Razer is betting big on streaming gear right now, in fact we’ve just reviewed the Razer Key Light Chroma and the excellent Razer Audio Mixer, but one new product stands out from the pack as being less PC-focused and more about bringing quality audio to streams and calls on the go. The Razer Seiren BT is a wearable bluetooth microphone that aims to give users vocal clarity no matter where they are.
Packed in an appropriately-tiny box, the Seiren BT comes with the bare essentials of a Type-C charging cable and instruction manual as well as two different wind socks. The microphone itself is no bigger than the average USB flash drive and sports just one button along with the Type-C port on the bottom and a 3.5mm headphone jack on top. It’s unassuming, relatively light and dressed in a matte black finish with no sign of Razer’s beloved Chroma lighting anywhere – just a tiny LED indicator on the front.
So why a mobile microphone? Razer has clearly been monitoring the rise of ‘IRL’ streamers and rather than try to compete in the market of high-end vlogging solutions that the more serious creators use they’re instead attempting to bring high-quality audio to the entry level user – notably those using their phone’s camera to stream or record. While modern phones have the video side more or less sorted, audio is trickier with proximity to the phone’s microphone important and the alternative – headphones with their own mic – doesn’t present well. A small device attached to the collar gives creators the best of both worlds by freeing their phone and placing an inconspicuous pickup right near their face.
To that end, the Seiren BT is a success. That is to say it does exactly what it’s designed to. If you’ve been recording video with your phone’s built-in microphone or a headset the instant freedom afforded by a wireless mic is fantastic. It’s a fairly good performer too with a omnidirectional pickup that rocks decent clarity for its tiny size. Popping on either of the socks, there’s one designed for indoor use and one for outdoors, improves it further by preventing any nasty wind interference.
Once you’ve paired the Seiren BT to your mobile device via bluetooth, you’ll also have extra control over the sound via the Razer Streaming app. You’ll be able to see battery level at a glance, quickly mute, increase or decrease the gain and adjust how much noise suppression is applied with the microphone’s powerful AI feature. That last one is definitely the big sell for the Seiren BT, intelligently filtering out background noise both indoors and outdoors and doing a remarkably good job at it. At higher levels it has a tendency to be too aggressive and muddy the user’s voice, but the difference between using the Razer versus a standard headphone mic when out and about is significant.
I’ve tested the capabilities of the AI noise suppression in a fair few scenarios including indoors, my local bar and a fair amount of time out on Melbourne’s main roads during the day. Vocal clarity does take a bit of a hit with the noise suppression up on higher levels, but I feel the trade-off is worth it. Razer says it’s got a bluetooth range of up to 10 metres as well, which should prove handy along with its 20ms low latency, 4-6 hour battery life (dependent on AI use) and 1.5-hour quick charge time. I do wish it was weatherproof to some degree, but this little thing is sure to be a godsend at busy conventions.
One very obvious downside to a microphone designed for use with mobile devices is that neither iOS or Android is particularly friendly to bluetooth recording devices and so punters are likely to find their favourite recording apps or native camera solutions aren’t compatible. Razer advises using the Seiren BT with third-party streaming applications, which is fine for the strict purpose of streaming but doesn’t much help with things like recording VOD content or notation.
That said, Android 12’s native camera app was more than happy with it and let me switch between my phone’s in-built mic and the Seiren BT at the tap of a button. Just know that the same may not apply to everyone so it’s worth figuring out what software you’ll use before shelling out the not-insignificant AUD $169.95 / NZD $194.95 asking price. Of course if you decide to use it with a PC you’re sure to be sweet.
Final Thoughts
The Razer Seiren BT is a nifty little device that suits its intended purpose incredibly well. With a simple pair-and-wear setup, decent recording quality and some impressive AI noise suppression technology it’s a hit for anyone that streams IRL in busy city centres or noisy indoor environments. Where the device falters, and by no fault of its own, is in how most mobile operating systems and apps are likely to cripple its functionality by design so your mileage may vary.
Review unit supplied by manufacturer
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