Razer BlackShark V3 X HyperSpeed vs V3 vs V3 Pro
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Quick Summary
These are the main differences between the Razer BlackShark V3 X HyperSpeed, BlackShark V3, and BlackShark V3 Pro:
All three headsets are wireless with both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz. However, the V3 and V3 Pro also have simultaneous wireless audio.
The sound quality improves as you up from the V3 X, V3 and especially V3 Pro.
The V3 Pro has fully mesh padding, while the other two have similar material to the older BlackShark V2 X. Also, the V3 Pro is significantly heavier than the V3 and V3 X which are the same weight.
They all have excellent microphones, but the mic specs improve as you go up the line. The V3 Pro's sounds the best, but it also needs the most equalization.
All of these work with Razer Synapse, but again as you go up, you get more and more features. The V3 Pro even has active noise cancellation.
Connectivity Options and Controls
Connectivity
These are all wireless headsets that can also be used wired with the included USB cable. The V3 Pro also comes with a USB-C to 3.5 mm cable if you want to use it like that.
All 3 of these can be purchased as the Xbox, PlayStation, or PC version. My V3 X and V3 Pro are the Xbox versions and the V3 is PC just so I could get it in white. Even if you don't have an Xbox, I recommend getting that version of all of these anyway, because - and I tested this - the Xbox versions work on PS5 and PC, but the PC version only works on PC and PS5.
On the V3 X, you have to toggle between Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz, but the V3 and V3 Pro have simultaneous audio. You can still select between 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth or simultaneous on the latter two. This can be done to preserve battery life.
Dongles
All 3 of these headsets come with wireless dongles. The V3 X's is a more traditional USB-C. The Xbox version has a switch for Xbox and USB for everything else.
The V3 and V3 Pro have a transmitter with a USB-C port that you have to plug in. Cables are included. I find them inconvenient and they add to clutter, but the selling point is they are capable of low latency down to 10 ms.
Ultra low latency mode shortens the battery life and the dongle range, but mine worked over 15 feet away through walls anyway. Unfortunately the ultra low latency mode made my mic cut out often.
All 3 headsets get up to 70 hours of battery but that’s only on PC with 2.4 GHz. They get only up to 48 hours on Xbox and PS5 and up to 35 with simultaneous Bluetooth + 2.4 GHz.
Controls
V3 X
The power button doubles as a toggle between Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless. There’s a mic mute button and a volume wheel with infinite scroll. On the right this wheel is for adjusting the sidetone AKA mic monitoring.
However, if you're on Xbox, the wheel functions as a game/chat mixer wheel. I don't actually know how to or if you even can enable sidetone with the V3 X on Xbox.
The game/chat mixer does not work for any of these on PS5. It's very rare that a non-Sony branded headset can do this. And usually it's with a workaround like the Astro A50 X.
There's also no game/chat mixer on PC on the V3 X.
V3
Similar controls here. First there’s mic mute and the power button. This power button actually doubles as media controls. You can play and pause with one press, skip with two, and go back with three. The V3 X does not have media controls at all.
On the outside is an infinite scroll volume wheel.
On the right earcup is the SmartSwitch button. Single tapping toggles between the different headphone EQ presets. You can customize them in the software. These save to the device itself for use on any system including Bluetooth.
The left wheel can be set to control the game/chat mixer, sidetone volume, or footsteps scaler. On Xbox, this again always becomes the game/chat mixer. But you can still change the sidetone - you'll just do it while connected to the phone app.
The game/chat volume mixer is extremely useful on PC during Discord calls when other media like a stream or game is going on. Just set Discord audio to V3 chat and everything else to V3 game.
V3 Pro
The V3 Pro’s controls are almost the same as the V3. The only difference is the ANC button which toggles from on, to ambient, and off.
Microphone Audio Quality
These mics are all excellent. They're the main reason to buy these headsets outside of the quantity of features for the price. I'd put the V3 and V3 X just outside my top 5, because their more limited frequency range causes sibilance in “s” sounds to sound a bit unnatural.
I do the V3 Pro in my top 5. It’s even better than the V2 Pro which sounds amazing. If yours sounds muffled out the box, make sure to update to the latest firmware. One of the updates changed the default mic equalizer to be as I’ve shown below.
New default mic EQ on the V3 Pro.
All 3 microphones are detachable and flexible. Unlike the Barracuda series, there are no integrated microphones. These all have different specifications and different tuning.
My only two complaints are that none of these are great with plosives and the official frequency response ranges are all over the place. For example, the PC version of the V3 Pro is stated to be full-band 20 Hz - 20 KHz which is unparalleled for a headset mic. However, my Xbox version says it's only 100 Hz - 15 kHz.
Headphone Audio Quality
Frequency response measurements I taken with my miniDSP EARS (not industry standard).
All 3 headsets have 50 mm drivers with a frequency range of 12 Hz - 28 kHz, but they have different materials and different tuning.
The V3 X has TriForce Gen 2 drivers. “Tri” because the highs, mids, and lows are separated out into three different parts of the driver.
Out the box, this has the highest bass quantity of all of 3. It's a more resonating, lingering bass so not a quick pop like the Pro and not just a whimper like the V3. On the graphs above, it’s actually visualized as having lower treble than the others, which gives it its warmer sound signature.
For music, it's fun for a while, but it's overall pretty muffled. It's not a clean, physical bass. And the treble is still prominent even though it’s lower than the others. Everything beyond 5 kHz gets quite a boost. In busy environments like FPS games, the V3 X gave me the least overall awareness in terms of positioning. The sound separation just isn't that great.
Armored Core VI with the V3.
The V3 has titanium TriForce Gen 2 drivers.
It follows a similar curve based on my measurements, but it isn't quite as warm. In addition to Black Ops 6, I played some Armored Core 6 with these and it really made the shortcomings apparent. Neither the V3 or V3 X have particularly detailed midrange and the highs are sharp, but not that clean.
Pretty average stuff so far. The only headset I'd even consider for the headphone audio is the V3 Pro.
Black Ops 6 with the V3 Pro.
The V3 Pro has TriForce bio-cellulose Gen 2 drivers. Out the box with ANC off, these are harsh in the treble. If you like SteelSeries headsets, you'll probably like these.
For me, they were physically painful to listen to by default. In my environment, with ANC on, this thickens up the sub-bass. The 100-300 Hz range dips a bit but everything after 1 kHz is the same.
Active Noise Cancellation
No matter where I tested these and no matter what level I set the ANC to, these never really canceled out anything. I actually have these $20 earbuds that have legit ANC, way better.
Anyway, I still keep the ANC on, just for better bass.
Fortunately, even though I don't like the stock sound, the V3 Pro has way more EQ potential than the V3 and V3 X before distorting. The V3 Pro drivers can't produce the deep, immersive sub-bass like the A50 X has with its graphene drivers. But it's still much more capable than the Cloud III S.
The V3 Pro adds a bit of a pop to everything. Quick percussive sounds like footsteps feel like there quickly bouncing off the driver rather than being an extended vibration. But it's not as intense of an impact as the Audeze Maxwell or Logitech G522. The V3 Pro is the best of these three devices for FPS games.
Headphone Audio Summary
Overall, I wouldn't buy any of these 3 for the headphone audio specifically, but the V3 Pro's is the best by far. Better than the Cloud III and its variants when EQ'd.
These are all much better than the V2 Pro which was somehow both tinny and muffled at the same time.
Software
Footstep scaler available on the V3 and V3 Pro.
These headsets all work with Razer Synapse on desktop and the Razer Audio app on phones.
On the V3 X, you do not get THX Spatial Audio or a mic equalizer. It’s an arbitrary decision aimed at upselling people on the V3 and V3 Pro, but at least you get the headphone EQ.
On the V3 and V3 Pro you can enable THX Spatial Audio. This boosts the upper mids and treble by a lot and adds a reverb effect to it. It makes ambient sounds seem extremely close, particularly higher frequency sounds.
These two headsets also give you the option to change what the wheel on the right earcup does. You can set it to be sidetone, footsteps scaler, or game/chat mixer. The footsteps scaler boosts (or dips) the 125 Hz and 250 Hz range.
There are a bunch of EQ presets by default, you can make your own. You can control auto shut off settings and add different filters to the mic. And most of the stuff is identical in the phone app so tweaking the settings on PC and going to console is, on paper seamless.
Comfort and Build
378 pounds on the BlackShark V3 Pro with its mic.
Detachable speaker plates on the V3 Pro.
If you're a fan of the BlackShark V2 series, you'll love the comfort of the V3 series.
The V2 X is 270 grams without the mic and 282 with. The V3 is 265 without and 278 with. The V3 Pro is 365 with and 378 without.
The V3 X and V3 use a combination of fabric that's not really soft on the inside and pleather on the outside. As someone who loves fully pleather pads like the Cloud III, this is kind of a waste and doesn't feel that great.
Padding on the V3 X.
Because the padding isn't that thick or soft, the clamp - while not particularly strong - can be felt after about an hour.
The V3 Pro has full mesh just like the V2 Pro. I don’t actually like this material much either and the weight is problematic during long sessions. The V3 Pro has detachable plates but it's still closed back.
All three devices have thin metal hinges, and the V3 Pro has 15 degree swivel. Overall, I give the V3 X and V3 a B- in comfort. Maybe a C+. The V3 Pro is a C.
Verdict
If you're upgrading from the BlackShark V2 series, all three of these are great improvements over the V2 X, V2, and V2 Pro. Go for the BlackShark V3 X HyperSpeed if you’re on a budget, or get the BlackShark V3 Pro if you want to experience the intriguing bio-cellulose drivers and have a great microphone.
Maybe wait for the BlackShark V3 to go on sale before picking that one up…
If you’re not a Razer fan specifically, the V3 X is still one of the best headsets under $100, but the competition is too stiff for the other two in higher price ranges. This is my current article on my top 5 gaming headsets.
