The Razer Seiren has been around for a few years now and the brand has refreshed its line-up of streaming and gaming microphones. In this review, we'll be taking the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma for a spin, the company's new flagship microphone. Being a USB microphone, the Razer Serien V3 Chroma is designed to look good and convenient to use. No drivers are required though you will want to install Razer's software to make full use of available features.

Using the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma on Linux and Windows, I encountered no issues. The device was automatically detected by both operating systems in seconds with no additional software. Audio recording quality is another strong point with this microphone, but I expected as much with the price tag. What I was surprised by was the RGB lighting ... I like it, a lot.

About this review: Razer shipped XDA a sample for this review but had no input to its contents.

Price, specs, and availability

The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma comes in at $130, which is a hefty price to pay for a microphone aimed at gamers and beginner streamers. Included with the microphone is a sturdy metal stand, a USB-A to USB-C braided cable, and a manual. Being a condenser USB microphone, you've got a super-cardioid recording pattern for picking up voice.

The specifications are excellent for this price point, and the 16 mm condenser capsule will have no issue picking up audio from the stand on a desk or when connected to a boom arm. It's a hefty device too, weighing 400g and I would recommend investing in an arm to hold the Serien V3 Chroma to prevent it from picking up too much background noise (primarily keyboard keystrokes).

What I like

There's no shortage of microphones for gaming and streaming with just about every PC brand launching some form of USB recording device. Razer has a few under its belt and the company is back with the third iteration of the Razer Serien. The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma is a premium microphone with a clear super-cardioid recording pattern. Think the Audio Technica AT2020USB+ but with a more sleek design and fancier lighting.

Inside the box is the microphone itself, a stand, USB-A to USB-C cable, and a small manual. The Seiren V3 Chroma is a compact microphone, measuring 90 x 213 mm and it looks like an enlarged pill, resembling other Razer microphones. If you've used Razer hardware before, you'll feel right at home with this microphone. It looks exactly how you'd imagine a premium Razer microphone would.

The Razer Seiren V3 Chroma is a premium microphone with a clear super-cardioid recording pattern.

There's a standard thread on the bottom of the microphone, which can be used to secure it to the included stand, though this also allows the Serien to be attached to a boom arm. For connectivity, there's a single USB-C port for data and power, as well as a small 3.5mm headphone jack for monitoring. Controlling the microphone is carried out through a gain/monitoring dial and mute capacitive button, the latter being located on the top of the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma.

Interestingly, and something that took me a while to work out, the mute button doubles up as a function button, cycling presets or disabling the RGB lighting altogether. I would recommend leaving the lighting enabled as it doubles up as a status indication for gain and volume levels, as well as recording activity. If you are too loud, the microphone will alert you like a toothbrush informing you to go easy on the brushing.

Recording quality with this microphone is excellent even without messing with gain and other variables through Razer's Synapse software. When adjusted to match your setting, you can get the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma to record your voice clearly without background noise.

What I don't like

Something immediately noticeable with the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma was the noise cancellation or lack thereof. It's present, but when turning on the microphone, it picks up another person talking in the other room. I was able to drown out this other voice but there was no avoiding the keystrokes of my Keychron Q1 Max. It's not a quiet keyboard and the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma picked up most of the noise. This was addressed by moving the microphone from its stand to a boom arm.

Should you buy the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma?

You should buy the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma if:

• You want fancy RGB lighting effects on a solid microphone.
• Your headset microphone simply isn't cutting it.
• You wish to start streaming or record videos.

You shouldn't buy the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma if:

• You don't want to spend $130 on a microphone.
• You need a microphone with the best noise cancellation.

Being a USB microphone, the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma should be an easy audio recording device to use and it is as simple as connecting the microphone to a spare USB port and you're up and running. As soon as the RGB lighting kicks in, the device begins to record everything, and I mean everything. The noise cancellation isn't as good as other microphones, such as the NZXT Capsule Mini.

For gaming and starting up a stream, the Razer Seriren V3 Chroma is a solid microphone.

Razer's software is where the Serien V3 Chroma comes alive, like some competitor microphones. It allows you to customize the RGB lighting, as well as all other parts of the recording device. The array of options isn't as good as some competitor products, though it's not terrible. If you're seeking a premium audiophile-grade microphone, this is not it. For gaming and starting up a stream, the Razer Seriren V3 Chroma is a solid microphone.