We’re going under the hood of Razer’s budget-friendly wireless headset in this Razer Nari Essential review to uncover whether the Nari Essential is still worth purchasing; despite being first released over 4 years ago.
The Nari Essential is a wireless gaming over-ear headset that is popular due to its exquisite audio and bang-for-buck value. It comes with Razer’s famed HyperSense technology which allows users to feel haptic feedback in real-time for a more dynamic and realistic feel alongside incredible audio output. If you have a haptic-enabled keyboard too, the immersivity is even more insane.
To make the unit even more interesting, you can easily pair it with the THX Spatial Audio software to further tweak the settings for a phenomenal experience.
On top of that, the Nari absolutely slays as an “essential” gaming headset given its well-built, ergonomic design that will keep you comfortable during long hours of use.
While it is definitely not considered as one of Razers top of the line like the Razer Kiyo Pro, the Nari Essential delivers the basics extremely well. But can this budget gaming headset hold up in 2022 and beyond, despite being a few years old? Continue reading our Razer Nari Essential review below as we weigh up its features, pros and cons, and more. Also, don’t forget to let us know in the comments section below what you think about Razer’s stunning lineup of peripherals.
Now, let’s dive right into it!
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Design & Comfortability
There is no denying that Razer has managed to build one of the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystems of wireless peripherals. Their recently released models are all loved by gaming fanatics worldwide due to their amazing stereo capabilities at a fantastic price. An example of that is the Nari essential which is perfect for all budding gamers out there as this is the entry-level model for the Nari family.
Out of the box, the Nari Essential sports a sleek, premium look with noticeably large circular earcups, thick leatherette padding and an ultra-flexible boom microphone. It looks aesthetically pleasing with its all-matte-black colour scheme combined with perforated grille and gunmetal accents for a more rugged look. While the RGB lighting is totally toned down in this model, it still bears the recognizable Razer logo.
Despite being entirely made of dense plastic, the unit feels solid enough but not impenetrable. What makes the Nari Essential unbelievably heavy is its circular padding made of breathable material, which is large enough to fully enclose your ears. The padding is also comfortable thanks to its cooling gel that is infused right into the cushion.
If you are not a fan of the materials we mentioned, one of the best things about the Nari Essential is that the ear cushions are fully removable and you can easily swap these out when needed. Although, that would require purchasing secondary ear cushions which, frankly, there would be no point. You may as well just get a different headset or explore gaming earbuds such as the Razer Hammerheads.
Related: View Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Review
With a weight of 431g, the Nari Essential is on the heavier side of competitive wireless headsets and will be more comfortable to use at home than on the road. The clamping force of the Nari Essential is at 1.5 lbs which is pretty much a standard for most Razer-manufactured headsets. However, it may take some getting used to since the unit may feel weighty and may cause slight soreness or pain at first. The good thing is that it has incorporated a durable headband that automatically adjusts for a snug fit and distributes the weight effectively on both ends.
As for the controls, you might be surprised to know that this unit features an extensive amount of controls that are conveniently placed at both ear cups. If you want to control the volume, you can easily reach the right earcup and turn the wheel. This is also where you can find the memory card slot to use the wireless USB receiver. To mute the mic, power on the unit, charge, or plug an audio jack, the left earcup is where you can find all these.
Sound & Audio Quality
Given the large earcup design, the unit gives off a unique cavernous effect with increased sound isolation. So, if you are looking for a wireless headset that guarantees not to leak the sound when used, then the Nari Essential is worth looking into. More often than not, headsets at this price point find it challenging to represent sounds at the highest level, and you will definitely observe some crackles here and there. However, we are impressed to see throughout this Nari Essential review that the Nari Essential can effortlessly prevent distortion of sounds even when playing at a maximum volume level. On paper, it can produce audio at a frequency of 20Hz to 20kHz using its mid-sized, 40mm, driver unit size.
Voted: Best Essential Razer Gaming Headset.
Through compatibility with THX Spacial features, gaming with this headset will be a blast since it will give you a sensation as if you are literally inside the game. It is so versatile that you can customize and create your own sound profile to tailor-fit the sound output to your liking using the software. Isn’t it great to have directional imaging and precisely pinpoint where guns are shot at or whether there are approaching enemies? Therefore, this is definitely an in-game lifesaver when playing on PC.
However, the sound quality is limited to stereo if you connect this to your console. Disappointing as it may be, the Nari Essential will not give you a fully immersive gaming experience at all. If you are after surround-sound gaming on your PlayStation, then this is not the headset for you.
Microphone Quality & Performance
As with most gaming headphones, the Nari Essential is equipped with a bendable unidirectional microphone that is flexible enough to be positioned directly in front of your mouth. With a frequency of 100 Hz to 6.6 kHz and a sensitivity of -42 ± 3 dB, it represents your voice fairly clearly. However, it does not have the brilliance that you expect from a Razer headset. When used for recording, the quality is clear enough and can handle noise basic nose cancellation. If you are more interested in getting yourself heard by your teammates better, then a dedicated USB mic is what you should consider.
Compatibility & Battery Life
The Nari Essential comes with a USB dongle which you can plug into your PCs and PlayStation consoles. It has an amazing battery life which can last you up to 16 hours of use before it runs out of juice. While there are indeed other brands that can last more than 20 hours, the battery life of the Nari Essential is not bad at all and is in the same range as some of the popular brands like JBL Quantum 800 and Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless. However, these two headsets will set you back a pretty penny! To charge, you simply need to plug the micro-USB to USB-A charging cable into the socket for at least four hours.
Price & Value
The Razer Nari currently retails at $80-$90 across Australia. This is a whole lot cheaper than other Razer models like the BlackShark V2, Kraken V3, and the Nari Ultimate. That said, the Nari Essential is not a whole heap worse than these models. Of course, you will expect premium delivery with those three powerhouse gaming headsets. Yet, the Nari Essential delivers absolutely everything you could need when on a budget.
Overall, there is great value in the Nari Essential which will deliver you THX Spatial Audio, powerful audio quality and for PC gamers only, plenty of customisation too! Overall, you will not be too disappointed.
The Not So Good
We’ve already mentioned previously in our Razer Nari Essential review that the plastic feel and the occasional crackle of the microphone so we won’t harp on about these two downsides here.
In terms of design, the Nari essential is eye-candy with its sleek all-black look. However, its body is still mainly made of plastic shelling, which means that it may not be as durable as other available headsets. We are not saying that it is not durable, but it definitely is not as flexible as we imagined it would be given its price. Razer has clearly skewed most of the budget towards the powerful audio here.
Another major downside is that the Razer Nari Essential is not a good portable headset. It has an unapologetically chunky look, making it only usable at home with the rest of your gaming setup. Add to that is the fact that there is no swivel stopper for the earcups, so you will need to purchase a separate carrying case for it. Besides that, when writing our Nari Essential review, we tried to not be too critical because, well, it’s a $90 headset. What more can you expect?
Razer Nari Essential Review Verdict.
Despite the budget price range, the Razer Nari Essential is a premium pick for many gamers looking for an affordable and quality wireless gaming headset. As such, we have scored this Razer Nari Essential review a respectable 88/100. Offering powerful audio and a battery life that has the longevity to keep with you even throughout the sweatiest of settings, the Nari Essential Wireless Gaming Headset is one of the better headsets within its price range; despite some obvious flaws.
Although this feature is only available on PC, the fact that you can connect the Nari with the THX Spatial Audio Software is a huge bonus. This allows you to further enhance the existing sound profile to your liking. More importantly, it is perfect for those who do not want to manually calibrate and adjust the settings on the software, as it comes with game profiles that will meet the basic needs of every type of game.
However, we believe that this does not measure up compared to other recently released headsets. For one, it looks premium, but the overall design seems too elaborate as compared to newer and cheaper brands. Also, you cannot use the special audio features and sound profiles when you connect it to your console. Overall, it is an excellent buy for casual gamers, but if you want a more robust headset, then you might want to check out other brands, which might cost double or triple the current price of the Nari Essential.
Thoughts on the Nari Essential? Hit the comments below.
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Content Disclaimer: This Razer Nari Essential Review is independently written. We have not been commissioned by Razer, nor have we received any royalties for this article. This includes financial reimbursement or the Nari Essential Headset as a gift.
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