Razer Nommo Pro 2.1
Razer gets serious about desktop sound
WOW! WE WEREN’T expecting that. Just as we were Googling studio monitor deals to find out exactly how much professionalgrade audio you can get for $500—the answer’s “a lot”—the Nommo blasted us into submission. This is, if you can believe it, a wonderfully articulated 2.1 speaker system, which—despite the subwoofer looking like a 1:1 scale trashcan—doesn’t overdo the low end. It sounds.... Well, it sounds like a high-end speaker system,
A similar revolution has taken place in the headset market. Where once there were tinny sounds and apologetic tribal designs on each earcup, there’s now audiophile- friendly, sonorous audio from SteelSeries, HyperX, et al. “Gaming headset” is no longer shorthand for “They’ve botched the sound, but it comes with a detachable mic.” Gaming speaker systems, though....
That’s a different story. Actual speakers aren’t usually part of a traditional gaming setup. You’re either a dedicated gamer with your preferred headset, or you dabble in music production, too, and cram a pair of massive studio monitors on your desk. Manufacturers don’t often appeal to us directly as gamers with 2.1 systems.
We’re so glad Razer did in this instance. The enormous subwoofer will definitely make every gunfight more intense, every explosion more likely to force you to look around and check the windows are still intact. Y’know—everything you want in a gaming sound system. But it’s also distortion-free at high volumes, and doesn’t muddy up the mix by pushing lowend frequencies louder than anything else. It’s remarkable restraint for a product that includes RGB speaker bases.
Which brings us to the “2” in that 2.1 system. These speakers are available separately, in RGB or tasteful varieties, and they’re compact enough not to impinge on your setup space too much. There are
no controls on the speakers, however—it’s all controlled via a hub connected to the subwoofer via a proprietary connection. On that hub you can switch between Bluetooth, analog, and USB inputs, and move the volume up and down via a satisfying wheel. It has white LEDs to indicate volume and everything. But then, y’know—$500.
We did have a few pains getting Windows to play nicely with the Nommo 2.1 at first, but only because the hub had defaulted to Bluetooth output rather than USB. Once fixed, a sonic bath of rich, warm, powerful, and eloquent music followed. Enemies were made in the vicinity, of course, but that’s the price you pay for listening to old Nine Inch Nails EPs and deathcore tracks at bone-powdering volumes. All in the name of testing, you understand.
So, then: Its sound is stellar, it looks attractive—although we vastly prefer the RGB switched off—and it’s easy to use. Is there anything to rain on the Nommo’s parade? Not really. At $500, it is technically too expensive—there’s a “gaming” premium bloating that price slightly, as you’ll see when you look at what manufacturers such as Yamaha roll out in terms of 2.1 systems and studio monitors in the same price range. But we’re going to look past that, because the Nommo 2.1 is more fun. Who cares if you can’t mix on them—they sound amazing in any other scenario. Your only considerations to the contrary should be practical—is a downward-firing subwoofer the size of Delaware a great idea in your third-floor apartment? Do you have space for it under your desk? If you can navigate these questions with sensible solutions, there’s only the sizeable price tag standing between you and grin-inducing, sillygood sound.