Razer’s expensive 7.1 surround sound gaming headset promises to be worth it

Razer has announces a new pair of flagship gaming headsets with the Tiamat 7.1 V2 and the Tiamat 2.2 V2.

First up the Razer Tiamat 7.1 V2 is a long awaited sequel to the company's analog, true 7.1 surround sound PC gaming headset. It comes outfitted with 10 discrete drivers. That breaks down to five speakers per ear including a 40 mm subwoofer, 30 mm front (L/R) and center drivers and 20 mm rear and side surround drivers.

Razer is one of the few companies that still delivers a truly analog surround sound headset, whereas others like the SteelSeries Siberia 840 and HyperX Cloud II produce a virtualized 7.1 sound profile.

The Tiamat 7.1 V2 also comes with a new control unit that’s bulkier compared to the last model’s but should sit more securely on desks. From this little box, users will be able to control the volume of each channel and access other settings like muting the microphone.

Speaking of which, the Tiamat 7.1 V2 is equipped with a unidirectional microphone attached to the ear cup. And as ever, the surround sound headset also features Razer Chroma support for 16.8 million color options.

The Razer Tiamat 2.2 V2 is a little less fully-featured as an only a stereo-only gaming headset. That said, its 50mm subwoofers should translate to booming bass. Like the Tiamat 7.1 V2, this gaming headset also comes with a unidirectional microphone to pick up players’ voices clearly.

Thanks to relying only on a standard audio jack, users will also be able to more easily connect this headset to consoles, tablets, Macs, and other platforms beyond PCs.

The Razer Tiamat 7.1 V2 and Tiamat 2.2 V2 are available now on Razer’s online store for $199 (about £150, AU$250) and $129 (about £100, AU$160), respectively.