The new Razer Seiren V2 Pro is another pro mic hitting the growing streaming and creator market and is definitely overkill for the everyday work Zoom calls. No, this $150 matte black pill is aimed at the Pokemaines and Shrouds of this world, as well as the budding podcasters, Youtubers, and DJs. This is because it takes a lot of sleight of hand to get the promised audio out of this microphone.

Despite the Pro in its name, the Serien V2 Pro is not a high-end XLR mic, but simply a plug-and-play USB condenser. 30mm dynamic mic, capable of sampling rates up to 96kHz, with a rich, warm, clean It works fine on a PC or Mac, but to get the most out of it, you'll need a Windows machine with Razer Synapse.

The best thing about USB desk mics is that they can be used by simply plugging them into any available port. No hassle; the Seiren V2 Pro does not. First, you must make sure that the microphone is properly positioned where the unidirectional pickup pattern is strongest. This is easy to do by attaching the microphone to the boom arm, which has a threaded thread on the bottom of it. Then the microphone will capture the rich, warmth of your voice that would make Barry White swoon.

The problem is that the Seiren V2 Pro does not come with a boom arm. Instead, it comes with a rather beautifully designed desk stand that stabilizes the microphone, absorbs shock, and can be tilted up to 180 degrees. But while it looks great on the desk, you can't bring the mic close to your mouth unless you're prepared to get serious hunchbackitis.

So, when I set the mic on the stand and used it about a foot away from my mouth, I got a rather faint voice with lots of distortion; no amount of fiddling with the Gain knob had any effect except to increase the ambient noise. However, when I picked up the microphone and put it to my mouth like a badass DJ, the audio improved dramatically.

Still not the best audio the Seiren V2 Pro could produce, so I had to try where Dragon would not - the Razer Synapse. The first page looks superficially simple, with basic level, gain, and volume sliders and toggles for sampling rate, high-pass filter, and gain limiter; the second page is the Stream Mixer dashboard, which tackles streaming in earnest For those who are serious about streaming, this is where things get interesting.

The mixer manages what you would expect: all the audio inputs and outputs connected to your machine. For example, it can manage the audio you hear in your headphones and the audio your audience hears in the stream. You can also manage game audio, custom music audio, etc. Seiren V2 Pro adds 10 virtual devices to the Windows audio output menu.

Now, unless you are a streamer, you don't need to worry about these things, but there are benefits to enabling things like high-pass filters that cut low-frequency noise from audio, such as PC fans or room air conditioning. I am not convinced that the analog gain limiter, which is supposed to prevent audio clipping and peaking, did a good job, especially with the microphone on a desk stand.

The physical controls on the microphone itself were also not very appealing. Aside from the mute button, there are only two dials that rotate endlessly, one for gain and one for volume. Not only are these two dials unhelpful in determining levels, but they are often difficult to use because they require the microphone to be tilted sharply.

So, in a nutshell, the Serien V2 Pro is an otherwise excellent microphone due to unnecessary manipulation to get the most out of it. I like that my voice sounds so rich and clear, and the high-pass filter does a good job of eliminating desktop hum. I also like the handsome looks. As far as Razer products go, there is no RGB, no green splash anywhere, opting instead for a minimalist look.

That said, the $150 Razer Seiren V2 Pro does nothing to beat out the best mics like the Blue Yeti, HyperX Quadcast, and Elgato Wave 3. Don't get me wrong, it's good stuff, but it's only for skilled hands. If you just want a plug-and-play mic, this may not be for you. Check out our best mic guide instead.