC headphones prior to this requires charging and generally implemented on expensive sets. However, their owners swear by it and with the advent of affordable ANC headphones/earphones with ANC pulling power out of the phone's digital port really pique my interest to get one for testing.

The first problem you will hit is the Android ecosystem and their USB-C implementation is that they does not take the U in the abbreviation seriously. Compatibility issues are rampant and most manufacturers only certify their own products.

Below are my findings so far on Razer ANC earphone compatibility that is accurate as of April 2019 and does deviate from other reviewers.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Partial compatibility
Audio output with ANC working
Phone calls and mic not working
Volume button working
Center button only stop/play. Multi press not working.

Samsung Galaxy S10+
Full compatibility. Every feature work as advertised out of the box.

Nintendo Switch (Firmware 7.0.1)
Partial compatibility
Audio output with ANC working
Volume button working
Center button no response/mapping
VOIP unable to test

Windows 10 device (Lenovo MIIX520)
Audio ouput with ANC working
VOIP and mic working
Volume button working
Center button only stop/play. Multi press not working.

I stand corrected but I believe devices failing to operate the earphone is likely due to firmware issues of the device and theres a chance the manufacturer will release patches. I reached out to the Razer support and they promised that it is covered by the return policy should you face any compatibility issues.

Now to the quick review and boy, ANC is awesome! While professional sites have classified this as a weaker implementation, I am blown away by its performance nonetheless. With the included Comply eartips, ANC active and music playing, it is able to drown out much of the noise on the metro. Most of the background noise is nullified accept a few rough spots on the rail and a couple of nearby individuals speaking loudly. While you can hear them speaking, it is muffled to the point you could't make out what they are saying. Do note that since the ANC is powered from the USB-C, expect the power consumption to be higher than using in non-ANC mode or 3.5mm audio output.

Pros:
Effective ANC at affordable prices
Above standard audio quality at its price range with its dual driver design and external DAC.
Aluminum construction for the earphone and controller
COMPLY earbuds included

Cons:
Compatibility issues
Ugly green LED on the ear phone
The remote control button is indistinguishable, the ANC button is too small and fragile
The cable is too thin and feels to fragile, cable near the earbuds are made of rubber. The entire cable is also prone to tangling.

Don't get me wrong, the long list of cons may sounds like I am critical of this product but I am not. It any not be the best sounding earphones but the introduction of ANC really differentiates it apart from its myriad of competitors. This is an awesome product that introduces ANC to a larger audience. There is ample of room for improvement and I am looking forward to better iteration of this product in the future.