Razer Barracuda vs Barracuda Pro

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Differences Summary
Connectivity and Controls
Headphone Audio Quality
Microphone Audio Quality
Comfort and Build Quality
Verdict

Differences Summary

Both the Razer Barracuda and Barracuda Pro are versatile headsets with integrated mics and both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity. Here is what sets them apart:

The Razer Barracuda Pro is the more premium device and it launched at $250 compared to the $160 launch price of the Barracuda.
The Barracuda Pro has active noise cancellation.
The Barracuda has 3.5 mm, 2.4 GHz wireless, and Bluetooth connectivity options, but the Barracuda Pro lacks the 3.5 mm option.
The Barracuda uses Razer’s more standard TriForce titanium drivers, but the Barracuda Pro uses TriForce bio-cellulose drivers instead. With enough EQ, the latter can sound better.
The Barracuda has cloth ear cushions, and the Barracuda Pro has softer faux leather ear cushions with memory foam.

Connectivity and Controls

Connectivity

Both the Barracuda and Barracuda Pro are compatible with PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iPhones. Both devices come with a 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle for Razer’s “Hyperspeed” wireless.

Bluetooth is an alternative option. I’ll cover this more in a bit, but neither headset can receive both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz audio at the same time. You have to toggle between them.

The main difference between the two headsets in terms of connectivity is the Barracuda also has a 3.5 mm port. This is absent on the Barracuda Pro.

Controls

Both devices have mostly the same controls. These include a mic mute switch, a volume wheel (endless scroll), a power button, and a “SmartSwitch” button. SmartSwitch can be double tapped to let you switch from Bluetooth to 2.4 GHz wireless and back.

The one difference in the controls is the Barracuda Pro can have the SmartSwitch button single pressed to cycle between different ANC modes. The modes are ANC on, ambient, and ANC off.

Headphone Audio Quality

When used at their default settings, the Barracuda sounds far better than the Barracuda Pro. If you do end up getting the Barracuda Pro, prepare yourself for how jarringly terrible its out-the-box sound is.

The issue comes down to the tuning. The Barracuda Pro’s highs are not bright and crisp; they’re very dull. The bass is pretty much non-existent. The result is very little sound separation, no power in the bass, and no sparkle in the highs.

In contrast, the Barracuda sounds a lot like the BlackShark V2. The bass is somewhat muddy, but it’s stronger than what’s on the Pro. The mid-range is less crowded, and the highs break out from the rest of the mix much better.

EQ considerations

All this said, the out-the-box sound only tells half the story. Below is an unoptimized EQ curve that I set in Razer Synapse, but it still demonstrates my points very well.

I really wanted to experiment with Razer’s most premium drivers since they hyped them up with ridiculous branding. To be precise, the Barracuda Pro is using 50 mm “TriForce Bio-Cellulose Drivers” with a “THX AAA” amplifer.

Here’s what my takeaway was. The Barracuda Pro does beat out the sound of the Barracuda, but it requires very aggressive tuning with an equalizer.

The detail in the highs is there, but the treble needs to be cranked up to separate them from the mids. The bass never gets much power, but it can get a little vibration and warmth to stand out when it’s boosted by several dB.

The Barracuda Pro is very responsive to EQ and it lives up to the claim of having little distortion. I even tested boosting some frequencies by up to +12 dB.

The Barracuda cannot deal with anywhere close to that level of EQ without the bass losing all of its detail and just becoming blaring. So yes, in terms of detail and clarity, resistance to distortion, and just overall fullness of sound, the Barracuda Pro wins in the sound quality department. But it will take a ton of EQ work.

Headphone Audio Summary

Ultimately, the Barracuda Pro has superior sound to the Barracuda with enough software tuning.

Still, neither matches up to better devices like the HyperX Cloud Alpha. The Barracuda Pro in particular doesn’t get close to touching higher end headsets in its price range like the Drop + EPOS PC38X, or the Audeze Penrose.

If headphone audio quality is one of your main reasons for getting a headset, neither the Barracuda or Barracuda Pro are the way to go.

Microphone Audio Quality

These are two of the worst sounding microphones I’ve heard on any headset. And there’s an obvious reason for that. The mics are integrated into the ear cups rather than protruding out like most gaming headsets.

Honestly, it’s a bit misleading to even label these as gaming “headsets” since they’re missing half of the equation.

Regardless, the Barracuda Pro’s mic sounds incredibly metallic and warped. The highs are very distorted and harsh. It literally hurts to listen to. The Barracuda has less of a metallic sound and more of a muffled effect. If you’re looking for good mics, keep looking.

Comfort and Build Quality

The Barracuda Pro gets an easy win in comfort.

The Barracuda has similar ear cushions to the BlackShark V2. The two advantages are the sound seal is great and the fabric is breathable. The downside is they’re just not that comfortable and pretty scratchy.

The Barracuda uses fake leather with the softest memory foam I’ve used. The only potential downside is when used outside when it’s already hot, these trap in the heat.

Both devices feature swivel, but it’s done wrong. First off, they twist with the inside facing forward, so you have to turn them around to put them around your neck. Secondly, the ear cups naturally clamp together so they just put pressure on your neck anyway. So the swivel is pretty useless.

Either way, I give the Barracuda Pro an S in comfort while the Barracuda gets maybe a C+.

Build Quality

Both devices are primarily made of plastic. The glossy coating on the Barracuda Pro makes it more of a fingerprint magnet.

There’s some thin metal on the outside of the adjustment brackets. I wouldn’t rely on these to survive getting snagged and over-stretched on something, so do be careful.

Software

Both devices get access to the Razer Audio App on mobile and Razer Synapse on PC. A full equalizer and many filters are available there.

The main difference is the Barracuda Pro gets access to active noise cancellation (ANC). The intensity of this can be adjusted in software, but the basic on/off/ambient toggle can be done with just the hardware SmartSwitch button.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

The objective of ANC is to create a constant sound that counteracts the frequencies of your environment. The functionality can be set to off, on, or ambient. Ambient is supposed to let certain potentially important sounds in if you’re in a crowded environment.

Unfortunately, the ANC just doesn’t work that well on the Barracuda Pro. You can hear it altering the EQ of your audio and attempting to create a white noise that masks your surroundings. But the surroundings never really get drowned out.

Outside of my room, the TV is constantly on and people are always outside making noise. Low rumbles from the subwoofer didn’t go away. Voices came through just as clear as usual. When used outside, the AC unit was only slightly dampened. If you’re looking for good or even decent active noise cancellation, this isn’t it.

Verdict

The Barracuda Pro is a better device than the Barracuda. However, I don’t recommend either of them. The headphone audio quality and microphone audio quality of both is much worse than competing headsets and makes their launch prices seem laughable.

Alternative devices that I would consider are the HyperX Cloud II (and Cloud II Wireless if you really need wireless) or the Audeze Penrose for one of the best all-in-one wireless headsets on the market.

Differences Summary