A fantastic-sounding, lightweight, and comfortable PC gaming headset.
When shopping for the best PC gaming headset there are certain brands that immediately spring to mind. The likes of Razer, SteelSeries, and Logitech are well known for their quality. But there's a brand you might not have considered previously that you're going to have to pay attention to now.
Roccat has launched the Syn Pro Air, a PC-dedicated gaming headset that promises a lot and delivers. It isn't the cheapest headset, nor is it the most feature-packed, but it does everything you would want a high-end headset to do with flying colors.
Roccat Syn Pro Air
Bottom line: One of the best wireless PC gaming headsets out there right now, but it's a shame there's no alternative connectivity to the 2.4GHz dongle.
The Good
- Exceptionally comfortable
- Superb sound quality
- USB-C quick charging
- Detachable mic w/ flip to mute
- Great battery life
The Bad
- No wired connection at all
- No Bluetooth connectivity
- Headband flexes quite a bit
Roccat Syn Pro Air: Price and availability
The Roccat Syn Pro Air is available to buy right now at the regular price in the U.S. of $150. It's available to order from Roccat directly or through authorized resellers like Amazon.
Roccat Syn Pro Air: What you'll like
The first thing you notice about the Roccat Syn Pro Air is how light it is. Compared to my regular wireless headset, the SteelSeries Arctis 9X, the Syn Pro Air is the definite featherweight and this is important in any good gaming headset. As a result, you can sit with the Syn Pro Air on your head for the longest of gaming sessions without feeling undue stress on the top of your head.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| Frequency response | 20Hz–20kHz |
| Speaker size | 50mm Turtle Beach Nanoclear drivers |
| Connection | 2.4GHz wireless |
| Compatibility | PC PS5 (no master volume control) |
| Price | $150 |
It's also quite cleverly designed, even though at first glance you'd be hard pushed to see it. The combination of the weight being almost entirely in the earcups paired with their shape and ability to rotate both horizontally and vertically gives them a sort of pinch against your ears. Not an uncomfortable one, but it almost feels like the headband isn't even touching your head. For overall comfort, the Syn Pro Air is right up there with the Razer BlackShark V2 fighting for the crown.
The Syn Pro Air also has a dose of Turtle Beach in it (Turtle Beach acquired Roccat in 2019), using both drivers and some assistance on the ear cups. The Syn Pro Air is designed to be glasses compatible with the ProSpecs earpads memory foam coming into play to ensure you're not feeling discomfort. I don't wear glasses, so I have to take their word for this, but the earpads are extremely soft.
The use of Turtle Beach drivers is perhaps the killer feature on the Syn Pro Air. The sound quality is immense, and while you'll get the absolute best if you do a little EQ tweaking, out of the box the Syn Pro Air is a fantastic headset for gaming or media. If you install the Neon companion app, you'll also get Turtle Beach audio drivers as part of the setup process.
Superhuman Hearing is almost cheating, it's so good.
The sound isn't particularly bass-heavy and for a gaming headset is actually very well balanced on the stock settings. The equalizer in Neon allows you to go fully manual, though it might have been nice to see some presets to get people going in the right direction. The settings that most will benefit from are the 3D Audio and "Superhuman Hearing." The latter is essentially a volume boost, but it does it in such a way you don't experience any distortion. It's particularly good in a battle royale or shooter, with some customization that can be applied to amplify footsteps. It's almost cheating, it's really good.
The Syn Pro Air also makes for a fine set of headphones to listen to your favorite jams. Part of this is the detachable microphone, so it's not getting in the way, but the bigger part is the 3D Audio and the music setting for it. Without it on, music sounds good, but a little flat, but turn it on and you'll be blown away by the difference. Even though you're wearing a gaming headset, it sounds like the music is filling the room.
For a beta client, Neon is actually pretty well designed, and there are plenty of handy little tools in there to tweak the microphone and lighting as well as the audio. The main audio controls are also on the headset for easy access while gaming, though if you use the Syn Pro Air with the PS5 you can't adjust the master volume here; it has to be done on the console. Mic muting is the same however you use it, though with a simple flip of the microphone taking care of it so there's no fumbling about on your ears for the button. The microphone also has built-in monitoring turned on by default, and while sound quality won't blow you away, it delivers crisp, clear audio.
The battery life is fantastic, and it charges quickly, too.
As a wireless headset, too, the Syn Pro Air needs to have good longevity and I'm delighted to say that it does. I've charged it only once in two weeks using it for a few hours every day. The RGB lighting is fairly limited in size, so it doesn't take too much away from the overall battery life, but you can dim it down or turn it off altogether and you'll squeeze a little extra from it.
Charging is over USB-C and it's also quick. Roccat says 15 minutes of charging is enough for five hours of gaming, perfect for a quick snack and beverage break before getting back to it. You get a lengthy cable included in the box, too, but you can't hook it up over cable to charge while you're wearing it. It's wire-free or nothing.
Roccat Syn Pro Air: What you won't like
The thing that will put most off the Syn Pro Air is its lack of any form of connectivity besides the 2.4GHz wireless. There's no Bluetooth, no 3.5mm, and as a result, no Xbox, Switch, or mobile device compatibility. You can use this headset on Mac and Linux, but as the companion software is Windows-only, it's not really a worthwhile investment there either.
Of course, adding more hardware features means adding more to the price, but this is such a good headset even without the additional software-based trickery; it's a shame that you can't buy one and use it with more than just your PC. PlayStation 5 owners are in some luck, as the console is compatible with the 2.4GHz wireless dongle, but even there you lose out on all the features and you can't even change the volume on the headset.
Lack of Bluetooth and 3.5mm is disappointing.
I'm also a little disappointed with the headband. The overall build quality is very good, even if it's essentially all plastic. The weight is low and it feels solid, which is fine, but the headband flexes quite a lot. As there's no carry case and the headset doesn't totally fold up, I am a little concerned about how well it may fare if it's tossed in a bag with a gaming laptop and carried around. It's about the only part of the Syn Pro Air that really doesn't feel like it should be on a $150 headset.
The plastic on the headband seems pretty cheap as well, with this review unit already bearing scuff marks from just living on my desk or on my head.
Roccat Syn Pro Air: Competition
There's no shortage of wireless gaming headsets in the world but two that you would argue are quite close to the Syn Pro Air are the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro and the SteelSeries Arctis 9X.
The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro has a better overall build, but in real terms doesn't quite have the battery life the Syn Pro Air can boast. Razer also has plenty of software tricks by way of THX Spatial Audio, but the Syn Pro Air is easier to adjust and the Neon companion app is a much lighter piece of software than Razer Synapse 3.
For Xbox fans, the alternative to look at is the SteelSeries Arctis 9X. This has both Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth support, so it doesn't require a dongle and can be used with all your devices. There's even a 3.5mm output. The Arctis 9 also boasts of being able to connect to an Xbox and another device at the same time. The main drawbacks compared to the Syn Pro Air are that it's a heavier headset, not quite as comfortable over longer periods, and because all the controls are on the headset, it's easy to lose the one you want in the heat of battle.
Roccat Syn Pro Air: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if ...
- You want a comfortable, great-sounding headset
- You want one of the best wireless PC gaming headsets around
- You want excellent battery life
You shouldn't buy this if ...
- You're a console gamer
- You want Bluetooth connectivity
- You're shopping on a budget
The Roccat Syn Pro Air is without a doubt one of the best wireless PC gaming headsets you can get right now. The Turtle Beach-supplied internals paired with the software tweaks and the sublime comfort makes it one that everyone should have on their shortlist. It even looks pretty good.
It is quite pricey, though, especially when you consider that you're not going to be able to use with anything but your PC, and the lack of Bluetooth or 3.5mm connection is disappointing. If you're a console or mobile gamer, it's not for you. But if you're a PC gamer, you're going to love it. There aren't many wireless headsets better than this right now.
Roccat Syn Pro Air
Bottom line: An absolutely brilliant-sounding headset that's supremely comfortable, has excellent battery life, and is a joy to live with. So long as you're a PC gamer.
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