INTRODUCTION

   Having used 5.1/7.1 Dolby Surround/Digital Sound systems since the late 90's i know that regular stereo and even 3D virtual surround sound systems can't even hold a candle against them. Still not everyone has enough space to place 6 or 8 speakers (5.1/7.1) so it didn't take that long for manufacturers to come up with the ideal compromise between size and performance. We are of course talking about sound bars and although the concept is not really new and they can't really compete with complete 5.1/7.1 surround sound systems still they offer a good value for people looking to seriously upgrade the sound coming from their TV screens without sacrificing much space in the process. Razer is mostly popular amongst users for their gaming mouse, keyboards and headsets but what many may not know is that they've recently ventured in other areas of the market such as virtual reality, portable computing, TV players and even home theater audio systems. One of these new products is the Leviathan 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Bar which as the title of this review clearly states is with us today.

   Razer™ is a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers. Razer is transforming the way people play games, engage with other gamers and identify with the gamer lifestyle. Having won the coveted “Best of CES” award consecutively for five years, the company’s leadership in product innovation continues to create new categories for the gaming community that is estimated to have over 1 billion gamers worldwide. Razer’s award-winning design and technology include an array of user interface and systems devices, voice-over IP for gamers and a cloud platform for customizing and enhancing gaming devices. Founded in 2005, Razer is backed by Intel Capital, IDG-Accel and Heliconia Capital Management (Heliconia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore investment company Temasek.

   The Leviathan consists by a Bluetooth v4.0 enabled compact sound bar and a passive sub-woofer which although not very small it's still much smaller than many others in the market thus doesn't require that much space beneath your desk or TV set. The sound bar can be connected to your system either via Bluetooth v4.0 or 3.5mm/optical wired connection and offers an power output of up to 30W RMS via two 60mm (63.5mm to be exact) full range drivers and two 19mm tweeters (features a frequency response of 180Hz-20KHz with 8 Ohm impedance). The passive sub-woofer also offers a power output of 30W RMS via its 133mm driver which features a frequency response of 20Hz-180Hz with 4 Ohm impedance. Unfortunately the Leviathan is not remote controlled and the specifications are not the best we've ever seen so it's clearly not aimed at audiophiles. On the other hand however Razer almost always caters to the mid-end segment of the market first before going higher so let’s see and hear what the Leviathan 5.1 Surround sound bar is all about.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Leviathan arrived in a large cardboard box that has a product image at the front right above the main product features.

The package contents, technical specifications and hardware requirements are all listed on the left side.

On the opposite side we see a drawing of the sound bar and a few words about the three available equalizer modes.

Another product picture is placed at the rear right above the product features which are listed in 7 languages.

Once you open the box you will find a letter from the CEO and a piece of cardboard showcasing product connectivity.

Contained in the box are the sound bar (wrapped inside a piece of cloth), passive sub-woofer, power adapter with two tips (EU/UK), 2 sets of feet for the Soundbar, 2 Razer stickers, warranty information paper, product instructions, 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable and an optical cable (both are placed in the cardboard box beneath the sub-woofer).

THE LEVIATHAN

The 2kg heavy sound bar is made primarily by hard plastic (both glossy and matte) and measures 500.22mm in length, 73.47mm in width and 101.59mm in height.

Razer has placed their logo at the front center of the unit right beneath the power button.

Next to the power button we find the rest of the controls and from here you can change the audio input, enable/disable Bluetooth, enable/disable Dolby Virtual Surround Mode, mute the system, rotate between the 3 available presets (game/audio/movie) and adjust the volume levels (you can also adjust the sub-woofer bass levels by keeping the Dolby button pressed while using the volume buttons).

The Leviathan is also NFC ready and there's a small sticker at the top where the sensor is placed.

As you can see the sound bar can also be mounted to a wall using the two holes found on both ends.

Located at the lower end of the rear are the Sub-Woofer port, power port, optical audio input and the 3.5mm mini-jack audio input (there's also a service panel probably used by Razer engineers in case of a problem).

Razer packs two different set of feet with the sound bar which you can mount in the two holes seen above.

The first is basically just a piece of rubber and keeps the sound bar roughly 5mm from the ground at a very small angle while the second is made by both hard plastic and rubber and measures 23mm at the front and 15mm at the rear resulting at a higher angle.

Which of the two looks better is something you will decide (personally i like the 2nd set - top picture).

The 2.35kg heavy sub-woofer is made by hard plastic and is 255.74mm long/wide and 221.02mm tall (feet included).

The Razer logo is placed at the top of the sub-woofer.

Turning the sub-woofer over we find 4 tall feet (similar to the 2nd set of the sound bar) and a 130mm downward-firing driver.

The driver may seem small compared to what we've seen used in full 5.1/7.1 surround sound systems but it's actually very good for its size.

Once the sound bar is connected with the sub-woofer and plugged into the power socket all that's left is to press the on/off power button (since this is a Razer product we did expect green lighting).

CONCLUSION

   The Leviathan 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Bar is a pleasant surprise by Razer since it offers extremely good bass levels (especially for such a small sub-woofer) but unfortunately the size of the drivers only allows it to produce relatively good mids and highs with very good clarity however. Had Razer designed and produced a larger sound bar with larger and perhaps even more drivers (more drivers would also improve its virtual surround effect) things could be much better but chances are that they thought about this quite a bit and decided not to since the Leviathan is obviously aimed at console and PC users as well (thus size plays a large role). This is probably also why they chose not to add a remote control to the Leviathan and although i didn't care much about one during testing (besides you can control the volume levels of the device you use it with) i know that it's a must for some people. Still the size of the Leviathan makes it ideal for use with your TV set, console and PC so everything aside i do think that Razer made the right choice but i sincerely hope that they will release something better for "serious" home theater use.

   5.1 Virtual Surround sound bars may just be a pair of speakers but their price depends a lot from what features they pack so the current price tag of USD184.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 210Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) is quite justified since aside the very good power output (for the size) Razer has equipped the Leviathan with several technologies including Bluetooth V4.0, aptX, ACC, NFC, Virtual Surround, Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic II. Overall although I’ve owned and used several 5.1/7.1 surround sound systems in my life and thus i know firsthand that sound bars simply can't compete i do realize that they offer a way out for people with very little space to spare and the Leviathan is a very good choice especially if you don't want to spend too much in the process which is why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Size
- Power Output
- Bass Levels
- Bluetooth V4.0 Compatible (aptX/ACC/NFC)
- 3.5mm & Optical Audio Inputs
- 2 Sets Of Feet
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- No HDMI Audio Input
- No Remote Control
- Limited Surround Effect