This cosmic sea monster is damn loud: Razer Leviathan V2 in the test

Razer's new gaming soundbar comes just in time. In the warm season, it quickly gets 30 degrees Celsius and warmer in my small home office. I don't want to wear headphones while working during the day or while gaming in the evening - and listening to music with the integrated monitor speakers is a no-go for me.

Gaming is fun with the Leviathan V2 and music sounds good as well. However, Razer has saved too much on the ports and controls - or made them more complicated.

Sound bars

EUR231,14

Razer Leviathan V2

65 W, 7.1 Channel

51

Sound bars

EUR231,14

Razer Leviathan V2

65 W, 7.1 Channel

51

Packed full

It's amazing what Razer packs into the soundbar, which is only 50 centimeters long and - without the feet - seven centimeters high: two 95 millimeter full-range drivers, two 20 millimeter tweeters and two passive diaphragms.

The compact soundbar fits perfectly under my screen. It stands above the monitor's base and thus doesn't take up any additional space. Thanks to two differently sized feet, I can either let the soundbar sound at a 90 degree angle over the desk or point it slightly upwards.

I place the subwoofer, which is about the size of a shoebox with a 140-millimeter driver, under the desk. This way, I have a nice footrest that gives me a foot massage during bass-intensive pieces. The proprietary cable, at two meters, is long enough for my standing desk when I raise it.

On the bottom, an RGB LED bar adorns the Leviathan V2. The lighting certainly looks stylish when you're standing on it.

Few connection options

Razer is stingy when it comes to ports. The only physical connection option is via USB. There is a USB-C port on the Leviathan V2 itself. Otherwise, you can only connect the external (!) power supply and the subwoofer on the back. I don't like external power supplies, but at least this keeps the Leviathan compact.

I am aware that the Leviathan V2 is aimed at PC gamers. Still, I would welcome a headphone jack and the ability to connect via audio cable to the PC. Simply because the part would then be compatible with more devices and I would have an alternative in case of emergency, for example, faulty USB connection.

At least you can still connect the soundbar to compatible devices via Bluetooth version 5.2. SBC and AAC are available for the codecs. Too bad, aptX is not included.

Many, many apps

A remote control would have been nice as well. Instead, you control the soundbar via the physical buttons on its top. Here you can select the source, turn the soundbar on or off and adjust the volume. You can also control it with your PC and the Razer Synapse program or a smartphone app.

First, the app - or rather, the apps. The app called "Audio"(Android and iOS) lets you change the volume, press play and pause, and make adjustments to the equalizer. However, this is only possible as long as you are connected via Bluetooth and not via USB. If you switch to the USB connection, you can only control the volume.

If you want to control the lighting via smartphone, you need a second app: Chroma RGB(Android and iOS). With it, you can adjust the lighting as you like.

The Razer Synapse program lets you make the same settings on the PC. Additionally, you can switch between stereo and THX Spatial Audio in the Chroma RGB app.

Sounds quite good

The Leviathan V2 packs quite a punch thanks to the subwoofer. But the two full-range drivers in combination with the passive diaphragms also make my desk tremble properly.

The two tweeters sound brilliant, but lack a bit of detail. The mids lack balance. Voices are sometimes lost in the heat of the moment. Thanks to the equalizer, I can improve it, but it does not sound quite as I would like.

Still, the Leviathan V2 sounds good for a gaming soundbar. And: The part is loud, damn loud for its size. The sound quality does not change in the slightest due to the volume.

Conclusion: Only conditionally recommendable

If you only play on a PC, the Leviathan V2 might be worth a look - if you don't mind the few connectivity options (USB-C and Bluetooth 5.2). These are my biggest criticism of the soundbar. Besides that, it bothers me that the control via smartphone requires up to two apps, that aptX is not installed, and that the power supply is not included.

The sound of the Leviathan V2 is good. There is nothing to complain about for a gaming soundbar. It is also very compact and fits almost everywhere. However, the question is whether you are willing to spend around 250 francs for it. For me, it's too expensive for what it offers. 50 francs less and the Leviathan would be top.