When I first got the Razer Seiren X I was shocked at how small and light weight it was.
I was even more shocked at how good it sounded and how easy it was to use. Razer set out
to make the perfect microphone for streamers and I think they did just that. So lets get
into the review, and Im also going to compare it to everyone’s favorite Blue Yeti and
the less expensive Blue Snow Ball.
Unless stated other wise, all of the audio in this video is being recorded with the Razer
Seiren X. Just like Razer’s larger micro phone, the Seiren X comes packed in super
dense foam that you could use a carrying case if you’re going to be traveling with it.
Inside you’ll find the microphone, a support rod, a braided Micro USB cable, documentation,
and the base. And the Seiren X retails for $99.99.
For comparisons sake, the blue yeti which is the mic I’ve been using for a few months
now, retails for $150 but is usually on sale for $129.
And if you’re just getting into streaming you might be tempted to go with the Blue Snowball
which is a very affordable microphone which will set you back about $55.
If you want to pick either of these microphones up I’ll have links in the description below
and I’ll keep them updated so you can get the best deal possible.
When you first get the Seiren X you do have to put it together, but the microphone it
self is super light weight weighing in at just 154 grams. The base however is super
dense weighing in at 227 grams. But if you don’t want use the included base the serien
x does have a universal mount on the bottom so you can use your own. On the bottom you
will also find a micro USB port and a Zero-latency 3.5 mm headphone monitoring port so you can
hear your audio in real time. And On the front you’ll also find a volume knob and a mute
button that flashes green or red.
The larger blue yeti also has a similar set up to the seiren X. It also has a universal
mount, uses a micro USB port, has a headphone jack on the bottom, has a volume knob on the
front and a mute button. But the Blue yeti has 2 extra knobs the Seiren X doesn't. First
theres the gain knob that increases the sensitivity of the mic which allows you to fine tune the
mic. Something you cant do on the Seiren X manually, but to be honest I feel that for
streaming purposes the sensitivity of the Sieren X is just perfect right out of the
box. And the second knob on the Blue yeti lets you switch from the 4 recording patterns.
The Seiren X is a Cardioid microphone and I’ll go into that in a minute. But with
the yeti you can also choose from bidirectional mode where the mic only pics up sound from
whats in front of it or behind it, theres omnidirectional where the mic will pick up
everything evenly from each direction and theres stereo mode where it’ll use both
the left and right channels.
And theres the Blue snowball that dosnt use a micro usb port and doesn’t have an audio
jack. But there is a switch on the back so you can choose from 3 recoding patterns. The
first is Cardiod, the second setting is still cardioid but sensitivity is lowered and the
third setting is omnidirectional. But even though I feel setting number one would be
best suited for streaming, the audio quality still isn’t as good as the Seiren X right
out of the box.
Like I mentioned earlier the seiren X is a cardioid microphone. So it picks up the majority
of the sound thats in front of it and as you make your way to the back it’ll pick up
less and less sound. Which is good cause if you place it right in front of you while you’re
streaming it’ll pick up mainly your voice and not too much keyboard clicking sounds
or your PC’s fan for example.
Although in theory the same can be said for the blue yeti and blue snowball, they are
gigantic compared to the Razer Seiren X. So you’ll probably want to place those microphones
off to the side of you so they’ll pick up a little more keyboard noise. Although you
might do the same with the Seiren X just having the option of being able to place the Seiren
X in front of you without it taking up so much space on a cramped desk is super valuable
to a streamer.
When it comes to over all sound quality the Razer Seiren X sounds full, deep, and crisp.
It has no problem picking your voice up either if you have it right in front of you or off
to the side. It also dosnt have a problem pick you up if you talk softly. And if you
get really excited mid game and you start talking louder and even if you start yelling
the microphone still manages to keep a clear signal. Only at very high volumes will the
microphone start to crackle or just sound blown out. And again this is right out of
the box.
The blue yeti also sounds very good but in order to get the best sound you need to really
play around with the gain knob. I also noticed the blue yeti is slightly better preventing
getting blown out when you start yelling. But if you know you’re a yeller you can
also just lower the gain knob and prevent blow outs that way.
but without a doubt the blue snowball is the worst sounding microphone in this group. For
starters the audio isn’t a clear and you can even here a little static at times. It
also does the worst job of handling loud noises cause it does get blown out more frequently.
And like I mentioned earlier, although the blue snowball does give you 3 recording patterns
to choose from I feel neither one of them sound as good as the seiren x’s default.
One of the most important aspects of either of these microphones is how much table vibration
either of their stands pick up. If you’re planning on streaming with either of these
microphones chances are they’re going to be resting them on the same desk where you’re
going to be using your keyboard.
For starters i can tell you right off the bat that the Blue snowball picks up the most
table vibration in this group. And thats due to the Mic’s stiff base. All it does is
transfer all of the energy into the microphone.
The blue yeti on the other hand picks up significantly less table vibration thanks to the padding
on the bottom of its bass. But since the majority of the base is still very stiff it still manages
to pick up some table vibrations.
And then theres the Seiren X that picks up the least amount of table vibrations. And
thats for a few reasons. First the padding on the bottom of the bass is slightly thicker
and softer than the padding on the Blue Yeti. The overall surface area in contact with the
table is also significantly less than the blue yeti. And the Seiren X also has a built
in shock mount that helps dampen vibrations. This means when you’re mashing on your keyboard
the Seiren X isn’t going to pick up as much table vibrations as the yeti or snowball.
All in all I do think the Razer Seiren X is the perfect microphone for streamers. For
$100 youre getting a microphone that sounds as good and at times even better than the
blue yeti but in a much smaller and in a more manageable package. Right out of the box its
exactly what a streamer needs. If I didn’t already have a blue yeti or needed a microphone
that could record in stereo mode I would go with the Seiren X for my voice overs. I just
wish the support rod was slightly longer so it was easier to plug in the micro usb cable
and I wish I could dim the recoding light on the front. If youre going to start streaming
and you’re looking for a microphone you cant go wrong with the Seiren X, it sounds
and preforms way better than the Snowball and the blue yeti might be over kill for what
you need. And remember, the compact size of the Seiren X is huge plus over the either
of these microphones.