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Studio-based streamers are spoiled for choice when it comes to microphone options, we’ve already put together a list of their best options, but for those breaking away from their desk things get more limited.
The Seiren BT is Razer’s first attempt at plugging that gap. Taking audio on the move with a tiny Bluetooth mic designed to give mobile streamers a quality, flexible option. On paper it’s ticking a lot of boxes, but does it stack up in the real world, or could it be used in a streaming for gamers set up?
Design & features
Officially the smallest microphone in Razer’s best microphones for streaming lineup (and possibly any streamer microphone lineup for that matter) the Seiren BT measures in at just over six centimetres. It’s an incredibly portable little unit weighing just 16 grams, and I even actually forgot that it was clipped to my collar after a couple of minutes. A largely metal casing is a surprising and welcome touch too, it keeps the Seiren BT from feeling like a toy and adds a premium finish.
It’s an impressive form factor that’s noticeably smaller and lighter than its main rival, RØDE’s excellent Wireless GO, and it makes all the difference when it comes to actually using it. Like RØDE’s offering, the Razer Seiren BT features an inbuilt clip on the back for attaching to your collar and, on the whole, it’s a good solution that makes it simple to get on the move.
Unlike the extra bulk of the Wireless GO which meant it often pulled down my t-shirt collar and flipped over, there was no such drama with the Seiren BT which sat happily in place throughout. If I’m being picky, the clip on the Seiren BT is just a touch lower than I’d like though; it’s a minor thing but it would help keep the mic hidden away more on camera if it joined nearer the top.
Connecting to my phone was simple, even without Razer’s dedicated streaming app. My iPhone 13 Pro happily picked up the Seiren BT as a Bluetooth mic, but be aware: it will take over your audio output too so listening back to test recordings in the Voice Memo app is a chore. There is a 3.5mm aux jack which does get around the issue, but the input being on the top of the mic is somewhat awkward and prevents you from using either of the two included windsocks too.
Performance
Using the Seiren BT as intended and linking up with the Razer streaming app unlocks a handful of extra features including AI noise cancellation, live audio monitoring, and a low latency mode. You can track battery percentage here too, with Razer claiming up to six hours of battery life if you keep noise cancellation off or four if you leave it on. There are two levels of that noise cancellation, and while they do an impressive job of cutting out unwanted background sound this was a little aggressive at times and ate into the voice quality too.
That’s an issue because with the Razer Seiren BT you don’t have a lot of voice quality you can afford to lose. For everything this little device gets right across build quality, design and setup, it falls down at the most crucial junction, sound quality. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t sound good at all.
Given the tiny form factor and $99 / £99 price point of the Seiren BT this shouldn’t come as a major surprise and yet I am still left feeling let down by what it produced. It’s important to taper expectations when it comes to the performance of a microphone like this, it’s never going to be able to deliver perfect studio-quality vocals no matter how hard the AI tries. But what I was left with was a microphone that delivered somewhere in line with a headset microphone or Apple Airpods.
It just all sounds a bit rough. There is no depth to my voice and none of the ‘perfect vocal clarity’ that Razer promises. Running some test recordings and Discord calls with a friend, we both agreed my audio was considerably better using the iPhone’s built-in microphone over the Razer Seiren BT. Comparing it to the RØDE Wireless GO the difference was night and day (though, admittedly, the Wireless GO is twice the price).
Overall – Should you buy it?
This all leaves the Razer Seiren BT in a slightly strange position. It’s an excellent device that’s just not good at what it’s meant to do. It’s a Formula 1 car with the engine from a Fiat Punto.
Purely as a microphone and based on audio quality alone it’s hard to recommend, but as a complete package it begins to form a more useful offering. It’s built well, it’s simple to set up and the wireless freedom it brings is valuable. For IRL creators where flexibility triumphs over sound it might just fit the bill, but for those looking to properly turn up the quality, there are likely stronger options elsewhere.
How we tested the Razer Seiren BT
I used the Razer Seiren BT connected to an iPhone 13 Pro via Bluetooth both with and without the official Razer Streaming App. I tested sound quality recording in a number of environments, inside and outside, and while using a mixture of different gain and AI Sound levels.
Audio was recorded using the native Apple Voice Memos app and tested via Discord calls.
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The Verdict
2.5
2.5 out of 5
Razer Seiren BT
Disappointing audio quality from an otherwise impressive device.
