Razer Moray

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Razer is a gaming brand and as such, it markets its Moray headphones as in-ear noise-isolating "gaming" earphones. And while there really isn't anything different about them from other soft earbud-style headphones in their price class, they do indeed pair up quite nicely with the PSP, DS, and MP3 players.

Editors' note:

This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some other products or telcos in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia.

Personally, I've always liked these style earphones. The typical hard earbud-style headphones that ship with the iPod and PSP simply don't fit my ears and these soft 'buds have always worked much better. Like other earphones of this ilk, the Morays come with three different size ear-buds (small, medium, and large) and one of them will most likely fit snugly--and comfortably--in your ear. The headphones also come with a nice little neoprene carrying case and a two-pronged adapter for airplane use.

Razer describes the Morays, which comes in white and black, as having "powerful bass-driven stereo sound and mid-/high-range clarity." That's a somewhat accurate statement, but if you're used to listening to your music through high-end earbud headphones, like those offered by Shure and Etymotic, you'll find the bass more restrained and the clarity not quite as detailed. With heavier bass tracks, you get some distortion at higher volumes, but all in all they hold together fairly well. We're talking about headphones that cost a little more than US$30--compared with ones that cost from US$100 to US$200--so you can't expect the world out of these little guys. That said, if you care about audio quality you can get considerably better-sounding earbuds--such as the V-MODA Bass Freq or the Sennheiser CX 300--for the same price or slightly more.

In the end, there really isn't much to complain about. We prefer headphones that have right-angle jacks (if that type of jack gets hit, it's less likely to damage the connector), but that's not a huge knock. I got a nice snug fit with the medium earbuds, which helped muffle a good portion of the extraneous noise. The sound wasn't as muffled as a good pair of active noise-canceling headphones or the old foam-tipped Shure 'buds I jam in my ears most days. But the Morays cut the noise to a degree.

As I said, there are other options for similarly styled earbuds in this price range. The Sony MDR EX75s come to mind. And the Denon AH-C351s. But the Morays certainly measure up to those models, whether it be for gaming or music. At US$32, they're a good buy, especially for someone who's looking for a replacement for the headphones that come with the PSP or iPod.

Tags: Apple iPod, Sony Corp., Adapter, headphone, game