At CES 2023 earlier this month, gaming specialist Razer not only brought computers, but also a rather unusual soundbar that is quite literally aimed at gamers. The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro uses head tracking and artificial intelligence to detect exactly where the user is – and direct the sound towards his or her ears.
According to Razer, Leviathan V2 Pro is the first desktop soundbar with AI tracking and beamforming – controlling the direction of sound by phase-manipulating the sound emitted from each of the five drivers in the soundbar.
Razer has teamed up with THX, the 3D surround sound specialist, and Audioscenic, a leader in 3D sound beamforming. The result should be sound that combines the best of headphones and surround systems – in a 60 cm-long bar on the desktop. According to Razer.
The 3D sound can be experienced in two modes: as virtual speakers or as a virtual headset. THX Spatial Audio Virtual Headset promises to provide the same precisely positioned sound that was previously only available in headsets, while THX Spatial Audio Virtual Speakers mimic a wide, spatial soundstage that you’d experience with a full home theater system.
The soundbar is assisted at the bottom by a subwoofer equipped with a single five-inch woofer. It’s not a lot, but since you’re listening from a very short distance, this should work. The system is claimed to be capable of delivering 98 dB of sound pressure at the desktop.
Since we’re dealing with Razer, the sound is accompanied by a Razer Chroma light show with 30 lighting zones and 16 million colours. The Razer Leviathan V2 Pro costs EUR 490.
