Razer Moray earbud review: A lightweight option for streamers but fails to stand out from the pack

Modified Oct 05, 2023 21:15 GMT

The Razer Moray is a decent IEM. — The Razer Moray is decent, but the price point doesn't justify what it does (Image via Razer)

I’ve had a pair of the Razer Moray earbuds for a while now, and after extensive use, I feel like I have come to a definitive conclusion about how I feel. At the outset, this has certainly been a unique experience, as I’ve never been this conflicted when reviewing audio hardware before.

I do, generally speaking, enjoy using Razer products. My keyboard, mouse, and the two webcams I have set up are in that particular brand. With respect to the earbuds, for every design choice I appreciate, there’s something that’s gone a bit wrong.

Overall, they feel like a step in the right direction. That said, there are drawbacks that the company needs to address should there be another version of an IEM (In-ear monitor) like the Razer Moray from them.

The Razer Moray earbuds feature unparalleled comfort and are easy to set up

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While I do feel that the Razer Moray earbuds are by far the most comfortable IEMs I have used, there’s a bit of a caveat here. I’m not a usual test case, and I did have a problem that not many users will have to go through. At first, I tested these with an average-sized tip, similar to what I use on other headphones.

However, the one on my left side kept getting lodged in my ear, to the point where I almost had to seek medical attention because it was stuck — and stuck fairly deep. At that point, I stopped wearing one in that ear, which is fine because I’m nearly deaf in that ear. While I love the silicone and foam tips, anyone who’s had ear surgery may want to tread with some caution.

Other than that, these things are perfect when it comes to the design and feel. I could wear them all day while I worked and then some more as I streamed. Throughout, I felt nothing but comfort.

If this product nailed anything, it's the comfort aspect (Image via Razer)

The Razer Moray is incredibly lightweight, and the cable being designed to fit over the top of the ear is a smart design choice. Right out of the gate, I was very impressed with its features, including but not limited to the cables that disconnect and varied tip options.

The Razer Moray is clearly designed for streaming

No matter what ear shape you have, comfortable streaming is easy (Image via Razer)

While the overall design of the Razer Moray is quite nice, and they’re easy to use, the .35mm headphone jack is an interesting choice. It feels like it deliberately leaves out many smartphone users unless they purchase a separate connector. As I use IEMs primarily on my phone, this was certainly a disappointing feature.

However, when I travel across the country for work, there is no other headset I’d rather plug into my AyaNeo, laptop, or Nintendo Switch. It works amazingly well with my microphone, the Elgato Wave 3, too.

The Razer Moray is solely for listening to sounds and does not have a built-in microphone. At first, I found that frustrating, but at the end of the day, I got used to it. As I already own several high-quality mics, I didn’t need another switch to turn off in my PC’s sound settings.

The Razer Moray are serviceable for gaming, but fall short in other arenas

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The Razer Moray sounds fine. They might not be an incredible option for a discerning audiophile, but they’re far from the worst headphones I have used. The foam tips definitely help in improving sound quality as they reduce the incoming noise from other sources, and the earbuds sound perfectly fine for gaming.

Here’s where the product really fell short for me. It just wasn’t quite powerful enough for me. If you want to primarily listen to music, I do not recommend the Razer Moray at all. That said, I enjoyed streaming with them, and it was easy to hear my co-streamer while also listening to the game I was focused on.

In Conclusion

This product needs work, but it's not a bad set of streaming earbuds (Image via Razer)

Frankly, I like the Razer Moray as a product, and I love their headphones in general. They feel like a solid step into the world of IEMs, but the price point of $120 USD is a bit high for what they do/do not do. The voice pickup is remarkable, and they are, again, the most comfortable IEM I’ve ever popped in my ear (the omission of the plural here is intentional).

The presentation and production of the IEM are second to none. They’re sturdy, the cables are a durable braid, and you have plenty of different tip options depending on what you need for your ear. I love it as a product, but I do feel like there’s still some work to be done here. With time, I’m sure Razer will get there if they wish to keep producing in-ear hardware.