Razer’s ManO’War wireless headset promises up to 14m range, 20 hour battery-life

The fight against cable-clutter continues with Razer’s latest wireless gaming headset, the ManO’War. Slated for a worldwide release in May 2016, it packs multiple wireless antennas and channel scanning to provide a convenient, lag-free audio experience.

Paired with a compact wireless USB adapter, the Razer ManO’War touts a range of 12 meters, sufficient for most indoor use. If that isn’t enough, the included extension dock extends that figure to 14 meters – depending on apartment setup, that’s enough reach to answer the front door.

Range isn’t all that matters, though. The scanning ensures the ManO’War is always on the clearest wireless channel available. Combine that with “an advanced coding algorithm” and the headset looks set to provide an uncompromised, high-quality stream wherever we are.

Pumping out that audio goodness are a pair of 50mm Neodymium magnet drivers, encased in a closed-back, circumaural design to provide both isolation and listening comfort. The cushions are lined with leatherette, so be sure to wipe them down after each use to prolong lifespan.

This being a gaming headset, expect to see Razer’s 7.1 virtual surround sound at work, with positional audio calibration giving us the freedom to emphasize the sounds we want. Tucked inside the left ear cup is a pull-out, unidirectional microphone, meaning it won’t pick up keyboard clatter or other unwanted noises.

Another plus in Razer’s headset design are the simple cues they’ve added for easier operation. An LED on the mic indicates whether it’s muted or live, and level adjustment dials can be found on the ear cups themselves. While it does mean lifting our hand from the mouse or keyboard, physical controls do offer fast precision.

Battery-wise we’re looking at 14 hours of continuous use, which can be bumped up to 20 if the Chroma lighting feature is turned off – it’s not like we can see them, anyway. For charging purposes we’ll get a good old-fashioned USB cable, though it didn’t specify whether it’s the reversible (and far more convenient) Type-C version or something more standard.

While specified for PC use, the company says we can pair the headset with a PlayStation 4 too. Unfortunately, downsides with the latter are 2.0 stereo output only, and lighting effects are limited to just Spectrum cycling. At least we’re still getting that nice wireless range and clarity.

The Razer ManO’War goes for $299.90 online and will begin shipping on April 29, 2016.

And for those wondering, Razer’s convention of naming audio products after underwater beasts continue – the Portugese man o’ war is a venomous, tentacled siphonophore resembling jellyfish.