Razer Seiren BT microphone review: Could have been so much more

The Razer Seiren BT is one of three streamer-focused products launched together, and it's aimed at those who like to create content on the go. This teeny-tiny little dongle is actually a Bluetooth microphone that works with iOS and Android, as well as Windows and Mac, and is positioned as a better alternative to your built-in mics.

I'll admit to having high hopes for this product as I've used a Seiren desktop microphone for some years now and have been very happy with it.

Alas, the Seiren BT isn't quite so easy to recommend as it's a bit of a mixed bag. For Razer, the flaws the Seiren BT experiences are unusual and for some, it could well be a rare miss.

Razer Seiren BT: Price and availability

The Razer Seiren BT is available now for $100/£100 from Razer's own store and supported resellers such as Best Buy and Amazon. It supports both Android and iOS, as well as connecting to Windows or macOS over Bluetooth.

Razer Seiren BT: What you'll like

The idea behind the Razer Seiren BT is certainly a good one. Small, wireless microphones like this aren't that common, and some of the competitors are much more expensive. And it's a good time to have a product like this as well. Content creators and mobile/IRL streamers are growing every week, and with remote working the need for decent quality sound for those important meetings has never been higher.

In typical Razer fashion what you get is a quality-feeling product that comes with everything in the box that you're going to need. That includes a USB-C charging cable, a dead cat, and a foam sock. Charging doesn't take too long, and you can expect up to 6 hours of battery life, which is pretty good given the size.

The design is fairly uninspiring, looking more like a vape than a microphone. But then it doesn't need to be flashy, really. The microphone is on the top right next to a 3.5mm headset jack that can be used for mic monitoring or just connecting your headphones to hear the audio from your phone.

Because it connects using Bluetooth 5.0, it isn't limited to smartphones, but that's very clearly the target audience. Razer has a companion app for both iOS and Android, which unlocks features including gain adjustment, AI noise cancellation, a low latency mode for when you're gaming, and a quick connect feature. Pay particular attention to the gain because it's really easy to end up clipping. By default, my unit was set to 60%, which I found a little too high.

The AI noise cancellation is also very good if you're in a noisy environment, though it does come at the cost of overall audio quality. Nevertheless, if you need to be heard, you'll be far better off using one of these than you would be just relying on your phone's built-in microphone.

Razer Seiren BT: What you won't like

If you're expecting spectacular audio quality, then you need to temper expectations immediately. It's not horrible, but it's not exceptionally good, either. Average is a fair description of the audio quality of the Razer Seiren BT. It makes more sense if you need to record audio outdoors or in busy environments, but in more ideal conditions I honestly think the sound from my iPhone's microphone is more pleasant.

As an added fly in the ointment, this sample recorded using Audacity on a Windows 11 PC I think sounds better than when connected to a smartphone. Which is good. But it also takes away from the main reason the product exists in the first place. But as something to use with a laptop for conference calls, it would be pretty good and a definite step up from the built-in mic and definitely more portable than anything else.

You also can't use it with the stock camera app on your phone, whichever platform, because it isn't supported. That's not necessarily down to Razer, but it does mean you'll need to find an alternative such as Filmic Pro.

The pairing process is also a little more convoluted than it should be. Connecting the microphone to the companion app doesn't actually connect it to the phone to use as a microphone, only to change its settings. You still have to manually make sure your phone's Bluetooth settings have connected to the device.

I'm also disappointed by the position of the headphone jack. It's a rare design flaw from Razer because if you're using either of the two covers, you can't access it to plug in your headphones. Obviously, I'm not a hardware engineer, but it would definitely have been more useful on the bottom than the top.

Razer Seiren BT: Competition

The most obvious competition to the Seiren BT comes from Rode with its Wireless Go microphone system. On the one hand, it's quite a bit more expensive than the Razer Seiren BT, but on the other, it's more flexible, too. While the Wireless go can be used like the Seiren BT, it has the additional capacity to plug in a high-quality lav mic to use wirelessly with your camera, too.

The additional difference with the Wireless Go is that it can be hooked up to a camera, not just relying on mobile devices or laptops.

Razer Seiren BT: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

• You're looking for a portable microphone for use with a laptop
• You record audio outdoors
• You record audio in busy areas

You shouldn't buy this if ...

• You're looking for broadcast-quality audio
• You want to use stock mobile camera apps

The Razer Seiren BT was never going to be for everyone, but it's actually a bit of a swing and a miss for its intended target audience. It isn't horrible, and it's more affordable than some competing devices, but it's fair to say that the audio quality is overall disappointing.

There are some really good bits here, like the AI noise cancellation and the battery life. But conversely, that AI noise cancellation feels better suited to conference calls in a busy office than to creating content for YouTube or Twitch.

The foundation is solid though, and I have every faith that the next iteration of the Razer Seiren BT could knock it out of the park and possibly make our list of best microphones for streaming.