The Razer Leviathan V2 is a gaming soundbar that fits perfectly on your desk and gives quality sound for your Mac
The original Leviathan was a solid performer that boasted a bassy, forthright sound presentation housed within a solid, affordable exterior. The challenge for the V2 is to build on the groundwork laid by its progenitor and take aspects of performance, sound reputation, and connectivity to the next level. Here’s hoping that Razer’s Leviathan V2 soundbar-and-sub combo shares many of these properties with its monstrous namesake – a package capable of epic, near-Biblical sound.
Razer Leviathan V2: Price and availability
The Razer Leviathan V2 retails at around £230 / $250 / AU$410, a noticeable increase on the initial £159 / $199 / AU$279 of 2014’s original model.
Aside from Razer’s official store, you can pick the V2 up at Amazon UK, Very, and Argos in the UK, or Amazon US and Walmart in the States. Stocks seem healthy right now, though we’re yet to see significant discounts dragging prices down. The V2 has dipped to around £212 on Amazon UK, for instance, so you could get a couple of notes off the original RRP if you’re willing to shop around.
Razer Leviathan V2: Build and design
The Leviathan V2 is a nice package – hold either the soundbar or subwoofer in your hands and you’ll feel the weight and substance of a product well made. The soundbar is lean and slender, and we always enjoy seeing that eye-catching underlighting for which Razer is so well-known.
Ok, so the sub is a little basic-looking, but considering it’s going to spend most of its time on the floor, aesthetics aren’t paramount. The solid, compact cube is designed to fire sound conspicuously downwards, leading to a greater throb and bass weight.
Despite the monstrous name, neither unit is overly whopping (around 9 x 50 x 8.4 cm for the bar and 22 x 22 x 24 cm for the sub), so don’t worry about not having enough space.
Razer Leviathan V2: Features
Feature-wise, this is a case of “pretty good, but”, and it’s a big “but”. Before we get there, Razer’s head-tracking spatial audio works admirably, and while it doesn’t rival Dolby Atmos, the THX tech succeeds in placing sounds across a broad sound field.
The accompanying app works well – it’s a clean, detailed platform from which you can manage your presets, change your lighting, and access the various onboarded EQ settings.
Now for the “but”: there’s no 3.5mm or optical input, with Razer ditching both options in favor of a single USB-C. Bluetooth is an option for hooking up to most audio sources, but as we’ll see below, sound quality can suffer when using a wireless connection.
Razer Leviathan V2: Sound Quality
If you’re seeking a setup packed to the brim with sonic oomph, you’ve found it. The second-gen Leviathan goes big on loudness, capable of filling most spaces with full, powerful audio that, when turned up several notches, is loaded with well-formed bass and plenty of punch.
It’s detailed, too, whether it’s the rattling of falling ammunition during a game of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, the rasp of engines when watching Apple TV Plus’ Masters Of The Air, or the thin, lean guitar twangs at the outset of alt-J’s Breezeblocks.
The one criticism you could level at the V2 is that it can paint with a broad brush, and while those subtler details are undoubtedly present, the powerful sub-and-bar combo can’t quite bring out the dynamic contrasts that mark out a truly musical performer. That won’t bother bass-hungry gamers, but it’s worth noting if you’re a proper audiophile who likes to feel those engaging peaks and troughs.
Note, also, that the V2’s performance will vary depending on how you hook it up in the first place. A wired connection gives that robust, confident and broad soundstage as described above, although we do experience a drop in performance when using the soundbar and sub via Bluetooth; it’s thinner and not as detailed via a wireless connection.
Razer Leviathan V2: Competition
For decent sub and soundbar combos that could trouble the V2, the Creative Sound BlasterX Katana (£300 / $300 / AU$500) is a similarly-priced package that offers a slimline soundbar alongside a lean, lightweight subwoofer. If you just want a soundbar, the LG UltraGear GP9 is a fine, if more expensive choice (currently £400 / $400 / AU$500). if you’re after a compact package at a reasonable price, these are some of the best speakers for Mac.
Razer Leviathan V2: Should you buy it?
You should buy it if…
- You like your sound big, bassy, and full of punch
- You’re keen on spatial audio with head-tracking
- You don’t have a megabucks budget
You shouldn’t buy it if…
- You need those 3mm and optical audio inputs
- You truly value dynamics and musicality
- You need super-sharp Bluetooth performance
Razer Leviathan V2: Verdict
If (and it’s a big if) you can live with its noticeable lack of 3.5mm and optical inputs, the Leviathan V2 offers gamer-ready sound alongside the sort of robust, durable build we’ve come to expect from Razer. Even with inflation accounted for, that price increase over the original iteration does feel a tad unwelcome, but the V2 puts itself into our good books with enjoyable spatial audio, burly bass, and plenty of sonic punch.
The bottom line
The Razer Leviathian V2 is a great desktop soundbar, and while the RGB is a bit in your face, its a solid audio performer for most Mac users.
